An Introduction to Energy Medicine:
Ancient Wisdom for Modern Day Solutions
Philip L. Accaria, Ph.D., FASCH
Abstract
In this article the reader will be presented with the basic constructs associated with the field of “energy medicine” as derived from a variety of Indigenous/Native, Occidental (Western) and Oriental/Asian cultures. The primary purpose for doing so is to afford the reader an introduction to a variety of “complimentary” interventions that can help facilitate a more efficient and effective use of “traditional” methods such as psycho-therapy. To this end the author will discuss such concepts as: chakras, meridians, the Luminous Energy Field, the “subtle, light” body, intuition, muscle-testing, the Illumination Protocol©, and soul.
Have you ever struggled with a “problem” or symptom that continued no matter what you or your health care professional did in an effort to correct it? For example, have you been experiencing a habit that you believe you want to change or eliminate, know what needs to be done yet continuously fail to achieve your goal?
You can be assured you are in good company. The greater majority of we humans experience such challenges at some point in our lives.
As a Clinical Psychologist, the author has pursued, throughout his career, the tools and methods which demonstrate the most significant levels of effectiveness across the broadest range of people and problems. For a variety of “reasons” he was drawn and led to the energy medicine practices of the indigenous peoples.
An Introduction to Energy Medicine
In some cultures, indigenous healers refer to themselves as “medicine” men and women. In others they refer to themselves as “shamans.
The literature is replete with references, by scientists, metaphysicians, theologians and philosophers, to the theory that we humans are comprised of “mind, body and spirit.” Many hold the belief that we are “spiritual beings” having human experiences. These theories are, at first glance, diametrically opposed the view held by “materialists” who basically contend that EVERYTHING humans experience is solely based in our brain’s composition and activities. On the other hand, there are those who abide by the theory that we are also comprised of a “subtle” body, i.e., we possess an “energetic” self. This energetic self includes phenomena that are called chakras, meridians, the Luminous Energy Field and a “soul” among other things. The author says “at first glance” because in the field of Quantum Physics there are advances which are bringing these two schools of thought closer together but that’s a topic for another paper. Suffice it to say there is mounting evidence that indicates there is much more to us than the material/physical alone. It appears that the indigenous peoples “knew” of these Quantum Physics principles thousands of years ago (if not tens of thousands).
We humans are, in addition to material bodies and minds, energy and “informational” systems. As such, we can understand concepts of dis-ease as dis-ruptions in the quantum mechanics of “consciousness” and patterns and data within energy “flows.”
Now, you might be wondering what this means in English. Good. That’s most practical and pragmatic of you. The variety of indigenous healers conceptualize a “problem” as a four-level phenomenon. First there is the “literal” level. Next, there is the “symbolic” level. Thirdly, the “metaphoric” level and lastly, the “energetic” level. The medicine people work at the energetic level, the level that they consider to be the “root” of the problem. Let us demonstrate this Native conceptualization by using an actual clinical case.
A woman consults with a psychologist to whom she has been referred by her physician. She has been experiencing chronic stomach pains which allopathic/conventional Western medicine has been unable to diagnose and treat satisfactorily. This psychologist utilizes the indigenous paradigm and through a variety of intuitive “diagnostic” procedures determines that the stomach pains (the literal level) are correlated to the following: she can not “stomach” swallowing her words (the symbolic level) which she often does vis-à-vis conflicts she has with her Mother-in-Law and with her husband. She feared, and rightly so in retrospect, that were she to speak her mind to her in-law, it would bring to the surface an inherent and significant flaw in her and her husband’s relationship.
On the third level, the mythic/metaphoric, the psychologist intuitively “heard” the word “queen” and understood that the woman was behaving in what we can refer to as the “princess” archetype when she needed to behave instead, as the “queen” of the house. The “Why” or “What” that was causing her to do this was deciphered at the “energetic” level. (This will be described more thoroughly in the “Illumination Protocol” section below.) When these energetic “causes” were, so to speak, cleared it became much easier for her to behave accordingly which ultimately brought her to a resolution of both the relationship issues and her stomach aliments (which cleared completely.)
The Subtle Body
As mentioned above, the indigenous peoples, among others, understand the human being to be comprised of both a physical and subtle/energetic body. For the purpose at hand, let us understand that the subtle/energetic body is comprised of chakras, meridians, a Luminous Energy Field and a “soul.”
Chakras:
The word “chakra” is derived from the Sanskrit, meaning “wheel’ or “disc.” The yogis of India, as well as indigenous peoples, have utilized the chakra system for thousands of years as an integral part of a broad holistic healing approach. They can be conceptualized as cone-shaped vortices of energy which are “connected” to the spinal cord. Generally, it is held that there are seven primary chakras that represent the connection between the spiritual and the physical and coincide with the body’s endocrine system. They are part of the Luminous Energy Field. When “unbalanced, dysfunctional or blocked” a range of physiological, emotional, thinking and behavioral conditions can become manifested. (Simpson, 1998)
Meridians:
Energy meridians are channels of energy which run up and down the body. Many know of them in the context of the Chinese healing process known as acupuncture.
They can be considered the “veins and arteries of the Luminous Energy Field.” (Villoldo, 2000.) Villoldo says that the “Medicine people of the Americas know the meridians as ‘rios de luz’, rivers of light, that flow within the luminous body.” (p. 50). Energy is information. It can be blocked, can flow excessively and/or contain “mis-information.” Therefore, re-balancing and re-programming the energy/information in the meridians can help to heal dis-ease. One particularly effect method of “correcting” the meridians is called Thought Field Therapy (Callahan, 1995) which is often applied in the author’s practice. It is very simple to learn and is applicable to a wide variety of symptoms.
Luminous Energy Field:
The Luminous Energy Field (LEF) is an “invisible” energy matrix that surrounds the the physical body and informs the anatomy of the body as well as the mind. When the LEF is healed via the “illumination process” physical, emotional and behavioral symptoms heal more efficiently and enduringly. The medicine people often say: “When we heal the LEF (the spirit), the body follows.”
“The LEF has four layers extending outward from the body. They are: 1. Causal (the Spirit), 2. Psychic (also known as the etheric-the soul), 3. Mental-emotional (the mind) and 4. The Physical (the body). Each layer stores a different quality of energy” (Villoldo, 2000). As these layers are cleared of “negative imprints” and other “influences,” the sources/roots of a person’s problems are neutralized thus making change “easier.”
The “Illumination Protocol” ©:
The Illumination Protocol is the author’s variation of the “illumination process” as developed by Alberto Villoldo, a medical anthropologist and psychologist who studied with the Q’ero shamans of Peru for over 35 years (Villoldo, 2000). This protocol involves assessing the presence of soul parts that require healing and retrieval; the releasing of others’ soul parts not belonging to the person being treated; and the “illumination”, i.e., the cleansing, repair and “re-programming” of the chakra that is primarily involved in the “problem” state. This process is typically conducted within an hour’s time and is experienced by the individual as relatively non-intrusive. A person might benefit from two or three such illuminations over the course of a couple of months as these “clearings” are like peeling an onion, i.e. they are done in “layers.”
The illumination process is a central aspect of the energy medicine person’s interventions. Oft times, people will experience rather dramatic shifts especially in the arena of physical ailments, as observed by the author and his colleagues.
Intuition:
Non-local undivided consciousness & Non-local communication
The medicine people, shamans and others of the “energy” medicine paradigm, employ intuition to assess/diagnose information about their patients. Intuition is that form of “knowing”, of perceiving information in ways that may be understood as “non-ordinary.” By entering an altered state of awareness and using techniques derived from the ancient wisdom of the indigenous energy medicine practices and current perspectives of quantum physics as they pertain to non-local consciousness, the practitioner can “see,” “hear,” and “feel,” that which is not commonly seen, heard and felt. These skills are available to the greater majority of human beings and as with all skills, the more they are practiced the better one becomes in their use. The author strives to normalize these intuitive skills so as to avoid the “woo-woo” factor, so to speak. These are normal processes inherent in the human being and as such are teachable to all those willing to learn. All that is required is a willingness to learn, an openness to these phenomena, an awareness that they indeed are “real” and of course, a commitment to practicing.
Examples of intuition processes are: clairvoyance (seeing), clairaudience (hearing), clairsentience (feeling kinesthetically), pre-cognitive dreaming, remote viewing and automatic writing to name a few. There are some who would refer to these facilities as “psychic,” a term this author strives to avoid due to the numerous misunderstandings and misuses of the word.
These intuitive processes are the means by which the indigenous medicine people are able to decipher the data that was referred to in the abovementioned illumination process. For example, a medicine woman can “see” and/or feel which chakra is malfunctioning and thus requires the illumination.
A useful question at this point of the discussion would be: “How is the patient to know whether this intuitively gathered information is, in fact, accurate, i.e., true?”, which brings us to the next technique to be reviewed. That is muscle-testing.
Muscle-Testing:
Muscle-testing (MT) is a procedure by which the practitioner and patient can assess the veracity of any particular proposition/hypothesis that is being proposed. MT was popularized in the early 1960s when chiropractor George Goodheart, the originator of Applied Kinesiology, introduced it to the public as part of his system of healing. In 1979, psychiatrist John Diamond developed Behavioral Kinesiology which also utilized MT as a central tool of his methodology. Psychologist Roger Callahan, the originator of Thought Field Therapy, also employed MT as a central tool of his method.
The principle underlying muscle-testing is simply this: When a person is thinking of a proposition that is true he/she will demonstrate muscle strength. When considering a false proposition, the person will demonstrate muscle weakness. There are a variety of variables that the practitioner must be aware of, such as the patient’s “polarity,” in order to insure the responses are accurate. (A discussion of those variables requires a separate article.) Suffice it to say, when all variables are accounted for, the practitioner and patient can use muscle-testing to determine the accuracy of information. In this article it is the intuited information that is being assessed for accuracy.
To demonstrate this application of muscle-testing let us return to the example of the medicine woman intuiting that it is the person’s heart chakra that is impaired. She would have the person hold his/her arm out to their side, parallel to the floor, ask the person to maintain that position as she presses down on the outstretched arm while the person holds in his/her mind the proposition: “It is my heart chakra that is compromised.” If the arm strength is strong it means the statement is true and likewise, if the arm strength is weak it means the statement was false.
Therefore, by using muscle-testing, the client is afforded a means by which he/she can ascertain the accuracy of the medicine person’s intuited data assuming of course, that the patient him/herself isn’t also perceiving the same information intuitively which some do.
Soul/Higher Self:
“How does my body know what is true or false?”, you might ask. Another excellent question and the answer of which is contained in volumes of books pertaining to quantum physics, psychology, theology, philosophy, kinesiology, and metaphysics as well as other fields.
In the arena of indigenous medicine practices it is understood that humans possess a soul, a spirit, a Higher Self if you prefer, that is connected into the “Non-local Undivided Consciousness” which the Natives call “Great Spirit.” Those of the Judeau –Christian heritage might use the term God. Dr. Carl Gustav Jung spoke of the “collective unconscious.” Physicist Dr. Amit Goswami refers to this ocean of information as the “Non-local undivided consciousness.” The point is this: we humans know things we consciously do not know we know and it is our souls/ higher selves that are in touch with these data. Muscle-testing is but one indirect way we can “communicate” with our Higher Selves thereby allowing it to effectively guide the treatment/healing process.
It is proposed by those who work in the intuitive realm that the Higher Self has a broader perspective than the human being’s conscious mind alone. It is perhaps both wiser and more connected into the non-local undivided consciousness. Thus it knows things about the person and the universe that are beyond conscious perception itself. The author often uses the following analogue as one way of describing the usefulness of communicating with the Higher Self: Imagine you are in a maze that has 20 foot high hedged walls. You can not see where each path leads. Now imagine that your Higher Self is a friend who is in a helicopter above the maze and is communicating with you by some such device like a cell phone. It can see from above, the paths that will lead you out of the maze more efficiently and easily simply because of its “higher” perspective.
Let us move beyond analogue to an actual example of how the knowledge of the Higher Self can be applied to the treatment process. Kate (not her real name to protect her anonymity) sought therapy for her fear of heights (acrophobia.) She expressed an interest in hypnosis believing this would be the most effective form of treatment. The author introduced Kate to the constructs of the Higher Self and muscle-testing; demonstrated muscle-testing and accessed her Higher Self. They then used muscle-testing to “ask” the Higher Self which intervention would prove most effective vis-à-vis her particular needs. The author then presented four specific interventions: talk therapy, the Illumination Protocol, Thought Field Therapy (TFT) and hypnosis. Kate tested “strong” (true) to the proposition that Thought Field Therapy (meridian therapy) was her best tool. It is very important to note at this point of the discussion that Kate did not know what the Illumination Protocol nor Thought Field Therapy was yet her Higher Self did and responded accordingly. TFT was applied and within 40 minutes Kate’s 35-year fear of heights was eliminated. She was able to lean out a second story window and two weeks later rode a bike over the George Washington bridge while “feeling liberated.”
Thus, it is the author’s opinion the individual’s Higher Self or soul is the expert regarding the person and his/her needs. It knows better than the clinician what is “wrong” and how best to intervene and restore balance. While the clinician might have accurate intuitive hits, it is always wise to double check with the person’s Higher Self before proceeding. In other words, your Higher Self is the “expert” about what is best for you. Think about how many reported experts in the same field of study hold diametrically opposing opinions. How is the lay person to decide which point of view is accurate? This author suggests it is one’s Higher Self/soul that can decipher the truth for each individual person. For that reason he encourages the patient to allow his/her Higher Self to guide the therapeutic work.
Conclusion:
A number of rather complex concepts and procedures have been presented in this paper in a truly basic manner. The highlights of these concepts have been offered for the purpose of introducing the reader to alternative and complimentary methods of healing that are derived from the ancient indigenous cultures and others. Based on the author’s experience and that of his colleagues, it appears that it is not necessary for the patient to “believe” any or all of the constructs that have been iterated; healings occur regardless. Of course these processes work more fluidly when the person does ascribe to the core concepts.
If curious, the reader is encouraged to investigate these ancient, indigenous practices and metaphysical principles and phenomena by perusing the references attached to this article and beginning with the readings that you might be intuitively drawn to.
May you be blessed in your journey always and in all ways.
About the Author:
Dr. Philip L. Accaria, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist in the state of New Jersey and has been practicing since 1984. He is Past-president of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH), past Moderator/Chair of the ASCH Board of Governors, and Past-President of the Clinical Hypnosis Society of New Jersey.
Dr. Accaria specializes in the use of indigenous healing practices as applied to a variety of emotional, behavioral and physical challenges. He typically engages the “intuitive” levels of awareness in his diagnostic and clinical interventions. These interventions utilize energetic systems which include the Luminous Energy Field, chakras, meridians, and the practice of soul-retrieval and soul release. In his practice he addresses the client’s mind, body and spiritual selves.
Philip has trained to the “advanced” levels of Thought Field Therapy, Spiritual Response Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a Reiki Master and has been practicing hypnosis since 1984. His studies in indigenous practices began in 1992 with the works of Lakota medicine man Wallace Black Elk and training in indigenous healing practices with Dr. Alberto Villoldo, Ph.D., of the Four Winds Society; with Greenland shaman Angaangaq and the Hawaiian indigenous paradigm, Ho’oponopono, with Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len, Ph.D.
Dr. Accaria has been conducting workshops in hypnosis, indigenous healing practices, energy medicine and ideo-motor signaling techniques throughout the country since the early 1990s.