My thoughts about Pleasant Shivering led to a long chat elsewhere on the net about various aspects of New Age and Eastern philosophies.
This morphed into a long discussion about 'energy' - and I said I'm sceptical about the various misuses of the term 'energy' I find scattered throughout the literature relating to meditation.
Someone said it was just a word, and words evolve. They used the example of 'blue' and noted its various meanings.
Now, I have no problem with using a word like 'blue' to describe colour, mood, or a style of music. Nobody can manipulate others by expanding the meaning of 'blue'.
But the concept denoted by the word 'energy' - when used correctly - is in a different class.
People are frequently manipulated by the sellers of New Age (and Old Age) 'energy fields' because they have no real understanding of what energy is.
An understanding of 'energy' - as used in physics - opens doors that lead to a deep understanding of how the physical universe functions. I think anything that muddies that potential understanding by reducing the explanatory power of the word is a Bad Thing.
But the concept denoted by the word 'energy' - when used correctly - is in a different class.
People are frequently manipulated by the sellers of New Age (and Old Age) 'energy fields' because they have no real understanding of what energy is.
An understanding of 'energy' - as used in physics - opens doors that lead to a deep understanding of how the physical universe functions. I think anything that muddies that potential understanding by reducing the explanatory power of the word is a Bad Thing.
01:46 PM
Recorded and YouTubed a new song: Thanksgiving Eve
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Am very eager to see how things go for you as you study these fields, John.
ReplyDeleteIt's all interesting stuff, Leslie. Do you talk about energy fields etc. in your work?
ReplyDeleteI work with energy in my field...it's hard to touch people and not get a sense of it...but I don't talk about it much or attempt to "change" it.
ReplyDeleteI could give you a very Western scientific description of energy in the human body and you'd say "Oh, well of course THAT exists". Chi and prana (two different names for the same thing, of course,the first being Chinese and the second Indian) are simply "energy". It's the same thing, it's just that different cultures have different beliefs on what you can do with it.
But you already knew all this, I'm sure.