Energy Healing, Beings, and Taking Control
I’m excited today to be a guest on Monday Miscellany! We’ll see how miscellaneous I turn out to be. I’m usually pretty good at randomness.
I was telling a bookstore owner the other day about my Reality Shift series of books for young adults. It’s an urban fantasy series, and the main characters are two teenagers who use skills like energy healing and channeling to defeat demons, send evil dead spirits to the other side, and keep the Universe from being vaporized.
When I mentioned the energy healing and channeling parts, I received a blank look. I often do when I mention those. Then again, if memory serves, when my friend Chris first mentioned them to me back in 2005, I think I gave him a blank look as well. They are rather unusual concepts.
Some readers have probably heard of Reiki. Not the whale, but the holistic healing method. Reiki is a form of energy healing. The idea behind energy healing in general is that each person (and, actually everything, living or non) has an energy field surrounding them. Damage to the energy field can cause physical and mental injuries or illnesses; physical or mental injuries and illnesses can cause damage to the energy field. So the theory is that by treating the energy field, not only can that damage be repaired, but the physical and mental things can be healed or helped as well. The treatment is done by the healer placing their hands on or very near certain points, called energy centers or chakras, and becoming sort of a conduit for the energy of the universe, which they direct into those energy centers.
Okay. Reading that over, it might seem way out there to some. But there is a scientific basis for believing energy fields exist (some call them electromagnetic fields), and I’ve seen for myself that energy healing can be effective. For the sake of family members’ privacy I won’t go into specifics, but one person, in pain for months from a botched surgery, was completely pain-free for two weeks after an energy healing session. Another, on medication for a chronic condition for four and a half years, was able to, with their doctor’s supervision, be weaned off the medication through regular energy healing sessions. Some hospitals now allow Reiki volunteers to come in and work with chronic or terminal patients, and it does seem to help.
Channeling seems even more out there. That’s the process of allowing a “higher-level being” to speak through you. Some people call those beings angels, and I guess sometimes they are. The beings that I was taught (yes, I’ve actually studied this stuff…) are most likely to work with humans are spirit guides, light beings (which I call “light guides” in the Reality Shift books) and beings of light. The channel goes into trance and allows the being’s consciousness to use their body for a brief period of time to communicate more directly with a human.
In the Reality Shift books, main character Jonah Leighton has been studying these things and yoga since childhood. At age sixteen, he becomes friends with fourteen-year-old Shanna Bailey and begins teaching her about energy healing and channeling. In addition to the previously mentioned demons, dead spirits, and potential Universe vaporization, the two also use their skills to help Shanna overcome a painful past and present, and to change her life for the better.
Reality Shift books one through three are available now, and book four will be out this Thursday, July 21. You can find out more about the Reality Shift books, along with my other young adult urban fantasy series The Dark Lines and my young adult contemporary novels, on my WEBSITE The two series are available from the publisher, JUPITER GARDENS, as well as third-party retailers such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
You can also learn more about the two series on their own websites, REALITY SHIFT SERIES HYPERLINK and THE DARK LINES.
Monti says
I'm always interested in reading anything about energy healing. My husband is an energy healer, and I know how misunderstood this talent can be. Your explanation is a good one. Thank you.
Monti
NotesAlongTheWay
Jo Ramsey says
Thanks, Clara 🙂 There is some quantum physics involved, I guess. The friend who taught me about these things tried to also teach me some quantum physics, but my brain kind of went on vacation at that point. LOL
Clara Gillow Clark says
I love the idea of energy healing. It sounds very quantum physics to me, and I just LOVE quantum physics.
Jo Ramsey says
Thank you, Lee 🙂
C. Lee McKenzie says
Not to worry. Thought his post a bit wonky, but yours not.
Jo Ramsey says
Just a note: Now that I figured out how to do it, I've deleted my post that was in response to Steve's, since he was kind enough to delete his. Sorry I didn't figure out how to do that sooner! (I blame the humidity…it's frying my brain. LOL)
Josi, thank you 🙂
Josi says
I've learned a lot about this type of thing recently, and it's fascinating. None of it has in any way worked against my LDS beliefs, rather it's worked very much in tandem with them and been a positive experience for me as well as many people I love. I look forward to reading this book. I read "When Ghosts Speak" and found that fascinating as well. Thanks Jo, and good luck.
Jo Ramsey says
Thank you, M Pax and PJ 🙂 PJ, they're definitely tough to explain and not a lot of people are familiar with it. That's part of why I have my characters using it; it's something different from the typical teenage urban fantasy/paranormal.
PJ Sharon says
Great explanation of energy healing, Jo. It's tough concept to get across to the general public. I love the idea of the kids using it to save the universe and help each other. Cool concepts. Can't wait to read the series.
M Pax says
Thanks for introducing me to this series.
Summer Ross says
Stopping by from the blogfest, I'll check back later for your entry. 🙂
Jo Ramsey says
Thanks for hosting me today, Lee!