[7] 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.
In Taoist philosophy and Traditional Chinese Medicine, qi (气) was understood as a dynamic energy circulating through the body's meridians, influencing health and vitality.
[13] 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.
In Tibetan Buddhism, lung (རླུང་) refers to a form of wind-energy that plays a key role in meditation, visualization, and tantric yogic practices.
[18] 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.
Medieval and Renaissance alchemy often described an inherent vital force that could transmute base materials into gold and refine the human soul.
[1][2] In the 19th century, the Theosophical Society introduced theories of etheric energy, the astral plane, and subtle bodies, which became influential in later esoteric and New Age movements.
[23] In the 20th century, Wilhelm Reich expanded on these ideas with his concept of orgone energy, which he claimed to be a fundamental cosmic force that could influence health and psychology.
Native American belief systems frequently refer to a medicine energy that connects all living things, often associated with the guidance of spirit beings.
[7] In African spirituality, particularly among the Yoruba, aṣẹ is regarded as a divine force that animates life and can be channeled through ritual and invocation.
[9] As biologists studied embryology and developmental biology, particularly before the discovery of genes, a variety of organisational forces were posited to account for their observations.
[18] In Western esotericism, alchemists and Hermeticists developed related ideas, proposing that spiritual energy circulates through subtle currents within the human microcosm, mirroring celestial movements.
[16] Each chakra is associated with specific elements, colors, and vibrational frequencies, and practices such as mantra recitation, visualization, and breath control are used to balance these centers.
Alchemical traditions, for example, speak of refining vital energy through symbolic processes like calcination, dissolution, and sublimation, ultimately leading to enlightenment.
[21] In Western occultism, energy manipulation is a key principle in ceremonial magic, where the practitioner directs subtle forces through will and intention.