Physicians Now Accepting Bioenergy More Readily

Just imagine: A patient is seen by his physician for chronic pain. The physician orders a few tests, pain medications and physical therapy. She also prescribes energy work by a local qigong healer. The physician tells the patient he needs to have energy work in order to completely heal.

This may sound a little far-fetched now, but this kind of medical care may happen in our lifetime.

The concept of bioenergy is common to most culturally based medical systems. Even in Western medicine, we measure bioenergy for diagnosis and use energy and energy-modifying medications for therapy. In China for more than 5,000 years, bioenergy called qigong has been the foundation of good health.

Seven years ago, I gave a lecture to a group of physicians on qigong energy. There was very little interest; indeed, the skepticism was overwhelming. Today, however, more physicians are interested in nontraditional medicine.

Recently, I organized another physician lecture on the clinical applications of qigong energy. The lecture was divided into two parts. I presented an in-depth discussion on the large body of scientific evidence that qigong actually exists: The effects of qigong are measurable, repeatable, and can be intentionally directed toward a specific target or person.

The second part of a lecture was given by Dr. Wan Su Jian. Dr. Wan has some very impressive credentials. He is a qigong master, Oriental medical physician, director of a hospital in Beijing and was Mao Zedong’s personal physician.

Dr. Wan explained the theory and clinical applications of qigong energy. At the end of the lecture, Dr. Wan and his associates went around the room and let the physicians personally experience the qigong energy that emanated from their hands.

The physicians felt warmth and feelings of relaxation. Some physicians experienced more – feeling energized, a sense of happiness and flashes of light, even though their eyes were closed.

At the end of the lecture there were many serious questions about the nature of qigong. A number of physicians asked where their patients could find qualified qigong practitioners. In stark contrast to my lecture seven years ago, some physicians even wanted to learn how to develop their own energy in order to help themselves and their patients.

My experiences with my first lecture on qigong led me to realize that some things need to be experienced before they can be appreciated. Qigong is a perfect example. Although my presentation on the science behind bioenergy was politely received, it wasn’t until the physicians had actually experienced bioenergy that they accepted its reality.

In the United States, bioenergy research is just beginning. Over the next 5 to 10 years, I believe we are going to see a considerable increase in bioenergy research and its clinical applications. Just as some dietary supplements, acupuncture and other nontraditional therapies are now part of Western medicine, I believe that bioenergy therapy and training will also become a valued component of the evolving nature of our medical system.

– Patrick B. Massey, M.D., Ph.D., is medical director for alternative and complementary medicine for Alexian Brothers Hospital Network.