Phenomenology
What does someone experience during energy healing? What can we learn across cultures about energy healing? How do people describe the felt experience of energy?Â
People who receive energy healing often describe a wide range of personal experiences that influence not only their physical or emotional symptoms but also their sense of self and their understanding of the world. These experiences are diverse and can feel deeply meaningful or even transformative. Many individuals report unusual bodily sensations or shifts in awareness that they interpret as forms of energy. While such reports do not explain how energy healing works, they offer insight into the inner experiences that shape how people engage with these practices. Researchers have begun to document and compare these accounts, noting recurring themes across different traditions and methods. Together, these traditions and emerging studies contribute to the broader idea of the biofield by linking ancient concepts of subtle energy with contemporary interest in the body’s informational and energetic processes
Cross-Cultural Experiences of Energy
This study interviewed practitioners from Jewish, Christian and Islamic contemplative traditions and found many reports of inner energy sensations such as warmth, vibration or internal movement. These cross-cultural accounts were often linked to clarity, emotional release or spiritual connection, suggesting that energy related experiences can shape how people understand transformation and inner change across diverse contemplative paths.
Energy-Like Somatic Experiences in Meditation
This qualitative study gathered reports from Western Buddhist meditators, 62% of which described energy-like sensations such as warmth, vibration “cascading through the body”, or internal movement during practice. These accounts show energy-related phenomenology may play a meaningful role in contemporary meditation.
The Subjective Experience of Reiki
This large qualitative study gathered reports from more than one thousand Reiki sessions, finding common experiences such as deep relaxation, bodily sensations, emotional release and shifts in awareness. These recurring accounts offer insight into how people subjectively experience Reiki, providing a phenomenological picture of the inner changes that can accompany biofield based healing practices.
Subtle Energy in Indo-Tibetan Medicine and Philosophy
This article reviews how South Asian and Himalayan healing systems, including Vedic, Jain and Tibetan traditions, describe subtle energies and consciousness as part of health, balance, and healing. It explains how these cross cultural frameworks offer long standing accounts of energy and inner experience, suggesting that the biofield concept aligns not only with modern inquiry but also with ancient understandings of healing.
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In the spirit of the Greek word “merraki” which means “doing something purely for the love of it”, the nonprofit Merraki Media created Phenomena to thoughtfully explore energy healing -- using rigorous scientific inquiry -- in an endeavor to help reduce suffering and promote greater wellbeing
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