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Proponents and practitioners of various esoteric forms of spirituality and alternative medicine refer to a variety of claimed experiences and phenomena as being due to an energy or force that defies measurement or experimentation, and thus are distinct from uses of the term energy in science. (2025). 9781405181228, Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 9781405181228
Claims related to energy therapies are most often anecdotal, rather than being based on repeatable empirical evidence, thus not following the scientific method.
There is no scientific evidence for the existence of such energy, and physics educators criticize the use of the term energy to describe ideas in esotericism and spirituality as unavoidably confusing.
In ancient civilizations, esoteric energy was frequently associated with breath, spirit, or divine power. The referred to ka, a vital essence that sustained life and represented a person’s spiritual double. In ancient Greece, the Stoics developed the concept of pneuma, a universal breath that pervades all existence, while Aristotle and Plato explored the idea of a world soul, or anima mundi, as the unifying force of nature. The Romans adopted similar notions through the term spiritus, which referred to both breath and an animating principle.
Many indigenous and Shamanism also describe energy in ways that influence their spiritual and healing practices. Native American belief systems frequently refer to a medicine energy that connects all living things, often associated with the guidance of spirit beings. Among the Yoruba people, aṣẹ is regarded as a divine force that animates life and can be channeled through ritual and invocation. Similarly, in traditions, mana is seen as a powerful spiritual energy that exists in people, objects, and the Nature.
The concept of qi also appears in the art of feng shui and Chinese martial arts. Practices such as acupuncture, tai chi, and qi gong were developed to regulate and cultivate this energy. (2025). 9781851095827, ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781851095827 The traditional explanation of acupuncture states that it works by manipulating the circulation of qi through a network of meridians. (1983). 9780827714274, Health Science Press. ISBN 9780827714274 In tai chi, the ancient Chinese martial art, participants aim to concentrate and balance the body's qi, providing benefits to mental and physical health.
Similarly, in Hinduism and Buddhism traditions, prana (, ; the Sanskrit word for breath, "life force” or "vital principle") was described as the breath-based life force that moves through nadis, subtle channels that distribute energy throughout the body. In Hindu literature, prāṇa is sometimes described as originating from the Sun and connecting the elements. The practice of pranayama, a form of breath control, was believed to balance and enhance pranic energy. In Tibetan Buddhism, lung (རླུང་) refers to a form of wind-energy that plays a key role in meditation, visualization, and tantric yogic practices.
Japan also adopted energy concepts from China, referring to ki (気) as a life force that could be harnessed for healing, as seen in the development of Reiki. Practitioners of Reiki believe that qi is transmitted to the client via the palms of the practitioner’s hands. In yoga, Ayurveda, and Indian martial arts, it permeates reality on all levels, including inanimate objects.
It is not the scientific concept of energy that is being referred to in the context of spirituality and alternative medicine. As Brian Dunning writes:
Despite the lack of scientific support, spiritual writers and thinkers have maintained ideas about energy and continue to promote them either as useful allegories or as fact. The field of energy medicine purports to manipulate energy, but there is no credible evidence to support this.
The concept of subtle bodies appears across many traditions, referring to layers of existence beyond the physical body. In Hindu and Buddhist thought, the astral body ( sūkṣma śarīra) and the causal body ( kāraṇa śarīra) are described as non-material sheaths that house consciousness and energy. Theosophy expands on this idea, describing multiple energetic layers such as the etheric body, which is said to interface between the physical and Astral plane. The aura, often depicted as a luminous field surrounding the body, is another widely recognized concept in spiritual traditions, believed to reflect an individual’s emotional, mental, and spiritual state.
Energy is often thought to flow through structured pathways within the body. Hindu and Buddhist traditions describe nadis, subtle channels through which prana moves, while Traditional Chinese Medicine speaks of meridians, pathways that distribute qi and regulate bodily functions. Tibetan Buddhism similarly identifies a system of Tsalung (channels), which direct lung (wind energy) throughout the body. In Western esotericism, and developed related ideas, proposing that spiritual energy circulates through subtle currents within the human microcosm, mirroring celestial movements.
Energy centers, often referred to as , are believed to serve as focal points where energy gathers and transforms. Tantra and Vajrayana traditions describe a system of seven primary chakras, each corresponding to different aspects of human consciousness and physiology, from the Muladhara (root) chakra at the base of the spine to the Sahasrara (crown) chakra at the top of the head. Each chakra is associated with specific elements, colors, and vibrational frequencies, and practices such as mantra recitation, visualization, and pranayama are used to balance these centers. Western , including figures from the Theosophical and Hermetic traditions, have adapted the chakra system into their mystical frameworks.
The role of breath is emphasized in many traditions as a means of controlling and directing energy. In pranayama, controlled breathing techniques regulate prana to cultivate spiritual and physical well-being. Similarly, qi gong and tai chi involve intentional breathwork to guide Qi and harmonize the body’s energy. These practices often intersect with meditation and visualization, creating a bridge between physical exercises and mystical states of awareness.
Another key aspect of esoteric energy frameworks is their connection to consciousness and transformation. Many traditions describe spiritual progress as a refinement of energy, where lower, denser energies are transmuted into higher states of awareness. Alchemical traditions, for example, speak of refining vital energy through symbolic processes like calcination, Solvation, and sublimation, ultimately leading to enlightenment. In Occult, energy manipulation is a key principle in ceremonial magic, where the practitioner directs subtle forces through will and intention.
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