Energy (esotericism)
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| Energy medicine - edit |
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| NCCIH classifications |
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The term energy is used by writers and practitioners of various esoteric forms of spirituality and alternative medicine to refer to a variety of phenomena.[1][2] There is no mainstream scientific evidence for the existence of such energy.[1][2][3]
Therapies that purport to use, modify, or manipulate unknown energies are thus among the most contentious of all complementary and alternative medicines. Claims related to energy therapies are most often anecdotal, rather than being based on repeatable empirical evidence.[3][4][5]
Contents
History
Concepts such as "life force" and "élan vital" emerged from the debate over vitalism in the early 20th century and later inspired thinkers in the modern New Age movement.[1][2]
As biologists studied embryology and developmental biology, particularly before the discovery of genes, a variety of organisational forces were posited to account for their observations. German biologist Hans Driesch (1867-1941), proposed entelechy, an energy which he believed controlled organic processes.[6] However, such ideas have been discouraged by the skeptical movement, and modern mainstream science has all but abandoned the attempt to associate additional energetic properties with life.[6]
Despite this, spiritual writers and thinkers have maintained ideas about energy and continue to promote them either as useful allegories or as fact.[7] The field of "energy medicine" purports to manipulate energy, but there is no official evidence to support this.[3]
The concept of "qi" (energy) appears throughout traditional East Asian culture, such as in the art of feng shui and Chinese martial arts.[8] Qi philosophy also includes the notion of "negative qi", typically understood as introducing negative moods like outright fear or more moderate expressions like social anxiety or awkwardness.[9] Deflecting this negative qi through geomancy is a preoccupation in feng shui.[10] The traditional explanation of acupuncture states that it works by manipulating the circulation of qi through a network of meridians.[11][ISBN missing]
The idea that some kind of "negative energy" is responsible for creating or attracting ghosts or demons appears in contemporary paranormal culture and beliefs as exemplified in the TV shows Paranormal State and Ghost Hunters.[12]
See also
References
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External links
- New Age Energy: An examination of energy, as new agers use the term Skeptoid: Critical Analysis of Pop Phenomena
