A Matter of Energy
by Cyrus Mehta
We live in a universe of pure energy. When I mention this fact to someone, the customary reply is 'yes, that's true!' And yet, there is casualness in the reply which shows that this has not yet permeated into the awareness of most human beings. Most of us do not live 'knowing' it is so.
The quest of all physicists has been to discover the building blocks of matter. With the investigation and exploration of the subatomic world in the twentieth century, what has been discovered is that matter is not inert, lifeless but, in fact, has an intrinsically dynamic nature. And these dynamic patterns do not exist as independent, isolated entities but as integral parts of an inseparable network of interactions. These interactions involve a ceaseless flow of pure energy. The particle interactions make up the stable structures that are our material world, which again do not remain static, but vibrates and oscillates in rhythmic movements. The whole universe is thus engaged in an eternal cosmic dance of energy. One large ocean of energy, of vibration, this universal energy blends and forms coalitions into myriad forms of existence, whether it be a stone, a water fall, a plant, a toothbrush, or oneself.
When I moved from the mere knowledge of this to the knowing of this, life as I knew it shifted. I now continually experience awe and wonder at every thing, living and so called non-living. A piece of metal is no longer an inert lump of ore, but in actuality a vast space within which a ceaseless play of subatomic particles continue. We all have some knowledge that atoms exist, but because we cannot see an atom we do not experience it. A simple orange is vast space.
Imagine this: To see the atoms of an orange one would have to enlarge the orange to the size of the Earth and then you would see the atoms of the orange as the size of a cherry. Let's take it a step further. To see the nucleus of this cherry sized atom, in this earth sized orange, we would need to enlarge this cherry sized atom to a size as large as St. Peters Basilica. And now you would see the nucleus - As a grain of salt somewhere near the center of that huge space! Think about this for a moment. Can you really see an orange again in the same way? Can we see anything that is matter in the old way, which is to say inert, lifeless? The world becomes factually amazing, magical ! Our lives experience a contextual shift when we know that we live in a world of energy. Our CDs, our video tapes, our computers, our cars, everything is, in fact, full of enormous spaces within which particles are ceaselessly interacting. Energy is the only thing that is being used by us. When we talk on the phone, thought energy vibrates our larynx, makes sound energy, which vibrates a part in the telephone, which changes it to electrical energy, and subatomic particles and electrons travel at enormous speeds 'in the wire', to the other end where a similar transformation of energies occur and finally your voice is captured by the listeners ear which hears your voice. A simple telephone call which we take for granted is a fascinating, rhythmic interchange of energy systems.
Our bodies too are energy systems. The so called aura used to be considered mystical. There is nothing mystical about it. It has always been and will always be a part of our bodies. It has been photographed as far back as 1939! The technology, called the Kirlian method because it was discovered by Mr. and Mrs. Kirlian, is basically a specially constructed high frequency spark generator or oscillator that generates 75,000 to 200,000 electrical oscillations per second. This discovery was to change forever the way modern man looked at the 'physical' universe.
We now know, empirically, that besides a physical body made up of atoms and molecules (which are in themselves energy interactions!); All living things have a counterpart body of energy! The implications of this are truly awesome. A bio-plasmic replica of each and every part of all living things exist!
While we know this by scientific discovery, the Indians, Chinese, Tibetans and others have known this for thousand of years. Acupressure, Yoga, Acupuncture are, in fact, systems that work on the premise that the body is primarily an energy system. They knew that disease occurs first in the energy body and thereafter it would affect the physical body.
Modern medicine is now slowly but surely appreciating this. Physicians are beginning to recognize that the person is not just a physical body. That we all have, in addition to the physical body, an emotional body (in which we store our likes, our dislikes, our unhappiness, our ecstasies, our pains, traumas and so on) and an energy body. When a treatment methodology works on the body in this way it would be considered a wholistic system: Treating one as a 'whole being', not just a physical body comprising of bones, blood and tissue.
Since the seventies, I have personally learnt and experienced the benefits of numerous systems that address one as more than just a physical body. And it is clear that a holistic approach to treating dis-ease is the way of the future. That is not to say that conventional medicine is to be eschewed and discarded. These days the promoters of alternative therapies often debunk conventional medicine. I do not subscribe with this viewpoint. Modern medicine has been responsible for eliminating some of the most horrific diseases known to man; It has been responsible for making infant mortality a thing of the past in most parts of the world; It has been responsible for promoting more health consciousness than it is given credit for; It is still the best approach in most crisis situations. Modern medicine has been responsible for transforming the quality of life on our planet and I believe will continue to play an essential and pivotal role.
What it is also recognizing is that it does not have all the answers. And this is indeed laudable. The last decade has seen a quantum leap in this direction. It may seem imperceptible, yet it is surely evolving towards prevention and away from cure. And, as with any other area where there is a difference of opinion this process can only be benefited when the two sides come together rather than stand apart pointing an accusing finger at one another. It is such bias that is the cause not only for the gaping and often acrimonious void between modern medicine and alternative therapies but also between vegetarians and non-vegetarians, smokers and non-smokers, et al.
When we know that we are part of a living system of energy, when we become aware that the universe is made up of pure energy, we will exist on a higher vibration. When we recognize that existence is made of the same basic structure and always in action, in a dynamic interplay of birth, unfolding, transformation, shifting, a core belief will have shifted. Somehow a sense of wellbeing will prevail, opinions will be less rigid, more pliable. Our lives and our interactions with other living beings and our environment will be cause for celebration.
