2 2 S p i r i t ua l i t y S t u d i e s 7 - 2 Fa l l 2 0 2 1 When we realize this, we see that Qi is not just individual (limited to a personal life force confined to each body), it is universal. For example, the strength of the electromagnetic field around your body (like most fields in physics) falls off as 1/r2 (i.e. , inversely proportional to the square of the distance, where “r” is the distance; Halliday et al. 2010, 714). That means it has a valid mathematical expression that extends to infinity. The electromagnetic field of your body permeates the whole universe as does everyone else’s. In this article, I’ve described some of the basic, experiential feelings of Qi that I have had and attempted to relate them to some of the forms of scientific energy found in the human body. We’ve explored magnetic or heat feelings that can arise in the palms in terms of sensing our external electromagnetic field, and how our sensitivity to that can change depending on our skin electrical conductivity otherwise known as galvanic skin response or electrodermal activity. We’ve also explored the significant role the heart plays in producing that electromagnetic field, and how the fascial sheath around it, known as the pericardium, may be able to modulate that field creating a condition of what we might call open or closed heartedness. We’ve also touched on some research that indicates that the heart’s electromagnetic field may resonate with the electromagnetic field of other hearts, and encode more than its pulse rate, including more complex information about our emotional state. This can be detected by others just like a radio antenna resonates with radio emissions from nearby masts. We’ve explored Kundalinī, the rising or uncoiling of Qi or prāna in the spine, in terms of our electromagnetic field coming into a kind of phase correlation or resonance. In Eastern teachings, when this energy begins to rise it can encounter certain blockages that are seen as the cause of physical convulsions or spasms. This led us to discussing what these blockages might be from a spiritual and scientific point-of-view. Finally, we’ve explored the meaning of energy in the meridian lines in terms of blood energy and nerve impulses, mechanical force transmission, and conduction of extra-neuronal (outside the nerves) electric currents. Qi has been studied for centuries in the East and is very well understood. But the Eastern form of understanding isn’t always satisfactory to our Western scientific minds. Qi is most often described in terms of its experience and use, using metaphor and analogy. When this is translated and read by a Westerner who’s used to descriptions involving dissectible anatomy and empirical physiology, it sounds unscientific and “woo woo”! When a Qigong teacher says, “imagine a powerful hosepipe of energy gushing out of your fingers”, a Western, scientifically oriented person might ask, “but what is it exactly that’s supposed to be gushing out of my fingers?!” To me, however, it’s possible to find an equivalent analogy that doesn’t ask us to imagine an esoteric kind of energy, for example, “imagine there’s a chocolate biscuit just outside your reach, now reach for it…”. Both instructions engage our intention, which is a form of mind energy, using visualization and imagination. And as we previously mentioned, intention acts to corral and direct all the different physical energies in the body for a particular purpose. I wonder, though, if the chocolate biscuit visualization is as effective, especially if you’re trying to cut down on chocolate biscuits. Much of the Eastern understanding of Qi is still not understood in scientific terms. People like Daniel Keown (2014) are starting to make the connections. In my view, he’s done a remarkable job in showing a correspondence between the two systems to the point where the subtitle of his book is How the science of acupuncture explains the mysteries of Western medicine. But there are many questions still unanswered. For example, how closely do the meridian lines follow the interfaces between fascial membranes? Why does TCM assert that energy flows in only one direction through the meridian lines? Is there any evidence of changes in the pericardium that could act to modulate the heart’s electric field? Can the body-wide electromagnetic field really come into some kind of phase correlation or resonance? How is the body’s electromagnetic field affected by strong external electromagnetic fields, such as that produced by power lines or domestic electrical wiring (some people seem to be more “electrically sensitive” than others; some suffer acutely), and does that affect our ability to feel energy?
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