21R.43-2.map
There are three parts in this file as shown below. The first part summarizes briefly the impressions I got from the following two parts.
The part on Human Energy Field is taken from Ms. Gloria Alvino's three papers. She summarizes multidisciplinary nature of this subject HEF quite well. If one wants to have holistic understanding covering spiritual, scientific, and alternative state of consciousness, this is a good material to read. Easy for even beginners. (The emphasis on spiritual nature may be not as high.)
The part on Qigong is taken from the web sites I found from Univ. of Penn. and papers from the link in vmx.com. (See the link on my home page under neuro science). The description fits well with my Vipassana experience. (11/12/00)
On 1/15/03, I received the following letter (the first of this kind). As a result, I eliminated the contents posted in this file as instructed. It is unfortunate that sharing of information is now constrained (my comments were added in between lines here and there). However, their site should be still available for those who wishes to visit. An interesting point I feel is the relationship of Qi to certain meditation like vipassana. As my friend, who is a Taoist master, agrees, this point is to be discovered by each individual. Related information should be found on other files in my home page. Take care all. (1/22/03)
Dear Mr. Suzaki,
We recently came aross the webpage http://www.oocities.org/suzakico/Qi.html#_Toc498652688 at your website. The webpage contains a number of Yan Xin Qigong(R) related articles copyrighted by Dr. Yan Xin and the International Yan Xin Qigong (R) Association.Your effort in promoting Yan Xin Qigong (R) is apreciated, however we do ask you to remove the webpage http://www.oocities.org/suzakico/Qi.html#_Toc498652688.
We thank you in advance for your quick action.Best regards,
Media and Communication GroupThe International Yan Xin Qigong (R) Association
Contents
Qi and Human Energy Field *
My Notes *
Quantum Theory, Qi Gong, Interpnetration, and Human Progress *
Qigong: Yan Xin Quigong *
Human Energy Field *
The Human Energy Field in Relation toScience, Consciousness, and Health (Part One) *
The Human Energy Field in Relation toScience, Consciousness, and Health (Part Two) *
A Letter to The Editor, 21st/Link *
Qigong *
YAN XIN QIGONG, SCIENCE AND PRACTICE *
Yan Xin Qigong Survey Report A Study of New Practitioners *
Exploring the Mechanisms of Qigong Healing by Dr. Yan Xin *
Quantum Theory, Qi Gong, Interpnetration, and Human Progress
FYI, the followings are the excerpts from the work of Gloria Alvino, The Human Energy Field in Relation to Science, Consciousness, and Health (Part two), found on the net. Connected to my Vipassana experience and question I raised about Qi, or life, there are undergoing works to find the link between science (in the traditional sense) and spirituality. The whole papers and link are posted on my home page under the heading, neuro-science. Or, one may find the link there to directly check the source of information at vmx.com. My comments are in ((…)).
In general, in my terms, this is related to looking at "the map" from a different angle. For example, light is particle and wave. Here, is the similar paradox: "To find that we cannot escape is the escape."
-----------------
"In 1920, physicists asked nature a question, and nature answered with a paradox.
Physicists somehow knew that paradox is part of the intrinsic nature of the subatomic world. So they set up an experiment which proves that light is a particle. A small change in the experiment then proved that light is a wave. We thus moved into a universe based on the concept of both/and; rather than the old idea of either/or.
"Physicists found that particles can simultaneously be both waves and particles. In effect, they are saying there is really no such thing as a thing. What they used to call things, are really events or paths that might become events. The universe is thus defined as a world of wave-like patterns of interconnectedness, a dynamic web of inseparable energy patterns, a dynamic, inseparable whole that always includes the observer. We are not separated parts from the whole. We are the whole.
"Dr. Bohm suggests that the holographic view of the universe is the beginning point of understanding the implicate enfolded and the explicate unfolded orders. The hologram concept holds that every piece, however small, is an exact representation of the whole, and can be used to reconstruct the whole. ((Same notion as in my mini-company idea.))
"Whenever one member of a species learns a new behavior, the causative field for that species is changed. If that new behavior is repeated long enough, its "morphic resonance" affects the entire species. Lyall Watson described this phenomenon in his description of the Hundredth Monkey Principle. Dr. David Bohm states that the same thing is true of quantum physics. One subatomic particle affects all subatomic particles ((Connection to Progress/Evolution of Human Species))
"There are many experiments, especially in the last ten years in China, utilizing the special skills and powers of accomplished masters of various types of qigong. The Qi is the vital energy of the body, while gong means the skill of moving this Qi and working with it. Practitioners use mind control to move and control the Qi in order not only to improve health and longevity, but to enhance awareness, psychic powers, and spiritual development.
"Our linear way of thinking, seeing, and expressing needs to expand to accommodate this new reality. ((Again, like looking at the map in different way…))
"Our language, and our old ideas or paradigms, still limit our growth. Meditation and many other practices, like YXQ ((Qi)), are ways of transcending the limitations of the linear mind in order to experience the multidimensionality of interconnectedness, and to experience our oneness with the universal energy, the unified field, or consciousness."
** Do they sound weird? It may sound weird in our linear way of thinking. That is the point. But as we go through "weird" (yet quite natural) experience, we may find something quite following the law of nature (that we did not know). So, may I ask, "Where is the one hundredth meditator?"
----The above note was posted at Yahoo's Philosophylifemanagement club and insightmeditation club on Nov. 11, 2,000)
After my earth shuddering experience from Vipassana Meditation (For detail, please see my home page for the report, attending vipassana meditation), I have studied here and there on the net and found something very interesting. It is Qi. The data I added in the report on Qi, or Ki in Japanese, seems to correspond with the information I gathered.
The URLs are posted under the heading, Qi, Human Energy Field, Computer Model, etc. The major findings are posted here with more to be studied. Here is a brief summary:
A survey of 87 Yan Xin Qigong practitioners in the US (Bradbury, 1995), who had been practicing between 20 minutes and one hour daily for three months, showed very positive results.
The Yan Xin Qigong practitioners improved physically:
The Yan Xin Qigong practitioners were also happier. They had:
c) Fewer negative aspects, and more positive aspects of their life.
* I believe that these points should sound familiar to meditators.
Detailed description by Dr.Yan Xin on how Qi can improve various situations:
So what?
Experience the method. Find out similarity and dissimilarity to Vipassana Meditation. Share the learning. Apply ideas learned. May all beings be happy! (Again, links are found in my home page.)
Kio
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The Human Energy Field in Relation toScience, Consciousness, and Health (Part One)
By Gloria Alvino
1. INTRODUCTION
"If we do not expect the unexpected, we will never find it." - Heraclitus
The science and art of medicine that was initially one, and then split into two, are now approaching reunion. The healing science that became traditional medicine and alternate medicine is slowly becoming the healing sciences. The history of this topic is extensive -- extending back thousands of years.
5000 years ago, ancient spiritual tradition of India spoke of a universal energy called prana. This universal energy is the source of all life. The breath of life moves through all forms to give them life. Yogis work with this energy with breathing techniques, meditation, and physical exercise to produce altered states of consciousness and longevity.
3,000 years ago, the ancient Qigong masters in China were practicing their meditative discipline to balance and invigorate the human energy field. They called this vital energy that pervades all forms, both animate and inanimate, Qi The Qi is the vital energy of the body; while gong means the skill of moving this Qi and working with it. Practitioners use mind control to move and control the Qi to not only improve health and longevity, but also to enhance awareness, psychic powers, and spiritual development.
The ancient Qigong masters also developed Tai Chi, Kung Fu, and the martial arts. In addition, they made the first model for acupuncture. Acupuncturists insert needles, or use moxa, or put magnets at specific acupuncture points to balance the yin and yang of the human energy field. When the Qi is balanced, the entity has good health. When the Qi is unbalanced, the entity has poor or impaired health.
The Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical teachings written about 538 B.C., calls these energies the astral light. Later on, Christian paintings and sculptures show a halo around the head of Christ and other spiritual leaders. Similarly, we see this halo on statues and paintings of Buddha, and also see energy or light coming from the fingers of many of the gods of India. In fact, there are references made to the phenomenon of the human energy field (HEF) or the aura of the body, in 97 different cultures, according to John White in his book "Future Science."
The history of medicine similarly reflects a fascination with the observation of the HEF and its study. Back in 500 B.C., the Pythagoreans believed that there is a universal energy pervading all of nature. They taught that its light could effect cures in sick patients.
In the 1100's, Liebault said that humans have an energy that can react on someone else's energy, either at a distance or close by. According to Liebault, a person can have either an unhealthy or a healthy effect on someone else -- just by being present. The HEF of one person may be harmonious, or it may be discordant with another. The HEF of one person may be nurturing, or it may be draining to the HEF of another.
In the 1800's, Mesmer, the father of modern hypnotism, suggested that a field similar to an electromagnetic field might exist around the human body. Mesmer suggested that the power of this electromagnetic field, which he believed behaved as a fluid, might also be able to exert influence on the field of another.
In the mid-1800's, Count Von Reichenbach spent 30 years experimenting with the human energy field, whcih he called the odic field. He found that this field showed many properties which were similar to the electromagnetic field described by James Clark Maxwell in the early 1880's.
However, Von Reichenbach also showed that with the odic force, like poles attract. In other words, like attracts like. In his work, "Physico-physiological Researches on the Dynamics of Magnetism, Electricity, Heat, Light, Crystallization, and Chemism, In Their Relation to Vital Force", printed in New York in 1851, Von Reichenbach showed that electropositive elements gave his subjects feelings of warmth, and that this produced unpleasant feelings. In the reverse, electronegative elements produced cool and agreeable feelings.
He also found that the odic field could be conducted through a wire. It traveled slowly at 13 feet per second. This speed depended on the density of the wire rather than its conductivity. He showed that part of this odic field could be focused like a light through a lens, while another part of this odic field would flow around the lens, like a candle flame flows around something placed in its path. Air currents would also move this part of the odic field. This suggests a composition similar to a gas. Von Reichenbach's experiments suggest the odic or auric field is energetic, like a light wave, and also particulate, like a fluid. Also, he showed the right side of the body as being a positive pole, and the left as negative. This agrees with the ancient Chinese principles of yin and yang.
2. MODERN STUDIES OF HEF
HEF Photography
Walter Kilner - Interest in the HEF ((High Energy Field)) was mounting in the medical community in the 1900's. In 1911. Walter Kilner, M.D., from St. Thomas Hospital in London, reported on seeing the HEF, or aura, as he called it. Looking through glass screens stained with dicyanin dye, he saw a glowing mist around the body in three distinct zones:
1. A 1/4 inch layer closest to skin;
2. A more vaporous layer, 1 inch wide, streaming perpendicularly from the body;
3. A delicate exterior luminosity with indefinite contours, about 6 inches wide.
In his work "The Human Aura" published in New York, 1965, he states that the appearance of the aura differs from person to person, depending on their physical, mental, and emotional states. Kilner actually developed a system of diagnosis based on the consistent differences he found in persons suffering a particular disease. He successfully treated many conditions, including epilepsy, liver disease, tumors, appendicitis, and hysteria. Research based on his work continues to this day in Europe.
Semyon Davidovich Kirlian - In 1939 in Krasnodar, near the Black Sea in Russia, Semyon Davidovich Kirlian, an electrician, and his wife, Valentina Kirlian, a teacher and journalist, became fascinated by the sight of a tiny flash of light which ocurred between the electrodes of an electrotherapy machine and the skin of a patient. Other Russian scientists had also noted this energy, but ignored it.
The equipment and procedures they finally developed were to record on film this luminous energy emanating from the physical body -- the HEF. They invented a new type of photography, and had more than fourteen patents. The original system photographed static images of fingers or leaves. Next, they developed a special optical instrument to observe the motion of this luminous phenomenon. Now they saw the hand as either flashing, sparkling, steadily glowing, or as diminishing particles of light. They also showed the difference in the HEF of a human being harboring a disease that had not yet manifested symptoms!
Radionics - Dr. George De La Warr & Dr. Ruth Drown built instruments to detect radiation from living tissues, and developed Radionics, a system of detection, diagnosis & healing from a distance, using the human energy field. They took photographs using the patient's hair as an antenna. These photographs showed internal diseasees, like tumors and cysts inside the liver, and cancers within the brain. The study of Radionics continues today in England. Reference "Biomagnetism" and "Using Sound Waves To Probe Matter" by De La Warr in England 1965 and 1967.
HEF Microscopic Studies
Dr. Wilhelm Reich, colleague of Freud, in the early 1900's, studied the universal energy field which he called "orgone" in his 1942 book, "The Discovery of the Orgone." He studied the changes or imbalances in the orgone flow in relation to physical and psychological disease. As a psychiatrist, he used traditional methods of analysis in combination with methods of releasing these blockages of the orgone energy, or Qi as Easterners would call it.
Reich built an "accumulator" to concentrate this orgone or energy. With the accumulator, he charged a vacuum discharge tube. This tube then conducted a current of electricity at a potential lower than its normal discharge potential. Reich claimed to increase the nuclear decay rate of a radioisotope by placing it in his orgone accumulator.
During the 1930's to 1950's, Reich experimented with these energies using the latest instrumentation of that time to observe the energy fields of animate and inanimate objects. He used a high power microscope to observe the energy field of microorganisms and human blood cells in the laboratory.
Gustave Naessens - Another more current development to consider is the work of the French microbiologist, Gustave Naessens, now continuing his research with his wife Francoise in Canada. In his hematology studies, Naessens observed in the blood, tiny particles too small to identify with conventional microscopic equipment. He invented a microscope which he called the somatascope. It has a magnification of 30,000 times, and a resolution of 150 angstroms to study these particles of dancing light.
His somatid theory states that cell division cannot take place without the presence of this tiny life force or energy particle that he calls the somatid. Naessens "believes that the somatid is the original spark of life, the pinpoint where energy condenses into matter." According to Naessens, the "somatid represents the manifestation of cosmic energy in a tiny, moving dot of physicality," as printed in "A New Answer to Cancer" in 'Well-Being', September/October ,1993.
HEF Light Emissions Studies
Bio-Energetics - Dr. John Pierrakas and Eva Pierrakas have developed a system of diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders based on visual and pendulum-derived observations of the HEF. The information from these observations combined with body psychotherapeutic methods eventually developed into Bio-Energetics. The process called Core Energetics was delineated in a publication "The Core Energetics Process", in 1977.
Dr. Pierrakas work suggests that the light emissions from the human body are closely related to health. There is a need to quantify these light emissions with reliable, standardized light measuring instruments to make this available to the medical profession for clinical diagnosis and treatment.
Dr. Richard Dobrin, Dr. John Pierrakos, and Barbara Brennan -- published "Instrumental Measurements of the Human Energy Field" in 1978. They measured the light level of a wave length of around 350 nanometers in a darkroom before, during, and after there were people in that room. Results show a slight increase of light when people are in it. When someone feeling exhausted and full of despair was in the room, the light value actually fell. With a colorizer they were able to show part of the auric field, or the HEF, on black and white television.
Hiroshi Motoyama - has measured low light levels coming from people who have practiced yoga for many years. He did this with a movie camera in a darkroom. Also, he studied the strength of a sender's and a receiver's energy meridians before and after treatment. Most of the time, the sender's energy level dipped and then rose again. Also, the energy at the heart chakra of the sender or healer increased after treating a patient. Refer to his publication "The Functional Relationship Between Yoga Asanas and Acupuncture Meridians" 1979 for exercises that he has developed to impact on the HEF.
Dr. Valorie Hunt - and colleagues at UCLA, published "A Study of Structural Neuromuscular Energy Field and Emotional Approaches", which is a study of the effects of Rolfing on the body and the psyche. She placed electrodes on the skin to record the low millivoltage signals from the body during rolfing sessions. Rosalyn Bruyere observed the auras and recorded her observations of both the rolfer and the patient. Breyere's observations were recorded on the same tape as the electronic data. She described the color, size, and energy movements of the chakras, and auric clouds, or HEF, involved.
Scientists then mathematically analyzed the wave patterns recorded by a Fourier analysis and a sonogram frequency analysis. The wave forms and frequencies reported by Rosalyn Bruyere correlated specifically with the colors reported. When Breyere saw blue in the HEF at a specific location, the electronic measurements would always show the characteristic blue wave form and frequency in the same location.
Hunt repeated this experiment with seven other aura readers. Each of the seven also saw auric colors that correlated with the same frequency wave patterns. In 1988, the results of their research showed these color and frequency correlations. Dr. Hunt says, "Throughout the centuries in which sensitives have seen and described the auric emissions, this is the first objective electronic evidence of frequency, amplitude and time, which validates their subjective observation of color discharge."
HEF Electromagnetic Field Studies
Dr. Robert Becker - of Upstate Medical School. mapped a complex electrical field on the body that was shaped like the body and the central nervous system. He named this field "The Direct Current Control System" in his publication of the same name in 1962. He found that this field changes shape and strength with physiological and psychological changes. Continuing his experiments through 1979, he found particles the size of electrons moving through this field.
Dr. Zheng Ronliang of Lanzhou University in China, in "Scientific Research of Qigong", measured the Qi radiated from the human body by using a biological detector made from a leaf vein connected to a photo quantum device. He studied the Qi emissions of a Qigong master, and the energy field emanations of a clairvoyant.
The energy pulses emanating from the hands of the Qigong Master are very different in nature from that of the clairvoyants. At Shanghai Atomic Nuclear Institute of Academia, Sinica, it was shown that some vital force emanations from Qigong masters seem to have a very low frequency fluctuating carrier wave. Sometimes, Qi was detected as a micro particle flow with a particle size of 60 microns in diameter, and velocity of 20-50 cm/sec.
Dr. Dejan Rakovic and Gordana Vitaliano MD - have conducted extensive experiments in Yugoslavia studying the biophysical nature of consciousness. Dr. Vitaliano is now in Boston, where she founded the Mindwaves' Institute. Dr. Vitaliano's primary research program is Neural Networks, Brain Waves, and Ionic Structures: A New Biophysical Model for Conscious Systems Processing.
In papers published in the January, 1, and January 15, 1996 issues of 21st Link, Dr. Racovic & Dr. Vitaliano discussed the possibility of HEF being associated with a low dielectric ionic structure with embedded ultra low frequency electromagnetic field. They also discussed the development of a new consciousness-exhibiting, brain-like biocomputer which would have a similar ionic neural network.
HEF Bioplasma Studies
Russian scientists from the Bioinformation Institute of A. S. Popov All-Union Scientific and Technical Society of Radio Technology and Electrical Communications, began a crash program on extra-sensory perception in 1965. They started to use the methods of physicists with their experiments on telepathy. The scientists of this Popov group later announced the discovery that living organisms emit vibrations at a frequency of 300 to 2,000 nanometers. They called this energy the biofield, or bioplasma. They showed that the biofield was stronger when people were more successful at transferring their bioenergy. These findings were confirmed at the Medical Sciences Academy in Moscow, and are supported by research in Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, and Great Britain.
Since the 1950's, Dr. Victor Inyushin at Kazakh University in Russia has also done extensive research in HEF. He suggests the existence of a bioplasmic energy field composed of ions, free protons, and free electrons. He suggests that the bioplasmic energy field is a fifth state of matter. (The four states are solids, liquids, gases, and plasma.) Inyushin's work shows that the bioplasmic particles are constantly renewed by chemical processes in the cells and are in constant motion. There is a balance of positive and negative particles within the bioplasma that is relatively stable. A severe shift in this balance causes a change in the health of the patients or organism. At the same time, in a healthy being, some of this energy or bioplasma is radiated into space. Refer to four of his works: 1. " Questions of Theoretical and Applied Biology," 2." Possibilities of Studying Tissues in High Frequency Discharge," 3. Biological Plasma of Human Organism with Animals," 4. "On the Biological Essence of the Kirlian Effect" 1967-1970.
HEF Studies - Conclusion
Modern science tells us that the human organism is not just a physical structure made of molecules; but like everything else, is composed of energy fields. We are constantly changing, ebbing, and flowing, just like the sea. Scientists are learning to measure these subtle changes. The human energy field is the frontier for modern research, and the development of new diagnostic and treatment systems.
We are constantly swimming in a vast sea of life energy fields, thought fields, and bioplasmic forms, moving about and streaming off the body. We are vibrating; radiating bioplasma itself. People have recognized this phenomenon in the past. Now we are rediscovering it. This is thus not a new phenomenon; but rather, a new observation, a growing awareness, a new perspective, and a renewed interest in studying the intricacies of the unknown.
The Human Energy Field in Relation toScience, Consciousness, and Health (Part Two)
3. HUMAN ENERGY FIELD (HEF) -- SCIENTIFIC THEORIES
"A human being is a part of the whole, called by us the Universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest- a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and of a foundation for inner security." -- Albert Einstein, N.Y. Post, November 28, 1972.
We are products of our western scientific heritage. This has hindered our growth into full awareness that we are much more than we seem. Now, as science expands into new theories, there will be the discovery of new phenomena. We may not be able to explain the phenomena with the existing theories. New theories must be postulated to cover all of the knowledge. New experiments must be designed and performed until we get agreement between experimentation and new mathematical proof. Then the new theories may be accepted as physical laws. When we finally incorporate these new laws into our daily life, we will begin to see ourselves differently.
Much is changing in the science of physics, with publications of Bohm, Gabor, Pribram, Bell, Bohr, Sheldrake, Watson, Sarfatti, Briggs, Wilber, Peat, Prigogine, Stengers, Rothenberg, Loye, Capra, Engler, Eccles, Acterberg, etc. adding to our information and inspiration. Newtonian physics encouraged science to focus on the study of the physical world. Now, as theories have developed on relativity, the electromagnetic theory, the particle theory, and quantum physics, we can better see the connection between scientific, objective descriptions of our world, and the world of subjective human experience.
The present scientific view of reality currently supports the idea that we are composed of energy fields, and presents a holographic view of the universe. In this universe all things are interconnected.
Still, we continually tend to depict the universe as a huge mechanical system, running according to Newton's laws of motion. These laws held firm the ideas of absolute time and space. Everything could be described objectively. Even though Newton doubted his original theory before his death, the Newtonian laws ruled our thinking from the late 17th through the 18th, and the 19th century.
Much of our basic lives is still managed by this outmoded system of thought. Everything is still quite linear. But now. approaching the turn of the century, is science ready to embrace new perspectives, theories, and realities?
The study of the human energy field (HEF) owes a debt of gratitude to Luigi Galvani, an Italian physiologist whose experiments in the 1700's led to the discovery that electricity may result from chemical action. This marked the first time science recognized that electricity might exist as waves capable of traveling over distances. Before this discovery, only static electricity was recognized and described.
In the early 1800's, Michael Faraday and James Clerk Maxwell proposed a new type of physical electromagnetic phenomena that could not be described by Newtonian physics. This lead to the concept of a field, which was described as a condition in space that has the potential of producing a force. Each charge creates a disturbance or a condition around it, so that the other charge, if present, feels the force. Thus their Field Theory; the concept of a universe filled with fields that create forces that interact with one another.
In 1905, Albert Einstein shattered the Newtonian world view . Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity says that space and time form a fourth dimensional continuum, "space-time." Also, his theory holds that time is relative; not linear, and not absolute. Two observers will order events differently in time if they are moving at different velocities in relation to the observed events. All measurements of time and space lose their absolute significance. Both now become elements to help describe a phenomenon.
It is time to stop dismissing all experience which is outside our old Newtonian way of thinking. We must broaden our framework of reality. Other cultures have already done so. Native American culture did not use clocks. They divided time into the Now, and All Other Time. The Aborigines of Australia also have two kinds of time: the Passing Time and the Great Time. The Great Time has sequence, but cannot be dated. Like them, we need to stop using the absolute parameters.
In 1920, physicists asked nature a question, and nature answered with a paradox.
Physicists somehow knew that paradox is part of the intrinsic nature of the subatomic world. So they set up an experiment which proves that light is a particle. A small change in the experiment then proved that light is a wave. We thus moved into a universe based on the concept of both/and; rather than the old idea of either/or.
(((Looks different from different dimension - like reading the mind map
like cannot escape is escape))))
At the turn of the twentieth century, Max Planck discovered that the energy of heat radiation is not emitted continuously, but in "energy packets", called quanta. These light quanta are accepted as being particles. A particle is an energy packet. On the subatomic level, matter in nature is mutable. On this subatomic level, matter does not exist absolutely. Rather it shows tendencies to exist.
Physicists found that particles can simultaneously be both waves and particles. In effect, they are saying there is really no such thing as a thing. What they used to call things, are really events or paths that might become events. The universe is thus defined as a world of wave-like patterns of interconnectedness, a dynamic web of inseparable energy patterns, a dynamic, inseparable whole that always includes the observer. We are not separated parts from the whole. We are the whole.
The works of Pribram and Bohm combine to theorize that ,"Our brains mathematically construct 'concrete' reality by interpreting frequencies from another dimension, a realm of meaningful, patterned primary reality that transcends time and space. The brain is a hologram, interpreting a holographic universe." (The Holographic Paradigm, by Ken Wilber 1982)
In his book, "The Implicate Order," Dr. David Bohm says that primary physical laws cannot be discovered by a science that attempts to break the world into parts. He writes of what he calls an "implicate enfolded order" which exists in an unmanifested state, and is the foundation on which all manifest reality rests. This manifest reality is "the explicate unfolded order."
Dr. Bohm suggests that the holographic view of the universe is the beginning point of understanding the implicate enfolded and the explicate unfolded orders. The hologram concept holds that every piece, however small, is an exact representation of the whole, and can be used to reconstruct the whole.
((((Same as Mini-Company Idea))))
In 1971, Dennis Gabor received the Nobel Peace Prize for constructing the first hologram. It was a lens-less photograph in which a wave field of light scattered by an object was recorded as an interference pattern on a plate. He placed a laser beam -- coherent light -- on the hologram or photograph recording, and the original wave pattern was regenerated in a three dimensional image. Dr. Karl Pribram, during the course of ten years, showed that the human brain's deep structure is holographic. The brain structures hearing, sight, smell, and taste holographically. He demonstrated this by the sophisticated analysis of temporal and spatial frequencies. Pribram states that the net result of the activities of the brain transcends time and space.
Karl Pribram's studies encompass the full spectrum of human consciousness. He proposes that the brain may depend on interactions at the junctions of the synapses or junctions between cells via a network of fine fibers on the axon branches. Nerve impulses manifest in slow waves. Information in the brain may be distributed as a hologram. This work can have profound effects on our scientific attitudes and our personal lives.
Wilber says, "For several years, those interested in human consciousness have been speaking wistfully of the 'emerging paradigm", an integral theory that would catch all the wonderful wildlife of science and spirit. Here, at last , is a theory that marries biology to physics in an open system: the paradoxical borderless paradigm that our schizophrenic science has been crying for. It is appropriate that this radical, satisfying paradigm has emerged from Pribram, a brain researcher-neurosurgeon who was a friend of the Western Zen teacher Alan Watts, and Bohm, a theoretical physicist, and the close friend of Krishnamurti and former associate of Einstein." (from "The Holographic Paradigm", by Ken Wilber 1982)
In 1964, J.S.Bell published Bell's Theorem, which mathematically supports the concept that subatomic particles are connected in some way that transcends time and space. Anything that happens to one particle affects all other particles. This effect is immediate or superluminal. Einstein said that nothing travels faster than the speed of light. However, Bell's superluminal theorem is supported by experimentation. With Bell, we are now going beyond Einstein and beyond the wave/particle theory. As we learn how this instantaneous connectedness works, we might learn to be consciously aware of our instantaneous connection to one another and to the universe.
Robert Sheldrake, in his theory of morphogenetic fields, proposes that all systems are regulated not only by known energy and material factors, but also by invisible organizing fields. Whenever one member of a species learns a new behavior, the causative field for that species is changed. If that new behavior is repeated long enough, its "morphic resonance" affects the entire species. Lyall Watson described this phenomenon in his description of the Hundredth Monkey Principle. Dr. David Bohm states that the same thing is true of quantum physics. One subatomic particle affects all subatomic particles
((((Connection to Progress/Evolution of Human Species))))
Jack Sarfatti says that the way superluminal connectedness exists is through a higher plane of reality. By reaching to a higher plane, we may be able to understand how instantaneous connectedness works. Safratti used these concepts to put forth his theory of multi-dimensional reality.
((((Reading the mind map from different angles…))))
There are many experiments, especially in the last ten years in China, utilizing the special skills and powers of accomplished masters of various types of qigong (or qigung or chi gong, all pronounced chee gong ). The Qi is the vital energy of the body, while gong means the skill of moving this Qi and working with it. Practitioners use mind control to move and control the Qi in order not only to improve health and longevity, but to enhance awareness, psychic powers, and spiritual development.
"Medical Applications of Qigong", by Kenneth M. Sancier, Ph.D., appears in the 1996 edition of Alternative Therapies. Also "The Effect of Qigong on Human Body Functions" from the Fifth International Symposium on Qigong, Shanghai, China;1994:179, by Sancier. Larry Dossey, M.D. also documents nonlocal events in "The Reach of The Mind, Healing Words: The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine."
The practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is based on the premise that the Qi (ch'i, chi, or vital energy) of the body must be strong and in balance in order for the person to enjoy good health. During the last ten years in China, there are hundreds of scientific papers written on qigong in relation to its medical applications. There are an additional 837 abstracts published from international conferences on the subject. More than half that number are available in English, and thus accessible to Westerners.
((((Ask Mao about these…))))
Yan Xin Qigong Survey Report A Study of New Practitioners
by Lee Bradbury
with Ni Peihua and Yang Yuhong
I
ntroductionYan Xin qigong is practiced throughout the world. It is begun for a wide variety of reasons
How effective is Yan Xin qigong in helping people to accomplish these goals?
To help generate a factual foundation upon which to base an answer to this question, a survey was conducted. The survey was distributed at the First Advanced Yan Xin Qigong Workshop, held in New York City in December of 1994. Of the more than seven hundred people who attended, four hundred and sixteen returned their questionnaires.
Although many at this workshop had practiced Yan Xin qigong for several years, a number of those present had just begun. This group was of particular interest. The simple truth is that few people today are inclined to invest years of effort in qigong (or any similar practice) before effects first begin to appear. The typical person approaching a practice such as this will expect noticeable effects after a reasonable expenditure of time and effort. If these do not materialize, they will probably seek elsewhere for a means to help them move forward towards their goals. It is therefore quite important to understand the effects of Yan Xin qigong on new practitioners.
A significant number of the overall group had been involved in qigong for at least two months but no more than four months. The vast majority of these were practicing Nine Step Qigong six or seven days a week, for at least 20 minutes a day. Since this seemed a reasonable minimum expenditure of time and effort to allow Yan Xin qigong a fair chance to generate noticeable effects, these became the minimum practice requirements for inclusion in the group which is the focus of this report. No corresponding maximum daily practice time was set—an abundance of enthusiasm did not seem a good reason to exclude someone from the survey group. A total of 87 individuals were thus selected, 21% of the overall survey group. They are profiled below.
In order to attend the workshop where this survey was conducted, each participant was required to have attended a prior Yan Xin workshop; 67% had attended one such workshop, 24% had attended two, and 8% had attended three to six. Although the minimum qigong practice requirements for inclusion in this group were as was described above, the median respondent had practiced more than the minimum, usually one hour each day for three months. There were others present, of course, who practiced significantly more than either the minimum or the median.
There was considerable diversity among these people. Both genders were well represented, with the number of men being approximately equal to the number of women. A broad range of ages was present, the youngest was 20, the eldest 76, and the median age 34. All levels of education were included; those who held Ph.D. degrees were roughly equal in number to those with a high school education. And lastly, although the majority was Chinese, other nationalities were present as well.
The following is understood throughout this report.
"Before - After" averages are based on a scale of 1 to 4, with 4 being best. "Excellent" is a letter grade of A and a number grade of 4. "Good" is a letter grade of B and a number grade of 3. "Fair" is a letter grade of C and a number grade of 2. "Poor" is a letter grade of D and a number grade of 1.
Specific survey areas in the tables which follow are in all-capital type: "HEALTH", "BODYWEIGHT", "SLEEP QUALITY", and so on.
"Median" is different from "average". Should a group of grades be ordered from lowest to highest, the median grade would be the one in the middle.
To make the statistical information in this report as meaningful as possible, improvement percentages and "Before - After" averages were based only on those who rated themselves less than the highest grade ("Excellent") in their "Before" response—thereby allowing at least the possibility of growth. For brevity and clarity, all figures were calculated solely on the basis of those actually answering a query. The actual numbers used to calculate the various improvement percentages (excluding "A"s and "No Response"s) are presented within brackets: "[64/81]". Lastly, all improvements in this report are of one full letter grade or more—from "B" to "A", from "C" to "A" or "B", and so on—slight shifts were not considered.
A majority of the respondents gave a desire for good health as their reason for beginning qigong. In the category of health and physical well-being
O
verall Health
Diet
Sleep
S
leep Quality
Sleep Time
E
nergy
Efficiency
Appearance
Among the reasons given for practicing qigong, a desire for personal growth was second only to a desire for good health. In this area
I
ntelligence
Creativity
Understanding
- of Others
- of Oneself
- of the World
S
pecial Function
Character
Fairness
Respect
Kindness
Ethics
Forgiveness
Everyone wants to be happy. Everyone wants to enjoy life. Can qigong help here? It was found that
T
ranquility
Peace of Mind
Composure
Confidence
Self-esteem
Relationships with Other People
Capacity to Enjoy Life
Life Quality
This report focused on those who had typically attended a single Yan Xin workshop and practiced Nine Step Qigong one hour each day for three months. The following are among the effects reported. (As was previously mentioned, improvements are all of one full letter grade or more, and are among those who evaluated themselves as less than "Excellent" in their "Before" rating).
Health & Physical Well-being. Health was among the most improved of all the areas surveyed, with three of every four respondents noting an improvement. Of those who evaluated their health as poor (the lowest of the available ratings) before practicing qigong, nearly four of every five considered it improved to a level they thought either good or excellent.
This general category also included the area of diet. Many of the new practitioners noted changes in their eating patterns: food quality was frequently judged to be improved; hunger was usually experienced less often; the amount of food eaten was often reduced; body weight was judged by most to be better. Four of every five practitioners experienced at least one of these four effects, almost half experienced most of them. A small number of those present (8% or [7/87]) were eating somewhat more food than usual. Of these, the majority (71% or [5/7]) believed their overall physical appearance to be improved. None of those who indicated any changes in their dietary habits considered their physical appearance negatively affected.
Sleeping patterns had also been transformed. Quality of sleep was judged by nearly four of every five to be improved with none of the respondents indicated a diminution in their quality of sleep. Quantity of sleep was also affected, with a kind of "normalizing" effect seemingly generated. Those who had been sleeping more than eight hours were sleeping an average of over two hours less, while those who had been sleeping less than six hours were sleeping almost an hour and a half more.
Three of every four respondents reported feeling more energetic. This effect was particularly strong among those who considered their energy level poor; 85% of these practitioners reporting that their energy had improved to a level they considered either good or excellent. Most people also considered themselves more efficient, with approximately two of every three respondents indicating an improvement in this area.
If health improves, as do eating and sleeping patterns, plus more energy is available which is being used with greater effectiveness, perhaps it is to be expected that this will show in the way one looks—two of every three respondents believed that their appearance had improved.
Personal Growth. Many of the respondents believed that their intelligence had improved. That this effect was experienced at all, let alone by so many, is astonishing. Most contemporary psychologists maintain that well before the time a person grows to be an adult their cognitive ability is quite fixed. If qigong stimulates growth in this area, it would be the only such method now recognized to do so. (((Perhaps, Meditation also…)))
In many of the areas mentioned in this report, the respondent was very well qualified to judge their improvement, or lack thereof. People are unlikely to be mistaken as to how much they eat or sleep, still less as to such aspects of themselves as their peace of mind, self-confidence, self-esteem, and so on. In the area of intelligence, however, the authors of this report look forward to further research where this somewhat subjective sense of growth in intelligence can be supported by more objective measures such as intelligence tests or the like. In the interest of fairness to the respondents, however, it should also be noted that many were involved in academics—either as students, researchers, or professors—where this type of effect would certainly be well noticed during the comparatively brief period in which it was thought to occur.
In addition to the effect on intelligence, an improvement in creativity was experienced by many of the respondents. The awakening of a "special function" was also noted by a significant number—this effect was quite surprising among people who had been practicing for such a short period of time. In addition, all the many facets of character that were surveyed showed improvement, from fairness and forgiveness to kindness and respect.
Happiness. Practitioners were happier. Peace of mind and the capacity to feel relaxed and at ease are indispensable to any sense of emotional well-being. Approximately 9 of every 10 practitioners who had rated themselves less than good in either area felt an improvement to levels they considered either good or excellent.
Two of three of those whose self-confidence was less than good improved it to a level they considered either good or excellent. Almost half of the respondents improved their self-esteem. Four of five of those whose relationships with others were less than good, improved them to good or better. Over half of the respondents considered themselves more successful.
Approximately four of every five respondents improved their capacities to handle stressful situations and as many discovered they could better enjoy life. But one of the most surprising findings of the survey was not that respondents could better manage the difficult situations in their lives or that they could better enjoy the pleasurable ones, but rather that the actual quality of their lives seemed to have been changed—70% believed that both the negative situations in their life had decreased and that the positive situations in their life had increased. There seemed to be fewer stressful situations to handle and more pleasurable ones to enjoy.
Difficulty and Hardship. Dr. Yan Xin has repeatedly emphasized that growth in qigong is not without its challenges. "Eating Bitterness", the Chinese phrase signifying the endurance of difficulty and hardship, is sometimes inescapable to achieve the accelerated growth which is possible with Yan Xin qigong.
Growth, in qigong or elsewhere, is rarely easy. All children experience "growing pains" of one sort or another. As an adult the situation is the same: careers and personal relationships are filled with difficulties; in athletics, sore muscles and the occasional sprain or strain are unavoidable; in academics, strains of a mental sort are fully as common. All these activities are challenging—their challenge is perhaps much of their appeal. The issue in each is not whether they are easy, but rather whether their doing is worth your while.
To begin to understand the degree to which these sorts of challenges exist within Yan Xin qigong, the survey invited people to respond to the statement, "My qigong practice has caused me to develop unpleasant physical, emotional, and/or mental ‘side effects’." The responses were as follows:
79% strongly disagreed [66/84]
7% somewhat disagreed [6/84]
2% neither agreed nor disagreed [2/84]
6% somewhat agreed [5/84]
6% strongly agreed [5/84]
As can be seen, the majority (79%) strongly believed that no negative side effects were produced, though a significant minority (21%) held a variety of differing views. Our understanding of these varying perspectives is made problematic because questions identifying the exact nature of any side effects experienced, just how "unpleasant" they may have been, and whether the individual respondents believed them acceptable in light of their progress, were simply not asked in the survey. Other of the survey questions, however, may help to shed light on this situation. Respondents were invited to evaluate the quality of their life and their enjoyment of it both before and after practicing Yan Xin qigong. These grades can be valuable in trying to understanding the side effects situation.
Of those who did not believe strongly that no negative side effects were produced, most (56% or [10/18]) reported that both the overall quality of their life and their overall enjoyment of it had in fact improved after practicing Yan Xin qigong. Of those whose life did not actually improve, all reported that it had remained the same, none indicating that it had grown worse. This is strong evidence that any difficulties generated from qigong practice among these practitioners had no significant negative effect on their life.
The authors believe that each practitioner must individually decide whether the benefits of Yan Xin qigong practice are worth the time, the effort, and any difficulties it may generate. The situation with respect to the benefits which Yan Xin qigong can yield is now quite obvious. The "time and effort" variables will be discussed in more detail in the section which follows.
Although the authors believe that the situation with respect to difficulties generated as a result of the practice to be extremely encouraging, we also believe it to deserve deeper exploration—and this will be performed in a subsequent survey. When this information has been collected and analyzed, the findings will be reported.
Determinants of Progress. The typical respondent in this group of new practitioners improved in 19 of the 34 survey areas covered in this report. Three of every four noted an improvement in 9 or more areas, experiencing at least 3 improvements in each of the 3 general categories (Health & Physical Well-being, Personal Growth, and Happiness). However, as is true in most phenomena involving people and their activities, there was also considerable variation. Of the eighty-seven individuals in this group, three experienced improvements in a total of 32 areas while three others noted no effects whatsoever. ((((Better Life! -- H-max.))))
The study of the factors which most influence progress is an important one. Unfortunately, an "observational" survey of the type reported on here lacks the strictly controlled settings which facilitate definite conclusions of this sort. Sufficient information exists, however, upon which to base some tentative speculations.
The typical respondent practicing from 20 to 45 minutes experienced a total of 16 improvements. Those practicing more than 45 minutes and up to 90 minutes experienced 25 improvements, an increase of over 50%. Those practicing more than 90 minutes (and up to 200 minutes-the longest time that anyone in the group was practicing) experienced 26 improvements. Whether those now practicing more that 90 minutes daily will realize greater benefits in the future is not known at this time, but what is clearly indicated is that those who practice less than 45 minutes per day realize far fewer gains—even in the short term—than those who practice more. ((((((Issue of Time…. And perhaps Quality of Practice))))))
Long term practitioners in the overall group who had attended successive workshops over a period of several years also tended to have more improvements. Among new practitioners, however, workshop attendance was not a good growth predictor. It seemed to make no difference whether one, or two, or from three to six workshops were attended during the rather short four month maximum practicing period. Unfortunately, no data is available on the effects of Yan Xin qigong on those who did not attend at least one workshop. We look forward to conducting further research where this situation can also be studied.
Among those in the overall survey group, length of involvement in qigong was an excellent predictor of growth. Those who had practiced for 1 year tended to have greater growth than those who had practiced for 3 months, those who had practiced for 2 years tended to have greater growth than those who had practiced for a single year, and so on.
Among the factors which seemed to matter least to progress in Yan Xin qigong were gender, age, ethnic background, and education. These were of virtually no value as predictors of growth either in the new practitioners group or in the overall survey group.
Summary. Whether Yan Xin qigong was initially begun to improve health and physical well-being, for personal growth, or to live a happier and more fulfilling life, the typical new practitioner in this survey group experienced significant benefits to not just one of these areas but to all of them.
This report further develops, and makes several corrections to The Practice of Yan Xin Qigong - A Survey by Lee Bradbury. The authors would like to thank the many who have generously contributed their time and effort towards this revision. In particular, we are grateful to Edward Tao for providing the inspiration to restructure the information from the original paper into this far more readable format. We also thank Jonathan Ma for offering numerous suggestions which prompted significant improvements to both the form and the content of this paper. Any errors which may remain, despite all efforts to the contrary, are solely the responsibility of the authors.
The authors
: Yang Yuhong is completing his doctoral degree in Statistics from Yale University and will soon begin teaching the subject at Iowa State University. Ni Peihua is leader of the Scientific Division of the International Yan Xin Qigong Association and will complete his doctoral degree in Medical Anthropology at the University of Connnecticut at the end of 1996. Lee Bradbury has studied both Computer Science (University of Arizona) and Philosophy (Brown University) at the graduate level and has been practicing Chinese qigong for over ten years.For additional information on qigong, please visit the University of Pennsylvania Yan Xin Qigong web page.
1996© Copyright Lee Bradbury. All rights reserved.
Exploring the Mechanisms of Qigong Healing by Dr. Yan Xin
From the PENN site:
(1987, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. © 2000, Dr. Yan Xin)
The effects of qigong have been well documented in scientific qigong research both inside and outside of China. It has been definitively established that qigong can cure diseases and induce a number of extraordinary functions in human beings.
What are the reasons for these qigong effects and what are the mechanisms through which qigong achieves these effects? Scientists inside and outside of China are currently exploring these questions and it is proving difficult to obtain a complete answer. Based on my experience, I will discuss the ten mechanisms through which qigong achieves it healing effects.
1. Ideally Improving and Regulating the Functions of the Nervous System
The average person has about fourteen to fifteen billion brain cells, but usually uses only four to five percent and never more than thirty percent of these cells. With aging, people can have memory failure, yet eighty to ninety percent of their brain cells remain unused at their time of death. How can we develop and utilize these usually idle brain cells? It has been observed that after a person enters into a qigong state, the neurons in the deep layers of the cerebrum also enter into an excited state. As shown by electro-encephalographic observations, in a qigong state the excited brain cells in the deep layers of the cerebrum generate relatively strong bio-electric currents. These currents affect the regions of the brain where consciousness is focused.
As a result, the bio-electric currents in these regions are likely to be further enhanced. Within the whole body this creates a special state in which the protein collagen in body fluids forms a collective entity or a collective entity of micro-particles. The collagen micro-particles in the regions of mental concentration become charged collagen due to the strong currents in the brain.
In this way the bio-electric activity in the brain, as well as the activity of the brain cells, is enhanced. This allows the nerve cells of the deep layers of the brain to release more energy through the influence of qigong practice. In other words, qigong practice activates the unused eighty to ninety percent of our brain cells by strengthening the brain's bio-electric currents. After this activation, various functional abilities are realized. Some call this "Wisdom Qigong," "Wisdom Enhancement Qigong," or the "Intelligence Cultivation Technique." Qigong practice often helps students improve their grades and researchers achieve success.
((((Possibly a connection between conscious and unconscious????)))))
((((How about eradicating the errors in the brain software, and to extinct the misery????)))))
One experiment used an encephalogram to measure whether adults and senior citizens regain the frequency response of their youth after practicing qigong. When adults and senior citizens enter a qigong state, the encephalogram's peak value rises, while its frequency is slowed. These are characteristics of children's encephalograms. This a very important discovery. Although one's encephalogram may change with rest or physical activity, it can never be improved to the level of a child except through qigong practice.
Qigong is an ideal practice for cultivating mental potential. Qigong can also slow down and regulate the activity of the sympathetic nervous system. This regulates and improves the functions of the cerebral and spinal column nerves. Patients with neurasthenia and mental disease, including psychosis and schizophrenia, may greatly improve their condition by practicing qigong. Experiments indicate that, in a qigong state, the range of brain waves is lessened and micro-circulation in the forehead is enhanced.
Through qigong, functions of the frontal lobe of the cerebrum are improved. Some think that the biological support for extra-sensory perception (ESP) lies in the frontal lobe, but very few of us know for sure about the function of the frontal lobe in the forehead area. Experiments involving children with ESP, using hidden characters and images on pieces of folded paper, show that the children usually see the characters or images on a small square screen-like space inside their foreheads. Powers of fluoroscoping (X-ray vision), clairvoyance, and psychokinesis (transporting objects with the mind) are thought to be based on the special functions of the frontal lobe.
Studies of people in a qigong state show that their cerebral cortex calms to a condition of very protective suppression. In a normal condition the cerebral cortex remains in this suppression for a maximum of fourteen to sixteen seconds in a twenty-four hour time period. Although one sleeps every day, most sleep time is spent in a dream state, so the cerebral cortex rests only fourteen to sixteen seconds, and most sleeping time is spent in a dream state. Only through qigong practice can one prolong cerebral cortex resting time. This is how my martial arts teacher Master Haideng, who did not sleep for over sixty years, was able to remain physically strong. Practicing qigong seems to improve micro-circulation of the cerebrum. This cannot be obtained through any other kind of practice. The brain's deeply layered cerebral cells are enriched with blood during qigong practice.
As mentioned above, bio-electric currents are strengthened, and relevant functions of the cerebral nervous system are activated, regulated, and improved. Qigong is an ideal practice for activating bio-energy in the cerebrum and stimulating relevant functions to cultivate mental potential.
2. Ideally Improving and Regulating the Functions of the Circulatory System
It has been observed that a person in a qigong state automatically regulates their blood supply. During a qigong state one needs less blood, so their blood supply is reduced and their heart gets a rest. When certain parts of the body need more blood, one's blood supply is increased.
This is impossible for a non-qigong practitioner to achieve. Qigong can also change the responsive functions of blood vessels, making them very sensitive. When the heart contracts the vessels immediately dilate, and when the heart dilates blood vessels immediately contract. This response enables vessel elasticity to not weaken with age. In this manner one can avoid coronary disease, arterial sclerosis, or stroke at a young age. It has also been discovered that qigong practice improves the blood micro-circulation of the whole body. This is effective in maintaining good body shape and tone.
Being in a qigong state or coming into contact with a qigong master can significantly elevate one's red blood cell count. Guang Ming Daily, a major Chinese newspaper that focuses on science and culture, published a report entitled "Qigong is Scientific." It described an experiment conducted by a research institute in the Chinese province of Zhejiang. The experiment tested changes in red blood cell counts of patients who had come into contact with a qigong master. After the qigong master emitted qi, a patient's red blood cell count immediately rose and continued to rise afterwards, while the master's red blood cell count decreased. What caused this phenomenon? It has been suggested that the energy level of the external qi emitted by the master was sufficiently high to enhance the functions of the blood-generating system, such as the bone marrow. This caused an increase in the patient's red blood cell count. The qigong master's blood count decreased since he was using energy and qi, causing his red blood cell count to decrease. He was only able to recover afterwards through constant qigong practice.
Shanghai Research Institute for Hypertension reported a study on one hundred cases of patients with hypertension. After five minutes of qigong practice, their blood pressure began to drop. After twenty minutes of qigong practice, their blood pressure dropped to the level it would normally be three hours after taking blood pressure reducing medication. Ninety seven patients were completely cured and three had relapses.
There are many examples of hypertension patients being cured by qigong. A female army physician suffered from high blood pressure of one hundred and seventy eight over ninety eight, and her daughter asked me to treat her mother's hypertension. I took the daughter's watch, went to the sink to get a glass of tap water, and asked her, "Do you dare to drink this glass of water?" In China, unboiled water is considered unsanitary, especially by people in the medical profession. But she said "I do," took the glass from me and drank it. As soon as she finished drinking, I told her to run home and take her mother's blood pressure. Soon she called and told me that her mother's pressure had dropped to a normal one hundred and twenty over eighty, and her headache was gone as well! Their home was about two hundred yards from mine and the treatment time was about fifteen minutes, indicating that qigong cures hypertension -- and it does it fast!
Qigong can also drop one's blood pressure as low as if one were in a state of shock. A party secretary of Chongqing city sent a group to investigate my typical qigong patient treatment at the Chongqing Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine. They had been writing about my seemingly miraculous treatments and called me an elf-like physician. This group was specifically sent to investigate my distant diagnosis and fluoroscopy. They asked me to illustrate distant control, and Mr. Chen Yunjong who worked in the City Health Bureau, offered to receive remote treatment from me for the experiment. I told him I might hurt him, but he said he was not afraid. "We have already investigated you, and all the things we heard about you are true. However, people say you can exercise physical control over patients from a distance, and, since I don't believe it, please let me try," he said earnestly. I had him stay in the inside room of a suite while I was in the outside room. I told him to stand by the window watching the Yangtze river with an empty mind. After a while, I asked him from my room, "Any reaction?" He was ready to pass out, but still pretended that he was all right and said, "Nothing!" Then I said, "Good!" As soon as I finished speaking he shouted, "I feel awful, wait a moment!" He collapsed on the floor. He was soaked with sweat; his face was pale; his pulse was too weak to be felt; and his breath was almost undetectable. These reactions occurred because stimulants in the blood were decreased, causing a sharp drop in blood pressure.
Investigators have observed that after practicing qigong, one's blood corticosteroid level rises while beta-estradiol drops. This condition prevents aging, and also causes a drop in blood sugar levels. That is why diabetic patients who attend a qigong lecture, or come in contact with a qigong master, achieve normal or significantly reduced sugar levels in their blood and urine.
It has also been found that those who attend qigong lectures and meet the master have the levels of trace elements in their body regulated and improved. Some experiments on aging have found that longevity has little to do with one's nutrition or many of the components of blood. The proportion of red blood cells, white blood cells, and hemoglobin are practically the same in the young and old. However, old people do have less trace elements than young people. This indicates that trace elements are closely related to the length of life. Among the fourteen trace elements in the human body, zinc is the most essential. According to some experiments, attending a qigong lecture, or meeting a qigong master, can significantly increase one's zinc level. Zinc is somehow related to the activity of the eighty enzymes in the body. Enzymes play an important role in the body's biochemical and physiological processes. Increased zinc levels do more than just prolong life, since the eighty enzymes have many functions. So, we say that qigong practice promotes health, nutrition, and effective treatment for illness through the improvement of these eighty enzymes.
Experiments also show decreased dopamine and beta-hydroxyl levels in the blood after qigong practice. Other components of the blood can also be modified. Therefore, some say qigong is effective in treating certain blood or circulatory system illnesses.
3. Ideally Improving the Functions of the Respiratory System
After a person enters a qigong state, the consumption of oxygen decreases, while at the same time the lung's ability to absorb oxygen increases. As well, the capacity of tissues in the whole body to store oxygen, and the capacity of the lungs is enhanced. Consequently, qigong practice is much better than athletic training. A long distance runner has lungs with large capacities, but also consumes large amounts of oxygen, and as a result cannot stay underwater for very long. If a person has advanced training in internal qigong and practices breathing methods, they can stay underwater for an extended period of time. Some people are able to stay alive while being buried underground in a coffin for six to seven days. It is difficult to explain this phenomenon according to the lung capacity and oxygen needs of an ordinary person. However it is explainable from a qigong perspective.
In a qigong state, a qigong practitioner does not need much oxygen. Qigong increases inhaling efficiency and expands the storage capacity of the lung tissues. Qigong also decreases the consumption of oxygen. Anyone who practices qigong knows that fresh air is not needed to practice qigong. Some masters practice in small smoke-filled caves which lack oxygen. The point is, they don't need much oxygen while in a qigong state.
I treated a patient who was dependent on an oxygen tank. Our meeting started with a chat. A while into our chat, he pulled the oxygen tube out of his nostrils and has never used it again. Later, I explained to him, "as soon as I saw you, I emitted qi to you in order to enable you to consume less and breathe in more oxygen. In fact, there are large amounts of oxygen in the air, much more than what is in your oxygen tank. Force feeding you oxygen from the oxygen tank does not help solve the problem when you cannot inhale efficiently." Qigong is an ideal means to improve and regulate the respiratory system.
4. Ideally Improving and Regulating the Function of the Digestive System
Qigong regulates the functions of the digestive system in two ways. The effect of qigong on the human body results in an increase in the secretion of saliva, intestinal fluids, and stomach fluids. Qigong also causes an increase in stomach and intestine peristalsis, thereby augmenting chemical and mechanical digestion. Qigong practitioner's saliva contains a greater percentage of lysozyme, an enzyme which can inhibit and destroy bacteria. These self-dispensing antibiotics play a role in curing oral infection, laryngitis, gastro-enteritis, etc. However, they do not have the side-effects of pharmaceutical antibiotics.
A qigong practitioner's saliva also contains many substances like amylase, protein, and trace elements. Saliva produced during a qigong state is called "golden essence and jade fluid." Do not spit saliva out after qigong practice, swish the saliva in the mouth, then swallow it. Some methods call for swishing thirty-six times, biting the upper and lower teeth thirty-six times, and rotating the tongue in the mouth thirty-six times.
When in a qigong state, stomach and intestine secretions increase, yet pH value is automatically regulated. One may question whether the stomach's gastric mucous membrane is eroded by the increased amount and concentration of gastric acid, and whether it induces gastritis. In fact, those with gastritis and duodenal ulcers don't have to worry because the increased gastric fluid has the right pH value. The stomach and intestinal secretions induced by qigong practice have nutritious substances not found in a non-qigong practitioner. At certain stages of practice some qigong practitioners eat very little or do not eat at all. This is because they are capable of transforming energy and making full use of stored energy to keep themselves alive. A few even do not drink water, for water can be absorbed through the skin pores.
One may question how a person can live without food. First, the gastric and intestinal fluid of qigong practitioners contain many nutrients. Second, everyone has nutrients stored in the body; yet most people do not know how to transform and utilize them. Three, five, twenty, or more days may pass without eating food, yet one can still be energized by absorbing self-transformed high energy substances. It is not a question of eating, but rather of absorbing nutrients in a different manner. One can utilize the body's accumulated nutrition and transfer it to gastric and intestinal fluids for high quality nourishment. This also improves the digestive system.
In addition, the qigong state strengthens intestinal peristalsis and improves micro-circulation, especially of the small intestine. In this way both digestion and absorption are greatly improved. Due to poor absorption, much of the nutrition from the food that a non-qigong practitioner eats is evacuated in the stools. The wonder of qigong practice is that it enables a qigong practitioner to efficiently absorb the nutrition in the food so not much food is needed to maintain a high energy level.
Qigong practitioners do not merely absorb nutrients through their mouth and nose. They can use many other ways to absorb high energy substances for nourishment. Water, for instance, does not have to enter only through the mouth. Light does not have to enter only through our eyes. (Like a plant that requires light for photosynthesis, light also has a function in our body.) A qigong practitioner absorbs high energy substances from the universe that are unavailable to others. In this manner one can eat less, or even not eat for a length of time, and still maintain a high energy level. When the absorption of high energy substances is enhanced one may go without food for a long period of time. That is why qigong is an ideal way to improve the digestive system of the body.
5. Ideally Improving the Function of the Endocrine System
Experiments have shown that entering a qigong state can significantly improve endocrine function. This regulates the levels of certain hormones in the human body, lengthening the period of hormone secretions. A qigong practitioner's metabolism of adrenaline or demethylated adrenaline decreases, the secretion of corticosteroid and growth hormone drops, but the period of secretion is lengthened. When I say drop or decrease, I do not imply insufficiency, but that less is needed and the secretion period is extended. Some women, upon attaining the age of forty-nine or so, experience their internal secretions becoming dysfunctional -- their ovarian secretions decrease and they stop having their period. However, some women over the age of sixty can still bear children because their period of ovarian hormone secretion has been prolonged. Endocrine dysfunction, which causes menopausal syndrome, can be regulated and corrected through qigong practice. In addition, young girls aged fourteen to eighteen who do not have regular periods can help regulate their endocrine system if they or their parents practice qigong.
Diseases such as myocarditis and arthritis are not easily cured, and steroids are often used in treatment. Steroids are also used for advanced stage cancer patients. Yet, steroids are present in the human body and are secreted by the endocrine system. The overall health of a person, male or female, is closely related to their hormonal level. This level can be ideally regulated through qigong practice. Some arthritis sufferers find their joint pain alleviated or improved after attending a qigong lecture. I think this may be due to the effect of hormones. Steroid medication commonly relieves arthritis pain immediately and modifies the symptoms. But too much steroid medication will affect hormonal levels and bring on side effects such as a swollen face ("full moon face"), and the massive growth of muscles on the back ("water buffalo back"). Qigong practice does not bring on these side effects for it automatically regulates the hormonal level. Elevated need of hormones leads to more secretion, and decreased need leads to less secretion accompanied by an extended period of secretion.
6. The Capacity to Affect Changes in Muscular and Skeletal Systems
Practicing qigong can help prevent early aging of the skeleton. As one ages, the amount of collagen in the skeleton decreases, while the amount of calcium increases. This causes bones to become more brittle and less flexible, and is why older people often break their bones when they fall. However, at the age of eighty-seven, my martial arts teacher Master Haideng still practiced "Tongzi Gong" (Young Child Skill), which was one of his four ingenious abilities. With this ability, he could jump up and down from a ten foot tall stump with no difficulty. His whole body was as flexible and soft as a child's, and his skeleton and tendons did not age, become stiff, or become rigid. This was quite a remarkable achievement.
Qigong practice pays special emphasis to the exercise of the bones. After birth, bones grow in four places in the human body: the teeth, the frontal cranial bone, and the two patellae in the knees. Some qigong practitioners practice biting their teeth and "kowtow" (dropping on both knees and hitting the frontal cranial bone on the floor) to strengthen these post-natal bones. Ancient qigong masters teach qigong using the method of punishment--if a student forgets a movement or makes a mistake, their punishment is to kowtow. The more one kowtows, the more they realize it is a form of qigong practice. For a qigong practitioner, the amount of collagen in the bones does not decrease with age. Growing older will not result in premature aging or degenerative changes in the bones. Osteoporosis can also be corrected through qigong in this manner.
Mrs. Yang, a forty or fifty year old woman from Liaoning province, China, had osteoporosis at the patellae of her knees. Her husband brought her to me, and I recognized that she had two very visible osteophytes measuring about three inches. I told her right away, "My treatment is very different. You are expected to be very adventurous!" "Certainly!" she replied. Then I told her, "You must comply with my orders!" "Of course, I will!" she continued. Then I said, "First let me test you. Go out for a walk and run and then come back for my treatment. Are you willing to do this?" "I am," she answered as she left. This was during the evening, and she was wearing high-heeled shoes. Her husband was afraid she would fall. I told him, "Leave her alone." After thirty minutes she ran back in high spirits. She remarked that the more she ran, the better she felt. Her husband saw her and shouted "Sit down quickly! Sit down quickly! Move around and see if you are completely recovered." His outburst spoiled the entire healing by asking the wrong question. As a result, the qigong signals I transmitted to her were diminished. In order to compensate, I told her to go out a second time, not as a punishment, but so I could transmit more signals to her. This time her husband knew better than to interfere. When she returned her legs were normal.
Another case involved a girl with an S-shaped spinal column who was almost refused admission to graduate school because of her condition. Her father invited me to their home. They knew that I treat patients by chatting with them. When I entered the house her father said to me, "You can see my daughter's lumbar vertebrae." He did not dare mention the word "sick"--I do not want patients telling me about their illness. This can reinforce the signal of being sick and make the problem more difficult to cure. When I heard the father's comment, I immediately responded, "Nothing is the matter, the vertebrae are normal!" Her mother interrupted and tried to explain her daughter's illness, but the father interrupted by saying, "Quickly look at our daughter's spinal column! Dr. Yan Xin said that nothing is the matter, it must be fine!" The mother quickly pulled up the back of the daughter's blouse. To her surprise, she found the spinal column looking normal and very straight. This shows that qigong can affect the bones of the body. Osteoporosis can be improved through qigong practice as well. Of course, not all osteoporosis can or should be eliminated for there are some that serve a protective purpose.
(((((Relation to Jesus Christ's Miracles????))))((((Sounds like it!))))
(((((((Also, Issue of Faith!)))))
Qigong can exert a tremendous influence over the muscular motion system. Practicing internal qigong is better than practicing martial arts since qigong can produce large amounts of enkephalin in the brain and intestinal walls, and excite the body's morphine receptors to accept the enkephalin easily. Enkephalin is a naturally occurring substance of the endorphin family present in the human body. Everyone has this substance, but ordinarily does not produce much of it. Under the influence of qigong one can produce large amounts of enkephalin. Its analgesic or pain relieving effect is many times more effective than that of morphine. A good qigong practitioner is not afraid of being hit or beaten because muscle reflex is decreased under the influence of enkephalin. Furthermore, through qigong, one can produce strong magnetic signals which have anesthetic and analgesic effects. This might explain certain qigong abilities such as Golden Bell Shield and Iron Cotton Clothes that protect one from being hurt during car accidents or physical confrontations.
((((((A case of anicca.. on gross sensation in Vippasana?)))))
(((((( Also, a case of woman in W. James, who was punished but did not feel pain?????))))))
The limbs, and especially the arms, of qigong practitioners are particularly strong. Influenced by qigong, the muscular tension of extensors and flexors are strengthened while the period of constant exercise is extended. An internal qigong practitioner may have ten times the muscular strength of a martial artist. Generally speaking, a punch by a martial arts expert is about several hundred pounds of force. However a good internal qigong practitioner with focused consciousness, qi, and force, can easily throw a punch of over a thousand pounds of force, or even several thousand pounds of force. Using his index and middle fingers, in one stroke, Master Haideng could poke into a big bundle of sand wrapped in cow hide and hemp sacking. There is a saying by some ancient masters, "To learn martial arts without internal qigong, one will regret this for life. To learn internal qigong without martial arts, one will enjoy countless wonderful benefits."
In Chengdu City I met two men, Zhou and Chen, who practiced martial arts. When they discovered that I practice internal qigong, they wanted to learn from me. They followed me for more than ten years but never got a chance to learn from me. Finally in 1984, I went back home and found them to be very sincere. They had done many good deeds, so I asked, "Xiao Zhou, you have studied martial arts for about ten years. How many times can you lift your sixty pound dumbbells? Two hands at the same time and strictly following the form?" He replied, "I can do fifty times at a stretch when I do it properly. If I do it intermittently and slowly I can do four to five hundred times," he answered. I interrupted, "You should do at least two thousand repetitions in a stretch!" I said just this one sentence while emitting quite strong qi to him. He was not paying attention, but smiled at me and said, "It would be great if I could do two thousand times." A few days later Chen reported to me that Zhou became incredible--after he went home he was able to do two thousand times in a stretch. What is more, once he started punching with the dumbbell, he could not stop, as if he was having spontaneous movements. I then told Chen to give Zhou a message that he should be able to add another fifteen hundred. Before long I was told that he could do thirty-five hundred punches in a stretch. Where did he get this strength? From excited qi energy.
In terms of high level qigong, the changes in the muscular and skeletal systems are quite special and very mysterious because the strength of certain parts of the body can be increased many times immediately.
7. Adjusting Skin Temperature and Controlling the Body Temperature Center
After practicing qigong, some people can lick a red hot steel plate or hold red hot charcoals. Some can even walk on fire or dip their hands in boiling oil. The explanation behind these feats is that skin temperature can be adjusted. Quite a number of people use qigong practice to bring down fever. I experimented with teaching a patient how to reduce fever. He practiced the qigong method I taught him, and the more he practiced, the better he felt. He said he felt a current of qi flowing in his body, starting in his thumb, until the sickness qi was expelled out of his body.
When he used to get a common cold he would treat it by taking medicine. The method I taught him was to sit still and practice qigong, thinking, "Bring down my fever, I am having a fever." Subsequently, his fever was gone. This is because he entered into a qigong state and received signals from me.
Another example happened when I was conducting qigong experiments in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. A patient in Beijing suddenly became very sick with an unbearable stomach ache. His wife phoned me in Shenzhen from Beijing to ask for my help. I told her to immediately ask her husband how he felt. The husband answered that he was feeling much better. I asked her three times, after the third time her husband said his symptoms were almost gone. The following morning, they called to tell me that the symptoms disappeared and the body temperature was completely normal. Using qigong methods to adjust skin temperature and the body temperature center is very rapid.
8. Adjusting the Electric Potential of the Skin and Changing the Electrical Resistance of the Body
After entering a qigong state, a qigong master can use his consciousness to adjust the electric potential and electrical resistance between the two sides of a human body. This includes wave form, wave amplitude, phase, and period, etc. I have conducted experiments in which I hold a two hundred and thirty volt live electric wire in my right hand and the ground wire in the other hand. Anyone who understands electricity is aware that when a two hundred and thirty volt alternating current live wire is connected to the ground wire through a human body, it will cause the heart to stop beating in one thousandth of a second. I have conducted experiments in which I adjusted the electric resistance and potential between the two hands so the body is not harmed by the current. I have used this method to practice qigong, which can also offer benefits.
The human heart can benefit from an electric current, especially if someone has cerebral hypoxia (insufficient supply of oxygen to the brain). Once the current passes through their body, their brain starts to have sufficient blood flow. In Jilin province I treated an elderly patient from the Ministry of Petroleum who suffered from atria tremor. Within one minute of the current passing through him, the atria tremor symptoms suddenly disappeared.
In another qigong electricity experiment, I let live electricity (two hundred and thirty volts of alternating current) pass from me to another person. I held the live wire, and he held the ground wire. When I touched him with my hand, his hand was tingling. If this were a rigged experiment, he would not feel the tingling. The electric stylus lit up when touching my body, showing a voltage. But the electric stylus did not light up when touching his body, showing no voltage. These phenomena demonstrated that the electricity followed my direction. After going through my body, the voltage of the electricity dropped below thirty-six volts. This is why he was not harmed even though he felt the voltage. Then I asked a third person to hold the live wire and let him touch the person holding the ground wire. Both felt the tingling, but when we tested both of them with an electric stylus, the stylus did not light up. There was no voltage reading for either of them. Although I was not touching the wire, I was able to lower the voltage. Furthermore, I can regulate the voltage by will, from two hundred and twenty volts to one volt. When electric current passes through their bodies, some people can close their eyes and see lights flashing in their heads. This is equivalent to the qigong practice of opening one's heavenly eye. The opening of the heavenly eye can be achieved through qigong practice. This experiment is very simple, intuitive, and convincing. It documents extrasensory function of using qigong ability to regulate electric voltage.
9. Ideally Improving and Regulating the Immune Function of the Body
Qigong can improve and regulate the immune function of the body. This includes blood immunity, cellular immunity and non-specific immunity. Research discovered that qigong practice or contact with a qigong master significantly increased the count, phagocytic capacity (ability to destroy harmful substances), and the phagocytic index of white blood cells, as well as the count of eosimophile (therapeutic bacteria). The body's resistance to disease as well as immune functions are naturally strengthened through qigong practice.
In experiments on white mice, researchers discovered that qigong's external qi, including "message water" (plain tap water treated by a qigong master), can raise the phagocytic rate of spleen lymphocytes. Another research group observed that external qi increases the rate of DNA formation from lymphocytes in the peripheral blood. This enhances the power of lymphocyte SCE (sisterly chromosomes single body exchange rate) in humans. The same experiment with white mice increased their specific coagulant count in blood serum.
I once treated a patient from Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, who suffered from Behcet's syndrome. His immune functions were severely degraded, and the mucosa of his body were completely eroded. In December of 1987, he came to Beijing to see me. After meeting him for a few minutes, I suggested that he sleep in a single room, temporarily separated from his wife. After seven days, he reported to me that by the second day, he felt his condition was markedly improved. His symptoms of mucosal erosion completely disappeared on the third day. During the treatment he also acquired many extrasensory functions. He could hear infrasonic waves and developed fluoroscopic ability. He now works in Shenyang City as a teacher. A Chinese TV station actually interviewed him. On October 4, 1988 he took part in his school's Track and Field events. He won first place in a long distance run, and third place in the long jump. Prior to qigong treatment, he was suffering with abnormal blood, very low immunity, and an extremely weakened body. He could not even walk. After my qigong treatment in December 1987, he transformed into an entirely new person.
To summarize, qigong affects a human body and adjusts and improves the immune system. The effects of qigong are also automatically adjusted. When the body needs increased immunity, it increases, and when the body needs decreased immunity, it decreases. Qigong's effect on immunity is bi-directional. It can both terminate and promote bacteria growth. This is an element of qigong that often cannot be achieved through medicine.
10. Causing Human Beings to Emit External Qi and Transfer Energy
After a person practices qigong, their bodily functions are enhanced, and they may be able to release high energy substances, transfer energy, or emit external qi. If one can emit external qi, they will be able to change the state and characteristics of living organisms. For instance, one can make seeds sprout and flowers blossom ahead of time, and mushrooms grow unusually large. It has been reported that after emitting his external qi, a qigong master in Yunnan Province grew a mushroom that weighed over two pounds.
Experiments on the effects of qigong on plant chromosomes have found positive and negative effects, both protective and destructive. In Beijing, Bao Guiwen, a qigong master, collaborated with Prof. Feng Lida, deputy superintendent of the General Hospital of the Chinese Navy, on a qigong experiment on bacteria. They found that external qi can either terminate or promote bacteria growth. One can also transfer illness from humans to animals or plants. Some people emitted their qi to a tree, causing the tree to become sick. It's leaves and skin exhibited strange phenomena.
In Tsinghua University I was successful with similar experiments on people. Professor Zhu Runsheng suffered with edema. Her legs were swollen and spongy, and could be indented if one pressed their fingers on them. Six people were present during this treatment. One of them was her teenage son Lu Qiang. During the treatment, I chatted with Prof. Zhu. Her boy went to the bathroom about six times while we were talking. Finally Lu Qiang asked me, "Uncle Yan, what's wrong with me? Today I ate dry rice and drank nothing. Why did I have to go to the bathroom six times, and every time passing such a large amount of water? Do you think I suffer from nephritis? You had better treat me for it." I said, "Don't worry about it." Then I suggested that Prof. Zhu roll up her pants and let me examine her legs. Her legs were no longer swollen and could not be indented. The water in Prof. Zhu's legs was expelled through the boy.
In Liaoning province I had a similar experience. I warned the Chairman of the Liaoning Qigong Association not to personally introduce patients to me. Signals would pass through and affect him. This is especially true for an elderly person, but he would not listen. One day, he insisted on introducing a patient with gallstones to me. As soon as he mentioned the patient's name, his gall bladder became painful. Finally, he told me, "Dr. Yan, don't punish me. My gall bladder is really painful and that is no exaggeration. You must treat it for me!"
Using qigong, electricity can be transmitted without electrical wires. In 1987 in Beijing, I was in a car which would not start. The battery was dead, even the horn wouldn't work. The driver called for a new battery, but could not get one quickly. I said, "Maybe I can think of a solution. Let me try." I looked up and saw a high voltage line nearby. I thought, "Can we transmit a little electricity down here?" Suddenly the front of the car began to smoke. It was so hot that one's hand could be scorched by touching the car. My driver was very scared and we rushed out of the car. There was too much electricity sent to the car! We feared that if the gas in the car ignited, there would be a terrible explosion. I was only trying to get a little electricity from the high voltage line, but did not control the experiment very well. Due to the bi-directional effect of qigong, in a few minutes the smoke disappeared and the car cooled. I said to the driver, "Try to start the car, I am sure that it will run now." He turned the key and the car started--the car had been charged.
These examples demonstrate that the functional mechanisms of qigong are varied. The bi-directionality of qigong effects is the key to qigong healing. The above are the ten mechanisms through which qigong achieves its effects.