Poor and opportunistic translation from the Chinese understanding of Chi as Energy gives everyone a chance to jump on the bandwagon and maintain that “ancient Chinese tradition” supported their own quirky position.
Unfortunately in China different people held different beliefs about Chi in any case, and it is important not to allow all these different viewpoints to coalesce into a single perspective – especially if it supports our own views.
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Thinking about Chi is a way of thinking about how the world works. It’s a metaphor – and like any good metaphor can communicate several meanings or nuances at the same time. There are 3 basic models of understanding Chi. It is important to consider these as philosophical models of understanding the world, and as such they aren’t really much different from the work of Aristotle, Descartes or Rousseau.
1 Materialist: It’s the way things are
Any object exists in its own right and interacts with the objects around it. This is a change model in that objects act in a way to move from one energetic state to another, usually a lower energy state. For example water moves down hill, heat cools, conversation dies down eventually. Other activities cause objects to move into a higher energy state. For example heat causes steam to rise, enthusiasm is contagious, and heat can produce light.
This understanding of difference leads to the metaphor of Yin and Yang. In comparing two objects or conditions one is always “more” and the other always “less.” Some Chinese beliefs took this model further to consider the extremes of “Heaven” (Yang) and “Earth” (Yin) and that all other objects were somewhere in between.
2 Animism: Souls and Spirituality
Some Chinese thought went on to consider society’s relationship between Heaven and Earth. Rather than understand social interaction between Yin and Yang they believed that society was in a state of transition and aspiration to a higher way of behaving and understanding, essentially reaching towards Heaven. Some beliefs saw this as an internal driving force and others believed that Heaven dictated or directed this from above. Inevitably once there was an idea of a guiding force external to humanity there was also an idea of intelligence or design. Humanity was seen as having a soul, as were other objects, animals and forces of nature. This led to a belief that people could interact with objects on a spiritual level.
3 Science and Magic
Not all energies are visible. Electricity and magnetism are easy examples to understand. Storytelling in any form elicits emotion in the recipient. Some energies have been carefully researched and theoretical models have changed over time as research has provided new evidence. Radio waves for example were believed to move through an intangible medium called “the ether” until a new model was proposed where by they move independently.
There is an important difference between theory, which will change when proved wrong, and belief which is likely not to. While theory is supported and challenged by data, and repeated testing, beliefs tend to be supported by anecdote. While there may be no doubt about the anecdote or personal experience, the explanation or rule that applies to the situation is harder to establish.
Sometimes people talk about energy as if it is a part of everything and then it becomes easy to start explaining events in terms of this esoteric energy. Tidying a room generally does make us feel better, and taking into account sunlight and maybe wind or dampness will influence which rooms are suited to which task. Feng Shui stops being science and becomes magical when practitioners infer more about Chi than is evidenced, or apply principles of working with energy without applying the relevant theory. You can punch much harder if you turn in order to employ muscles from foot to arm as well as those in the shoulder. A martial artist may well explain this in terms of Chi – but actually this is simple physics and bio-mechanics. The discipline becomes magical when a practitioner explains performance purely in terms of Chi focus as if something extra-ordinary was happening to the body, using the force of the Earth or the Cosmos.
Commentary re Healing
It’s important in terms of medicine and healing to think of Chi in terms of the first philosophical model. We can understand symptoms and conditions by understanding how they interact and by recognising patterns. Our explanations of these patterns will change in time as our theories are tested and revised.
The second model applies best to personal belief. Particularly when we are under stress we personify objects or extend our hopes and fears to external forces. Such faith or religion may sustain us as practitioners when we work with vulnerable people – but it is important to recognise that there is no evidence that external forces act on our behalf or are under our control.
The third model allows esoteric explanations for ordinary events. In the field of health and medicine this produces a major concern as vulnerable people may then be led to mistaken beliefs about how their condition may be resolved. People may refuse appropriate treatment in favour of unproven dietary supplements or ritual healing. There are possibilities for exploitation when therapists suggest payment for unproven activities.
As health practitioners our beliefs will influence our understanding of the healing process and our behaviours. We should ensure that these beliefs remain personal if not private and do not contaminate our interaction with people who seek our support when they are unwell.
Geoff Hogan
Monkeyandtiger
7th March 2011
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