medicina energetica

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We are not just surrounded by energy and vibration; 
we are energy and vibration. One of the best-known of 
all physics equations, e = mc2, points to a link between 
energy and matter. Matter is mostly composed of space 
that contains (or perhaps gives rise to) a smattering of 
subatomic particles/waves that influence one another 
through mysterious forces of attraction and repulsion. 
The nature of the interconnections of energy, physical 
reality, and consciousness is one of the great mysteries 
of our times. Quantum physics offers some tantalizing 
hints about these relationships, but we still have a great 
deal to learn.
How do these concepts of physics—vibrations, fields, 
and energy—inform healing? Dozens, if not hundreds, 
of different cultures and traditions have terms referring 
to life energy, which includes vital forces that are closely 
linked to consciousness and animate everything that is 
alive. Terms used to name this force include chi, prana, 
pneuma, fohat, mana, and orgone. Throughout human 
history, people from different cultures and civilizations 
spanning the globe have suggested that it is possible to 
both perceive and manipulate this life force. In fact, what 
we refer to as our “conventional medicine” is something 
of a historical and geographical anomaly in the grander 
scheme. The term “biofield therapy” was coined in a 1992 
National Institutes of Health (NIH) report,1 but energy 
medicine therapies are not new; they have been practiced 
for millennia. It is important that integrative clinicians be 
familiar with them.
This chapter reviews key concepts of energy medicine 
and describes some of the most commonly used biofield 
therapies. Key research findings related to these healing 
approaches are summarized here and ways for clinicians 
to work collaboratively with energy medicine practitio-
ners are suggested. The final section describes exercises 
you can try yourself.
One caveat: Energy medicine is perhaps one of the 
most mysterious and controversial of all forms of ther-
apy. An energy medicine practitioner once stated that as 
an African American, homosexual woman who practices 
reiki, she has been unpleasantly surprised to find that the 
most discrimination she has encountered in her adult life 
has not been linked to race, sexual orientation, or being a 
female, but rather to her energy medicine practice. Even 
for some of the most objective scientists, the topic of 
energy medicine strikes a highly emotional chord. A 1998 
volume of JAMA went so far as to conclude that findings 
from a child’s school science project (which investigated 
one Therapeutic Touch (TT) practitioner’s ability to 
sense the presence of the child’s hands) offered “unrefuted 
evidence that the claims of TT are groundless and that 
further professional use is unjustified.”2
As integrative medicine providers explore the use of 
these therapies, the concept of “scope of practice” takes 
on a new meaning. At some point, every integrative pro-
vider has to determine his or her stance regarding the 
validity and utility of these approaches. Patients will most 
certainly inquire about them. Whatever you decide about 
how biofield therapies fit (or do not fit) into your prac-
tice, you should be able to discuss them knowledgeably 
with your patients.
A second caveat: A textbook chapter can offer only a 
taste of this varied and complex array of therapies. Trying 
to understand energy medicine solely by reading about 
it is akin to trying to grasp Beethoven’s work by reading 
his biography instead of listening to his compositions or 
getting a sense of Van Gogh’s Starry Night without being 
able to look at it. In other words, you are strongly encour-
aged to learn and explore through direct experience!
Truly learning about human energetic therapies requires 
one to experience them firsthand.
DEFINING ENERGY MEDICINE
The National Center for Complementary and Alterna-
tive Medicine, now the National Center for Comple-
mentary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), originally 
classified human energetic therapies as one of five main 
categories of complementary medicine.3 They fur-
ther classified them based on whether the energy being 
manipulated by practitioners was measurable (“verita-
ble”) as opposed to subtle (“putative”). Because of politi-
cal pressures, the NCCIH has scaled back on its support 
to biofield research or coverage of energy medicine in its 
web materials. Because there is some debate on whether 
certain types of subtle energy can be measured, the dis-
tinction between veritable and putative may not be as 
helpful. In a well-done 2015 review of clinical studies of 
energy medicine featured in a themed edition of Global 
Advances in Health and Medicine, biofield therapies were 
defined as “noninvasive, practitioner-mediated therapies 
that explicitly work with the biofield of both the practi-
tioner and client to stimulate a healing response in the 
client.”4 The biofield was defined in the same article as 
“endogenously generated fields, which may play a signifi-
cant role in information transfer processes that contrib-
ute to an individual’s state of mental, emotional, physical, 
and spiritual well-being.”
According to 2002–12 data from the Centers for Dis-
ease Control, a consistent 0.5% of the U.S. population 
C H A P T E R 1 1 6
Biofield Therapies
J. Adam Rindfleisch, MPhil, MD
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PART III Tools for Your PracTice1074
had used some form of energy medicine in the past year.3 
The 2012 National Health Interview Survey found that 
more than 3.7 million U.S. adults have visited an energy 
medicine practitioner at some point and 1.5 million 
reported receiving a biofield therapy in the past year.5 
Surveys may underestimate the use of energy medicine 
because practitioners of other modalities, such as mas-
sage therapists, chiropractors, and naturopathic doctors, 
commonly blend energy medicine into their practices 
without labeling what they are doing as energy medicine 
per se. Research is limited on the use of energy medi-
cine in hospitals, but a 2005 study reported that more 
than 50 U.S. hospitals and clinics formally offered energy 
medicine.6
Many different schools, or styles, of human energetic 
therapies exist, especially if one includes the various sha-
manic techniques that have arisen in many of the world’s 
indigenous cultures. The Encyclopedia of Energy Medi-
cine identifies nearly 50 popular approaches used in the 
United States.7
Although various approaches to energy medicine may 
work with different aspects, or parts, of the energy field 
or may enlist different techniques for manipulating or 
maneuvering energy, most share some common aspects, 
including the following:8
	•	 	They	 assume	 the	 presence	 of	 an	 energetic	 anatomy	
or pattern that has an influence on health. Examples 
include the chakra system, the aura, and the meridian 
system used in acupuncture. Some schools of thought 
propose the existence of several different layers, or 
levels, of the energy body, each with unique char-
acteristics. Because the chakra system is intrinsic to 
most techniques and is often referenced by integrative 
medicine practitioners, it is described in more detail 
in Table 116.1.
	•	 	Patterns	 in	 the	 energy	 body	 may	 precede	 or	 cause	
physical problems. They may also be linked to emo-
tional, mental, social, or spiritual issues.
	•	 	Most	 energy	 practitioners	 enlist	 one	 or	more	meth-
ods of perceiving the energy field. For example, some 
practitioners claim to see it, some feel it through 
touch, some enlist the use of pendulums or other 
dowsing techniques to assess it, and some report being 
guided by intuition or direct knowing. Manyenlist the 
assistance of “helper” energies in their work.
	•	 	Many	healers	have	experienced	a	health	crisis	 (taken	
the healer’s journey) themselves that precipitated their 
foray into energy healing.
	•	 	Energy	 is	 said	 to	 respond	 to	 intention.	Practitioners	
may manipulate energy through any number of means, 
which may include healing rituals, hands-on tech-
niques, visualization exercises, or nonlocal (distant) 
healing practices.
Table 116.2 lists various forms of human energetic 
therapies, with key websites for each.
Although styles and forms of biofield therapies are myriad, 
many of them share common elements.
TABLE 116.1 The Chakras
Chakra 
Name(s)a Location in the Body Color Associated Issues
First (root) Base of spine Red Physical health and security, materialism, body 
awareness
Second Lower abdomen, just below 
umbilicus
Orange Emotions, especially toward oneself, 
reproduction, creativity (in some traditions)
Third Solar plexus (just below 
xyphoid)
Yellow Mental well-being, logic, will, sense of control
Fourth Heart area, but in midline 
rather than to the left
Green (sometimes rose) Connections to others, relationships, forgiveness, 
compassion
Fifth Throat Blue (sometimes turquoise) Self-expression, creative pursuits, speaking one’s 
truth
Sixth (third 
eye)
Center of forehead Indigo or violet Vision, perception, intuition, dreams
Seventh 
(crown)
Top and center of scalp Purple or white Spirituality, connection with a higher power, 
unity
Eighth and 
higher
Vary greatly among 
traditions; some describe 
an eighth chakra 6–12 
inches over the seventh 
chakra and a ninth chakra 
6–12 inches below the feet
Varies (the one below the 
feet is said to be brown)
Variable; eighth chakra sometimes described as 
a point where the boundaries of an individual 
begin to disappear; in some traditions, linked to 
the collective consciousness or past lives; ninth 
chakra may be tied to grounding, connection 
with the earth
For more information on how energetic anatomy is conceptualized in different traditions, see the various websites listed in Table 116.2.
aNames, numbers of chakras, and locations vary among different traditions. In Indian traditions, each chakra from 1 to 7 has an associ-
ated sound (lam, vam, ram, yam, ham, am, and om, respectively), as well as a musical key (the first starts with C and the others follow 
up the scale). Each chakra is linked to different glands as well; this often guides how energy medicine practitioners work with different 
conditions. In some traditions, the glands are, from chakras 1 to 7, the adrenals, gonads, pancreas, thymus, thyroid, pituitary, and pineal, 
respectively. Some traditions ascribe adrenals to the third and some link the prostate to the first.
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116 Biofield Therapies 1075
TABLE 116.2 Energy Healing Modalities: Descriptions and Key Websitesa
Energy Modality Description and Related Websitea
Acupuncture and 
acupressure
Needles are inserted into points said to be located along different meridians, or energy channels, 
within the body. In electroacupuncture, electricity is passed through the needles. http://www.
yinyanghouse.com/. Look at the “Theory” section on the website.
Barbara Brennan School 
of Healing
This approach focuses on energy healing according to detailed descriptions of energy anatomy 
and flow. Many schools of healing are based on the experiences or techniques of a specific 
individual, and this is one example. http://www.barbarabrennan.com/
Crystal therapy and gem 
therapy
Minerals are used to influence the energy field. Different stones are believed to have specific 
vibrational properties. http://www.livescience.com/40347-crystal-healing.html
Emotional freedom 
techniques and thought 
field therapy
These methods were created by Gary Craig and Roger Callahan, respectively. Tapping of various 
meridian points is said to release stored negative emotional energy. http://www.emofree.com/ 
and http://www.rogercallahan.com/index.php (highly commercial)
Energy psychology Offered by mental health professionals who combine various forms of psychotherapy with energy 
medicine approaches. http://www.energypsych.org
Eye movement 
desensitization and 
reprocessing (EMDR)
Rapid alternation of eye movements from left to right and tapping of specific groups of points on 
the body are used in various patterns to release energy-based problems. http://www.emdr.com/
Flower essences Various flower extracts are said to influence people according to the nature or energy of the 
extracts’ plants of origin, http://www.bachcentre.com/. See the remedies section.
Healing touch Developed in the 1980s by Janet Mentgen, RN, this method is based on principles used 
in therapeutic touch and other such techniques. Extensive instruction and training are 
required for certification. See the “Research/Integrative Health” section. http://www.
healingtouchinternational.org/
Homeopathy Created by Samuel Hahnemann in 1796, this approach uses highly diluted solutions said to hold 
the vibrational principle of a given remedy, which is carefully tailored after a detailed evaluation 
of a person’s symptoms. http://www.homeopathic.org/
Jin shin jyutsu Developed by Jiru Murai in the early 1900s and brought to the West by Mary Burmeister in the 
1960s, this method focuses on the use of 26 safety energy locks to unlock energy flow. http://
www.jsjinc.net/
Johrei Founded by Mokichi Okada, who envisioned a “paradise on earth” brought about through 
energetic detoxification and adherence to seven key principles. Does not involve direct physical 
touch. http://www.johreifoundation.org
Matrix energetics This system of “consciousness technology” was created by Richard Bartlett, DC, ND. It holds that 
anyone can be a healer through manipulating the matrix of information that is the foundation on 
which a person’s reality is built. http://www.matrixenergetics.com/
Polarity therapy Based on the work of Randolph Stone, this approach combines diet, exercise, and other techniques 
to optimize the health of the energy field. http://www.polaritytherapy.org/
Pranic healing Systematized by Choa Kok Sui and tied to Arhatic yoga, this method involves visualizing colors and 
directing them through different techniques. http://www.pranichealing.org/
Qigong This technique enlists various precise body movements to alter one’s capacity to store and 
manipulate qi, or energy. http://www.qigonginstitute.org/main_page/main_page.php
Quantum-touch In this system created by Richard Gordon, energy is directed through intention, breathwork, and 
other techniques, with a strong focus on musculoskeletal issues, among others. http://www.
quantumtouch.com/
Reflexology Certain parts of the feet, believed to be correlated with various body parts, are massaged or treated 
with essential oils. http://www.reflexology-usa.org/
Reiki This technique originated in Japan with Mikao Usui. Trainees are given attunements said to allow 
them to pass universal healing energy through them to others. Many different schools exist. 
http://www.reiki.org
Shamanic healing This modality is often classed as spiritual, rather than energetic. The healer intuitively determines 
the source of a health problem and enlists rituals, helpful spirits, journeys to the spirit world, or 
other techniques to bring about healing. Hundreds of shamanic traditions exist. https://www.
shamanism.com
Therapeutic touch This technique was developed in the 1970s by Dolores Krieger, a nurse, and Dora Kunz. Gentle 
touch is used to influence the biofield. http://www.therapeutictouch.org/
Zero balancing Created by Fritz Smith, MD, in the 1970s, this method holds that gentle touch and tractioncan 
balance energy at a “zero point,” a place where the energetic and physical bodies are aligned. 
http://www.zerobalancing.com
aTable based, in part, on data from Rindfleisch JA. Biofield therapies: energy medicine and primary care. Prim Care. 2010;27:165–179.
This list is by no means comprehensive. For instance, prayer and spiritual healing are also classified by some investigators as human ener-
getic therapies. All websites accessed 12.15.15.
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http://www.yinyanghouse.com/
http://www.yinyanghouse.com/
http://www.barbarabrennan.com/
http://www.livescience.com/40347-crystal-healing.html
http://www.emofree.com/
http://www.rogercallahan.com/index.php
http://www.energypsych.org
http://www.emdr.com/
http://www.bachcentre.com/
http://www.healingtouchinternational.org/
http://www.healingtouchinternational.org/
http://www.homeopathic.org/
http://www.jsjinc.net/
http://www.jsjinc.net/
http://www.johreifoundation.org
http://www.matrixenergetics.com/
http://www.polaritytherapy.org/
http://www.pranichealing.org/
http://www.qigonginstitute.org/main_page/main_page.php
http://www.quantumtouch.com/
http://www.quantumtouch.com/
http://www.reflexology-usa.org/
http://www.reiki.org
https://www.shamanism.com
https://www.shamanism.com
http://www.therapeutictouch.org/
http://www.zerobalancing.com
PART III Tools for Your PracTice1076
ENERGY MEDICINE RESEARCH
Through technology, we routinely perceive and manip-
ulate various forms of energy. Our smartphones and 
televisions can pick up precise frequencies from among 
thousands that bounce through the atmosphere. West-
ern medicine relies on energetic properties of the body 
to obtain electrocardiograms (ECGs), electroencephalo-
grams (EEGs), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, 
computed tomography (CT) scans, x-ray studies, and 
many other tests. All these devices are powered by elec-
tricity, another form of energy.
Research has shown that human energetic therapies can pos-
itively influence outcomes in numerous circumstances, but 
much remains to be learned about the mechanism of action, 
the differences among different energy modalities in their 
effect, and the best ways to integrate these approaches into 
other types of healing practices.
We are aware that energy fields of different individ-
uals interact. When people are near one another, each 
one’s EEG patterns can reflect in the others; to use the 
quantum physics term, their patterns entrain.9 A 1994 
study reported that, for some pairs of people who knew 
each other and had a certain degree of rapport, one per-
son’s brain seemed to instantaneously relay informa-
tion to another’s over a distance.10 This was the case 
even when the people were in different rooms and one 
of those rooms was an electromagnetically impenetrable 
(Faraday) chamber. Investigators reported that flashing 
lights viewed by one subject influenced the EEG for the 
ophthalmic region of the brain of his or her partner in 
the sealed room.9 This study was heavily criticized, but a 
2004 study reported similar findings.10
What is the status of energy medicine research? The 
current body of research on human energetic therapies is 
relatively small but steadily growing, and some fascinat-
ing discoveries have been made.
The following three important suppositions related 
to energetic therapies need to be validated for energy 
medicine to be considered plausible from a scientific 
standpoint:
 1. Subtle energy exists, and it has scientifically validated 
mechanisms of action through which it influences 
biological systems.
 2. People can perceive and manipulate this energy.
 3. Manipulating this energy has clinically important, 
beneficial effects on health.
Fascinating studies have explored suppositions 1 and 
2, with remarkable results that raise more questions than 
they answer. Quantum biology, biophoton emissions 
studies, macroscopic quantum effects, and an array of 
novel measurement devices have offered insights into 
the mechanism of action of energy therapies.11,12 Other 
research indicates that test subjects can influence ran-
dom number generators and gather information about 
distant, unseen objects or events that will occur in the 
near future better than what would be predicted by 
chance alone.9,13
As for the supposition 3 that energy therapies have 
clinically meaningful effects, the body of research is 
slowly growing. For instance, a study conducted in 
Hawaii found that 11 energy practitioners were able to 
alter brain activity on functional MRI scans. They were 
asked to select someone with whom they felt a close con-
nection, and then, once they were separated from their 
partners by hundreds of miles, they were asked to send 
“distant intentionality” at random 2-minute intervals. 
The recipients were blinded to the timing of these trans-
missions. Functional MRI findings indicated that activ-
ity levels in several areas of the brains of the recipients 
changed precisely at the time the healers were sending 
their intentions (p = .0000127).14
A 2014 review was unable to pinpoint any specific 
physiological changes in biofield therapists, such as alter-
ations in biomarker levels in their blood, related to being 
in a “healing state.”15
Table 116.3 summarizes some of the key clinical 
studies of the effectiveness of human energetic thera-
pies focusing primarily on meta-analyses and systematic 
reviews.4,16-43 The most commonly studied therapies are 
healing touch, reiki, and therapeutic touch.
GUIDELINES FOR MAKING AN ENERGY 
MEDICINE REFERRAL
The keys to making an appropriate referral to an energy 
medicine practitioner are in many ways similar to those 
when one refers to any sort of nonbiomedical or “com-
plementary,” practitioner:
 1. Know the practice and the practitioner. This not only 
includes knowing in general about the nature of the 
modality practiced but also means being aware of the 
practitioner’s qualifications and training. How willing 
is the practitioner to work collaboratively with West-
ern medicine practitioners? Both innate talent and the 
amount of experience influence a given healer’s effec-
tiveness.8 The best way to get to know providers is to 
experience their practice as a client.
 2. Know when to refer. Many energy medicine prac-
titioners suggest that any patient-related concern 
is “fair game” when someone is referred for energy 
work. However, keep in mind that not all providers 
work according to the Western medicine diagnostic 
categories. Trust your instincts as the referral pro-
vider. According to many practitioners, biofield ther-
apies are especially worthy of consideration for the 
following:
	•	 	People	 with	 generally	 heightened	 sensitivity.	 These	
people are often uncomfortable with crowds; highly 
intuitive; finely attuned to the feelings of others; or 
very sensitive to foods, medications, or environmental 
pathogens.
	•	 	People	with	a	history	of	severe	emotional	traumas
	•	 	People	with	pain	(physical	or	otherwise)
	•	 	People	 with	 fatigue	 or	 a	 sense	 that	 they	 can	 never	
“keep their energy in.” This can include those who are 
constantly giving to or supporting others and not tak-
ing time for their own needs.
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116 Biofield Therapies 1077
TABLE 116.3 Summary of Key Systematic Reviews, Meta-Analyses, and Randomized Controlled Trials 
Relating to the Clinical Efficacy of Human Energetic Therapies
Focus of 
Studies FindingsGeneral 
Reviews
	•	 	A	2015	review	reported	that	more	than	30	trials	have	now	been	done	focusing	on	energy	medicine	and	pain.4 
Although energy medicine seems to decrease pain intensity, the review noted that therapeutic effects are less 
clear	when	certain	pain	measurement	instruments	are	used.	The	same	review	noted	that	more	than	15	stud-
ies of biofield therapies for cancer exist, mostly focused on the treatment of adjunctive symptoms.4 Results 
were most favorable where depression and fatigue were concerned, but only a few studies found benefit. A 
2011 review concluded that energy medicine had no benefit in the treatment of pain based on the findings of 
6 quantitative and 2 qualitative studies,16 and a 2014 review came to the same conclusions.17
	•	 	A	2015	review	of	30	palliative	care-related	studies	published	from	2008–13	concluded	research	“supports	the	
use of biofield therapies in relieving pain, improving QOL and well-being, and reducing psychological symp-
toms of stress.”18
	•	 	A	2015	review	of	biofield	therapy	studies	that	focused	on	nonhuman subjects (plants and cell cultures) found 
that biofield therapies led to a significant improvement in well-being relative to controls.19
	•	 	A	2010	systematic	review	of	67	studies	concluded	that	biofield	therapies	“…are promising complementary 
interventions for reducing pain intensity in numerous populations, reducing anxiety for hospitalized popula-
tions, and reducing agitated behaviors in dementia, beyond what may be expected from standard treatment 
or nonspecific effects. Effects on long-term clinical outcomes are less clear, and more systematic research is 
needed.”20
	•	 	A	2008	Cochrane	Review	evaluated	findings	for	1153	patients	in	5	healing	touch,	15	therapeutic	touch,	and	
5	reiki	trials	to	determine	whether	touch	therapies	were	helpful	for	pain.	Pain	was	reduced	by	an	average	of	
0.83	points	on	the	10-point	pain	rating	scale,	with	a	95%	confidence	interval	of	−1.16	to	−0.5.	The	investigators	
concluded that “touch therapies may have a modest effect on pain relief.”21
	•	 	A	2003	research	survey	reviewed	2200	published	reports	related	to	spiritual	healing,	energy,	medicine,	and	
the effects of mental intention. Findings were summarized as follows:22,23
	 •	 	75%	of	130	studies	on	the	link	between	religious/spiritual	practices	and	health	showed	positive	findings,	
but the overall study quality was poor. Nearly all the research was observational.
	 • 11 out of 19 trials of energy healing involving 1122 people reported positive effects (Cohen’s D ef-
fect	of	0.6).	Overall	research	quality	was	judged	as	fair	(Jadad	score,	3–4	out	of	5).	Most	trials	involved	
Therapeutic Touch.
Healing 
Touch
	•	 	A	2011	systematic	review	of	5	out	of	332	reviewed	studies	concluded	that	“Though	the	studies	support	the	
potential clinical effectiveness of Healing Touch in improving health-related quality of life in chronic disease 
management, more studies are required given that even the studies included with high-quality scores had 
limitations.”24
	•	 	A	trial	conducted	in	2011	found	that	a	combination	of	Healing	Touch	and	guided	imagery	reduced	PTSD	
symptoms in a group of 123 returning active duty military personnel.25
	•	 	A	2004	review	concluded	that	although	30	available	studies	of	Healing	Touch	did	not	allow	for	generalized	
conclusions, the technique holds promise.26
	•	 	A	2010	pilot	study	found	that	Healing	Touch	lowered	stress	and	improved	heart	rate	variability	in	9	pediatric	
oncology patients.27
	•	 	Vitality,	pain,	and	physical	functioning	was	improved	in	a	group	of	78	women	with	gynecological	cancers	who	
were undergoing radiation therapy.28
	•	 	Healing	Touch	decreased	anxiety	and	length	of	stay	in	patients	recovering	from	coronary	bypass	surgery,	but	
it led to no change in pain medication or antiemetic use or atrial fibrillation incidence.29
Reiki 	•	 	A	2015	Cochrane	review	found	that	there	was	insufficient	evidence	to	confirm	whether	or	not	Reiki	is	benefi-
cial in people above the age of 16 years with anxiety or depression.30
	•	 	A	2014	review	compiled	effect	sizes	from	12	articles	that	met	criteria	and	concluded	that	Reiki	has	beneficial	
effects in pain and anxiety. 31
	•	 	A	2011	randomized	controlled	trial	found	that	reiki	had	a	significant	positive	effect	on	the	mood	of	anxious	or	
depressed	students	that	lasted	for	5	weeks.32
	•	 	A	2009	review	that	included	12	studies	found	that	9	of	them	reported	significant	therapeutic	effects	of	Reiki,	
but 11 of the 12 studies were ranked as poor quality based on the Jadad score.33
	•	 	A	2010	study	conducted	in	a	Yale	University	cardiology	ward	found	that	heart	rate	variability	and	positive	
emotional status improved markedly with the provision of Reiki to patients, as compared with patients in the 
control group or those who listened to meditative music.34
	•	 	Review	of	study	data	through	2007	concluded	that	the	benefit	of	Reiki	“remains	unproven.”35
	•	 	A	review	by	Vitale	in	2007	held	that	the	Reiki	literature	includes	one	of	four	studies	with	significant	findings	
for stress and depression, one study with significant findings for acute pain, and one of three studies that 
showed benefit for chronic pain.36
Therapeutic 
Touch
	•	 	A	2014	Cochrane	Review	found	therapeutic	touch	not	helpful	for	acute	wound	healing.37 A 2010 study found 
that therapeutic touch improved pain and fatigue in a study of 90 patients undergoing chemotherapy.38
	•	 	A	2010	study	of	21	postoperative	patients	found	that	therapeutic	touch	significantly	decreased	pain,	cortisol,	
and natural killer cell levels.39
	•	 	A	2007	Cochrane	Review	did	not	find	any	good-quality	studies	to	assess	the	general	effect	of	therapeutic	
touch on anxiety.40
	•	 	A	2008	review	concluded	that	therapeutic	touch	does	reduce	pain	and	anxiety	in	patients	with	cancer.41
	•	 	Therapeutic	touch	was	found	to	decrease	behavioral	symptoms	in	people	with	dementia.42 In a subsequent 
study of a group of 64 residential patients, this technique was found to decrease restlessness and cortisol 
variability significantly.43
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PART III Tools for Your PracTice1078
	•	 	Those	who	seem	“starved	for	energy.”	This	group	in-
cludes those patients who leave a provider completely 
drained at the end of a visit.
	•	 	Anyone	who	lacks	focus	or	seems	“ungrounded.”
	•	 	Patients	suffering	from	an	array	of	nonspecific	or	un-
related complaints or whose symptoms cannot be eas-
ily explained from a biomedical perspective
	•	 	Patients	whose	chief	complaints	have	something	of	a	
supernatural or paranormal bent. Again, the integra-
tive providers’ belief system will guide how they ap-
proach such concerns.
 3. Be aware of safety concerns. Energy medicine has a 
very low risk of negative effects or outcomes, although 
one must use caution about relying on human energet-
ic therapies to the exclusion of conventional, poten-
tially lifesaving interventions, especially during life-
threatening emergencies or when dealing with severe 
physical trauma. In addition, patients with psychosis 
may not do well with energetic approaches.
The use of energy medicine can be considered to maintain 
health or to treat practically any condition, with minimal 
adverse effects. Caution is recommended for use in people 
with a history of psychosis or when it could lead to a delay in 
potentially life-saving allopathic interventions.
 4. Obtain feedback from the recipients of the care. Are 
people getting better after you refer them? Is healing 
occurring?
INCORPORATING ENERGY MEDICINE 
APPROACHES INTO ONE’S OWN PRACTICE
As with any approach to healing, practitioners must find 
appropriate mentorship when adopting new techniques. 
However, energymedicine is an approach that can be 
attempted by anyone. Many practitioners teach the fam-
ily members or friends of an ill person techniques that 
they can practice with their loved ones themselves.
The exercises in this chapter are starting points. As you gain 
experience, create your own, tailoring to the needs of your 
specific practice. Explore and have fun!
As you experiment with these exercises, keep in mind 
that a health care provider should not “take on” the 
energy of others nor is it appropriate for him or her to 
feel that personal energy is lost during energy work with 
another person. Always ask for permission before doing 
one of these exercises with someone. Be sure to allow 
the recipient of the practice to have sufficient time to 
recover afterward; some people move into a trancelike 
state as they work with these techniques. Persons famil-
iar with interactive guided imagery and mindfulness 
practices will note that many energy exercises contain 
elements of both.
The following four practices can be readily incorpo-
rated into a patient encounter:
 1. Sensing the biofield
 2. Grounding
 3. Charging up your energy
 4. Setting appropriate boundaries
 5. Draining away a symptom
Sensing the Biofield
According to energy medicine practitioners, the bio-
field may be perceived in a variety of ways. While it is 
not clear whether people who claim to see energy actu-
ally experience their visuals due to photons striking their 
retinas or kinesthetic people sense an actual vibration or 
temperature change that triggers their sense of touch, it 
is nevertheless common for people to report that they 
interpret their awareness of energy medicine through one 
or more senses or through emotions and feelings. That 
said, some people report that they have a “direct know-
ing” of information that does not come through one of 
their five senses.
	•	 	With	light	levels	low,	face	your	partner	while	they	sit	
in front of a monochromatic background. Look past 
them to a focal point a few feet behind them. Note 
any senses, especially in your peripheral vision, of light 
distortions (blurriness), colors, or sparks.
	•	 	Next,	tune	into	your	sense	of	hearing.	As	you	face	your	
partner, do you notice any sounds, hear words or mu-
sic, or pick up on any other auditory imagery?
	•	 	Take	your	partner’s	hands	in	yours.	What	do	you	no-
tice through your sense of touch? People who sense 
energy through touch often report temperature 
changes, vibrations, or tingling.
	•	 	Bring	your	attention	to	your	heart	area.	What	do	you	
notice as you focus on your emotions? What is your 
partner feeling, or what feelings arise for you?
	•	 	Take	time	to	share	your	impressions	with	your	part-
ner. Trade places, and have them do the same for you.
Grounding
This exercise can be used when people seem overly dis-
tracted by their emotions or too much “in their head,” 
thinking about an issue but not remaining aware in other 
ways. Grounding can be helpful for bringing someone 
into the present moment or into a more enhanced aware-
ness of their physical state. It is also good for people who 
tend to go off on tangents in conversation. This exercise 
can be useful for providers before, between, or follow-
ing encounters with patients. Caution: Some people cope 
with pain or suffering by not being grounded; this exer-
cise may be stressful to them.
	•	 	Remove	your	footwear	as	able.	Socks	are	permissible.
	•	 	Sit	up	or	lie	straight.	If	possible,	the	soles	of	your	feet	
should be kept in contact with the floor.
	•	 	Keep	your	legs	and	arms	uncrossed,	if	possible.
	•	 	After	a	few	slow,	deep	breaths,	bring	all	your	attention	
to the soles of the feet. Imagine the breath moving in 
and out through them. Continue until this feels com-
fortable. If you feel any resistance, simply note it and 
continue to breathe.
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116 Biofield Therapies 1079
	•	 	Feel,	visualize,	or	imagine	the	outward	breath	that	the	
feet are extending into the ground like the roots of 
the tree, slowly spreading through the soil. Sense how 
these roots add stability and a sense of connection with 
the earth.
	•	 	With	 each	 inward	 breath,	 feel,	 visualize,	 or	 imagine	
energy flowing into the feet through those roots, the 
way that nutrients and water flow into a tree. Let the 
energy move into the body up through the feet and to 
wherever it is needed.
	•	 	Continue	this	exercise	for	at	least	20	breaths.
	•	 	It	may	be	helpful	to	follow	this	exercise	with	an	over-
all body scan, in which a person is asked to tune in 
sequentially, without judging or analyzing, to various 
parts of the body. (e.g., “Focus on your left toes…then 
your left foot…then the ankle…knee…thigh”)
Charging Up Your Energy
Many variations of this exercise exist. It can be done by 
anyone who is feeling fatigued or weary as well as by 
someone intending to share energy with another person. 
The best approach always is to maintain your own energy 
level and allow additional energy to flow through to oth-
ers without ever feeling that you are losing your own 
energy in the process.
	•	 	In	a	place	that	feels	safe,	assume	a	comfortable	posi-
tion and close your eyes. You may find it helpful to 
place your hands on your lap, with the palms facing 
upward.
	•	 	Bring	your	awareness	 to	 the	breath,	and	take	several	
deep breaths.
	•	 	When	you	inhale,	begin	by	imagining	white	light	mov-
ing in through the soles of the feet and up through the 
body to the heart.
	•	 	After	the	flow	from	the	feet	to	the	heart	can	be	per-
ceived, do the same with the top of the head, and 
imagine white light moving in, down through the cen-
ter of the head, neck, and chest, to the heart.
	•	 	Continue	this	process,	and	allow	the	heart	to	fill	and	
overflow with the white light. Thinking about what-
ever fills your heart with the strongest sense of joy, 
compassion, love, or enthusiasm is often helpful.
	•	 	Once	the	heart	feels	full,	it	should	remain	so	through	
the rest of the exercise. Repeat the previous steps if the 
heart does not continue to feel full.
	•	 	As	the	heart	overflows,	send	the	white	light	(or,	if	pre-
ferred, the feeling of love or compassion) from the 
heart and down the arms into the hands. This energy 
is ready to be shared with another part of your own 
body by placing the palms over wherever extra energy 
is desired. It may also be shared with another person, 
with permission.
Setting Appropriate Boundaries
This exercise is especially helpful to people who feel 
overwhelmed by the energy, emotions, or simply the 
physical presence of others. It may be useful for people 
with fibromyalgia, whose senses are heightened to a 
point of causing dysfunction, or for people with chronic 
fatigue, whose energy seems to leak out of them in a way 
they cannot control. This practice may also be useful for 
people who feel as though others are somehow draining 
their energy. It can help a person feel less defensive or 
adversarial.
	•	 	Ideally,	this	exercise	should	be	done	at	a	time	and	place	
where you feel safe enough to close your eyes.
	•	 	Take	a	moment	to	tune	in	to	how	you	feel,	right	now.	
Do you feel drained? Tired? Overwhelmed? Where 
in the body do you have these feelings? Where do you 
feel vulnerable?
	•	 	After	several	deep	breaths,	imagine	yourself	surround-
ed by a clear, bright, white, force field. This force field 
surrounds you like a protective bubble that allows in 
only what you choose and deflects anything that is un-
necessary or harmful away from you.
	•	 	Strengthen	the	force	field	in	any	places	where	you	feel	
vulnerable.
	•	 	If	desired,	you	can	choose	to	maintain	the	knowledge	
of whatever bounces off the force field; understand 
thatyou can do this without it affecting you emotion-
ally or energetically.
	•	 	Imagine	white	light	radiating	from	a	point	at	the	exact	
center of the bubble of force that clears out anything 
that does not belong inside the bubble.
	•	 	Enhance	 the	 force	 field	 further	 by	 using	 additional	
imagery, sounds, or feelings that you associate with 
strength and well-being. Pause after adding each extra 
layer, and focus on the breath.
	•	 	With	practice,	a	person	can	rapidly	move	through	this	
exercise before entering an uncomfortable environ-
ment or facing a challenging interpersonal encounter. 
This exercise can also be good to be use on first awak-
ening or when retiring for the night.
Draining Away a Symptom
Healing touch and other human energetic therapies often 
use this technique in various forms. This exercise can be 
helpful when a symptom can be localized to a specific area 
of the body. For example, a pain drain can be used for 
headaches or joint pain. Practitioners can also ask those 
experiencing emotional pain about where in the body 
they feel it the most.
	•	 	Close	 your	 eyes	 and	 focus	 on	 the	 part	 of	 the	 body	
where you feel the pain, discomfort, or imbalance 
most strongly.
	•	 	Describe	what	you	notice	there.	Does	it	have	a	color?	
Is it an image? A memory? What sound do you hear 
when you tune into this area? What is the temperature 
of this area, and how does it feel compared with the 
rest of your body?
	•	 	Take	some	time	to	 focus	your	awareness	on	the	dis-
comfort. This can be distressing, given that we may 
spend time trying to avoid, ignore, or control our 
symptoms. Just observe. Stay as neutral as possible.
	•	 	Now,	focus	on	how	the	area	should	be.	At	its	healthi-
est, how does it look, sound, and feel? Take time to 
develop a strong sense of this. Again, stay objective.
	•	 	With	each	exhalation,	envision	the	symptom—all	that	
you noticed about it—being exhaled. Some people 
let it leave with the breath, and others release it into 
the ground through the bottoms of their feet. Some 
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PART III Tools for Your PracTice1080
people release it in the form of emotions that arise. For 
others, it just seems to fade away.
	•	 	With	each	inhalation,	breathe	in	your	sense	of	how	the	
part of your body receiving your attention can feel at 
its healthiest, at its most whole. Draw in the imagery 
related to health that you generated for this location. 
This can come in with the breath, through the top of 
the head, through the bottoms of the feet, or in any 
other way that seems appropriate.
As a provider present with someone doing this exer-
cise, you can often enhance the experience by placing 
your hand on or near the part of the patient’s body that 
is receiving attention. If it seems appropriate, you may 
envision sending what is required through yourself. Use 
the steps outlined in the grounding exercise to ensure that 
you are not giving your own energy, but rather letting it 
flow into and through you, as though you are an antenna. 
Similarly, if you, the provider, feel comfortable doing so, 
you may feel or see the symptom being released from 
the person being healed into your hands. If this occurs, 
simply intend that whatever is released be deflected away 
from both the patient and you into the ground.
If you choose to try energy medicine exercises with those 
who seek your care, feel free to experiment. Shape these or 
other exercises as you find appropriate, and develop some of 
your own.
If you find the foregoing exercises helpful, you may 
want to consider some of the following resources, which 
offer other useful exercises and ways of conceptualizing 
human energetic therapies:
	•	 	Brennan	 BA.	 Hands of Light: A Guide to Healing 
Through the Human Energy Field. New York: Bantam 
Dell; 1993.
	•	 	Brennan	BA.	Light Emerging: The Journey of Personal 
Healing. New York: Bantam Dell; 1993.
	•	 	Bruyere	RL.	Wheels of Light: Chakras, Auras, and the 
Healing Energy of the Body. New York: Fireside; 1994.
	•	 	Dale	C.	The Subtle Body: An Encyclopedia of Your Ener-
getic Anatomy. Boulder, CO: Sounds True; 2009.
	•	 	Dale	C.	The Subtle Body Practice Manual: A Compre-
hensive Guide to Energy Healing. Boulder, CO: Sounds 
True; 2013.
	•	 	Eden	 D.	 Energy Medicine for Women: Aligning Your 
Body’s Energies to Boost Your Health and Vitality. New 
York: Tarcher Penguin; 2008.
	•	 	Eden	D.	Energy Medicine: Balancing Your Body’s Ener-
gies for Optimal Health, Joy, and Vitality. New York: 
Tarcher Penguin; 2008.
	•	 	Gordon	R.	Quantum Touch: The Power to Heal. 3rd ed. 
Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books; 2006.
	•	 	Ingerman	S.	Shamanic Journeying: A Beginner’s Guide. 
Boulder, CO: Sounds True; 2008.
	•	 	Myss	CM.	Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of 
Power and Healing. New York: Random House; 1996.
	•	 	Weil	A,	Chiasson	AM.	Self-Healing with Energy Medi-
cine (Self Healing CD Series). Boulder, CO: Sounds 
True; 2009.
Key Web Resourcesa
International Society for the Study of 
Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine: 
Group devoted to the study of energy 
medicine that publishes a newslet-
ter and hosts annual conferences 
focused on energy medicine
http://www.
issseem.org/
Alternative Medicine Foundation 
resource guide on energy work: 
Provides descriptions, links, and 
introductory readings for a number of 
different energy medicine modalities.
http://amfoun-
dation.org/
energywork.
htm
Institute of Noetic Sciences: Group dedi-
cated to the study of consciousness 
and energetic, founded by astronaut 
Edgar Mitchell
http://www.
noetic.org/
aSee also the websites listed in Table 116.2.
REFERENCES
References are available online at ExpertConsult.com.
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http://www.issseem.org/
http://www.issseem.org/
http://amfoundation.org/energywork.htm
http://amfoundation.org/energywork.htm
http://amfoundation.org/energywork.htm
http://amfoundation.org/energywork.htm
http://www.noetic.org/
http://www.noetic.org/
http://ExpertConsult.com
1080.e1
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	116 - Biofield Therapies
	Defining Energy Medicine
	Energy Medicine Research
	Sensing the Biofield
	Grounding
	Charging Up Your Energy
	Setting Appropriate Boundaries
	Draining Away a Symptom