Exploring Subtle Energies
Article by Stefan Burns - Updated June 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!
A star goes supernova and obliterates its solar system with a gamma ray burst, momentarily outshining its galaxy. An electron decays an energy level and releases electromagnetic radiation, breaking a DNA bond.
These two examples demonstrate that energy permeates the universe at all scales, and as highly sophisticated lifeforms humans are well suited to experiencing many of the energies of the universe.
Some energies are literally blindingly obvious (looking at you Sun!), while others are more subtle and pass unnoticed to the unobservant.
I was first drawn to the exploration of subtle energies as my research into geophysics and astrophysics began to branch at times into metaphysics. Here was a world of endless possibilities, questions at every turn, and few answers...I was mesmerized! I often found myself pondering metaphysics during my job while performing a seismic survey or while I was using a magnetometer to measure Earth’s magnetic field. I began to question how simple geophysics like sound waves and electric waves in the crust influence an individual:
“How does a 0.2 Hz seismic microtremor generated from ocean waves change how our bodies resonate in an environment compared to 20 Hz microtremors generated from a nearby highway?”
“How do Earth’s electromagnetic fields like the Schumann resonances interact with human biology”
Overtime the more I learned and the more questions I asked the more a cohesive view of energy developed in my mind. Energy is all things, from the stone along the side of the road, to the star 150 kilometers away from Earth, to you.
Naturally at some point in the quest to better understand energy one begins studying the “subtle energies” and the effects of subtle energies:
What causes how you feel during a full moon?
Why does some water feel more alive that other water?
Why do some people, places, and things just make you feel uncomfortable?
What are Subtle Energies?
Our ability to observe and identify subtle energies is thwarted by our limited scientific methods and instrumentation, and for that matter we’re also limited in the study of subtle energies by the limits of our biology. Subtle energies are inherently difficult to study because they will always be at the edge of our resolution, but it’s vitally important that we try our best at all times to better understand subtle energies because the impacts they have can be quite enormous.
For example, during the embryonic stage cellular voltage gradients across cells determine DNA expression and cellular function. Apply the brain’s cellular voltage gradient to a section of the tail of a frog embryo, a mini brain will develop in the tail (1). An electromagnetic field at the cellular scale is a textbook example of a subtle energy, too small to probably feel yet here we observe this subtle energy forever changing the course of that small frog’s life.
While it may be easier for subtle energies to affect our existence at earlier stages of life, the countess subtle energies that surround and permeate each and every one us at all times have a large impact on our body, mind, and spirit. Exploring and better understanding subtle energies and how they impact you is not solely for those who were born with increased sensitivity to subtle energies, but for all people. In many ways human evolution has led us towards the exploration of subtle energies, it’s a birthright that comes along with our big brains and advanced consciousness.
How to Feel Subtle Energies
There are a few methods that I use to better feel subtle energies in myself and of my environment. Everyone is different so they may not work for you, but I encourage you to try these methods and discover for yourself how well they work.
Quiet the Mind: Meditation is one of the best ways to feel subtle energies as its a way to quiet the activity of the body and the mind. Just as you can’t hear a pin drop in a loud room, with a busy internal bioelectrical environment subtle energies can pass and exert their effects undetected. The main route to the detection of subtle energies is through meditation, and the more you practice the more sensitive you become.
Increase Brainwaves: Better feeling subtle energies comes with the territory of greater consciousness. One proven way to increases consciousness is to increase brainwaves frequencies and amplitudes. Listening to binaural beats is one way to entrain brainwaves to the binaural beat frequency. Another way to stimulate brainwaves is with certain herbs like green tea and chamomile, both of which boost 8-12 Hz alpha brainwaves.
Explore with Psychedelics: Once the brain was fully matured around the age of 25 and if mentally stable, responsibly delving into the world of psychedelics with substances like cannabis (THC) and magic mushrooms (psilocybin) is a powerful way to interact and feel subtle energies. Psychedelics interact with subtle energies in ways modern science does not yet understand, and direct experience of the manipulation of reality as we perceive it is one way to better understand the complex nature of our existence.
Connect with the Earth: Spending time in nature, which itself is a mesh of subtle energies, is one way to develop a feeling of the unseen and unheard. Even better is to spend some time grounding while in nature, placing your feet, hands, and/or body in direct contact with the conductive ground surface of our planet. The Earth is a sea of subtle energies, waves of free electrons sweep across the surface of the planet every second. Meditating while grounding is an excellent way to explore certain subtle energies and how they affect your autonomic nervous system and beyond.
And for another example of a subtle energy, think about how reading this article made you feel.
For those who have felt and experienced subtle energies, which is most everyone at some point in life, please share your experiences in the comments below!
References:
Pai VP, Lemire JM, Pare JF, Lin G, Chen Y, Levin M. Endogenous gradients of resting potential instructively pattern embryonic neural tissue via notch signaling and regulation of proliferation. Journal of Neuroscience. 2015;35(10):4366-4385.
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