Energy Medicine: The Scientific Basis
by James L. Oschman
|
List Price: Our Price: $44.05 You Save: $14.90 (25%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $38.61 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Energy Medicine: The Scientific Basis
Book Review: expansive, objective, thorough
Summary: 5 Stars
The problem with many books on all types of energy healing are the moments when well-meaning but hopelessly uninformed authors try to explain the "why" of their practice. Why does energy healing work? What is the physiological mechanism for this phenomenon? While authors whose practice is informed by their psychic knowledge (Barbara Brennan, Rosalyn Bruyere, etc.) are certainly valuable, James Oschman is successful in this book because he is first and only a scientist. He has no agenda to defend the validity of energy healing at all costs. In fact, you get the sense that he would be just as happy DISproving the phenomenon. And his objectivity in showing that in fact there IS a scientific basis for the practice is what makes this book absolutely priceless.The topics covered are surprisingly far-ranging. I was even skeptical of some of the chapter headings, but the author is so reasonable, and his claims so well-documented that even the most open-minded might find themselves taking a new look at topics they never considered. The chapters on crystal healing and the emotional impact of posture, respectively, were for me particularly fascinating. Some of the most fascinating scientific reading I've done in years.
His description of the physical body as a liquid crystalline system, the mechanics of how movement strengthens this system, and how the physical liquid crystal interacts with and is the basis for the energetic system is remarkably beautiful. There are many moments where the scientific meets the spiritual in this book and it's so beautiful.
What this book is not: This book is not an instruction manual. I noticed at least one other review seemed to say it was an instruction manual. There are no instructions as to how to practice any of the many techniques covered. The book is for people who already know how to do these things or people who don't want to know HOW but rather WHY IT WORKS. A fabulous reference for those who would like to give clients a more lucid explanation for why various forms of energy healing might work, or at least more current theories on the topic.
Worth the price of the book for the bibliography alone.
Book Review: There is overwhelming scientific evidence for energy medicine
Summary: 4 Stars
Interesting book on various energy healing modalities. I would have preferred it if the book had some details on how to go about using these techniques, though. The other reviewers have already mentioned what I would have mentioned so there's no need to repeat it again.
If you want scientific evidence that magnetic therapy works, all roads lead to the Albert Roy Davis laboratory. They are solely responsible for the surge of interest in magnetic therapy in the 90's. Experiments with magnetism/electromagnetism were not consistently reproducable until Davis' discovery (that the North and South poles of magnetism are two separate energies with opposite effects). The book, "The Magnetic Effect", by Albert Roy Davis and Walter C. Rawls, Jr., is THE pioneer book on how to use magnetism for healing numerous ailments. There was a study published in the Journal of the National Medical Association, Vol. 82, No.9 (1990), that confirmed the cancer discoveries of Davis and Rawls. "The experiment with human lung carcinoma cells verified the statement by Davis and Rawls that there is an increase in the growth curve of human lung carcinoma cells when exposed to positive polarity magnetic fields." "This experiment verified the statement that different magnetic field polarities produce different effects; while one polarity produced a decrease in the growth curve, the opposite produced an increase (Figure 1)."
Davis and Rawls are trailblazers in the fields of electromagnetic healing, ESP, agriculture, anti-aging, the laying on of hands (read their 3rd book, "The Rainbow in Your Hands"), intelligence research... There is no end to this list because their discoveries can be utilized in all fields of human knowledge. To understand what I'm talking about read their first book, "Magnetism and Its Effects on the Living System". You will most definitely want to hear the interview with Walter Rawls on the blogtalkradio website. To find it just type "Walter C. Rawls, Jr." in the search box.
Book Review: Best energy book for beginners i've ever encountered
Summary: 5 Stars
If you want to start learning about energy throughout history, and understand how it all started and especially why new age vibrational healing is rising up like a motherf... hammer killing all them damn classic doctors who want to keep you drugged up so you will shut up and stop complaining about pain. Get this book right now!
It will provide you with wisdow that will change your point of view when we're talkin about (vibrational) healing, illness and where we get our energy from, concerning the information we have about CRYSTALS!!!! just a second there, isn't practically everything a vibration!! ha, think about that!!! verrryyy interesting! It's subject is focused on the 'Brain' like the doctor said, thinking: tssss all your bloody problems, but saying: madame/sir it's all between your ears. So this is a good book to start helping yourself without any doubt that the material is wrong, cause their mostly facts presented by true scientists who are truely concerned about us and not only about their paycheck.
Verrrrry easy to understand since I'm from Belgium and I speak dutch, french and persian too I still could understand everything about every subject in this book, I'm only 21y old, using the credit card of my mom hehe. I did study sports so anatomy comes in handy understanding some bio pictures from cellular material, but not nessesairy cause we have google don't we ;-)
Also good to mention are the very good references towards other books, but I would still search them here @ amazon and look for the 5 starred miracle that can improve/change your life in a positive way. Have fun with this one, it's truely blessed.
Book Review: A flawed attempt
Summary: 2 Stars
The book attempts to bridge the gap between intuitive approaches to healing based on various concepts of energy and scientific understanding. It paints a marvelous picture of the intricate structure of the human body starting from the internal structure of the cell. There are many things happening in that structure that we have little or no understanding of. Electromagnetic fields play a role in healing bones and have many other effects yet to be discovered. However showing that various explanations are possible or consistent with our current understanding is a long way from providing evidence to support them. I applaud the effort to connect these intuitive healing methods to our scientific understanding. It is difficult to give appropriate weight to each approach. The book fails to give adequate weight to our scientific understanding of what is required to provide evidence that an approach is medically effective. There is no mention in the book of the placebo effect and this is a great illustration of this problem. If patients believe a treatment is effective than a significant percentage of them will improve compared to a similar group not treated no matter what the treatment actually does. This is the clearest example we have of the extraordinary power of the mind and body to heal itself. For that reason alone it deserves mention. Because of the Placebo effect, anecdotal evidence means little or nothing in establishing the objective efficacy of a treatment. Failure to mention this difficulty and describe the problem it presents in evaluating many of the claims is a serious flaw that will mislead unsophisticated readers.
Book Review: Exceptional compilation of research
Summary: 5 Stars
I received this book from Amazon a few days ago and am halfway through it. I'm so impressed by Oschman's compilation of research - it's provided me with countless answers I've been seeking all my life. I am a degreed mechanical engineer, and am currently getting an advanced degree in Oriental Medicine. I've also been practicing Reiki and other energy healing modalities for several years, having been drawn into these alternative healing fields because of my natural ability for sensing subtle energies ever since I was little. Until I started reading Oschman's book I never had a scientific explanation for this energy or why it was so helpful in healing others. I've always known that these energies are real but I definitely appreciate a scientific explanation for any type of energy phenomenon - it makes it much easier to explain to others who haven't had similar experiences why and how they happen. I meet a lot of people who are interested in energy healing and some who are quite skeptical of its validity. Thanks to this book, I now have a clear way of explaining what I and countless others have known all along - that energy medicine really does work. If you're simply curious about why energy medicine works, or you're a practitioner yourself and have wanted a scientific way of explaining its validity to your friends and clients, you'll definitely appreciate this book (even with the $40 price tag). Keep in mind, however, that this book will not teach you how to practice any of these energy medicine techniques - it will simply give you a very clear and easy way to explain why they work.