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Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP)
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Bryn Mawr, PA. 19010 USA
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Robert Schwarz, PsyD, DCEP, Executive Director
Email: acep_ed@energypsych.org
Leslie Primavera, Office Manager/Certification Coordinator
Phone: 619-861-2237
Email: admin@energypsych.org
Cynthia Joba, Director, Outreach & Communications
Email: cjoba@energypsych.org
Susan Carney, Admin Assistant/CE Coordinator
Phone: 484-380-2448
Email: Scarney@energypsych.org
The science of energy medicine and energy psychology: A new direction
(by Rick Leskowitz MD) I went to medical school over 40 years ago, and its conceptual foundation was pretty straightforward: it was all about anatomy and physiology. First we learned about all the organs and cellular structures (it was called gross anatomy because the organs are so solid and tangible, not because dissecting them is unpleasant!), and then we learned how these components functioned together in health and illness. And not much has changed since then – doctor as auto mechanic, now upgraded to include regular maintenance checks (ie, lifestyle advice).
In many ways, the set-up is the same for energy medicine: subtle anatomy and energy physiology are the keys. Many people are aware of the three main energetic structures of our subtle anatomy: the biofield, the meridians and the chakras (in layman’s terms, the aura, the energy pathways and the energy centers.) Traditional Chinese Medicine states that the mind directs this energy (qi), and the blood (ie, the body) follows the qi. But how, exactly?
This is where energy physiology fits in, by way of two key interfaces: the places where energy psychology and energy medicine techniques affect our subtle anatomy, and the places where energy-induced energy shifts impact our biology. For better or worse, energy psychology (EP) research overlooks qi by seeking to explain its effectiveness in terms that conventional medicine will understand (ie, fMRIs). But if energy is real, we should be able to make these EP-to-qi-to-body connections. So here are some next steps.
With respect to the first interface, each energy psychology and energy medicine modality has its own unique subtle anatomic target. One size does not fit all, because Reiki, EFT, TFT, TAT and EMDR each impact different layers and components of the energy body; see the reference below for a detailed map of how and where these interactions happen.
Regarding the second interface (energy-to-body), remember that biology and DNA can’t explain cell growth and differentiation – how stem cells decide to become, say, neurons, and grow over there – but the biofield can. Just as iron filings align to a magnet’s invisible lines of force, so will cells go and grow where and how the biofield tells them to. Consider post-amputation phantom limbs – many practitioners have palpated the invisible phantom with their hands. That’s possible because the phantoms are not illusory creations of the brain, but independent energy fields that exist in empty space, even when their corresponding physical structure (e.g., the iron filings) has been cut away. The body follows the qi’s template.
Another form of energy/biology interaction happens when strong emotions stir up sensations in our body. Feelings like being “choked up” or getting “butterflies in the stomach” aren’t just randomly located perceptions, but the results of specific chakra activations. Each of the chakras has an emotional function that is associated with a commonly felt bodily sensation (Figure 1).
Here’s another connection – athletes using acupuncture to relieve muscle cramps after vigorous exercise. The standard explanation is that lactic acid has built up and must be metabolized, and that is true – as far as it goes. Energetically, though, muscle tension and pain result when energy flow through the meridians is blocked. That “friction” creates oxidative stress, which effectively causes the cells to “rust” by building up lactic acid; energy treatments (plus anti-oxidants) restore intracellular balance.
Bottom line: there are still many gaps in the story, but these energy psychology/energy/biology links show the direction to go if we really want to understand what energy psychology is all about.
Eric (Rick) Leskowitz MD, ABIHM was a consultant psychiatrist to the Pain Management Program at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston for over 25 years, is co-director of their Integrative Health Initiative, and is a research affiliate at Harvard Medical School. He is a long-standing member of the Association of Comprehensive Energy Psychology. For over 40 years, he has studied energy healing and energy psychology, meditation, hypnosis and their integration into mainstream medicine. He has edited three textbooks and produced a documentary film about group energies and sports, The Joy of Sox: Weird Science and the Power of Intention, that was broadcast on PBS stations nationally. His work can be accessed at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Eric-Leskowitz/publications
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References
Leskowitz E. A cartography of energy medicine: From subtle anatomy to energy physiology, Explore: Journal of Science and Healing, Nov 2020. (PDF available here.)
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