The notion of spiritual or metaphysical energies is one of the most common explanations thrown around in non-scientific circles for healing and diagnosing by “hand-hovering.” From the Holy Spirit in Christianity, to Reiki in Japan, to the Chakras in New Age Spirituality.
In this page, we’ll explore the most common spiritual and metaphysical explanation for this phenomena in non-scientific circles—the notion of a so-called “subtle energy,” “life force energy” or “vital force.” We’ll go over the historical roots behind this idea, treat it like any other theory by laying out its entire step by step mechanism or explanation, and since it can’t be tested by scientific experiments, we’ll critique it philosophically—by exploring the most common reasons given for it, and the reasons against it (objections).
Life Force or Vital Energy Theory: Step-By Step Mechanism or Explanation
The most common spiritual or metaphysical explanation is the notion of a “life force energy,” or “vital force.” This force is also often seen as some kind of subtle non-physical energy, which is not directly measurable, and thereby outside the scope of science (hence “metaphysical”).
“Reiki energy is a subtle energy. It is different than electricity or chemical energy or other kinds of physical energy.” — Reiki.Org Website
In this section, I’ll do my best to give a full step by step mechanism or explanation of this energy—which is often missing in the circles where it is circulated. I’ll break down its 3 main components, and how they come together to give a full (although questionable) metaphysical explanation for the cause of illness, diagnosing illnesses, and even the power hand-healing.
I’ve divided it this metaphysical energy into 3 main levels that come together. (1) The bodily—life force energy existing inside the body of living organisms, (2) the cosmic—life force existing throughout the universe, and (3) the spiritual—the source of life force energy, which is usually source (like “god” or a “higher power”). Let’s break down each of these and how they’re claimed to work together.
1. The Body’s Vital or Life-Force Energy System: Its Energetic Imbalances As Explanation For Illness and Diagnosing Illnesses
So, (1) the life-force energy or vital force of the living organism or body. What does this actually mean? Well, this says that the body is permeated by various vital energy fields, centers, or channels, often mapped out into an elaborate “vital energy system” (eg., Hindu, Japanese, Chinese, Western).
All of one’s mental, physical, and emotional troubles are said to be tied to imbalances or blockages in this energy system.
This is the metaphysical explanation for the cause of illness or bad health. Most alternative medicine practicioners in the field of so-called “energy healing” give this explanation verbatim to all of their patients.
“Our energetic bodies are intertwined with our physical bodies. All the traumas we carry physically, emotionally and psychologically impact the functionality of our energy systems (chakras) and vice versa . . When energies become blocked because of traumas, toxins, prolonged stress and muscular constrictions, it creates disturbances in the energy flow in our bodies, which over time contributes to mental, emotional issues and physical disease.” — Nicole Nesci (“5 Things Everyone Needs to Know About Energy Healing”)
But, this is also part of the explanation behind diagnosing illnesses. The idea is that a healer can actually perceive this energy system as colors around the patient, or subtle feelings of warmth, cold, or vibrations in their hands. These colors, changes in temperature, or vibrations are believed to indicate whether the energy is either balanced or blocked.
But, how could you actually heal someone under this explanation?
2. The Cosmic Life Force Energy: Channeling Cosmic Life-Force Energy for Healing
If you follow the line of reasoning above, all you have to do to heal is to fix imbalances in their vital energy system. But, how on earth could you do this?
Well, here is where the notion of a (2) cosmic life force energy or vital force, which exists everywhere in the universe is often invoked. The idea is that a healer can channel this “cosmic life force energy” into their body, out of their hands, to the patient’s body, and into their life force energy system. This restores the energy flow in the patients energy system, bringing back balance, and thereby restoring their mental and physical health.
For example, most Reiki practitioners believe they act as some kind of “conduit" directing “cosmic spiritual life-force energy” which exists all around them, through their own body, out of their hands, and to the patient’s life force energy system. They believe channeled cosmic energy goes where the patient’s life force energy system is drained, blocked, or imbalanced—and stimulates it to flow once again, thereby relieving their illnesses.
“Reiki is about learning to flow Universal Life Force energy through your body and directing it to another person.” — Lisa Campion (“The Art of Psychic Reiki”, p. 12)
3. The Spiritual Source of Life-Force Energy: Where the Energy Comes From
But, wait a minute, where does this cosmic and bodily vital or life-force energy even come from? Well, that’s usually where the idea of the (3) spiritual source is invoked.
For example, as you’ll see in the historical roots of this idea, life-force energy known as “Prana,” was seen as the “breath of life” from a god-like being named “Purusha” in ancient Hinduism. While “Reiki” in Japan and in the West, often ties it back to some more impersonal “Great Spirit” or “Higher Power.”
Even on the official “Reiki.org” website, in a Q&A article which asks, “Where does Reiki energy come from?” the answer is bluntly, “Reiki energy comes from the Higher Power, which exists on a higher dimension than the physical world we are familiar with.”
Bringing all of this together, this is the basic gist of the spiritual or metaphysical “subtle energy” explanation. When tied together into an entire explanatory system, as you can see, it’s commonly seen in circles like “Reiki.”
Historical Roots of Explanation
But, clearly, these ideas are nothing new. They’re the oldest trick in the book. They’ve shown up in many distinct cultures, for thousands of years. So, to understand where this explanation comes from—let’s briefly trace its historical roots.
“Prana” (Hinduism)
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In ancient Hinduism, there was the concept of “Prana.” The Sanskrit term prāṇa, comes from “pra,” meaning “forward,” and “an” meaning “to breathe.” So, the term literally means “breathing forth.” It’s commonly said to be the life force or "breath of life.” But, the concept itself also has many different more specific meanings.
In ancient Vedic thought, it was considered to be not only the "breath" of a cosmic god-like being named “Puruṣa” (e.g., Ṛgveda 10.90.13; Atharvaveda 11.4.15), but also the breath or life force of the human body, which was seen as a manifestation of the all-pervading comics being’s breath. This breath was believed to sustain and animate all living beings. It was also believed that the cosmic god-being’s breath permeated the entire universe, and it called the "principal breath" (“mukhyaprāṇa”).
There was also an elaborate system for this “breath” inside the living body. For example, there were thought to be 10 types of breaths localized in different parts of the body which were responsible for different bodily processes. These breaths were thought to circulate in channels or ducts (“nāḍīs”). They also passed through various energy centers along the spine (“chakras”). Altogether the breaths, channels, and centers constituted a subtle energetic body (“prāṇāmaya-kośa”).
This life-force in the body was tied to bodily processes, health, and sometimes spiritual enlightenment in different Hindu traditions. There were also many different techniques proposed to supposedly control these energies, either for physical or mental health or spiritual enlightenment. From breathing techniques (“pranayama”), to meditative visualization techniques (“dhyana”), to bodily postures (“asana”)—these are 3 of the 8 limbs of yoga.
“Chi,” “Qi,” or “Ki” (Chinese)
In ancient Chinese philosophy, medicine, and religion, you have the concept of “Chi,” “Qi,” or “Ki.” It often literally means “air,” “breath,” or “vapor.” The last one perhaps adds to this idea that it is some kind of subtle stuff. Today, the concept is often simplistically reduced to “vital energy,” or “life-force,” seen as the animating power that flows through the body and the universe. But, it has many other meanings largely depending on the time period the term was used.
One relevant meaning is from early Daoist philosophers. They saw it as a vital force inherent in the breath and bodily fluids. They also developed techniques to alter and control the movement of it within the body, with the aim of achieving long health and spiritual power.
Generally, the life-force energy system of the body includes networks of meridians (energy pathways), and concepts of yin-yang balance and the five elements.
There’s also practices to harmonize and direct flow of qi—like placing thin needles in certain parts of the body (“acupuncture”), coordinated body movements combined with breathing and intention (“qigong”), and unique martial art styles (“tai chi”).
“Elan Vital” or “Vital Force"- 1600s (French)
In the 1600s, the concept of “life-force” showed up as an explanation for living processes within scientific circles. It was called “vital force,” or “élan vital.” The basic idea was that living matter has some kind of life force: a metaphysical force intrinsic to life, that makes things alive. Like all these metaphysical beliefs, this force was thought to be non-physical, immeasurable, and outside the scope of science.
Today, no scientist believes in a “vital force,” as it could never be measured, thereby never be tested, so it was considered “pseudoscience.”
We’ve also found that there exists things like “bioelectricity” in living cells, “metabolism,” and other physically measurable processes which play a crucial role in biological life processes. These real, physical, measurable specific mechanisms, replaced the need to invoke metaphysical, immeasurable and vague ones like a “vital force.”
“Reiki” or “Spiritual Life-Force Energy” - 1900 (Japan)
The concept of “Reiki” from Japanese individuals in the 1900s, is a modern take on these same concepts, although it draws heavily from Chinese qi theory. Remember, "Reiki" means "spiritual life force energy.” The Reiki practitioner believes this energy exists everywhere, and one can channel it to the patient in order to heal them. As Lisa Campion claims in “The Art of Psychic Reiki” (p. 12)
“Reiki is about learning to flow Universal Life Force energy through your body and directing it to another person.” — Lisa Campion
The founder of the Westernized Reiki, Hawayo Takata, also gave this concept a very god-like flavor—similar to the Vedic notion of the “principal breath” from the cosmic being “Purusha.” Here’s an example from Hawayo Takata’s own handwritten diary, which was later compiled and published in 1982 by her daughter, Alice Takata Furumoto, in a memorial volume often referred to as the “Grey Book”:
“I believe there exists the Supreme Being -- the Absolute Infinite - a Dynamic Force that governs the world and universe. It is an unseen spiritual power that governs the world and universe . . This power is unfathomable, immeasurable, and being a universal life force, it is incomprehensible to man. Yet, every single living being is receiving its blessings daily, awake or asleep. Different teachers and masters call Him the Great Spirit; The Universal Life Force; Life Energy, because when applied it vitalizes the whole system; Ether Wave because it soothes pain and puts you into deep slumber as if under an anesthetic, and The Cosmic Wave because it radiates vibrations of exultant feeling and lifts you into harmony. I shall call it "Reiki" because I studied under that expression. Reiki is a radionic wave like radio. It could be applied locally or as in short wave. A distant treatment could be successfully given. Reiki is not electricity, nor radium or X-ray. It could be applied locally or as in short wave. It could penetrate thin layers of silk, linen, porcelain or lead, wood or steel, because it comes from the Great Spirit, the Infinite.” — Hawayo Takata (”Gray Book” Excerpt)
They also mix this in with centers of vital energy within the body, which interact with the cosmic vital energy from god. Traditional Reiki used hara (or tanden), especially the lower hara (below the navel) as the seat of vital power, and sometimes upper and middle centers (heart and head). Today, Westernized Reiki uses chakras and auras.
“Etheric Energy” In Theosophy and New Age Spirituality
Emerging from 19th–20th century esotericism and influenced by Eastern concepts, the Westernized view of life force is often called etheric energy. It appears in traditions like Theosophy, and later New Age Spirituality. The system borrows heavily from many others, taking things like chakras, meridians, and auras, often blending them with other ideas.
Crritiquing or Evaluating Explanation
Common Reasons Given For Explanation:
1. “People Perceive This Spiritual Energy As Colors or Tactile Feelings.”
The main reason given to believe in the existence of these spiritual or metaphysical energies is basically: “because I feel them and I see them.” Most people claim that when healing, doing another activity like meditation, or just walking around, they can see colors around people, or feel pulses inside their body, or feel an energy emanating from their hands. As Lisa Campion says in “The Art of Psychic Reiki.”
“Almost everyone can feel the Reiki energy flowing through them. This feeling of warmth and tingling flow becomes proof that “energy” is real.” — Lisa Campion
To be honest, I also used to take this as “proof” that this “spiritual” energy was real. But then I started to think critically about this reasoning and realized it didn’t really hold up to scrutiny.
One clear objection to it is this: how do you know that this energy is some “life-force” from a spiritual source, and not simply physical energies—like electric and electromagnetic fields of the body?
Well, you don’t! All you perceive is the colors, or the subtle vibrations or warmth or cold in our hands. You never actually perceive a “spiritual source.” You’re the one giving these feelings a spiritual or metaphysical interpretation. But, for all you know, they could be physical fields and energy of the body (electric, magnetic, electromagnetic, etc.).
2. “Devices Indirectly Perceive This Spiritual Energy.”
These ideas can’t be tested, measured, or seen by everyone. Not even with special tools. Science doesn’t have tools to measure it yet, they claim.
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Some people claim that “indirect measurement of subtle energy in the body is possible through certain physiological correlates that are emerging.” They then go on to mention “Kirlian photography,” and “acupuncture instruments.”
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“The question arises if subtle energies could at all be measured. Direct measurement of subtle energies is not possible at present as the physical / psychological / spiritual aspects of these energies are not clearly understood in modern terminology.” “Can it be measured? Is there a physical manifestation of the non-physical energy?”
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Acupuncture instruments = “based on the observation that acupuncture points have special electrical characteristics; the points have lower resistance to electrical current flow as compared to the surrounding tissues. As each meridian is associated with one or more organs inside the body, the electrical activity of the acupoint seems to be related to the organ function.”
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Kirlian photography = “electrical discharge photography,” where “a high voltage, low current is applied to the finger pads,” and “the colorful discharge that is observed is analyzed in a computer and is related to organ function.”
But, both of these measure physical energies—electrical energy and photons—not some vague, unmeasurable, “non-physical energy.”
We have to get out of the idea that there are non-physical energies at work in these healing and diagnosing practices.
Some Reasons Against Explanation:
Once you take a more critical look at these explanations, they lose their explanatory power, or you realize they didn’t really have any in the first place.
“Proponents of Reiki describe that the mechanism by which it works is the transmission of a ‘universal life force energy.’ I don't know what ‘universal life force energy’ is. Nor is there any evidence of such being involved in Reiki.” — Robert Saper (MD, MPH; wellness and preventive medicine specialist)
1. An Argument from Analogy — How Ancients Invoked Spiritual Explanations For Things They Didn’t Understand
Scientific knowledge has advanced a lot since we’ve proposed ideas of “vital energy” or “life force,” to explain life. We don’t use the concept anymore, so why do we still sneak it in to explain “energy healing”?
Perhaps we do this because this phenomenon is still not so understood, so we cling to our familiar beliefs, and to spiritual explanations for something that likely has a material or physical basis—even if we hadn’t yet discovered it. Just like how ancient peoples explained the rain, the sun, and other things with gods. We don’t do that anymore because we understand the physical processes behind these things.
In other words, we don’t resort to spiritual or metaphysical explanations anymore. Instead, we try to look at how things in the physical world work. The many complex energies, fields, processes, etc. We do some experiments, and uncover the real, measurable processes that are responsible for phenomena that, at first, seem utterly mysterious, but later end up having an incredible underlying physical mechanisms.
So, perhaps we should realize that the same is going on with “energy healing.” People are employing archaic spiritual, metaphysical concepts to explain things they experience that they don’t really understand. These spiritual beliefs help them make sense of the phenomena a bit more, at least in their own mind. Even if it doesn’t really explain anything in reality—because it isn’t rooted in the actual physical, material world. Where all of these phenomena clearly are taking place.
I thin the way forward, to actually understand these phenomena, is scientific experiments, focused on “explanatory research” that tries to uncover correlations between different sets of phenomena, and mechanisms that tie those correlations together.
2. Not Scientifically Testable – “Pseudoscience”
3. Creates Skepticism, Makes Practice Seem “Paranormal.”
Finally, another problem with this explanation which I’m sure all of you will agree with if you take a look at the wikipedia article for “energy medicine.”
When we try to explain phenomena like “the healing touch” with spiritual or metaphysical energies—prana, ki, life-force, chakras, etc—it makes skeptics pounce on this practice, dismissing it from the start as “non-existent” and “pseudoscience.”
If people keep reinforcing these spiritual and metaphysical explanations, then these healing practices will mistakenly stay in the realm of the paranormal, especially in the mainstream.
No matter how much explanatory scientific research is done on them. People who don’t know about it will keep pedaling these spiritual ideas, because they think they’re actually explaining “how it works,” or “the energy behind it.” When, let’s face it—they’re not really explaining anything.
It’s likely just an elaborate spiritual belief-system someone devised to explain their subjective feelings when doing these healing practices. Colors? Chakras! Warmth? Energetic imbalance!! Vibrations in hands? Spiritual life forces energy!
Sorry for those whose beliefs are deeply rooted in this, but I think it’s important to voice my opinion. You might not like it, but once you see the science, you will likely be on board with me too.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the same feelings and colors can be interpreted in two very different ways. One is spiritual-metaphysical energies that no one has ever actually objectively verified exist (prana, chi, etc.). The other is subtle, but real physical energies and forces that we objectively know exist and form part of biological processes. So, what’s more likely to be the cause behind the colors we see and the sensations we feel?
Lets now see the other explanation, and turn to the actual science behind it….