ABSTRACT
ENERGY MEDICINE AND HEALING A Waypoint on the Path Towards Healing and Wellness
There is a strong interest among my students and patients in the concept of “spiritual healing” or what some call “energy healing”. Some of these students or patients identify as members or followers of a specific religious movement, others as simply “spiritual”, and others view energy healing as a result of the bioelectromagnetic energy field of the human body dissociated from any concept of religion or spirituality. My motive in writing this article is to assist my students and patients in gaining an understanding of spiritual or energy healing and to be more proficient in manifesting this type of healing in their lives and practice of health care.
Dr. Gregory T. Lawton
ENERGY MEDICINE AND HEALING A Waypoint on the Path Towards Healing and Wellness
Energy Medicine and Healing, A Waypoint on the Path Towards Healing and Wellness, Copyright 2023, Dr. Gregory T. Lawton All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written permission from Dr. Gregory T. Lawton. American Health Source, Inc. 2040 Raybrook SE, Suite 104 Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546 888-375-7245 1|P ag e
Dedication I am dedicating this booklet to all the people in my life who bring love and friendship into my life the two most powerful healing forces in existence.
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Preface There is a strong interest among my students and patients in the concept of “spiritual healing” or what some call “energy healing”. Some of these students or patients identify as members or followers of a specific religious movement, others as simply “spiritual”, and others view energy healing as a result of the bioelectromagnetic energy field of the human body dissociated from any concept of religion or spirituality. My motive in writing this article is to assist my students and patients in gaining an understanding of spiritual or energy healing and to be more proficient in manifesting this type of healing in their lives and practice of health care. I conduct training classes for my students and patients in dao yin, chi kung, and tai chi chuan and within those classes I teach a spiritual approach to health and healing. Dao yin, chi kung, and tai chi chuan seek to promote balance and harmony in the human body, to increase the bodies energy, and its unobstructed and natural movement throughout the human body. From a traditional medical and health perspective this is the definition of health and well-being. The methods used within the disciplines of dao yin, chi kung, and tai chi chuan include physical exercise, meditation, breathwork, and spiritual practices including prayer, chanting, and visualization. True healing is most often not an event or “miracle”, it is rather a process that involves selfdiscipline, regular practice, and most importantly, faith.
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Healing Prayer “Thy name is my healing, O my God, and remembrance of Thee is my remedy. Nearness to Thee is my hope, and love for Thee is my companion. Thy mercy to me is my healing and my succor in both this world and the world to come. Thou, verily, art the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.” From the Bahá’í Writings
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The Bioelectromagnetic Energy Field of the Human Body, Part One The bioelectromagnetic energy field of the human body has been the subject of modern scientific inquiry for over 100 years, and still more questions than answers remain. This bioelectromagnetic field of the human body is also known as the “human energy field” or “biofield”. It is an invisible energy surrounding the human body and is an integral part of many belief systems and alternative healing practices rooted in spiritual traditions. This human energy field is thought to have multiple levels, and each level is proposed to have its own function. The five levels of the human energy field are categorized in some spiritual healing systems as: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Physical: Directly connected to the physical body. Etheric: The blueprint for the physical body. Emo�onal: Contains emo�ons and feelings. Mental: Linked to thoughts, beliefs, and mental processes. Spiritual: What connects humans with the divine.
Aspects of the human energy field can be detected with instruments. The human body emits low-level light, heat, and acoustical energy, has electrical and magnetic properties, and may also transduce energy that cannot be easily defined by physics and chemistry. All these emissions are part of the human energy field. Instrumentation exists and is used to measure electrical activity at the cellular and sub-cellular level, in muscle tissue, as well as measuring the bioelectromagnetic energy of the heart and the brain. A technique used to measure the human energy field is magnetocardiography which measures the magnetic field produced by the heart. Magnetoencephalography is another technique that measures the magnetic field produced by the brain. Electromyography is a technique that measures the electrical activity of muscles. However, while we can measure electrical activity and magnetic fields within the body and its cells and organs, no scientifically accepted method or instrumentation currently exists to measure the overall or total bioelectromagnetic energy field of the human body.
Spiritual Traditions and Magnetic Healing Because the concept of the human energy field is not universally accepted in the scientific community, belief in this concept is largely supported by spiritual traditions and faith. Some studies suggest that the electromagnetic field of the human body can have psychophysiological benefits for people who come in contact with them. The heart is a major source of the human electrical field and has been described as a “step down transducer”. While more research is needed to understand the nature of the human energy field and its potential effects, spiritual healers will continue to follow traditional beliefs and practices. According to some belief systems and healing practices rooted in spiritual traditions, a person with a strong energy field can affect a person with a weak energy field. My personal beliefs, frame of reference, and practice is based on the Bahá’í writings that pertain to health and 5|P ag e
healing, both physical and spiritual healing. The Bahá’í writings contain extensive information pertaining to health and healing practices including descriptions and recommendations for “magnetic” or spiritual healing practices. For example, in the Bahá’í writings, in a book called Some Answered Questions, we find this explanation of spiritual healing: “Question: - Some people heal the sick by spiritual means — that is to say, without medicine. How is this? Answer: Know that there are four kinds of curing and healing without medicine. Two are due to material causes, and two to spiritual causes. Of the two kinds of material healing, one is due to the fact that in man both health and sickness are contagious. The contagion of disease is violent and rapid, while that of health is extremely weak and slow. If two bodies are brought into contact with each other, it is certain that microbic particles will pass from one to the other. In the same way that disease is transferred from one body to another with rapid and strong contagion, it may be that the strong health of a healthy man will alleviate a very slight malady in a sick person. That is to say, the contagion of disease is violent and has a rapid effect, while that of health is very slow and has a small effect, and it is only in very slight diseases that it has even this small effect. The strong power of a healthy body can overcome a slight weakness of a sick body, and health results. This is one kind of healing. The other kind of healing without medicine is through the magnetic force which acts from one body on another and becomes the cause of cure. This force also has only a slight effect. Sometimes one can benefit a sick person by placing one's hand upon his head or upon his heart. Why? Because of the effect of the magnetism, and of the mental impression made upon the sick person, which causes the disease to vanish. But this effect is also very slight and weak. Of the two other kinds of healing which are spiritual — that is to say, where the means of cure is a spiritual power — one results from the entire concentration of the mind of a strong person upon a sick person, when the latter expects with all his concentrated faith that a cure will be effected from the spiritual power of the strong person, to such an extent that there will be a cordial connection between the strong person and the invalid. The strong person makes every effort to cure the sick patient, and the sick patient is then sure of receiving a cure. From the effect of these mental impressions an excitement of the nerves is produced, and this impression and this excitement of the nerves will become the cause of the recovery of the sick person. So when a sick person has a strong desire and intense hope for something and hears suddenly the tidings of its realization, a nervous excitement is produced which will make the malady entirely disappear. In the same way, if a cause of terror suddenly occurs, perhaps an excitement may be produced in the nerves of a strong person which will immediately cause a malady. The cause of the sickness will be no material thing, for that person has not eaten anything, and nothing harmful has touched him; the excitement of the nerves is then the only cause of the illness. In the same way the sudden realization of a chief desire will give such joy that the nerves will be excited by it, and this excitement may produce health. 6|P ag e
To conclude, the complete and perfect connection between the spiritual doctor and the sick person — that is, a connection of such a kind that the spiritual doctor entirely concentrates himself, and all the attention of the sick person is given to the spiritual doctor from whom he expects to realize health — causes an excitement of the nerves, and health is produced. But all this has effect only to a certain extent, and that not always. For if someone is afflicted with a very violent disease, or is wounded, these means will not remove the disease nor close and heal the wound — that is to say, these means have no power in severe maladies, unless the constitution helps, because a strong constitution often overcomes disease. This is the third kind of healing. But the fourth kind of healing is produced through the power of the Holy Spirit. This does not depend on contact, nor on sight, nor upon presence; it is not dependent upon any condition. Whether the disease be light or severe, whether there be a contact of bodies or not, whether a personal connection be established between the sick person and the healer or not, this healing takes place through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Source: 'Abdu'l-Bahá, "Some Answered Questions", pp. 254-256) As we see from the explanation provided in the quotes above that of the four kinds of healing without medicine the first two methods are dependent upon the “contagion of health” and human magnetic energy which while being acknowledged as having an effect on human health and healing, that effect is described as alleviating “a very slight malady” and as having a “small” and “weak” effect and only appropriate for minor disease conditions. The third kind of healing without the means of medicine or physical remedies is based on “the complete and perfect connection between the spiritual doctor and the sick person — that is, a connection of such a kind that the spiritual doctor entirely concentrates himself, and all the attention of the sick person is given to the spiritual doctor from whom he expects to realize health — causes an excitement of the nerves, and health is produced.” This effect I believe is the result of an effect upon and stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system and its connection to and effect upon the endocrine system of the human body. But this is only a partial answer and understanding of a process that begs more research and illumination. The fourth kind of healing is purely spiritual and is so well described in the Bahá’í writings that I will repeat the quote, “But the fourth kind of healing is produced through the power of the Holy Spirit. This does not depend on contact, nor on sight, nor upon presence; it is not dependent upon any condition. Whether the disease be light or severe, whether there be a contact of bodies or not, whether a personal connection be established between the sick person and the healer or not, this healing takes place through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
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Spiritual Healing Throughout the Ages In the Christian Bible we can find several examples of healing by the Holy Spirit. In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit is described as having the power to heal people. For example, in Acts 10:38, it is written that God gave Jesus the Holy Spirit and power, and Jesus went everywhere doing good and healing those who were ruled by the devil because God was with him. In 1 Corinthians 12, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are listed, and one of them is the gift of healing. Also, in the Christian bible we find many examples of healing with the laying on of hands. In the Old Testament, the prophet Elisha healed a child by stretching himself out on the child and placing his mouth on the child's mouth, his eyes on the child's eyes, and his hands on the child's hands. In the New Testament, Jesus healed many people by laying his hands on them. For example, he healed a blind man by taking him by the hand and leading him out of the village and laying his hands on him. He also healed a woman who had been crippled for eighteen years by placing his hands on her. The practice of laying on of hands for healing is still used today in some Christian denominations. James 5:14-15 instructs believers to call for the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord for healing. In Islam, the Quran contains verses that are believed to have healing properties. These verses are called Ruqyah and are recited for the purpose of healing. Ruqyah is an Islamic practice of treating illnesses through the recitation of Qur'anic verses and supplications prescribed by the Prophet Muhammad. It is a means of cure for physical, mental, and spiritual ailments. The word "Ruqyah" comes from the Arabic word "Raqa," which means "to overcome" or "to conquer". The Buddha is believed to have healed people. In Buddhism, the Buddha is often referred to as the “Great Healer”. The Buddha's teachings on the Four Noble Truths follow the classical medical model of diagnosis, treatment, and cure. The Buddha is said to have healed people through his teachings and by performing miracles. The Medicine Buddha is a healing Buddha from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Many cultures have healing deities or rituals, and the Medicine Buddha is a profound practice for healing physical, mental, and emotional ailments. Shamanism is a spiritual practice that has been around for thousands of years and is still practiced today in many cultures around the world. Shamanic traditions for healing by spiritual means vary depending on the culture, but they often involve the use of rituals, prayer, meditation, dance, chanting, herbs, and physical manipulation. Taoism is a largely a shamanistic spiritual and philosophical tradition that originated in China. It emphasizes living in harmony with the Tao, which is often translated as "the way" or "the path". There is an entire branch of Taoist concentration and visualization exercises to cleanse the mental and physical channels of the body for purification and rejuvenation. 8|P ag e
Taoist healing practices aim to restore balance and harmony to the body, mind, and spirit. The practice of chi kung, which combines physical movements, breathing techniques, and meditation, is a popular Taoist healing practice. Chi kung is believed to help balance the flow of energy in the body and promote healing. Taoism also emphasizes the importance of living in harmony with nature and the universe. The Tao Te Ching, a central text of Taoism, teaches that the universe is a self-regulating system that is always in balance. Taoist healing practices aim to restore this balance and harmony to the individual and the universe.
Conclusion of Part One We can see that healing by spiritual means has long been a practice of humankind and indigenous peoples. Spiritual methods of healing are presently very common and are practiced not only by people who identify as members of a specific religion but also among people who identify with contemporary new age practices or who simply consider themselves to be “spiritual”.
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Comparing Ancient Methods of Energy Healing with Contemporary Systems of Energy Healing, Looking at Traditional Medical Chi Kung and Reiki, Part Two I am often asked to define, describe and to explain medical chi kung and Reiki and to compare these two forms of energy healing. This small booklet is my attempt to accomplish this.
What is Reiki? Reiki is a form of energy healing that was created in Japan. It is of course, based upon much older energy healing practices that originated in Egypt and that over hundreds of years moved east through India and China. The Japanese adopted many of the cultural, religious, and healing practices of China. Japanese acupuncture began in the 6th century when a Chinese monk-physician named Chiso brought acupuncture and other medical techniques to Japan along with Buddhism. However, Japanese acupuncture developed its own distinctive features and styles over time, influenced by various historical and cultural factors. The transformation of Chinese chi kung to Reiki has a similar story. Reiki involves the transfer of universal life force energy from the practitioner's hands to the client's body, with the aim of promoting relaxation, stress reduction, and healing. Reiki practitioners believe that by improving the flow and balance of energy around the body, they can enhance the well-being of the mind, body, and emotions. The founder of Reiki is Mikao Usui, a Japanese therapist and spiritual teacher who lived from 1865 to 1926. He discovered and developed his style of Reiki, which he called Usui Reiki Ryoho, after a mystical experience on Kurama yama (Mount Kurama) in 1922². He taught Reiki to over 2,000 students and established the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai (Usui Reiki Healing Method Society) to continue his legacy. He is also known as Usui Sensei, a respectful term for a teacher or master, by his Japanese students. He is widely regarded as the father of Reiki and a pioneer of Japanese energy healing. Usui was raised as a samurai from childhood and was trained in the martial arts techniques of aiki. He traveled to several Western countries, including the Americas, Europe, and China, as part of his continued study. His studies included history, medicine, Buddhism, Christianity, psychology, and Taoism. Usui's teachings aimed to provide a method for students to achieve connection with the "universal life force" energy that would help them in their selfdevelopment. What sets Usui's teachings apart from other hands-on healing methods is his use of reiju or attunement to remind students of their spiritual connection. Reiki is based on the concept of ki, which is the vital energy that flows through all living things. Ki is also known as chi in Chinese, prana in Sanskrit, or mana in Hawaiian. Reiki practitioners use their hands to channel this energy to the client, either by touching them lightly or holding their hands above them. Reiki can be performed in a variety of settings, such as a peaceful, private 10 | P a g e
room, a hospital, or a hospice. Reiki sessions typically last from 15 to 90 minutes, depending on the client's needs and preferences. Reiki has many reported benefits, such as: • • • • •
Bringing on a medita�ve state. Reducing stress and anxiety. Promo�ng natural self-healing. Relieving pain. Suppor�ng the well-being of people receiving tradi�onal medical treatments such as chemotherapy, radia�on, surgery, and kidney dialysis.
Reiki is a safe, gentle, and non-invasive form of natural healing that anyone can learn and practice. A person becomes a Reiki practitioner through a process called, attunement”. A Reiki attunement is a process by which a person receives the ability to channel Reiki energy for healing themselves and others. Attunement is performed by a Reiki master who uses special symbols and techniques in a Reiki spiritual ceremony to connect the student to the source of Reiki. A Reiki master typically charges a fee for an attunement ceremony with fees ranging from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars depending upon the perceived abilities and level of the Reiki master providing the ceremony. Becoming a reiki practitioner requires training and practice in the art of reiki healing. There are three levels of reiki training: level 1, level 2, and level 3 or master level. Each level has its own requirements and benefits, and the time it takes to complete them may vary depending on the individual and the teacher. The average time it takes to become a reiki practitioner varies from a few weekends to two years. The timeframe depends upon the teacher and how they have marketed and priced their Reiki training and attunement ceremonies. Reiki is normally taught through levels 1 through 3 and with the final level being the Reiki master. Level 1: This is the beginner level, where students learn the basic principles and techniques of reiki, and how to practice it. It usually takes one or two days to complete a level 1 course. Level 2: This is the intermediate level, where students learn the reiki symbols and how to use them for distance healing and mental and emotional healing. It also takes one or two days to complete a level 2 course. Level 3 or Master level: This is the advanced level, where students receive the master attunement and symbol, and learn how to teach and initiate others in reiki. It can take from 1 day to several months to complete a master level course, depending on the teacher and the curriculum. 11 | P a g e
What is Chi Kung? Chinese chi kung, also known as qigong, is both a system of coordinated body postures and movements, breathing, and meditation used for the purposes of health, spirituality, and martial arts training as well as a system of energy medicine and healing. It involves enhancing and harmonizing the vital energy or chi, which is believed to flow through all living things. Chi kung has many benefits, such as promoting relaxation, stress reduction, self-healing, and well-being. Chi Kung was developed in China thousands of years ago as part of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture, acupressure, and tuina or Chinese massage therapy. Chi kung can be placed into two main categories - medical chi kung and martial chi kung. Medical chi kung, also known as medical qigong, is a form of energy healing that applies the principles and techniques of chi kung within the framework of traditional Chinese medicine. It involves the diagnosis and treatment of various health conditions by manipulating the flow and balance of chi, or vital energy, in the body. Medical chi kung practitioners use their own chi to heal others, either by direct contact or at a distance. Medical chi kung practice and methods can also teach patients how to practice chi kung exercises for self-care and prevention. Medical chi kung is a holistic and natural therapy that can complement other forms of medicine. There are many different styles of chi kung, both medical and martial, and often the two types of chi kung overlap, and the distinction between them is not clear. Different styles and schools of chi kung may have different criteria and standards for mastery. During my training it was generally accepted that it took between 10 and 12 years to become proficient as a chi kung healer. The National Qigong Association (NQA) is a professional organization for chi kung practitioners and teachers in the United States. According to the NQA, there are four levels of chi kung instructor certification, each with its own requirements of formal chi kung training, personal chi kung practice, and teaching experience. The highest level, Qigong Senior Teacher Level IV, requires 1000 hours of documented formal chi kung training, 10 years of personal chi kung practice, and 5 years of experience teaching teachers, clinical practitioners, or both. If one meets these requirements, it would take at least 10 years to become a chi kung master by the NQA standards. However, this is not the only way to define chi kung mastery, and some may argue that certification does not necessarily reflect the true depth and quality of one's chi kung skills and knowledge. Chi kung is a lifelong journey of learning and refining one's energy, mind, and spirit, and there is always room for improvement and discovery. Therefore, becoming a chi kung master may not be a matter of time, but of dedication, passion, personal transformation and spiritual growth and development.
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My own path, beginning with martial chi kung training in Kosho Kenpo in 1971 and then in medical or health chi kung at the Chinese Cultural Academy in 1976 - has involved over 50 years of continual practice. I often have individuals or students introduce themselves to me as “masters” of energy healing, a claim that I do not make, but for a proficient chi kung practitioner it is very easy to determine if an individual indeed has mastery over their body and its energy. If they cannot demonstrate the ability to relax and to breathe, they have little or no control over their innate vital energy. It is that simple.
Conclusion The main difference that I see between a Reiki practitioner and a chi kung practitioner is that the Reiki practitioner believes that once they are attuned through the attunement ceremony, they are connected to a source of healing energy regardless of their mental, physical, or spiritual condition. This is not true for most chi kung practitioners who through ongoing training and practice of dao yin, chi kung, tai chi chuan (or other internal arts), along with certain dietary practices, and herbal medicines continue to cultivate their chi, their health, and their longevity. My goal through my classes in internal health practices such as dao yin, chi kung, and tai chi chuan, is to help my students through movement, breath, chi, and shen, to truly learn now to master themselves and to help to heal others.
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About the Author and Compiler of this Compilation: Dr. Gregory T. Lawton is an author of many books, most of them in the area of health science, but also in the genre of Asian martial arts, philosophy, poetry, and prose. Dr. Lawton is a passionate award winning artist and photographer who finds his artistic and creative inspiration in nature, and who frequently attributes the source of his images and writing to the 19th century Persian Prophet, Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Baha’i Faith, and the 13th century Persian poet and Sufi Mystic Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī. Dr. Lawton has been a member of the Baha’i Faith since 1970 and embraces the Faith’s principles related to the promotion of world peace and unity Dr. Gregory T. Lawton has studied and trained in Asian religion, philosophy and martial arts such as Aikido, Jujitsu, Kenpo, and Tai Chi Chuan. Dr. Lawton’s main and most noted Asian martial art instructor was Professor Huo Chi-Kwang. Professor Huo was a renowned Chinese scholar, artist, and calligrapher who served as Taiwan's ambassador to France and he was a personal friend of Pablo Picasso.
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Other related books by this author:
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Dr. Gregory T. Lawton teaches Tai Chi Chuan and Martial Arts, Herbal and Natural Medicine, Massage Therapy and Acupuncture at the Blue Heron Academy in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Find Dr. Lawton’s free book downloads at http://issuu.com/muyblue
ENERGY MEDICINE AND HEALING A Waypoint on the Path Towards Healing and Wellness
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Photography and art website: http://www.lawtonsloft.com/ Creative Writing Blog: http://thehollowreed.com/ Dr. Gregory T. Lawton The Blue Heron Academy of Healing Arts and Sciences 2040 Raybrook SE, Suite 104 Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546 616-285-9999
