The biofield is a new term that describes something that’s been with us all along. In fact, some describe it as a “forgotten body part” and is essentially, what is commonly referred to as the aura. This field of energy emanating from the body may be invisible to the human eye and yet ancient and indigenous practices have spoken of it for hundreds of years. This field has been debated in scientific and medical circles, but new “advances in biophysics, biology, functional genomics, neuroscience, psychology, psychoneuroimmunology, and other fields suggest the existence of a subtle system of “biofield” interactions that organize biological processes from the subatomic, atomic, molecular, cellular, and organismic to the interpersonal and cosmic levels.” (Barsotti, 2015) This field essentially in-forms the body and contains within it the information which guides our health. The biofield is not simply a singular thing but is comprised of the biofields of cells and organs which come together to create the larger field.
In order to take a deeper dive into the biofield, we must first look at the differences between the traditional allopathic medicine paradigm and that of vibrational or energy medicine. Vibrational medicine is a diagnostic and healing approach to illness using energy in various forms and frequencies. Vibrational medicine departs from the mainstream Western medical model, which was built on the Newtonian view of medicine, which largely regards the body as mechanistic. Like a large computer with parts that wear out and simply need replacing. This reductionist viewpoint largely overlooks the psychological, emotional and environmental factors which effect the body and ultimately may lead to disease. This viewpoint looks to “correct” or “treat” the disease with interventions that include pharmaceutical drugs, procedures and operations. Essential altering or replacing the malfunctioning part without addressing the need to understand or alter any of these other factors as contributors to the disease. This Newtonian model fails to look at the role of the vital life force energy that animates all living things. It ignores the electrical and magnetic aspects of the body. These interventions fail to look at the underlying energetic patterns, which one may argue, were the initiators of the imbalance and ultimate dis-ease. Alternatively, vibrational medicine works to move stagnant or stuck energy in the body. It brings more awareness to the psycho-emotional patterns or unprocessed traumatic events that may be stuck in the body creating blockages. It understands that the environment of the cells in the body (aka epigenetics) and environment of the whole human have considerable influence on our wellbeing.
Biofield Sciences
Biofield sciences alternatively, look at these fields of energy (the biofield) as regulators and communicators of information regarding the functioning of the body and which can be influenced by modalities which seek to move the chi or prana of the body. Vibrational medicine modalities include acupuncture, reiki, Qi’gong, flower essences, homeopathy, healing touch, Biofield Tuning (utilizing tuning forks) and others. While many in the traditional allopathic model may question the validity of these healing interventions, biofields are fundamental to other forms of medicine practiced in the East such as Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine (Consciousness and Healing Initiative, 2023) Unfortunately, this disconnect and the strong bias against these forms of healing has severely limited both the publication and funding of research which demonstrate changes in the body that occur from influencing the biofield through these energetic interventions. Nevertheless, and due in part to the commitment of several researchers and doctors, there have been hundreds of published medical studies that demonstrate its positive effects. Integrative medicine is attempting to bridge these two paradigms by offering these alternative healing practices in conjunction with western medical interventions.
Measuring the Biofield
Can we measure the biofield? The answer to this is yes and no. While Western medicine widely accepts and uses measurements such as the electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiography (ECG) which in fact measure the electrical impulses in the brain and heart respectively, there is no widely accepted measurement of the electrical and magnetic qualities of the body as a whole. Nonetheless, it is widely accepted that the human heart has a field that extends up to six feet and which can be measured by a technique known as magnetocardiography (MCG) which measure the magnetic field produced by the electrical currents in the heart using extremely sensitive devices such as the superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). While these measurements do not provide conclusive evidence of an all-encompassing biofield which emanates from the entire body, it does prove that a field of magnetic energy emanates from the human heart that cannot be seen but only felt.
While there are emerging devices that seek to measure the entire field, let’s concentrate on one known as the Bio-well. The Bio-Well is a second generation electrophotonic imaging (EPI) gas discharge visualization (GDV) device based on the Kirlian effect and utilizes modern optics, electronics, and computer processing for analyzing weak photon emission stimulated by a pulsed electromagnetic current. (Barsotti et al., 2023) While this device is being utilized in 63 countries around the world and certified as a medical device in Russia, it is almost virtually unknow to the masses, especially here in the West. The Bio-well device, through the Korean Su-Jok hand system and the Chinese Jing-Well point system and the Chinese meridian system, maps the amount of bio-photonic light emanated from the individual’s fingertip to understand the amount of energy held in the body (measured in joules), as well as each organ specifically.
Moreover, this device seeks to look at the impact of our psycho-emotional state to determine its effects on the physical body. In more esoteric terms, the device also looks at the chakra system determining not only the alignment of the chakras, and the amount of energy held in each. This information can then be utilized to construct a sound file, which can be listened to re-align the chakras. Furthermore, while the alignment of the chakras is in constant motion, when chakras become severely out of alignment, we start to see how, rumination about the past or over emphasis or anxiety about the future, begins to be manifested from the field into the body creating disharmony.
The Future of Biofield Sciences
While some continue to question the validity of such sciences, others believe that bridging the gap between these two paradigms is fundamental to looking at whole human health and wellbeing. While Western medicine fails to look at some of the most basic and obvious influences on our health, such as nutrition, it has never the less gotten us a long way and can be especially critical in acuate situations. However, as we look to increase our longevity as a species, we must consider that the body is NOT separate from its environment. The there is a vital force life energy that animates and pulses through all sentient beings. This life force energy’s strength, vitality, and flow are paramount to the health and well-being of the body. It is indeed this field that is in-forming its container (the body) not the other way around!
Works Cited:
Barsotti, T. J. (2015). An overview of biofield devices. http://www.academia.edu. https://www.academia.edu/81303817/An_Overview_of_Biofield_Devices
Consciousness and Healing Initiative. (2023, December 31). What is Consciousness? What is Healing? What is Biofield Science?CHI. https://www.chi.is/what-is-consciousness/
Barsotti, T. J., Jain, S., Guarneri, M., King, R. P., Vicario, D., & Mills, P. J. (2023). An exploratory investigation of human biofield responses to encountering a sacred object. EXPLORE, 19(5), 689–694. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2023.01.007