Although no Western scientific evidence supports
the existence of angels, one can find phenomeno-
logical evidence. Many first-person accounts of
near-death occurrences involve angels and similar
experiences from people of different ages, from
diverse cultures, with different personal and reli-
gious beliefs.
Energy
The concept of energy has been recognized for cen-
turies, and in most cultures. Many ancient and cur-
rent cultures have great respect for the subtle and
unseen forces in life. Most spiritual traditions share the belief that energy is the
bridge between spirit and physical being. Meditation and prayer are believed to be
subtle energy phenomena that represent contact with the spiritual dimension.
Chinese Taoist scholars believed that energy, not matter, was the basic building
material of the universe. Albert Einstein and other physicists proved that matter and
energy are the same and that energy is not only the raw material of the cosmos but
also the glue that holds it together. Modern scientists now look at the universe in
terms of forces instead of tiny particles of matter. Their experimental findings are
similar to the intuitive observations of China’s ancient scholars. Everything in the
world—animate and inanimate—is made of energy. People are beings of energy, liv-
ing in a universe composed of energy.
Although Western scientists agree that energy comprises all things, when this notion
is applied to the human body they do not yet fully agree that a distinct energy sys-
tem exists within the physical body. In order for energy to be “real,” it must be
measurable by scientific instruments. By this logic, of course, brain waves did not
exist prior to the invention of EEG equipment! Since technology is not yet capable of
measuring all the energy fields in the body, references to energy are conspicuously
absent in conventional medicine. Some researchers believe that in the not-too-
distant future, Western scientists will begin to agree that humans are a matrix of
interacting multidimensional energy fields.
Life Force
For more than 2,000 years, various practitioners around the world have insisted that
a person is more than the physical body. According to these healers, a “life force” of
subtle energy surrounds and permeates every person. Energy is viewed as the force
CHAPTER 2 HOW DOES ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE WORK? 21
note
A number of books
provide more information
about angels including
Angels, an Endangered
Speciesby Malcolm
Godwin, A Book
of Angelsby Sophy
Burnham, and Many Lives, Many
Mastersby Brian Weiss.
