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Energy Medicine

27/11/19

Anyone who's read or studied any physics will know that energy can come in many forms but can be described as "The capacity for doing work" - it is the power to move things, either potentially or actually. By itself it is not a thing but is an attribute of something. It can be understood in various forms: kinetic, thermal, nuclear, chemical, electro-magnetic, etc. and for 100's of years scientists have studied and built up an extensive knowledge of how these energies interact and the causes and effects of the work they do. We've built up a language of use, of measurement and of precise classifications in order to harness and understand the forces that interact around us. However this language has been co-opted by New-Age spiritualists to create a world of woo that bears no relation to reality.

Energy Medicine practitioners talk about 'Biofields' being affected by 'vital energy', they use terms like 'orgone energy' or 'life energy' being manipulated by 'vibrations' or 'emotional flows' and as a result being 'unified', 'harmonized', 'tuned' or 'aligned'. 'Energy healers' claim that good health depends on 'unblocking,' 'balancing, 'channeling,' or otherwise manipulating subtle 'energies'. One of the most egregious uses is of the word 'Quantum'. That one word is constantly used and abused by woo-mongers without any reference to reality or understanding of what it means. A quick google search found this description: "Quantum-Touch is a method of natural energy healing that works with the Life Force Energy of the body to promote optimal wellness. ... Energy healing is a holistic practice that uses life force energy to remove blocks and stimulate the body's ability to heal itself." (From www.quantumtouch.com - Workshop videos available online for the low low price of $79 in the extensive online shop.)

There is no doubt that proponents using these terms in the way they do have no consistent idea of what the terms actually mean, nor the physics of what energy is. Ask them for a measurement in joules, watts, calories, therms, etc and you will get a blank stare. If anyone offers you any health advice based on most of these terms - especially 'quantum' - run a mile (assuming you have the energy of course!)

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