Energy medicine and consciousness

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients,  Jan, 2005  by Irene Alleger

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The Spiritual Dimension of Therapeutic Touch

by Dora Kunz with Dolores Krieger, PhD, RN

Bear & Company, One Park Street, Rochester, Vermont 05767 USA; www.InnerTraditions.com

Softcover, 2004, $16.00, 262 pp.

Developed by Dora Kunz, (1904-1999), medical intuitive and fifth generation clairvoyant, and Dolores Krieger, pioneer researcher on healing, Therapeutic Touch (TT) has been taught in hospitals and universities to tens of thousands of health care professionals (mostly RNs) since 1972. During their years of shared research and healing practice, they wrote (together and separately) a number of books on Therapeutic Touch and Human Energy Fields.

The Spiritual Dimension of Therapeutic Touch was written to help practitioners gain the sensitivity and spiritual connection needed to effectively promote physical healing as well as spiritual peace. The book provides an intimate look at the life work and creativity of Dora Kunz, using lectures, tapes and case studies, and her use of expanded levels of consciousness to heal. The first section of the book examines consciousness and healing, particularly the practice of sustained centering. Dora Kunz actually visualized the fine energies, and discusses her ability to "see true" (clairvoyance).

The second section deals with the concept of realizing the totality of the whole person; against this background, the imbalances related to illness can be discerned by the therapist. Initially an act of quietude, TT brings about a relaxation response facilitating immune system function. Dora Kunz' insights into karma, and the Chakras are not part of TT, but are her own personal beliefs, interesting inclusions in the book.

In Section III the dynamics of Therapeutic Touch are examined in depth, including the important assessment. "While maintaining a state of sustained centering, the TT therapist uses her hand chakras to explore the healee's vital energy fields of consciousness, seeking out areas of imbalance." (The use of hand chakras may be similar to using the foot in reflexology or the ear in acupuncture). This is a learned skill, which has proven to have a high degree of reliability. Kunz always began the assessment by placing her hands at the back of the neck, between the healee's shoulders. An ancient Hindu text, the Upanishads, describes this site.... "When the process is completed, these units of prana flow and meet in the person's vital energy field in the region between the two shoulder blades, at the confluence of the brachial plexus. They then stream down the nonphysical vital energy complement of the person's arms to what is known as 'the knot' of the wrists. At the site of the knot, the pranic streams are reconstituted to their original five subsystems, and the subsystems of the prana exit, each subset through one of the five fingers." In effect, it is a kind of sensitivity training, as one becomes aware of changes or irregularities in rhythm, flow, or intensity.

Section IV delves into Chakras as centers of consciousness, as elucidated in the Hindu tradition. As centers of subtle energies that are closely related to the physical body, they act as transformers for different levels of energy. The rhythm and rotation of the Chakras indicate imbalances in these energy centers. This section of the book describes the Chakras and their function in fascinating detail.

In Section V, Clinical Applications of Therapeutic Touch are given, including pain reduction, people with AIDS, and terminal illness. The Spiritual Dimension of Therapeutic Touch is written for professionals practicing TT, or for people in training, however, the spiritual background and insights of Dora Kunz have meaning for all in the healing professions. The research on mind-body interrelationships scarcely mentions the spiritual, yet every major system of healing has had a spiritual dimension.

A surprise bonus of exercises (38) dispersed within the sections, are wonderful spiritual methods as well as specific TT treatments. A special book for those adventurous enough to try energy-oriented healing.

review by Irene Alleger

COPYRIGHT 2005 The Townsend Letter Group
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