Jed Shlackman, Contributor
Waking Times
The concept of spiritual energy is as ancient as humanity, with nearly every culture having beliefs and practices related to tapping into a spiritual source for energy and well-being. Spirit refers to the essence of life, the active consciousness that flows throughout all things in the Universe. The Taoists have referred to this prime essence as the Tao, and its expression as the energy of life as qi or chi. Yogis have understood that the energy of life they refer to as prana comes from a spiritual source. Christians engaged in spiritual healing speak of the “holy spirit” and may see the Christ as the conduit or Source of healing power. In Western occult traditions there is the idea of the 5th element or quintessence, the spiritual source from which all the perceived elements of the Universe have arisen. Hollywood producer George Lucas brought these ideas into his epic Star Wars saga as an exploration of the workings of “The Force.”
