Download Issue Date: November 02, 1998 Newton vs. Einstein: Choosing Your

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.