Tapping into Your Patient’s Biofield to Optimize Healing

Johanna Ryan

Intro to the Biofield

The biofield plays an important role in the workings of the body and its ability to heal itself. But what exactly is it? Working definitions include¹:

• A network of homeostatic mechanisms made up of fields of energy and information that guide health
• Sets of interpenetrating and interacting fields of energy and information…which may be dense and electromagnetic or more subtle
• A compilation of different energies²
• A regulator of body functions responsible for the wellbeing of the whole of the individual²

All explanations and definitions point out that in order to experience on-going health, a continuous energy supply is needed. Any disturbance in the flow of energy may lead to pathology.²

The findings of biofield science are helping to expand the concept of the energetic makeup of the human body and how it interacts with its environment—the seen and unseen. The concept of the body possessing an energetic component is not a new one. Modern medicine accepts that there is an exchange of energy from anything living. In fact, medical tests such as electrocardiograms and electroencephalograms, both of which measure an aspect of the body’s energy, have been in use for some time and help to guide medical understanding and decision-making.¹

Keeping Up with Healing

As science continues to evolve and our understanding of human health and wellbeing expands, a question arises: “Has the current medical model kept pace with the depth of human healing potential?” According to Jain, ever-expanding discoveries in neuroscience, psychoneuroimmunology, and systems biology have given credence to the connection of how thoughts, feelings, emotions, and beliefs impact physical health.¹ With this interest in human healing potential, studies are now taking into account our multidimensionality, which includes not only the body and mind but an energetic component as well. Biofield science seeks to better understand this role of the energetic aspect, whether measurable or not.

Since the beginning of the 20^th century, quantum physicists have been studying the link between energy and the structure of matter, realizing that the universe and everything in it originates from a field of energy and that “energy and matter are deeply entangled.”³ Quantum physics reveals that we are, in fact, more energy than physical matter, yet because the prevailing focus of science and medicine has been one of materialism, any deviation from this accepted narrative has been met with ridicule and scorn. Fortunately, advancements in biofield science, quantum physics, and other branches continue due to dedicated scientists with a persistence to find answers that explain how the body, mind, and consciousness are connected. An example of this endeavor is the quantum theory of consciousness (QTOC) that explains how such a connection is possible and how the process may work.⁴

The Biofield and Naturopathy

The vis medicatrix naturae, the healing power of nature, is a core principle of naturopathic medicine and is defined by the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) as “the inherent self-organizing and healing process of living systems which establishes, maintains and restores health.”⁵ From the perspective of biofield science, the vis is considered to be made up of subtle energy, a less understood component of the human energy field, yet fundamental to many of the world’s ancient healing traditions and energy medicine therapies that are widely-practiced today.¹ The philosophy and core principles of naturopathic medicine have been influenced by many of these healing traditions that recognized through staunch observation, the interconnectedness of the body, mind, and some type of order and a set of rules at play that impacted the body’s ability to heal itself.⁶

Dialing Up the Vis: Part 1 and Part 2

Since naturopathic medicine is guided by principles and the therapeutic order, each of which is informed by the understanding of the body’s inherent ability to heal, naturopathic physicians are perfectly equipped to assist patients in maximizing the benefits they achieve by working with the biofield (vis). As naturopathic physicians, we know the value of utilizing principles during patient encounters because we are attempting to get the best understanding possible from a whole-person perspective as well as educating patients along the way.

Using the therapeutic order, especially focusing on the first 2 levels, allows us to address the vis/biofield directly. In particular, the first level involves: 1) removing obstacles that may impede healing; 2) establishing a more supportive environment, and 3) encouraging patients to take an active role. The value of patient involvement should not be underrated and in my opinion is not emphasized enough. Findings from a patient-centered healthcare study reveal better outcomes, improved quality of life, greater satisfaction, and adherence to treatments when the decision-making is shared and practitioners know what “healing” means to their patients. These were favorable outcomes in patients with life-limiting conditions.⁷ In my opinion, the results also speak to the importance of the patient-practitioner relationship. For the second level, to facilitate the workings of the vis medicatrix naturae, a variety of biofield modalities can be recommended and either performed by the doctor, if trained in the modality, or other practitioners.⁵ Examples of biofield therapies that make use of adjustments to the energy field are acupuncture, sound healing, craniosacral therapy, and therapeutic touch. A critical component to the healing process pertains to the patient’s belief in the ability to heal.¹ Encouraging patients to cultivate a personal connection to their inherent healing abilities could entail recommending various biofield practices such as meditation, yoga, qi gong, tai chi, etc. Many of these practices allow for the realignment with a deeper sense of oneness that some may say is the true self. These practices are valuable as well to unblock conditioned patterns of belief that may be negatively impacting the healing process. Interestingly, studies from psychoneuroimmunology, mind-body medicine, placebo studies, and neuroscience indicate that humans do have the capacity to heal themselves.¹ For this to work, patients have to believe in it and have to know how to tap into it. To illustrate the power of patients’ beliefs in healing, there are several open-label placebo studies where patients got better knowing that they were being given the placebo. The findings speak to the power of the mind—thoughts, feelings, emotions, and beliefs. Imagine the potential for healing that could be realized as more and more patients reclaim a sense of power and their inherent healing abilities. While there is still so much yet to uncover, these findings are exciting.

Moving into the Future

What is the future for biofield medicine and health? According to Jain, in evaluating the data and all that we know from the ancient healing traditions, there are fundamental truths that stand out which impact health and wellbeing.¹ Firstly, we are interconnected, much more than our physical bodies and our conditioned minds. Actually, the mind is our most powerful tool, especially when referencing the body’s inherent ability to heal. Secondly, we have only scratched the surface of understanding and reclaiming our extraordinary self-healing abilities. Thirdly, the findings reveal an interrelationship of the mental, emotional, and energetic states and the entirety of life’s experiences.¹

Moving forward will require an openness to explore viewpoints and contributions from other branches of science. After all, regardless of the medical perspective, everyone is working toward the same goal: the enhancement of the human experience. Additionally, there needs to be a stronger effort to help people acknowledge the innate healing abilities that only they can control.

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References

1. Jain S. Healing Ourselves: Biofield Science and the Future of Health. Louisville, CO: Sounds True; 2021:17,19,20
2. Gonzalez MJ, Sutherland E, Olalde J. Quantum functional energy medicine: the next frontier of restorative medicine. J Restor Med. 2019;8:1-7.
3. Lipton B. The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter and Miracles. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, Inc; 2008:69-71.
4. Zhi GS, Xiu RL. Quantum theory of consciousness. J Appl Math Physics. 2023;11:2652-2670.
5. Finnell JS, Snider P, Myers S, Zeff, J. A hierarchy of healing: origins of the therapeutic order and implications for research. Integr Med. 2019;3(6):54-55.
6. Hausser T, Lloyd I. The roots of naturopathy: introducing the WNF white paper. Naturop Doc News Rev. 2017;Nov:10-11.
7. Hendricks SD, BrintzenhofeSzoc K, Mistretta E, et al. What does the word healing mean to you? Perceptions of patients with life-limiting illness. Palliat Support Care. 2024;22:577-581.