Found Below:


• Eastern and Holistic Do NOT Always Equal Religious or Demonic 
• “Whole Body” Medicine Defined

• The Placebo Effect…Redefined

• The Common Thread of Successful Healing

• Research on Energetic Medicine

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Eastern and Holistic Do NOT Always Equal Religious or Demonic

Throughout our website, we’ve added in more content to answer questions that arise about the efficacy of energetic medicine. We also root our practices in our faith and seek to show how these practices are Biblically based. However, additional questions about the origin and practice of Eastern medicine that involves energy and intentionalization continues to arise. This article was written to address some of those specific concerns.

OVERVIEW

In this article:

• Religious vs. Healing Practices
  • The use of energetic or meditative practices within Eastern religions does not mean that all forms of Eastern medicine and meditations are themselves religious.
  • How the origin of Eastern or holistic medicine and meditation is not exclusively from one source, nor was energy medicine (specifically qigong and acupuncture) created for or by any religion or spiritually extremist faction.
• Misuse and Proper Intention
  • While there are people and groups that misuse energy medicine and meditations for personal gain or non-benevolent purposes, this does not warrant defining all energy medicine and meditation practices as bad or evil. With some exceptions, the intention of the person using the tool or practice – and not the tool/practice itself – is often the deciding factor in whether it is “good” or “bad.”
• We are Spirit Beings
  • This section discusses how we are more than a physical body, not just from the perspective of energy workers, but also from evidence provided by western scientific research conducted for many decades.
  • It is vital that we do not ignore the spiritual world, nor regard any part of ourselves – including the spiritual – as evil simply because we don’t understand it. Recognizing that we have God-given spiritual anatomy and physiology (channels and energy centers that connect to and nourish our body) will help us be well-informed and align our whole being with our healing and protection on all levels.

INTRODUCTION

Are there some Eastern or holistic practices that are religiously oriented and/or are used as tools for evil/non-benevolent purposes? Yes. Does that mean that all forms of natural, Eastern, or Holistic practices are religious or evil? No.

Let me explain.

I won’t get into all the various Eastern and holistic practices, nor vouch for all of them. What I will discuss here will be relevant to the energetic medicine known as medical qigong, acupuncture, and certain forms of meditative and mindfulness practices), specifically as a means of clearing our internal mental and emotional clutter, and as viable forms of natural, preventative, and whole-body medicines.

1) Religious vs. Healing Practices

ONE DOES NOT EQUAL THE OTHER…

While it is true that most Eastern Religions, such as Daoism and Buddhism, have their own meditative and spiritual practices, it’s NOT true that all meditative practices are Daoist, Buddhist, or even pagan. 

• It’s also not true that all forms of meditation or spiritual techniques were solely developed and practiced in countries such as China and India.
  • It has been found that energy medicine/practices have roots “in virtually every medical and healing system around the world” (Leskowitz, 2022), and is not simply a product of one system of thought. It has been understood and adopted around the world by many cultures and in unique ways.
    • Take for example the very common use and important references in the Bible of meditating (Philippians 4:8, Psalm 19:14, Psalm 104:34, Psalm 63:6, Psalm 119:15-16, Joshua 1:8, Psalm 77:12, Psalm 143:5, and many other verses referencing it indirectly).
    • Jesus would go somewhere quiet so He could spend time with His Father in Heaven (Mark 1:35), something that could only be done on a spiritual level.

These two things (religious energetic practices and energetic healing practices) are not related and must be looked at independently of each other.

ORIGINS

Energetic medicines such as medical qigong and acupuncture were not developed by or for religious purposes.

• When you look at the history of qigong in China, you will discover that there were two major influences in its creation: Daoism and Confucianists. At that time in history, these were not religions, but scholarly schools of thought/philosophy and primary sources for the betterment of society and health maintenance (Yang, 1997, p.64-65).
  • Both schools emphasized the treatment and prevention of disease.
  • Exercises and meditations were developed to regulate the mind, body, and breath, with the goal of balancing the thoughts and emotions and preventing/treating physical disease manifestations.
  • It wasn’t until after the Han Dynasty (206 BC), that the religion of Daoism was created.
  • Religious Daoism had its own philosophy and practices that were distinct from its roots in the scholarly school of Daoism and evolved beyond the use of qigong exercises and meditations for the use of health maintenance.
• Acupuncture, too, was developed well before the Han Dynasty, and was created as a method of tangibly accessing the energetic meridians of the body for disease prevention and treatment.
• It must be understood that not all qigong is the same. There are three distinct schools – or practices – of qigong: medical, martial, and spiritual. While each of these schools – especially spiritual qigong – is practiced within the religion of Daoism, Daoism itself is not found in all forms of qigong.
  • Within the martial school of qigong, the emphasis is on physical stamina, strength, and injury prevention.
  • Within the medical school of qigong, the emphasis is on the health of the body through gentle exercise, breathing techniques, and meditations to calm the mind and emotions and balance the body.

This clearly delineates how the medical practice of qigong and acupuncture are very much separate from the use of qigong within separately created religions.

The medical use of qigong is also very compatible with other forms of medicine, including Western (allopathic) medicine.

EAST AND WEST: COMPLIMENTARY MEDICINES FOR HEALTH

There are many forms of medicine made available to us, depending on our individual needs and processes through improving and maintaining our wellbeing. These healing practices are very much complimentary, not incompatible.

• Western or allopathic medical practices such as vaccines, IV’s, x-rays, MRI’s, radiation treatments/Chemo, experimental treatments, pharmaceuticals, and more are all well accepted, despite these things not always being well-understood (constantly being studied and adjusted based on emerging evidence). 
• It is also well-accepted that people may suffer from symptoms or health issues that do not originate in their physical body. The issue may stem from their mind or emotions, in which case it is common to seek a psychotherapist, clinical hypnotherapist, or psychologist to help us through these things.
• Medications are even prescribed for non-physical issues that arise somewhere in the psyche and have no other known resolution.
• Meditations, mindfulness, and gentle, energetic exercises found in qigong are overwhelmingly taught as fully non-religious practices to improve overall health and wellbeing.
• Treatments using the meridian systems and points of the body are used in qigong and acupuncture for the mitigation and resolution of the symptoms of disease and as a form of preventative medicine. Religion plays no role in this treatment.
• Furthermore, Western science considers qigong to be physical and respiratory “exercise” that also utilizes methods of “intent” and “neuro-integration” to create relaxation and systemic improvement to a variety of systems including lymphatic, blood, fascial, and more (Klein et al., 2017).

All of these modalities are complementary medicines. The movements, meditations, and breathing techniques used in qigong, and the meridian therapy of acupuncture, are not tied to any religion or religious practices. Furthermore, Western science for decades now has recognized the efficacy of these practices on the overall improvement of health. More on this below.  

Now, let’s look at how we must look at the method or practice itself objectively and then look deeper into its use and intended purpose.

2) Misuse and Proper Intention

The misuse or non-benevolent use of natural medicine and meditative practices does NOT mean that all energetic wellness and meditative practices are themselves bad. It does mean, however, that each of us needs to be careful and informed about what we engage in.

DABBLING and NON-BENEVOLENT

Some people dabble in meditations or other spiritual practices that they don’t understand.

• • Doing it for “fun.”
  • Not properly trained/informed.
• • Don’t properly protect themselves or understand what they’re connecting to spiritually.
  Some people use meditative practices to satisfy their ego. Examples include:
• • Self-serving reasons such as for the purpose of connecting to non-benevolent or worldly spiritual beings specifically for the development of spiritual abilities.
  • These practices are not properly rooted and open you up to a host of issues and bad/evil influences.
• Other people actively engage in spiritual and meditative practices within some religions.
  • These practices can be intended for good, and for the personal and spiritual growth of that individual. However, I have experienced and come to understand, that this kind of well-meaning practice can potentially open you to the same non-benevolent forces.
• Indirectly or ignorantly getting involved in practices that are unhealthy or evil (connected to spiritual forces that are not benevolent).

The spiritual world is not something that should be “played” with. Nor should we be operating in the spirit realm with the intention of attaining to or acquiring special abilities to satisfy our human ego or desires. The spiritual level is a vital part of who we are and we should be diligent about who and what we trust. If God is not at the center of what we do, we can easily get led astray and become vulnerable to undesirable outcomes within our spiritual body that then pervade and influence our physical body’s health and connection to God.

INTENTION

In almost every facet of life, one’s intention is the most important factor in the outcome of their actions.

Let’s look at some examples of how intention dictates outcome, with some real-world applications:

• Vehicles
  Two people are driving down the road in a car. One person’s intention is to get to work safely. The other person’s intention is to commit suicide by driving off a cliff. Is the car bad?
• Money
  Two people are wealthy. One person sees it as a tool and a gift, knowing that their wealth and talents are God given and should be used to glorify Him. They seek to give back to others and use that provision in their personal lives as God would have them use it. The other person identifies with their wealth, seeking to only attain personal gratification and are attached to their wealth as a source of happiness that takes the place of their relationship with God. Is money bad?
• Weapon/tool
  Two people carry a knife. One person uses it to skillfully cut and hang drywall in homes in need of renovation. The other person uses it as a weapon of revenge against their neighbor. Is the knife bad?

I think you see where I’m going with this. We could use this example for activities, food, and almost every other standard tool, instrument, or behavior that we encounter in our daily lives.

This same concept of the person’s intention – and not the tool itself – being either good or evil depending on how it’s used, is just as applicable in Eastern Medicine Modalities and Holistic mindfulness and meditative practices.

It’s my personal experience and understanding that God can work through anyone, particularly when they are pure of heart and intend to only help others, not harm them. God especially works through those who do not seek to glorify themselves. Through my personal experience, I have also discovered that no matter how well-meaning someone is, they will never achieve a level of “ability” – within their own mind and body – to fully or lastingly heal themselves or another person without doing so in union with God. Any form of medicine or tool, including qigong, meditation, and other forms of holistic/natural medicine, can provide the groundwork for healing to be possible, and often even provide relief or resolution to some manifestations of disease. However, if the patient/client does not find the root of their issue and the true source of their healing (God), the potential for the same issue or something similar to manifest in its place is very likely, and I would argue, almost certain.

This is the darkness we must seek to expose: the darkness within ourselves. This darkness is anything that we covet or cover-up that keeps us in separation and out of alignment with God’s will for us: to love Him and love one another as He loves us. Therefore, the person’s intention and focus in everything they do, not just meditations and energy work, is vital and the primary determinant of a “good” or “bad” outcome.

Let’s wrap up this discussion by touching on how being fearful of the spiritual world, and dabbling in the spiritual world, are not the only issues we face. It’s also important to not simply ignore the spiritual either. Saying it doesn’t exist, or only exists within the realm of evil practices, is not accurate or productive and denies a large part of who we are; a part vital to our healing and connection to God.

  3) We are Spirit Beings

God created us as a three-part being: a body, a spirit, and a soul made up of our mind, will and emotions (Genesis 2:7 & 1 Thes 5:23).

• This includes all the anatomy and intricate systems designed to keep us alive.
• These parts of our being (body, soul, and spirit) are connected, NOT independent, just as we are not independent from our environment. Our bodies are scientifically known to be open systems, not closed.
  • This is not just true on the physical, but the spiritual as well.
• Our bodies are equipped with spiritual anatomy, including pathways that nurture our bodies and act as a connective system, or bridge, for the spiritual to support and flow through the physical.
  • Dr. Leskowitz (2022) of Harvard Medical School, describes this as “subtle anatomy…of interacting energy centers (chakras) and distribution pathways (meridians) held within a multi-layered containment vessel (the biofield)” which “impact[s] and transform[s] the organ systems of the biological body” (para. 13).
  • Western science has researched this subtle anatomy, and while it is a continuing process, it has proven the existence of the energetic meridian systems used in qigong and acupuncture practices for thousands of years (Li, et al., 2012).
    • These studies show how meridians and points are independent of other physical systems, yet are necessary to their proper functioning.This research continues, yet is far behind what has already been discovered on a spiritual level by those sensitive to it.

Regardless of the extent of the spiritual body and its connections to and throughout our body, it is clear that there IS a spiritual body, even to modern science.

What is “qi/chi” or energy?

• Everything is energy, just vibrating at a different rate.
  • Vibrate slowly, and it get physical “solid” objects.
  • Vibrate faster and you get kinetic energy such as heat, light, sound.
  • There are many non-visible forms of energy
    • Some examples include gravitational, infrared, and ultraviolet
    • all impacting us and our environment daily.
• This energy also influences the physiology of our body and, as science has shown, or body is equipped with its own system of channels (meridians) and points among those channels that have been accurately mapped out by Qigong and acupuncture practitioners of thousands of years ago.
  • While science has not proven the existence of subtle “qi/energy” as a substance flowing through these channels and organs…neither can it prove the existence of God.
    • Science has its limitations.
    • God made us so complicated and intricate that science is continually learning new things and adjusting their old coveted concepts about us and our world due to them being either inaccurate or incomplete.
• To view energy as “god-like” or as the source of your healing – separate from God – is inaccurate.
  • Energy is not a “source,” it is another God-created connection and substance that nurtures our physical body and allows us to operate healthfully as an open system in our God-created environment.
    • Just like the blood flowing in our vascular system is not the “source” of our healing, but it is certainly vital to our overall health and the proper functioning of our internal organs and body as a whole.
• On the other hand, to view energy – or the channels through which that energy flows- as evil or fictional, is like saying the vascular system is evil or fictional, or the nervous system is evil or fictional.
  • Think for a moment, how the community or church of a thousand years ago may have responded to the use of our modern x-ray technology? Perhaps they would have claimed it was demonic?
  • Just as science has its limitations, our human understanding of our bodies and the world around us is also limited, especially when we remain blind to the spiritual world in which we live.

Some people are more inherently sensitive to the spiritual, and able to see or sense things beyond the physical.

• This doesn’t make them evil or demonically possessed.
• Historically, these kinds of individuals who were sensitive to things of the spirit and the energy surrounding and permeating all things, developed techniques that would keep them healthy, knowing how their bodies were connected to the environment around them.
  • They discovered thousands of years ago that there was not only a physical body with unique anatomy, but an energetic/spiritual body with its own anatomy as well.
• Exercises and practices were created to encourage health within both systems and clear internal barriers to healing.

CONCLUSION

Energy medicine – specifically qigong, acupuncture, and some meditations and mindfulness techniques – are effective tools for creating balance within the systems of our spiritual and physical bodies when used properly. While these forms of energy medicine were designed specifically for health maintenance and are distinct from religious practices, it is my opinion that their efficacy is made whole and lasting when the person has an intimate relationship with God, and roots all of their meditative and energy practices in that relationship.

“Eastern” medicine does not automatically denote it is an Eastern religion, meaning that the energetic and medical practices of other cultures are not the same as Eastern religious practices. These are two separate things and are not evil or occult practices unless the practitioner uses them with that specific intent. This is true for almost every facet of our lives, in which the tools and activities we engage in daily are fully healthful and benevolent unless someone chooses to act otherwise. There can be very real malpractices within these modalities of medicine and spiritual refinement, however, this is not the standard.

It’s important that we understand that the spiritual world is real and that we exist within it as a dynamically created being. Our involvement within the spiritual world is not diminished when we ignore it. This only leaves us vulnerable and potentially fearful instead of informed.

Let’s put our attention on developing strong faith, being open to receiving our healing from God, and having healthful, corresponding action to match that faith.

“Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart;
Test me and know my anxious thoughts;
And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way”
(Psalm 139:23-24 (AMP).

Author: Jordan Keely
Date: April 2024

REFERENCES

Klein, P., et al. “Meditative Movement, Energetic, and Physical Analyses of Three Qigong Exercises: Unification of Eastern and Western Mechanistic Exercise Theory.” Medicines (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 4,4 69. 23 Sep. 2017, doi:10.3390/medicines4040069

Leskowitz, E. (April 2022). “A Cartography of Energy Medicine: From Subtle Anatomy to Energy Physiology.” Explore. vol 18(2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2020.09.008

Li, J. et al. “Biophysical characteristics of meridians and acupoints: a systematic review.” Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM vol. 2012 (2012): 793841. doi:10.1155/2012/793841

Yang, Jwing-Ming. (1997). YMAA Production Center. The Root of Chinese Qigong. ISBN-13: 978-1-886969-50-6

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“Whole Body” Medicine Defined