An Essay on Qigong

Discussion on the three big Chinese internals, Yiquan, Bajiquan, Piguazhang and other similar styles.

An Essay on Qigong

Postby KEND on Fri Aug 11, 2017 7:30 am

An Essay on Qigong
I decided recently to put on paper some ideas I had concerning the energy fields of the body. Like any esoteric subject it has attracted many seekers. With practitioners often claiming supernatural powers it has left itself open to cultism and fraudulence. That it helps the body stay healthy there is no doubt and the ability of some practitioners to help the body heal itself by modifying its force field is, in my experience, also beyond doubt. The point I would like to make is that these ‘miracles’ are not supernatural but come about through utilizing the natural properties of the body. I have had an interest in the paranormal all my life but in the last half century have focused on the energetic body relating it to the martial arts and healing. Most of the research has been on the Chinese methods but I have also found parallels in other cultures.
The cultivation of energy goes back to the beginning of human history. The early sun worshippers and pantheists were well aware of the earth and sky energies. Later shamans used a range of energy techniques including visualization, energy projection and altered states of consciousness for healing both physically and psychologically, for divination and maintaining a world view that contained many earth spirits and other entities. Many of these are still practiced in the indigenous tribes of the Americas and Siberia, also by Taoists and Shintoists in the East.
Qigong, broadly defined in Chinese as ‘Energy work’, originated as shamanic or folk healing techniques . A common belief was that healing could be achieved by ritual, dance, exercises and plant medicine which influence and balance ‘Qi’, an all pervading life force. In China Taoist techniques such as the Five Animal Play date back to the Han Dynasty [206 BCE to 220 CE]. Qigong in China was generally classified as Medical, Martial or Spiritual. Medical and Martial parallel each other, similar techniques being used for healing and martial purposes. Spiritual Qigong added Buddhist and Taoist meditation and ritual, the purpose being to achieve enlightenment through connecting with the universal energy field, often indistinguishable from purely religious practices. Spiritual Qigong could also be used for healing through prayer and projecting intent through space [distant healing]
Chinese medicine consists of several forms of therapy but the overall idea is to balance the energy fields in the body. These include Herbal medicine, Massage, Acupuncture and Qigong. The Chinese energy model for the body postulates three energy fields for the body, called ‘Tan Tiens’ and a network of energy paths [meridians] with specific energetic points. We will be dealing primarily with the energy fields, and cultivation of energy for Qigong. The following is based on my own experiences and research into the literature on the subject. There may be divergence from the classical literature where I attempt to explain phenomena in terms of modern science in order to create a science based paradigm. My interpretation is that a very small electromagnetic field is created by the interaction of the electric fields of cells and the magnetic fields created by blood flow. Blood is paramagnetic due to the presence of iron oxide, the field is very small but appears to play a significant role in the overall health of the body. Another phenomenon that relates to this is ‘grounding’ where the body has physical contact with the earth and the field is changed in a manner beneficial to the body.
The Lower Tan Tien is associated with the abdomen, the field approximately spherical in shape bounded by, but penetrating the peritoneum, extending out to and beyond the fascia. This is where the energy derived from food is processed. This area is concerned with self help, getting energy derived from nutrition into the bloodstream and maintaining the organs involved in this process. Methods for this may include exercises for circulation, bones, tendons and muscles. The use of breathing techniques, visualization and intent brings increased blood flow to the layers of membrane, muscle and fascia.
The Middle Tan Tien is a field associated with the chest cavity, the field approximately spherical in shape bounded by, but penetrating the membrane surrounding the lungs and extending beyond the fascia. This field is by far the strongest, containing the heart and major arterial and venous distribution channels. This is where the energy derived from respiration is transferred into the blood stream. The Middle Tan Tien is used for energy projection and healing. Methods for cultivating this field include exercises which use the muscles associated with the torso including those used in respiration, expanding the abdominal and chest cavities to increase lung capacity. In addition, the blood flow is increased to the membrane, muscle layers and fascia. It appears that the body acts as an oscillator producing an electromagnetic field that can be radiated. For projection there are separate exercises that connect the energy field to the hand, which uses palm and fingers to transmit energy and others which can vary the frequency of vibration. Another property of the electromagnetic field is that it can absorb energy from its surroundings, I have experienced this subjectively but have not seen any studies to back it up.
The Upper Tan Tien is a field associated with the skull cavity, the field approximately spherical in shape bounded by, but penetrating, the membrane surrounding the brain and extending out beyond the fascia. The Upper Tan Tien is used for connecting to exterior fields, prayer, spiritual cultivation and distant healing. The mechanism is different to that of electromagnetic field projection, it appears to be independent of distance. I have seen enough examples of its use to know it exists but it appears to defy the laws of physics. One suggestion is that it works at a quantum level as in the experiments on ‘quantum entanglement’ but this is still conjecture. Training includes meditation, visualization and mind intent, some techniques are similar to those used in Yoga for developing kundalini energy. It is important to have a teacher experienced in this training since misapplication can have a devastating effect on the mind.
Sources
Alternative Biophysics: Savva, Savely
A New Science of Life: Sheldrake, Rupert
Beneficial Effects of Electromagnetic Fields: Basset, C. A.
The Body Electric: Becker, Robert O. & Selden, Gary.
Cross Currents: Becker, Robert O.
Chinese Qigong Outgoing Qi Therapy Bi, Yongsheng,
Chinese Medical Qigong: Liu, Tianjun and Chen, Kevin W.,
Kundalini the evolutionary energy in man: Gopi Krishna
Limitless Mind: Targ, Russel
Measuring entanglement entropy in a quantum many-body system.
Islam R, Ma R, Nature. Dec 3 2015
Mind-Reach: Bach, Richard Targ, Russel Puthoff, Harold E.
Quantum Biology healing with subtle energy: Rein, Glen
The Brain, the story of you: Eagleman, David
The Effect of Earthing (Grounding) on Human Physiology. Chevalier, G., Mori, K. and Oschman, J.L. (2006) European Biology and Bioelectromagnetics,
The Healer Within: by Jahnke, Roger
The Heart's Code: Pearsall, Paul
The Intention Experiment: McTaggart, Lynne
The Large, the Small and the Human Mind: Penrose, Roger
KEND
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Re: An Essay on Qigong

Postby windwalker on Fri Aug 11, 2017 7:32 am

If you broke it up a little might be easier to read for some of the old guys ;)



some studies
http://www.indiana.edu/~brain/measuring ... n-tai-chi/
In June, 2006, my student Danny LaPlante and I recorded magnetic field activity in several Tai Chi classrooms during Dr. Paul Lam’s 1-week workshop in West Terre Haute, Indiana. Most interestingly, we observed the ‘chirp wave’ (described above) in each of the classes we recorded, including the advanced Sun 73 form, the Sword form, and the Fan form (Figure 1)

Image.


For those interested the author is very aprocable
and does respond to email.
Last edited by windwalker on Fri Aug 11, 2017 8:19 am, edited 7 times in total.
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Re: An Essay on Qigong

Postby everything on Fri Aug 11, 2017 10:20 am

Thanks a lot for this interesting essay.
amateur practices til gets right pro til can't get wrong
/ better approx answer to right q than exact answer to wrong q which can be made precise /
“most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. Source of all true art & science
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