to a muscle or organ, a nutritional excess or defi-
ciency, a problem with the cranial-sacral-temporo-
mandibular joint (TMJ) mechanism, or an
imbalance in the meridian system. By testing indi-
vidual muscles the examiner can determine what
affects the relative strength of the muscle on the
basis of his or her knowledge of the basic mechan-
ics and physiological functioning of the body.
The second part of applied kinesiology involves
treatment. Balancing the malfunction may be
accomplished with nutrition, chiropractic, osteo-
pathic cranial techniques, acupuncture, myofascial
techniques, nervous system coordination proce-
dures, and other modalities. More information is
available at http://www.icak.com.
Kirlian photography A photographic technique
to produce images of the human electrical energy
field for diagnostic purposes. Developed in 1939
by the Russian electrician Semyon Kirlian and his
wife, Valentina, Kirlian photography with either a
single-plate or two-plate process reveals the qual-
ity of one’s energy by indicating one’s capacity to
resonate with the electrical frequency that passes
through the plate. Unbalanced yin and yang may
be determined, as well as effects of long-term med-
ication, the stage of cancer one may be in, and the
optimal fertile period during the menstrual cycle
of women who are having difficulty conceiving.
Safe for everyone except babies and individuals
with any metal implant, such as a pacemaker, in
their bodies, the technique is said to be helpful
also for people who have suffered emotional
trauma, such as divorce, or serious problems with
children or career.
Either Kirlian procedure simply requires pic-
tures of one’s hands and feet, or fingertips and toes.
The images that show up correspond to the
patient’s energy level on that particular day; if one
is in a total state of exhaustion, for example, no
image may appear. If a person is experiencing
intense feelings, the images may have “splines,”
referring to the fuzziness around the outlines of the
prints. A body logic counselor “reads” the Kirlian
images in terms of one’s amount of tension or
imbalance. Acupuncturists sometimes use Kirlian
photographs to enhance their diagnostic ability.
Krieger, Dolores A registered nurse and Ph.D.
who developed Therapeutic Touch, a healing tech-
nique employing the body’s electromagnetic field
and innate ability to heal. The author of books
including Accepting Your Power to Heal (Santa Fe,
N.M.: Bear & Company Publishing, 1993), she and
the natural healer Dora Van Gelden Kunz inter-
preted several ancient healing practices and estab-
lished Therapeutic Touch as an extension of
professional skills for persons in the health field. It
is now taught in more than 80 colleges and uni-
versities in the United States and in 67 other coun-
tries. Krieger is professor emerita at New York
University. Therapeutic Touch, which most often
induces deep relaxation, has been beneficial to
patients with headaches, burns, bone fractures,
asthma, reproductive ailments, cancer, acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and other ill-
nesses. Other books by Dolores Krieger are The
Therapeutic Touch: How to Use Your Hands to Help or to
Heal (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1979)
and Living the Therapeutic Touch: Healing as a Lifestyle.
See also BIOENERGETICS; THERAPEUTIC TOUCH.kripalu A form of yoga.
See also YOGA.Krishnamurti, Jiddu An Indian teacher and spiri-
tual leader (born in Madanapalle, India),
1895–1986, and former head of the Order of the
Star of the East, an organization founded by Annie
Besant (president of the Society, a group of clair-
voyants) and Charles Webster Leadbeater (one of
the chief lecturers in the Society). After dissolving
the order in 1929, Krishnamurti went on to travel
and lecture on topics including meditation, enlight-
enment, energy, passion, and other mind-body
concepts in the interest of promoting world peace.kriya See YOGA.ku The term in traditional Chinese medicine
referring to the bitter taste of herbs.Kübler-Ross, Elisabeth A medical doctor, psychia-
trist, proponent of mind-body medicine, interna-
tionally known thanatologist, and author of several72 Kirlian photography