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Issue Date: November 02, 1998 Newton vs. Einstein: Choosing Your Philosophy of Healing By Susan Morrill Ramsey, MA, PT This column will begin a three-part series on energetic therapies. Some examples of energetic therapies include Therapeutic Touch, Reiki, zero balancing and polarity therapy. I became interested in energetic therapies in college. Dr. Robert Becker, author of The Body Electric (New York: Morrow Publishers, 1985) was doing his research on the electric nature of animals and humans while I was in college in Ithaca, NY. His research articles fascinated me as a physical therapy student. He was writing about the electric nature of animals and humans, and how manipulating the electric fields could enhance healing. (For example, by electrically stimulating a fractured bone you can enhance the bone's healing potential.) The energetic view of living organisms made sense to me, and, for me, this began a lifelong pursuit into exploring how organisms may heal. Back to Physics In order to begin discussing the foundation of all the energetic therapies, we need to go back to the subject of physics and the current world view on how the universe works. It is important to keep in mind that all of the theories on how the world works are just that...theories. I do not look at any of these theories as "the truth." The theories give us a framework to explore our world. That is the power of theoretic models. There are two main world views that exist simultaneously today in science and medicine. The two views are the Newtonian and the Einsteinian. The Newtonian model was developed in the late 1700s and sees the human body as a cellular organism or mechanism. It is a truly mechanical model. The body is viewed as a mechanical whole. In the Newtonian model, matter is viewed as an inert substance. This mechanical model has allowed science and medicine to evolve over the centuries. It is a linear approach to life. If there is a mechanical cause, there is a mechanical solution. The Newtonian model is based on analytic thinking and measurement. It can be viewed as a "reductionistic" method because it breaks down the whole into its component parts to solve a problem. Examples of how this model is used in medicine are many. A physician can repair a dysfunctional part by surgery or pharmaceuticals, as a physical therapist molds an orthotic to correct a foot problem. The Newtonian model makes sense in terms of all emergency medicine and surgery needed. It is the model that serves the acute need of patients. However, it has many limitations. According to Charles Johnston, "What is missing is life.... In Newtonian/Cartesian reality, the universe and all within are like a great clockworks, an immense and wondrous machinery. A mechanical paradigm can offer us many amazing things. But no matter how great a machine's complexity, it can never be more than that, a machine." 1 Einstein's Theory In the early 20th century, scientists such as Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, Louis de Broglie, Erwin Schrodinger and Albert Einstein began studying the nature of the atom, and the world view changed dramatically from a mechanical model to an energetic model.Through his equation E=mc2, Einstein proved that energy and matter are dual expressions of the same universal substance. Modern physics views matter as "not at all as passive and inert but as being in a continuous dancing and vibrating motion whose rhythmic patterns are determined by the molecular, atomic and nuclear configurations."2 This is the basis for the Einsteinian model. Sometimes this model is referred to as the quantum physics model. The Einsteinian model includes an understanding that the underlying dynamics associated with material objects are not always visible to the human eye. Einstein's model focuses on the idea that at the basis of life are subatomic particles that are continually in motion and continually emitting or taking in energy. This model directly challenges the Newtonian model. It states that there is a lot more activity occurring energetically than once believed. It challenges the inert nature of matter, and therefore the inert nature of human beings. The Einsteinian model is not as linear as the Newtonian and as a result is not so easily understood. Its tenants are harder to prove, as they often do not fall into a direct linear pattern of problem solving and quantification. Since the development of the Einsteinian model, physisists have found other subatomic particles that make up matter and are rapidly developing newer models of matter based on Einstein's initial premise. Although most health care professionals agree that the Einsteinian model is a more accurate representation of how the world works, mainstream medicine still functions primarily on the Newtonian model. I believe that the terms "conventional" and "alternative" medicine come directly out of this split in belief among health care professionals. The conventional medicine practitioner uses the Newtonian model as the prime foundation for practice, and the alternative medicine practitioner may use elements of both the Newtonian and Einsteinian models as the prime foundation for practice. The foundation of all energetic therapies lies in the understanding of the Einsteinian model of the universe. If we begin to look at matter as energy, we can then theorize that we can use energy to assist in the healing process based on the understanding that the molecular arrangement of the physical body is actually a complex network of interwoven energy fields. Energetic therapists then continue to theorize that if these energy systems are truly multidimensional, when they are imbalanced, they may actually result in pathology that could exist on the physical, mental, emotional or spiritual level. It is from these concepts that energetic therapies began to emerge as complementary therapies that we see today. As a reader, you may be challenged with these theories. I suggest you read books about Einstein and Newton to clarify any questions you may have. Check out a book on quantum physics, as it is a field that is exploding in science today. Research the possibilities and limitations of the two different models. Talk to some physisists, call your old physics teacher from college, begin exploring these theories on your own. I am only introducing some basic concepts of these models; further investigation is always exciting. * References 1. Johnston, C.M. (1986). The creative imperative: A four dimensional model of human growth and planetary evolution. Berkley, CA: Celestial Arts, p. 7. 2. Capra, F. (1983). The turning point. New York: Bantam Books, p 88. Susan Morrill Ramsey is the assistant program director for the physical therapist assistant program at Harcum College, Bryn Mawr, PA. She is the owner of Holistic Physical Therapy Services with offices in Merion and Rosemont, PA. She has been teaching health and wellness for more than 13 years.