Richard Gerber, M.D. (2000) calls the belief gap between energy medicine and western medicine “the clash of paradigms” (p. 7) between “modern medicine’s current Newtonian biomechanistic viewpoint” (ibid) and that offered by modern quantum physics theories. If we accept Einstein’s theory that the wave is also the particle (and the wave is all there really is) then which is truly our natural or fundamental state? If we can interact with the particle does it not follow we can also interact with the wave? I would suggest there is no real conflict between energy and western medicine at all, only a clash in beliefs. I believe both forms of medicine should form a part of our healthcare system and be offered to patients.

One definition of energy medicine is “that changes in the “life force” of the body, including the electric, magnetic, and electromagnetic fields, affect human health and can promote healing” (altMD, LLC., 2016). Though it is not well known, there has been significant amounts of research put into understanding and measuring energy medicine and the research supports the physics: energy medicine is viable and its effects are measurable.

Dr. James L. Oschman is a researcher and university educator who is an ardent proponent of energy medicine. He has applied rigorous scientific methodology to this topic after many years previously researching cell biology, biophysics and physiology. In an interview with William Lee Rand, Dr. Oschman stated “the integration of research science with complementary medicine is a tremendously exciting endeavour. My first focus was not on what science can teach practitioners, but what science can learn from them” (2002, p. 1). The video below is Dr. Oschman on energy medicine.

Oschman, J. (2007)

In “Principles of Energy Medicine” Eden and Feinstein (2012) propose five principles of energy medicine and describe nine “primary energy system” (ibid). Their five principles can be paraphrased in the following way:

1. That energies (electromagnetic and subtle) creates the physical form as we understand it.
2. When the energies are balanced the physical body is healthy.
3. An unhealthy body corresponds to unbalanced energies.
4. To retain health our energy needs to move in particular ways on particular paths.
5. “Flow, balance, and harmony” (ibid) can be returned to the body by adjusting the energies that compose the physical form.

References:

altMD, LLC. (2016). Energy medicine. Retrieved October 30, 2016, from http://www.altmd.com/Articles/Energy-Medicine–Encyclopedia-of-Alternative-Medic

Eden, D., & Feinstein, D. (2012). Principles of energy medicine. Retrieved October 29, 2016, from http://www.innersource.net/em/66-handout-bank1/hbbasicprinciples/201-david-feinstein.html

Gerber, R. (2000). A practical guide to vibrational medicine. New York: Quill.

Oschman, J. (2002). [Interview with William Lee Rand]. Reiki News Magazine, 1(3), 1-8.

Oschman, J. (2007). [Interview with Teil]. Retrieved October 20, 2017, from http://energyresearch.homestead.com/Videos.html