In this article, we are going to explore the connection between the macrocosm and the microcosm, or in other words, universal energetics all the way to the cell and individual systems. We will discuss Quantum Physics/Dynamics, particularly the Unified Field Theory, the concept of Qi in Ancient systems of medicine, as well as mitochondrial function, as there are threads of connection between all of these that are quite interesting. I invite you to consider that there is a point where the systems of understanding and experiencing ourselves and our existence, unite. Consider the patterns in nature, the ubiquitous presence of the golden ratio, or Fibonacci sequence, in all living things. Consider the inherent healing and rebalancing mechanisms that exist on both the individual and collective levels. Consider also the thematic consistencies across cultures, from seemingly different spiritual traditions and within indigenous ways of relating to earth and life. It is very possible that what the mystics described as god, and physicists describe as energy, are truly, just a different way of describing the same thing. Furthermore, it is postulated that what is described as consciousness or rather the building blocks and carriers of what allows for consciousness, is what some may refer to as divine, spirit, God, Allah, Gaia, etc. It is also possible and probable, that what ancient systems of medicine described, is directly translatable into our modern scientific and biochemical approach to medicine and living systems as a whole. The purpose of this writing is to show the areas of consistency between the many ways of describing reality, so as to open up the realm of possibilities that we can tap into when working to heal ourselves. What comes from considering all of this, is opening to the idea that we can nourish and find healing from all of the avenues: physical and measurable medicines and therapies, esoteric concepts of energy and consciousness, and traditional systems and ways of connection to the elements and fellow beings. We can then bask in awe of the ever flowing alchemy of existence: the transformation of energy into form, and form back into energy, all the while knowing that we are a part of it all. We can find a means to understand ourselves through all and each of these lenses, satisfying the spiritual heart that yearns for deep connection, and brilliant analytical mind that yearns to understand and make sense of it all.
What is Qi and how does it relate to Healing?
Let us start with the most ancient concept of all of these, that which is described in ancient systems of medicine such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, Egyptian and Tibetan Medicine, as Qi, Chi, Prana, Mana. All of which are words used to describe the energy contained within all forms of life (human, plant, earth, etc)— the animating force. Qi is responsible for all of the activities of life and living, it is the balancing force, it is what is contained within that which we nourish ourselves, and is also that which allows us to transform what we nourish ourselves with into usable nutrients, vitamins, amino acids etc. Qi keeps moving around the body to promote and regulate the metabolism maintaining overall life processes. Illness occurs when there is blockage in flow, which can be related to either a lack of necessary substance through one means or another (i.e. deficient Water & Earth, Feminine, Yin) or a lack of necessary energy to move (Fire, Air, Masculine, Yang).
Yin and Yang
Yin is akin to our parasympathetic activities: Rest, Digest, Heal, Receive. Yang is rather what is used to describe our sympathetic activities: Fight, Flight, Move, Do. Both of these different “qualities” are composed of Qi, Qi being the most basic component, which then forms into different substances–different parts of the whole. We need to both be able to receive Qi, as well as process it in order to maintain health and homeostasis. Whenever we do, when we give, we Qi is flowing out of us towards our chosen action or person. This is why so many are ill from patterns of overgiving, whether time, energy, worry, fear, as all of these are consumers of energy. Eventually, if you are trying to move or give from an empty bucket, Qi depletion & Yin depletion ensue, and you end up “burning out”, dry, fatigued, uninspired, unwell. This is also what happens with chronic inflammation/infections, it uses so much energy to maintain, that we end up quite depleted over time. In relationship to the flow of Qi, TCM holds that the Shen (the Mind/spirit), controls the flow of Qi (Energy) which governs the flow of Blood (Physical). Emotional blocks cause stagnation in the flow of Qi, each emotion being correlated with affecting different meridians, such as anger affecting the liver, or worry affecting the spleen. The concept of thought and emotion affecting the physical can be correlated with some of the findings in the field of consciousness studies. Through the efforts of organizations like the Institute of Noetic Sciences, it is becoming possible to measure the effects of thought/mental state on physical matter. It is here we find the energetic and physiologic basis for the mind-body connection, and can also find the mechanisms for how mental/emotional trauma translates into physical illness. Psychoneuroimmunology is the branch of science and medicine focused around this particular area of study, which I encourage you to explore and which we will go into in subsequent articles.
Where does Qi come from?
Lastly let us consider where the Qi flowing within biological beings is said to originate. According to TCM, there are several sources of Qi, the first is known as Yuan Qi, or Essence, and it is what is inherited from your parents at conception. The second source of Qi is derived from nature: air, water, food, sunlight, etc. The Qi then, is further processed and transformed by our different organs, each having its own role, vibrational frequency. According to TCM, our inherited Qi travels upwards to mix with the Qi/essence of the foods we digest, which then is infused with the Qi/essence of the air we breathe, all blending to empower all of our physical and energetic function. When considering the transformation of matter into energy, from a western scientific perspective this brings us into a discussion of mitochondrial function. For this is where we produce the energy needed for all of the many many functions and activities occurring within our human biologic, physiologic and electromagnetic systems. So one can postulate that the mitochondrial is our own inner alchemist, that which transforms substance, into energy, which then is what powers the growth and transformation of information into organized form. When we eat food, when we breathe air, when we drink water, when we absorb sunlight, when we sit on the earth…we are receiving energy in its many different forms. And then depending on the framework or language you use to describe the effects, or rather, no matter the framework, it is either describing it in terms of spirit/elements, biochemistry/cellular biology/physiology/metabolism and/or quantum dynamics/energy.
How do Mitochondria and Qi Interact?
For a deeper dive into Mitochondrial function, there is another article I encourage you to review called Spotlight on Mitochondria: Function, Dysfunction and Support. Rather than going into all of the details, we will discuss the patterns and connection points. Mitochondria receive broken down compounds from our food, oxygen from air, water, and through a multi step process that involves electrochemical gradients, antioxidants, the breakdown of water into electrons, etc, produces the energy that then goes and drives every function within the body. This is very similar to what is described in TCM. As well as the same way that each organ has its unique effect on the Qi and the form it takes, mitochondria in different organs have different functions, specialities etc.
When related to mitochondrial function, an interesting discovery in research has to do with botanical medicines that are known in Traditional Chinese Medicine as “Qi invigorating”. Many studies have found that those herbs classified as such, have direct impacts on mitochondrial function. Those classified as Yang invigorating enhance mitochondrial function through both increasing ATP production, as well as enhancing antioxidant function to protect mitochondria from damage. Specifically, long-term treatment with a Yang-invigorating Chinese herbal formula (VI-28; composed of Panax ginsng, Cervus nippon, Cordyceps sinensis, Salvia miltiorrhiza, Allium tuberosum, Cnidium monnieri, and Euodia rutaecarpa) was found to increase the levels/activities of mitochondrial antioxidant components such as GSH, α-tocopherol (α-TOC), and manganese-superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) in various tissues. Yin invigorating herbs on the other hand have measurable immunomodulatory effects, balancing hypo or hyper functioning immune responses, as well as providing antioxidant support. Yin invigorating herbs showed measurable effects on inflammation medating molecules such as TNF-alpha. Again what this illustrates, is a consistency between language and patterns present in such systems as Chinese Medicine between what is a logical counterpart, based on function, to our anatomical/physiological/modern scientific understanding of human beings.
So assuming we can now see the clear connection points, let us now consider then, where does the energy come from, what is the origin, where does the organizational blueprint begin? When considering just the parts, it leaves out the unarguable effects that everything has on everything, within a seemingly individual system or being, as well as environmental and societal effects. This is where we will go into a brief discussion into Quantum Physics/Dynamics, and consider what physicists refer to as “Quantum Field Fluctuations” is what ancient mystics and medicinal traditions refer to as Qi, God, Mana, Prana, etc.
Quantum Physics: Discovering the Universal Connecting Point
Within the field of physics, there has long been the search for a unifying theory. The goal within has been to uncover a unifying principle, or equation(s) that are consistent within both quantum dynamics and Einstein’s theory of relativity, for example. Prior explorations have been unsatisfactory, where the mathematics and particle dynamics on the quantum realm did not line up when compared to classical physics. This has shifted recently, and possible solutions to these inconsistencies are being researched and presented by a physicist named Nasseim Haramein. In a docuseries, called “Quantum Revolution”, which I encourage you to watch, he talks about how we have this idea that matter and space are different. And yet what we think of as matter is in fact 99.999 percent space. And when we analyze what makes up matter, what we find is the electromagnetic/electrostatic fields interacting, which is also what is found within what we term “space”. So rather than being different “things”, matter and space are both a result of quantum fluctuations in a field of energy, with the density and behavior of the field being what creates different “types” of matter. From this fundamental energy, comes various dynamics such as gravity, matter, electricity, electromagnetism. Each particle of energy, or collection of energy into matter, both is affected by, and affects the field. The field exists like a liquid, where that which is concentrated in a structure such as a planet, or black hole, or cell, is also present in what we consider to be the in-between space. He presents how likely, subatomic particles are in fact mini black holes, which is quite interesting to consider. The sheer amount of energy and information contained within every aspect of this structure is immense and holographic. Holographic means that each part contains all of the information that is expressed in the various levels of “whole”. Consider how each cell contains all of the genetic information to create the whole being, and yet the wisdom of nature allows for differentiation into different cell types, tissues, functions etc. Other qualities to consider is that within this model, everything within the field affects everything else in the field, nothing is independent or separate. This includes consciousness, thought, emotion, and all of those seemingly “unphysical” experiences.
What is Consciousness? And how does it relate to Physics and Qi?
Consciousness as proposed by Deepak Chopra and many others, goes beyond the “mental field” like we like to think, rather that it is the intelligent unifying connection between all beings, all of existence within the planet and universe as a whole. This resonates with indigenous wisdom which holds that everything from humans and animals, plants and microorganisms, oceans and streams, rocks and mountains–all have a unique consciousness or spirit. Consciousness also includes the experience of the divine, which some experience as entities, some as energy, some as feeling, or some as pure science and energy. All possibilities are contained within this unified field.
Unifying and Empowering: The Many Access Points to Healing
So what does this mean for healing, understanding ourselves, loving ourselves and essentially discovering our true nature? Only you can answer that question for yourself. What I can say is that there is healing to be found in simply understanding that we are connected to it all. We contain all the wisdom of the universe, just as a magnificent nebula in space, just as a flower blooming and unfurling in its sacred geometric dance. Science is a language to describe reality, it does not eliminate this mystical nor the mystery. Ancient knowledge is there for us to explore, it persists throughout the centuries for a reason. When we explore our inner world through meditation and even through psychedelic experiences, we often unlock aspects of this inner knowing and wisdom that knows and feels the connection to all. When we explore nature, and feel the way in which she is alive, and the way in which her mere presence is healing, we better understand ourselves. When we take a moment to witness the incredibly complex and interwoven reality we currently reside in, we open ourselves to greater possibilities, of health, joy, manifestation and miracles. We can heal ourselves, everything within the field that is needed for us to heal, is available at all times. And at the same time, there is purpose and beauty in the journey, the step by step, the unwinding and revealing.
In closing I will just plant one more seed of possibility, and it is based on a bit of wisdom I learned from one of my favorite mentors and teachers. She said that a Qi Gong Master told her once, that there is no such thing as true deficiency, rather there is an inability to receive. For in truth, there is literally infinite energy available to us at all times, so why then do we get ill? What disempowering programs have we unconsciously agreed to that keep us from connecting to and receiving from this infinity. Perhaps there is another way…..