Acupuncture: Energy Medicine & Energy Fields

Over 5,000 years ago the Chinese discovered a set of subtle energy channels that serve as rivers of energy -or- light that connect the macrocosm, the external universe, with the microcosm of the pulsing, living tissues inside us.  These channels are called meridians, and modalities based on them are called meridian-based therapies, which assist in balancing the flow of qi in the body, the subtle energy required for life.  Meridians are pathways for different kinds of physical & subtle energies and they transport chemical, electrical and etheric energies reflected in the human body as an electrical-magnetic phenomenon.

Through our Physics studies, we have come to realize that the physical body and its related systems operate under the laws of classical physics, just as everything else in the physical universe.  Essentially underlying all the biochemical, physical systems there is the quantum field of the energetic body.  Here, the more subtle realm of the energetic body operates under the laws of quantum physics.  The physical body correlates with the left brained, logical, analytical functioning of the brain where as the subtle energy of the body maps to the right brain, and the morphogenic fields.

In discussing the field of Energy Medicine, it is pertinent to include the various forms in which it is expressed in the human body:

• Electricity in the form of electrons & protons: every cell in the body stores & emits electricity.  Every breath we take, muscle we move, morsel of food we digest involves electrical activity.  Likewise, memories, feelings and thoughts are encoded in patterns of tiny electrical impulses.

• Electromagnetic fields of energy are created by the activity of organs, such as the brain and heart, which create an  these fields as the result of the electrical activity they generate.   Similarly, electromagnetic frequencies can be found in the areas of the body where a chakra is located.

• Subtle energies, or rivers of light, that transport life energy in and around the body, including:

1. Meridians - energy transport systems that feed vital energies to their related organs and reflect pathological disturbances in those organs, providing a highly effective tool for diagnosis as well as therapy;
2. Chakras - energy transforming stations: major centers of both electromagnetic activity and vital energy are recognized in indigenous cultures the world over; imprints of important or emotionally significant events are recorded in chakra energy, which parallels neural memory.  Chakras can pull energy in from the environment and distribute it in your body as well as send energy outward.
3. Aura: surrounds the human body and contains the energy field, while it links with the chakra energy body.
4. The Five Rhythms - as embodied in the Five Elements of Chinese Medicine and reflected in the macrocosm as the seasons, and the correspondences of the elements; and in the microcosm of the physical body as the circadian, cranial sacral  and other rhythms.

Classical thought and research suggest that both the meridians and the chakras are linked through electromagnetic channels or bodies, and therefore relate through positive and negative charges.  In both the chakra system and the acupuncture points, emotions play a vital role in creating the internal situations that can lead to health or disease.  A person can direct these subtle energies with intention, because energy follows intent.

 In Chinese Medicine, illness is seen as the imbalance or energetic disturbance in the body’s systems; and conversely, healing is the restoring of the energetic balance in these same systems. 

According to Dr. Albert Villoldo, an expert on indigenous shamanism, traditional shamanic healers report that they work on a luminous energy field of light, “rios de luz“, that serves as the template for all aspects of our being.  Chakras and meridians are part of this luminous energy field that creates and sustains physical reality, and which emanates from the subtler realms of the unified field of spirit, the ground state of our being.

Ever increasing numbers of scientists are proposing that the meridian system is part of a secondary electrical system - one that is related to - but different from, the established circulatory and central nervous systems.  One such scientist, Dr. Bjorn Nordenstrom, a Swedish radiologist has discovered through his research that electricity as well as blood flows through the blood stream; but seems to feed to related, but different, systems.  His work also at least partially explains how meridians and acupuncture points work, which he says are anchored in electromagnetism:

• The points serve as transceivers of subtle energy signals from the outside world, much like a sophisticated radar system.

•  These sites receive all types of energies, physical and subtle

• This may explain the placebo and nocebo effects, since messages of faith or belief can also filter into the acupoints and create a shift in this secondary electrical system and promote healing.

Dr. Nordenstrom concludes that the forces flowing in the secondary system can be thought of as qi, and the negative and positive charges as yin and yang.  He suggests this secondary system is the meridian system, at least in part.  The bio-electro-magnetic forces influence the body as a whole, revealed in the five elements, their associated organs and correspondences.

Another perspective is put forth by Dr. Willian Tiller, whose theory explains how meridians interface the etheric, subtle energies of the physical body.  His research is primarily based on connective tissue and meridian science, showing that there is an slight electrical resistance between any two acupuncture points.  Tiller says that meridians process physical as well as subtle energies and further postulates that there are particles called ‘deltrons’ that connect the two energies.  Based on this theory, Tiller claims that:

• Meridians, that lie in connective tissue, are like antennae for subtle energies.

• These antennae are primarily at the etheric level, versus the physical, which is why it’s hard to correlate their existence with existing instrumentation.

• Subtle energy waves flow along the etheric meridians, creating the flow of energy through the channel

These stimulations, in turn, generate endorphins in the blood stream, which generate enkaphalines in the brain - the natural opiates of the body.  Similarly, seratonin has been found to serve as an acupuncture analgesic in both the brain and the spinal cord.

In reviewing the above, we can see that Acupuncture as a modality is uniquely skilled to heal and bring into balance the physical body and it’s functionality, in addition to the subtle energy body and it’s functions as well, treating all levels of an individual: body, mind and spirit as one contiguous whole.

Week 11: Human intent and it’s effect on health

The first thing my herb teacher taught us was: Energy follows intent…whether we are cognizant of it or not.  What this refers to is the incredible creative power we wield as human beings.  This power is directed by our minds, and is especially effective when utilized in states of non-ordinary reality, such as those created through shamanic journeying, guided visualization, trance states and meditation. 

Deepak Chopra talks about planting the seeds of our intent during our mediations, and then watering them with our focused attention during ordinary waking reality.

The problem is that many of us are unaware of the power that we truly embody, and so this can manifest as energetic leaks, when we are unconscious of how we utilize the gifts of our creativity, given to us by Divinity.  The solution, is as always: awareness! 

Week 11: What conclusions can be drawn from Kirlian photography?

Kirlian photography is an electrogaphy process that captures the auras or biofields of people and other sentient beings.  There are those who believe that these images show a physical form of psychic energy, while other believe that it reveals the etheric body, an integral part of the aura, which all beings have. 

Whether it reflects the aura or psychic energy, the value of Kirlian photography is that there is some evidence that it can give indications of the health and emotional changes in living beings based on the changes in the brightness, color and patterns of light.  Similarly, Kirliran photography shows that there is a correlation between the biological energies of the human body and Acupuncture points.  Hopefully, this intriguing evidence provided by this technology will spur research that will inform us more deeply about the underlying efficacy of Chinese Medicine as well as our own bodies.

Week 11: Acupuncture as effective energy medicine

Acupuncture as a modality is uniquely designed to treat all aspects of an individual including the body mind and spirit.  While the health of the body can be reflected in the gross physical structures, the mind and spirit are accessed and reflected in the subtle, etheric fields…which is the arena of energy medicine.

In truth these various expressions of a human being form a contiguous whole of energy, starting on the most subtlest level of the causal field, and they are nested within each other like so many Russian dolls.  We then move to sequentially more dense energy expressions leading from the astral, mental, emotional, etheric and finally to  the densest field of all: the  physical body. 

Because of Acupuncture’s unique worldview, which includes the body, mind and spirit, it can access and affect all the levels of a being, and effectively bring ithe microcosm back into balance and harmony with the macrocosm.

Wk. 10: Biophysics & Oriental Medicine

According to Wikipedia, “Biophysics is an interdisciplinary science that uses the methods of physical science to study biological systems…from the molecular scale to whole organisms and ecosystems.”

TCM is similar to Biophysics in that it strives to understand the individual as the microcosm, against the background of the macrocosm of the local universe and ultimately the cosmos.  And so we have our different ‘systems’ approaches to an organism: from digestive to circulatory, respiratory to nervous…and each of these informs the others and interconnects with them, through the larger overarching discipline of TCM. 

Also, like Biophysics, TCM employs different tools and practices to inform our understanding of an organism; using underlying theories of energy flow to formulate a diagnosis, and employing the recommended therapies of acupuncture, Chinese herbs, tuina/tai chi/ gi gong, lifestyle counseling and food therapy to return balance to the system as a whole.

So, from my perspective, Biophysics and TCM are very similar, approaching the same issue of health, from the differing perspectives of East and West, and the cultural contexts from which each sprang.

Wk 10: I know I’m a living system because…

One of the definitions of Living Systems is having a “history of never-ending transformation”… another definition for a Living System is “Autopoiesis“ (which means auto-production) as cognized by Varela, Maturana and Uribe is one in which the “system is constantly in the act of becoming themselves.  This includes: changing and interacting with their environment in a conscious way”.   In which case, my life definitely qualifies.  If there is one thing that is the hallmark of my experience, it is transformation.  In fact the quintessential metaphor for this, of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, is an iconic image that has come to me many times in meditation and ceremony.

On the external level of career I have repeatedly transformed myself, going from the Music Industry to Film & Video, to Multi-media, to the web and finally to being an organic farmer/body worker and student of acupuncture.

Interpersonally, my primary partner relationship has transformed over my life  (whether I wanted it to at the time –or- not!) as one relationship ended and another began.  And of course, throughout all of this, my internal environment, (my mind/psyche, emotions and spirit) has grown and changed as well, as I embrace different belief systems and worldviews.   And of course, my body has gone through (and continues to go through) changes and shifts of weight, and health, as it encounters the challenges of accidents, dis-ease, stress and life’s experiences.

When I look at all of this within the context of my astrological chart, it can all be seen mapped out before me, as the planetary periods tick-off the space-time coordinates.  And given this over arching framework for my life, that astrology provides, I would have to say, that yes…through out all this growth, development and change, the constant is that I am ever becoming more and more who I have come to know as my essential self.

Wk. 9 Can I synthesize East & West?

I think of East & West as the two halves of our brain: left and right.  The East/left brain is more linear, logical, detail-driven, individualistic, scientific fact ruled, words & language based; whereas the East/right brain is more holistic, analogic, big-picture oriented, belief ruled, symbol & image based, etc.

So in that case, I think that we’re all synthesizing East/Left brained and West/Right brained just by being alive…it’s just that we might be more dominant in one area than the other.  For example, I am an intellectually based person, which means that whenever I encounter something new, I first approach it with my mind…and try to understand it. Then, I will absorb the experience  into the other layers of my being.  I originally developed this skill unconsciously, because it is very useful in navigating the world…especially the business world and corporate culture, which is where I cut my teeth.  This approach also protected me, since it kept my heart in check and thus unharmed. 

However, at the same time, I am also very passion-driven and emotional being...but, for most of my life, I tried to keep that aspect hidden very deep within myself…even from myself, at times.   Early in my life, because of experiences that I had, it didn’t seem safe to me, to wear my heart on my sleeve, so to speak. 

As I have matured, I have consciously endeavored to become a more balanced individual, integrating East with West and left with right…this is reflected in the synthesis of belief systems that invoke both Eastern and Western cultural beliefs (like living in the West, while practicing Eastern traditions such as Vedic Astrology and Acupuncture).  To that end, I strive to live a more authentic life, presenting in the moment what I am actually thinking and feeling, as a balanced integrated person.  Of course, old habits die hard, and the answer here as else where seems to be: conscious awareness in every moment of our everyday lives, to the extent that we are willing and capable.

Wk 9: My E-Prime Day

Over the last 2 days Martha and I have been looking at various astrological charts for clients, family and friends.  It appears that the information we received in our last class may be very applicable to people’s lives and experience from the practice we have been doing. 

One person seems to be in the grasp of a particular lunar mansion, called Purva Phalguni, which might be characterized as an angst-ridden, “Dark Night of the Soul”.  The affects of this asterism might be what could be at the root of her anger and rage issues, especially in her marital relationship…because it also appears that her husband may be similarly influenced by this nakshatra, which may be what underlies the snarky nature of their communications.

Wk 8: Descartes has a lot to answer for!

One of my favorite authors is teacher and herbalist Stephen Buhner.  Some of his books include: Sacred Plant Medicine and Sacred Healing Herbal Beers.  But it is in his book, The Lost Language of Plants, that he takes Descartes to task, and I couldn’t agree more.  

Under the heading of “Turning the Universe in a Machine”…”The journey from sacred intelligence at the center of the Universe to a generally accepted belief that the Universe is a great machine devoid of spirit occurred over a number of centuries…and emerged as the new ‘epistemology of reductionism’ through Rene Descartes…Prior to the rise of Christianity, the Romans believed, like most historical cultures, that sacredness and intelligence were present in everything.”

In other words, that which was esteemed with ‘sacred significance’ previously, was now subject to ‘scientific scrutiny’, devoid of the historical respect and the context within which to be understood.   All of the material universe, was broken down into its respective parts, and relegated to its empirical place, relative to everything else.  The whole lost it’s meaning, compared to the detail of its parts.

So, the problem is, that we as humans now so many centuries later, still live culturally within the inherited context that Descartes created for us.  Never mind that his was a highly idiosyncratic perspective, and not even particularly correct of one; but, it is one that has stuck with us as a race.  And even though, quantum physics has long ago disproved the mechanistic perspective as inaccurate, still it is held by many to be the pinnacle of truth and so continues to inform and direct our communal reality.  The real question is, just how long will it take for humanity to embrace the quantum reality of what is, with all it’s ramifications?  Are we ready to embrace that truth?  Time will tell…

Wk 8: Our “Energy Efficient” Culture

Going Green…it’s in the news everyday.  And yet so is ‘green-washing’ the term used for those unscrupulous individuals who want to jump of the green bandwagon to gain the benefits associated with appearing to be green –but- without truly putting those green practices into effect.  But that’s how it always is about everything, some people are honest, and others are not.

There definitely are changes happening in the world, that show we are moving in the right direction, even if more slowly than some of think we urgently need to.  For example, in 2004, according to author and biologist David  Suzuki, there was the first Green Builders conference, which celebrated the establishment of the Green Building industry complete with best of practices, etc.  Not to mention, there is now the whole new approach to Green Chemistry where manufacturing plants and  their systems are designed from inception with the intent that there are no waste streams created by the manufacturing process.  And whole generations of kids are being raised on the mantra: “Reduce, re-use, and recycle!”

Yet, we still need to be aware of how much energy we use on all levels, especially in the western part of the world…like in America, where we have 5% of the world’s population, while we consume 20% of the world’s resources!

However, as it turns out in 2009, according to the Global Energy Review, world energy consumption decreased for the first time in 30 years (-1.1%) or 130Mtoe, as a result of the financial and economic crisis…so, it seems the Great Recession hasn’t been all bad…

Week 8: Newtons Laws & Me

In my experience, some of Newton’s laws are right on while others no longer accurately describe the universe that I exist in.  Let’s take them one at a time:

       1)     “We are to admit no more causes of natural things such as are both true and sufficient to explains their appearances”…in other words, don’t look for supernatural causes, that’s the domain of the church!  Well, this sort of artificial separation of church and state might work for the purpose of   government (and certainly they protected Newton and allowed him to do his work in a politically charged climate) –but- it does not accurately reflect my world-view.  I believe, that what gives rise to my experience of reality, arises from a local interaction of the non-local, unified field with itself.  It is from this original, intelligent, primordial substance that everything, all vibrations, all emanations, all material substance emerges; which includes both natural and supernatural phenomenon.

                 

2)     “The same natural effects must be assigned to the same causes, ie: cause & effect”.  Restated, this law means that to every action there is an opposite and equal reaction.  Well, interestingly enough, I was originally going to argue that this law doesn’t realistically reflect the law of Karma, which is what I equate it to.  However, according to our Vedic Astrology teacher, Hart de Fouw, it most certainly does.  So, I stand corrected, and learn once more at a still deeper level.  Here’s what Hart has to say about Karma:

“The Law of Karma is another name for Newton’s Third Law of Motion…as such it is inherent in the universe’s structure: ‘The doctrine of act and fruit, is less a product of man’s sense of justice, that one shall be punished for what one has done, than a necessary consequence of the doctrine of inherent efficacy of the acts’.  In other words, the tree and the thing from which it sprang cannot exist simultaneously; the former must develop from the latter.  Events occur in our universe according to a sequence which is scheduled by the Law of Karma on the great calendar known as time.”

So, basically, this law is still fully in effect in my life…

3)     “Qualities of bodies are to be esteemed universal”…Well, we know from Quantum Mechanics that the classical laws of Physics breakdown in the Quantum Mechanical environment…where things do not behave as one would expect.  So, in an expanded view of the universe, this law loses its integrity in my estimation.

4)   “Properties deduced form the observation of phenomena”…in other words, the ‘Scientific Method’.  Again, here I would take issue with Newton’s view since we know that this also breaks down under the circumstances of Quantum Mechanics…where the observer actually influences the experiment.  This then, would mean that these observations can’t be viewed objectively as accurate, because as such they are more a reflection of the state of consciousness of the mind that perceived them, than they are of an independent statement of objective, scientific fact.

Wk 7: Consciousness out of Chaos

When I think of Chaos theory and the Butterfly Effect, it reminds me of what I have been taught about karma; and how a small change can have far reaching and monumental effects as it plays out over a life time.  Karma as most people think of it seems to be the lump sum of all our actions that create an effect in our lives.  And, in Vedic Astrology there is a name for that: ‘Sanchita’ karma.  It would probably take a saint to be able to tease out of that body of information, something that is meaningful in a given life.  So, as Astrologers what we look for is the ‘Prarabdha’, or the ripe karma, that is likely to come to fruition in this life; as reflected in the fixed (‘druid’), confluent patterns seen in their astrological chart.  There is also karma that is created from just thinking about doing something this lifetime.  And all of these different streams of karma fold back in on and influence each other as they play out their dance, entwined with free will.  The events of a given life may feel and seem chaotic and random to the untrained eye, but to those who have learned to see what ordinarily would be “unseen” (adristha), the energetic patterns are there and their effects are evidenced in the life experience.

Take birth trauma, for example, which (for Vedic Astrology’s purposes) includes having the umbilical chord wrapped around your throat as well as the ever-popular Cesarean section. When such experiences happen the organism is so sensitive and vulnerable, they create an energetic trajectory of experiences that will play out in very predictable ways, depending on the specifics of how such trauma is created in the chart (and the life).  Again, these influences are ‘unseen’ and can appear random to those who do not have eyes to see the underlying factors involved.  And similar to, the principal of iteration from Chaos Theory, these seemingly small events create a ‘ripple effect’ as they play out over a lifetime.

Here’s some other interesting perspectives on this that I found while researching this topic:

Causality, Chaos, and Consciousness: Steps Toward a Normative Cosmological Principle in an Evolving

The intent of this paper is to present a conceptual model of a physical and biological universe in a state of constant change and evolution, based on three principal ideas: (a) neo-Aristotelian notions of reciprocal causality, (b) chaotic dynamics and contingencies of self-organizing systems, and (c) emergence of consciousness and sense of moral purpose in humans. While these different ideas and conceptual frameworks may seem unrelated at first glance, it will be shown that they have certain common and interconnected features that are quite illuminating for developing a process- and ecologically-based ontology of an evolving universe. It is hoped that such an approach would lead to an articulation of a normative cosmological principle that is consistent with Alfred North Whitehead’s organismic metaphysics and process-based ontology, as extensively developed in Process and Reality.

http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=2858

And here’s another interesting take on it, from a more shamanic perspective, using self-guided imagery as a healing tool:

CHAOS CONSCIOUSNESS AND HEALING

Experiential therapy sessions have shown that as consciousness journeys deeper and deeper into the psyche, it eventually encounters a state characterized either as "chaotic" or void of images.  Those emerging from this non-ordinary state of consciousness report an increased sense of wellbeing ranging from mood alteration to profound physiological changes.  We know that research has shown that imagery can affect the immune system.  Imagery journeys in the autonomous stream of consciousness may activate psychosomatic healing forces, such as the placebo effect.

The chaos of our human lives is re-iterated from the subatomic through the cosmic level.  Chaos is the matrix of creation.  It provides a bridge for unfolding "heaven on earth", a means of manifesting and grounding spiritual energy, that is not only creative, but healing.

The consciousness field is that which relates us to the entire universe.  It may be viewed as chaos, or energy in a primal chaotic state, prior to any solidification into matter.  It is a field of energy, not a "thing."  It is able to take on infinite forms, including images.

 

Time is also a field.  Consciousness may intersect with time at a 90-degree angle, in which case a linear flow seems to emerge.  Or, it may fold over in a contiguous way, producing a "bending" or folding of space.

 

If you take any portion of a fractal and expand it, you find it is self-similar.  This reveals a harmony with shamanic law--that organization repeats itself at all levels of organization.  Patterns repeat at all levels of organization.  It is much like finding the universe in a grain of sand.

 

The real healing IS this quantum shift in mental, emotional, even physical structure.  The approach is one of wholeness and following the image.  The dream-healing process is aimed at addressing this very profound level from the beginning.

 

Progress comes unpredictably in quantum leaps in consciousness.  Carl Simonton's work using imagery with cancer patients touches on this.  The use of imagery with the intent of bringing about healing seems to mobilize forces deep within us that were formerly inaccessible.

http://www.asklepia.org/chaostheory/chaostheory.html

In complex systems, such as weather patterns like Hurricanes and Tornadoes, to track the small changes in the variables that occur as the system’s chaotic behavior travels along the ‘arrow of time’, scientists have developed chaos theory.  Fractal patterns are one of the tools used as a feedback mechanism in the patterns of ordered chaos through the principle of iteration, or repetitive changes.  These repetitive changes require huge amounts of calculations on mega-computers, as even the tiniest change is magnified over the number of calculations that are required, in order to even attempt to predict the weather.

Here’s what the research paper “Fractal Behaviour of Complex Systems”,  had to say about the subject:

“One of the most important properties of systems is complexity. In a simple way, we can define the complexity of a system in terms of the number of elements that it contains, the nature and number of interrelations and the number of levels of embeddedness. When a high level of complexity exists in a system, it is considered a complex system. Complex systems can be soft systems and hard systems. In hard systems, when their elements are interrelated in a non-linear way, they are considered complex systems when they contain a great number of elements interacting in a non-linear way. To try to understand the behavior of this type of system diverse mathematical tools have been developed. A new scientific discipline with great impact in the analysis of the complex systems has been developed in recent years, called fractal analysis. The study of the complex systems in the framework of fractal theory has been recognized as a new scientific discipline, being sustained by advances that have been made in diverse fields ranging from physics to economics. In this paper the history and the basic concepts of the fractal analysis of complex systems are discussed briefly and an oil crude price volatility fractal analysis is provided.                                     Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

For more on this paper, visit:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/sres.984/abstract

Similarly, while researching this topic, I came across the following information from Nagai Toshiya - http://www.nagaitosiya.com

1. You cannot reduce the whole to parts but to rules.
2. They are brought about by self-referential repetitive application of simple rules.

Modern scientists have analyzed objects by reducing an unintelligible whole to intelligible parts. But when the unintelligible whole is composed of similarly unintelligible parts, reductionism proves to be helpless.

In a real nature however it is linear algebra that is exceptional and most of nature has a fractal structure.

Chaos also refuses to be reduced to parts. Most of chaos including Lorenz attractor has a fractal structure. Its "strange" whole can be reduced not to parts but to rules.

Makes one really think about the nature of the universe…

Wk 7: “Ordered Chaos” – does this sound familiar?

“Ordered Chaos”… at first this seems like an oxymoron, it also seems to be the paradigm that underpins life on this planet, especially as seen in the natural world.  The thing is, life on this planet is paradoxical.  On one hand, things seem totally random and chaotic and can hardly be tracked or projected: such as the weather, earthquakes, tidal waves, landslides, tornadoes, hurricanes, volcanic explosions.  We attempt in vein to predict them, but they elude us.  

 Yet, even the weather does have broad seasonal patterns.  And on a more profound level, there does seem to be an ordered, cyclical nature to the universe…as embodied things like the rising and setting of the sun, the birth of new galaxies and the death of old stars, the cycles of the moon, the tides, the four seasons, the phased growth and development of various sentient beings, including their migratory patterns and the fractal patterns we see throughout nature’s flora and fauna.  Our eternal quest for balance lies in, how much are we able to go with the flow of life, versus how much we attempt to assert our own influence; either by controlling the natural world around us or our needs for schedules and planning.  And you know what they say, “People plan, Goddess laughs!”

Wk 6: Connections I can make between energy and Qi

To me personally, in my worldview, energy and qi are synonymous.  Qi is at once the “vital energy believed to circulate round the body in currents”, and the physical life force, prana, or breath.   In Chinese, qi literally means: energy…”as expressed in the continuum of matter and energy as it is now understood by modern particle physics”.

Being a farmer, living in a farming community, when I talk with my clients I use farming analogies to get my points across.  Everyone can relate to having a water hose in their garden with a kink in it.  Under these conditions, you have too much water on one side of the blockage and not enough on the other.  Well, I explain to my clients, that this is the same situation for their bodies, energetically speaking.  Whatever organs are upstream of the energetic ‘kink’ are getting too much energy, and those downstream, not enough. 

In TCM we learn to look at the human body as a “vortex of qi in all its different manifestations, acting together to form an organism.”  We study qi’s relationship to the Blood, its subtle expression in various systems in the body, as well as its relationship to the vital substances. 

It is said that the qi of Humans is dependant upon and influenced by the qi of Heaven and Earth.   To this end I think it important that we are mindful of this relationship, that we honor it and feed it, regularly – since, as reflections of this ever changing qi - we are intimately connected to and influence each other.

Wk 6: Resonance or dissonance in my world

One definition of resonance is “the prolongation of sound by reflection; reverberation”; 

similarly one definition of dissonance is “inharmonious or harsh sound; discord; cacophony”. In other words, to be in resonance with someone or some thing is to be in harmony with it; where as dissonance creates disharmony.

As these concepts extrapolate out into the world of nature, I think of this in terms of astrology; in particular, as compatibility between 2 or more beings.  Do they resonate with each other?  Or, conversely, do they rub each other the wrong way.  Do the ‘gears’ not hang quite so elegantly together, so to speak.

With Vedic Astrology, compatibility between beings is determined by looking at the relationships between various planets in their charts.  Each planet represents a different aspect, or energy, that is expressed in that person’s life.   Looking at the same planet in both of the charts, with particular attention to the relationship between them, a studied astrologer can predict where the energy between the couple will flow and where it will be blocked.  In this way, the individuals can play to the strengths between them, and shore-up their weaknesses. 

On another level, resonance is a term that has a completely different meaning in string theory… “This is the superstring theory, which postulates that all matter and energy can be reduced to tiny strings of energy vibrating in a 10 dimensional universe. Edward Witten of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, who some claim is the successor to Einstein, has said that superstring theory will dominate the world of physics for the next 50 years, in the same way that the quantum theory has dominated physics for the last 50 years.

As Einstein once said, all great physical theories can be represented by simple pictures. Similarly, superstring theory can be explained visually. Imagine a violin string, for example. Everyone knows that the notes A,B,C, etc. played on a violin string are not fundamental.

The note A is no more fundamental than the note B. What is fundamental, of course, is the violin string itself. By studying the vibrations or harmonics that can exist on a violin string, one can calculate the infinite number of possible frequencies that can exist. Similarly, the superstring can also vibrate in different frequencies.

Each frequency, in turn, corresponds to a sub-atomic particle, or a "quanta." This explains why there appear to be an infinite number of particles. According to this theory, our bodies, which are made of sub-atomic particles, can be described by the resonances of trillions upon trillions of tiny strings.
 

In summary, the "notes" of the superstring are the subatomic particles, the "harmonies" of the superstring are the laws of physics, and the "universe" can be compared to a symphony of vibrating superstrings.”

Very trippy, if you know what I mean.  For the full download, visit: 

http://fusionanomaly.net/superstrings.html

Wk 6: Are all vibrations “good”?

Well, “good” invokes its opposite pairing: “bad” - and - both can have highly subjective meanings.   So, for the purpose of this post I am going to take good to mean beneficial, as compared to its opposite category as detrimental.

So, are all vibrations beneficial?  Personally, I don’t think so.  As a matter of fact, I think that some vibrations are definitely detrimental and even downright destructive!  Just take the examples of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and the Nimitz Freeway from our class this week.   

The problem in  both cases comes down to the issue of wave Resonance…and this can be filed under “too much of a good thing”.   Since the problem in the case of “Galloping Gertie” was that both the bridge and the wind had the same natural frequency; and when (2) things impart energy at the same frequency, they amplify each other.  And this was the same situation that caused the bridge to collapse in the case of the Nimitz Freeway in Oakland during the quake.  Only there, we had 3 factors all in Resonance: the mud that bridge was built on, the earthquake and the bridge itself.  So, then what we have is 2.5 Hz. to the 3^rd power, which in this case led to the collapse.

On the other hand, vibrations not only can be beneficial, but they can have soothing and even healing effects for all life forms.  In this case, I am thinking of countless vibratory sounds that can be used to invoke a relaxing and rejuvenating state of mind; from the human voice and nature sounds to instruments of all kinds, but in particular: a shaman’s drum and percussive instruments of all kinds, singing bowls, the didgeridoo, and Acutonics Sound Healing forks (www.acutonics.com) to name but a few.

Even the vibratory resonance of certain kinds of classical orchestral music can encourage and support the growth and development of the natural world.  In their groundbreaking work, “The Secret Life of Plants” the authors, Peter Thompkins and Christpher Bird, explore what is referred to as “Birdsong” or “the morning chorus of the birds awakens the earth”. 

I found the following review and commentary on New Physics News Archive website, under the article:  The Dawn Chorus and Life Forces by Cornelis van Dalen. Here is an excerpt: ”In their book, the authors describe the development of Dan Carlson’s Sonic Bloom, whose “desire to see that no one need be hungry through shortage of food has sought to understand the optimum growth of plants"…

The secret of Sonic Bloom was the development of music of the same frequency as the dawn chorus of the birds… Many others have, it seems, recognized the role of birdsong in the growth of plants, and influenced or directly helped Carlson to develop his invention… With the help of a Minneapolis music teacher, Michael Holtz, a cassette was prepared…Holtz found the “Spring” movement of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons appropriate and concludes: “I realized that Vivaldi, in his day, must have known all about birdsong, which he tried to imitate in his long violin passages.”…

Holtz, it is related by the authors Bird and Tompkins, also realized that the violin music dominant in “Spring” reflected Johann Sebastian Bach’s violin sonatas broadcast by the Ottawa University researchers to a wheat field, which had obtained remarkable crops with 66 percent greater yield than average, with larger and heavier seeds…

Birdsong has long been loved, but also studied with reference to the musical scale and harmonics. As Holtz deepened his study he said, “I began to feel that God had created the birds for more than just freely flying about and warbling. Their very singing must somehow be intimately linked to the mysteries of seed germination and plant growth.”

What the authors found out through their research was that when Heavy Metal was played the plants literally grew in the opposite direction of the speakers.  But, when they played Vivaldi, the plants not only grew toward the speakers, they entwined themselves around them!

To read the full article, go to: http://www.newphysis.com/dawnchorus.html, it’s a facinating read...or check out the original book.

To view the “Secret Life of Plants” documentary, with music by Stevie Wonder, go to: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4753736638977368381#.  Enjoy!

Wk 5: Are there connections between Sacred Geometry & Physics?

Both science and mathematics, as well as the arts (as expressed in sacred geometry), recognize the same underlying laws of the Universe, just through different modes of perception: one is a more left-brained approach, and the other more right-brained.  The Golden Mean or Ratio has fascinated intellectual and creative minds since ancient times.  It’s very meaning underlies geometry, whose aesthetics have been appreciated by artists, architects, and designers as well as mathematicians and scientists through the ages.

Similarly, fractals occur throughout the natural world and can be observed everywhere in nature from the frost crystals that form on glass, in the myriad shapes of snowflakes, the unfurling of ferns leaves as well as in the shape of certain fruits an vegetables, such as Romanesco Broccoli.   These incredibly complex structures have inspired artists and scientists throughout the ages, creating a whole new credible school of study, known as chaos theory: the study of “these complex systems and their relationship between math and life”.  Other applications for fractals, which “describe many highly irregular real-world objects” include: new music, signal and image compression, computers and video game design, fashion and medicine.

So, truth be told, Physics and Sacred Geometry are two different, yet related, perspectives for observing and participating in one in the same phenomenon: life!

Wk 5: Just what does CP violation really mean?

Anti-matter: Mirror of the Universe

According to Wikipedia, CP is ”the product of two symmetries: C for charge conjugation, which transforms a particle into its antiparticle, and P for parity, which creates the mirror image of a physical system.”  CP Violation is the breaking of the CP law due to decay of kaons, the ‘short-lived mesons that decay into simpler particles’, in ‘slightly different modes than expected’.  This apparently accounts for why there is not a 50/50 balance of matter and anti-matter in the Universe; which is a good thing, because scientists postulate they would destroy each other, and us with it.

Wk 5: My symmetrical/asymmetrical world

Well, I tend to be a pretty left-brained, intellectually centered person.   I like order and organization.  So, I naturally gravitate to symmetry in my home and surroundings.  And since I tend to also be somewhat emotionally and psychically sensitive, so symmetry gives me a feeling of clear boundaries delineating and protecting my personal space. 

I’ve noticed that whenever I travel and spend time in another place and space I have a need to organize my things in a somewhat symmetrical, ritualistic manner, so as to give myself a sense of continuity amongst the different surroundings while I’m there.

I’ve also observed that too much organization is rigid and boring and can turn my mind off and make me feel stagnant and uncreative.  There’s a certain amount of spontaneity, asymmetry and general chaos that is needed to enliven life or it becomes stale and monotonous.

That being said, life happens and so does clutter…order/disorder…the eternal yin/yang.

Wk 4: What is the function of gravity?

Well, classically we have learned that gravity is one of the ‘4 Forces’, the “fundamental interactions of nature in which objects of mass attract one another”…in other words, it seems to be one of the weaker forces, that nonetheless, holds the universe together.

Well, if you were to ask a Shipibo Shaman from the Amazon what holds their world together, they would say it is ‘love’…the force of attraction, that acts as the glue that bond us together.  Love is one of the 3 fundametnal forces for the Shipibo that create each of our underlying divine patterns that we are born with.  The other 2 forces are, wisdom (the innate intelligence of the universe) and energy (qi, in our world view).  The teacher plants have explained to the shamans that these essential ingredients underlie and shine forth with a divine light, which is the energetic blueprint for our body, mind and soul.  When we experience a trauma or a tragic event, it carries its own pattern.  But, this pattern is one of disharmony with our original divine pattern, and obscures the underlying celestial light.  Using medicinal herbs, which are purgative in nature, in combination with singing of healing songs help to unwind the traumatic patterns.  Thus, returning the individual to their original state of health and wholeness.

And yet from a different perspective, one more in alignment with TCM and Ayurveda, Dr. Hiroshi Motoyama, Japanese scholar, scientist as well as a yogi, philosopher and Shinto priest has this insightful perspective, specific to our question:

 “Matter is a kind of accumulation of energy in a fixed order. Chaos is energy but random, not in order. But when the energy is fixed, in order, in a certain frequency, etc, it becomes quantum, and this quantum is the origin of mass. So this quantum forms an electron or a proton or nucleus and thence an atom. The atoms combine and they make molecules and the molecules combine to make DNA and protein and then us: matter-with-consciousness. So any kind of mass is created by energy. This energy is now divided into four kinds: the weak nuclear, strong nuclear, the electromagnetic and gravitational. Before it was divided into these four, maybe the energy was one and this energy, I think, is the ki energy. (Both ki energy and physical energy are important in healing and this has been the focus of my work.)”

Makes sense to me, once again, it’s all about ‘qi’.  Our medicine rocks!

To read the full article the above paragraph was excerpted from, go to:
http://www.spiritual.com.au/articles/healing/energeticmedicine_share.htm

Wk 4: How I would explain the 4 “Forces”?

I think the 4 Forces are human kinds best attempt to understand and explain the world around them, using their 5 senses.  Problem is, ‘perception rules experience’ and our beliefs, judgments, desires and aversions determine our perception of what is.

Maya, on the other hand, is a Vedic concept – the word refers to the illusion of physical and mental reality that we operate under.  “Life and Death are relatives of thought only” according to Vedanta, the Indian philosophy that further points out that “God is the only Reality; all creation or separate existence is maya or illusion”.

So what does this have to do with the 4 Forces?

We all live our lives with the expectation that the reality we perceive and experience is True. Yet, from a Vedic perspective this reality is clouded by maya.

Sri Yukteshwar states in Autobiography of a Yogi, that “Causal beings realize that the physical cosmos is not primarily constructed of electrons, nor is the astral cosmos basically composed of lifetrons – both in reality are created from the minutest particles of God-thought, chopped and divided by maya, the law of relativity that apparently intervenes to separate creation from its Creator” .

After considering both the current scientific paradigm and the ancient, time tested Vedantic one, I would have to say that I’m leaning heavily toward the latter.  Until we modern humans break out of the reality perceived solely through our 5 sensory organs, we won’t be able to make the paradigm shift needed to understand how the forces underpinning the universe truly work.  Einstein said it best, we must try to understand and know the mind of God.

Wk 4: How has e=mc2 affected me…

E = mc2 means that “energy and mass are equivalent and transmutable”.  For me this has profound spiritual implications.  

You may remember that last week I was repeatedly listening to “Autobiography of a Yogi”, chapter 43: The Resurrection of Sri Yukteshwar, trying to truly understand the implications of the Vedic vision of the universe.  Well, this is exactly the kind of situation where above equation has an application for me.  In this book Sri Yukteshwar, who had previously died and was buried, has returned to give solace to Yogananda, and the rest of us, by explaining how the various realms (terrestrial, astral, causal & god consciousness) all nest within each other and work together.  

Sri Yukteshwar appears before Yogananda in what looks to his eyes be his guru’s physical form.  Yet, Sri Yukteshwar explains that he sees this body as ‘ethereal’ and explains that he “created an entirely new body, like the cosmic-dream physical body, which was laid beneath the sands” in his funeral.  He further goes on to say how “God encased the human soul successively in 3 bodies (or sheaths): the idea or causal body; the subtle astral body, seat of man’s mental and emotional natures; and the gross physical body.”  He goes on to say, “on earth a human is equipped with physical senses…astral beings work with their consciousness and feelings and a body made of lifetrons (prana: inherently intelligent, creative lifetronic forces).  Further, states that “there are many astral planets, teeming with astral beings. The inhabitants use astral planes, or masses of light, to travel from one planet to another, faster than electricity and radioactive energies”.

While this information comes from a trusted and respected source, I personally would have a harder time wrapping my head around and understanding the possibility of it, were it not for the theory of relativity.  This helps my intellectual mind understand the ‘how’ of what Sri Yukteshwar is implying, a reality that my heart holds as true.  Understanding that energy and mass are ‘equivalent and transmutable’, I am able to see how the transformation of one into the other could allow for both Sri Yukteshwar’s resurrection as well as the explanation for the other realms and their interconnectivity with the rest of all that is.

Wk 3: How I would explain connectivity

The idea of connectivity can be used in many ways, with as many different meanings as applications.  In our digital age, connectivity usually has to do with various electronic devices and their assorted cables –including- the literal ‘connectors’ that afford us our current technology of connectivity (computers, cell phones, PDAs, electronic entertainment, etc.), that create the illusion that we are more connected with each other than ever (really?). 

Another type of connectivity is what happens in the human organism, be it in the brain itself or one of the other systems (nervous, circulatory, lymphatic, digestive, respiratory), which oversee the homeostasis of a human being in a symphony of self-orchestrated activity.

For me personally, connectivity has to do with the level of awareness or consciousness that we have about ourselves, each other and our place in the world around us.   For me this includes the interconnectivity of all the various expressions of being in the web of life, including the subtle dimensions beyond the 5 senses.  The reason I say this is that that my personal experience of being connected has vastly transformed, based on the changes in my consciousness over my life.  In my early life, when I was decidedly linear, left-brained and an atheist (my initial response to a Catholic upbringing) my experience was more one of dis-connection than of being connected to the world.  I felt alone, isolated and disconnected from a world I saw as hypocritical and false, and frankly wanted no part of.

An accident at work in my early 20’s changed all that, when a sharp blow to my head unleashed a experiences of paranormal activity for which I had no framework for understanding.  I tell folks now, this was one of the worst things for my physical health, yet one of the best things for my spiritual growth.    Over my life, as my spiritual life has grown and developed, I have chosen to consciously expand my understanding of ‘reality’ and with this my understanding of connectivity…in order to understand my purpose and place in the universe.

The unexpected loss of my beloved Mother in 2008 from a sudden stroke has fueled my desire for a deeper spiritual understanding of the universe; as I strive to maintain the connection with my her, even though she has gone through a profound change of form.  Whether in my meditation practice, sacred ceremonies and rituals, drum journeys or dream work the message I receive is always the same: expand your consciousness and raise your vibration.  To the extent that I am able to do so (the yoga shastras tell me), will enable me to expand my consciousness to the fullness of being we are capable of as humans; thus, intentionally increasing my connection with my Mom’s spirit and the rest of life, ten-fold.

Wk 3: Evidence for Synchronicity

Helen Costello - "Gram"

My grandmother, Helen Costello, was the matriarch of our family.  Gram was a 2nd generation Italian immigrant, and though she was less than 5’ in height, she cast a tall shadow and was nicknamed “the General” by her daughters, my Mom and Auntie Sandra.  The loss of their 3rd daughter and middle child, Annette, at 18 years of age only served to make the family trinity of my Mother, Aunt and Grandmother a tighter knit group throughout their lives.  My Aunt’s daughter, Nadine, is like a sister to me (I have 2 brothers) and we considered all of them part of our ‘nuclear’ family growing up.  

One day in the Fall of 1991, when I was working at a small Mom & Pop production company in LA, I walked into the storage room to get some supplies from the cabinet.  But, as I looked up to open the door, instead of seeing the storage cabinets I saw the following vision in my mind’s eye.  I ‘saw’ a vision of my Grandmother, exquisitely beautiful bouquets of flowers surrounding her, laid out in a coffin as if at her funeral.  My perspective was that of someone at her wake, standing beside her coffin to pay their respects.  A cold chill ran through my body.   I shivered and as I did so, the vision vanished.  Needless to say, I was startled, shaken and left wondering what -if anything- that vision meant.  As far as I knew, my Gram’s health was just fine!

My immediate action was to phone my cousin Nadine, who also was living in LA at the time, and see if she knew anything.  As it turned out, she too had just had a weird experience, related to our grandmother.   Although Nadine didn’t see a ‘vision’ or any thing, what did happen is she heard a voice forcefully say “Gram’s dead”, as if someone was standing next to her; but, in fact she was alone in her apartment.

The very next thing I did was to call my Grandmother’s house (in Lackawanna, New York) directly to find out what was really happening.  As it turned out, my Aunt Sandra (Nadine’s Mom) answered the phone.  Both she and my Mom were at our Gram’s house together.  It seems that earlier in the day Gram had failed to answer her phone when they both had called, independent of one another.  So, when my Mom and Aunt converged on our Grandmother’s house they found her cool to the touch, ashen colored, with breathing shallow –and- though she was seated on the couch, she was so weak that she had been unable to move by herself for some time.

My Mom and Aunt quickly managed to get my Grandmother into the car and took her to the Emergency room at a nearby hospital (they decided not to call 911, lest they freak Gram out).  At the hospital, it was determined that the battery in Gram’s pacemaker had run out of juice, and that’s what had caused all the alarm. Once they replaced the battery in Gram’s pacemaker she was like the ‘Energizer Bunny’ and good as new!

We found out later that it was a good thing that my Mom and Aunt arrived when they did, or there could have been a very different outcome to the day’s events. 

Wk 2: Is the Universe Weird?

I think, like with most things, our experience of something is a reflection of our individual perspective; hence “Believing is Seeing”…

To me, the universe is beautiful and magical, limitless and profound.  It defies our description and limitations…just when I think I think I have things figured out, some other rare or unfathomable experience, being, expression sweeps me off my feet and turns my current paradigm on it’s head… and expands my consciousness and horizons in the process.

Oh, the universe can also be disturbing and terrifying…especially the natural elements of the weather…violent storms that spring up from nowhere without warning and do huge damage to flora and fauna.   Or life forms that defy understanding; here I’m thinking of the ‘pink dolphins’ we experienced in  the Amazon, which were neither pink nor dolphins…but, rather some huge, prehistoric sturgeon looking fish that the locals say are actually shamans (and our experiences after encountering them would support that supposition)!

And then there are the black and white holes, the nebula –or- star nurseries and the countless galaxies with their suns, planets and multitudinous life forms we may never know.

The breadth and depth of the universe is at once breathtaking, inspiring and disturbing in it’s scope.   It our challenge is to meaningfully hold this paradoxical information in some way that purposely informs our experience while we are here living, learning and loving what is.

Wk 2: My comments on Causality…

Cause and effect, from a Vedic standpoint (which is how I have come to see the world), is a function of karma (the resultant effects of previous actions) and a reflection of the essential nature of Maya, which is duality.  As such, our experience is that we have a continuous flux between two poles or opposites, be they dark and light, day and night, good and evil or Yin and Yang.  This duality and dance between opposites is also seen in Traditonal Chinese Medicine…where Yin and Yang both contain the seed of each other and are continuously transforming one into the other.

But, it seems that this dualistic reality is just an illusory projection of our ‘mind stuff’ or consciousness.  Which is why, in Autobiography of a Yogi, Paramahansa Yogananda recounts story after story of seeming miraculous events performed by swamis and yogis…healings from otherwise fatal diseases, sages who live for eons without aging or dying, saints who seem t live on nothing but air, and on and on.  What Yogananda explains is what is has learned from his own experience with his teacher Sri Yukteshwar: there is a greater reality behind this fleeting mirage we experience as our lives…and this eternal, perennial, undying divine origin…the world behind this one, the unified field that is the true ground state of our being.  And it seems that those who have found a path to access that greater reality, leave behind the laws and rules of this one, namely: cause & effect!