Cultures all over the world have believed for centuries, that all living beings are home to an invisible force that is divine in quality, limitless in quantity. This life force energy provides health, beauty and vitality.
There are many names to the vital life force and many methods to work with this energy, but the basic principle of ancient healing was to merely complement the life force's self-healing process. Some popular names for this energy are prana and chi.
What is the Life Force Energy?
The energy that keeps humans alive, also permeates the entire universe. Prana or chi, flows in human bodies through channels called meridians. The vital life force energy consists of balancing heating and cooling components, which are also referred to as the male and female, yin and yang.
A magnet consisting of north and south poles is a useful analogy, to understand the concept of duality of the cosmic life force. Diseases are said to originate when the delicate balance between the yin and the yang components is lost and there is a dominance of one energy component over the other.
What is the Vital Life Force Referred to in Different Cultures? Many Names for the Energy of Life
Both ancient peoples and modern professionals have referred to the vital life force energy by different names.
Life Force is called Chi in China. Ancient Indian texts referred to the life-giving force as prana and detailed several breathing exercises for unfettered energy flow in the body. The Japanese called this energy ki. The Japanese energy healing technique Reiki is actually comprised of words, "Rei" and "Ki."
Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras called this life-giving force, pneuma. Kung San people of the African Kalahari desert call this energy num.
Kahuna people of Hawaii call this energy mana. The concept of vital life force energy being at the heart of any healing, has been popular among Mayan, Incan, Hopi, Navajo peoples of Central America for several centuries.
Modern Russian scientists call it bioplasmic energy. Austrian psycho-analyst Wilhelm Reich referred to the vital life force as orgone.
While it is hard to ignore the common wisdom that kept people in different continents and varied cultures around the world healthy, over several thousand years, the energy aspect of healing has failed to make deep inroads into modern medicine, so far.
It is possible that the physician of the future, would use more tools from the energy realm, to ensure health and wellness.
Related Reading
The article How do Psychic Healers Work? offers interesting insights into how to tap into the vital life force to cure and heal. Reiki is a famous energy healing technique that originated in Japan.
There are many schools of Reiki and an aspiring student might benefit from reading the article, How to Choose the Right Reiki Training? Pranic Healing is another energy healing technique that works with the vital life force. Read more about it in Pranic Healing - Hands on Energy Medicine.
Sources
- Alternative medicine: the definitive guide, by Burton Goldberg, Larry Trivieri, John W. Anderson.
- Dr.Fulford's Touch of Life, Healing Power of the Natural Life Force, by Dr.Robert C.Fulford, C.O.
Subha Ekambaram - I'm fascinated by the self healing processes of the human body and the alternative methods that accelerate it. I like to be present where ...
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