 2. Acupuncture |
The energy produced within us has three manifestations: physical essence, as gross energy; mind, as refined energy; and spirit, as subtle energy. These correspond with the three general manifestations of universal energy. They are essentially one energy, existing in grosser or finer states. The normal order of energy development is from the lower to the higher. The energy arrangement of a highly evolved being is for the spirit to control the mind, and the mind to control the physical energy. However, the opposite order predominates in the majority of the world's creature, with physical desire controlling the mind and the mind overpowering the spirit. Consequently, much confusion abounds and man-made disasters are prevalent.
Spirit is the manifestation of high energy as heaven within us. Our physical essence, which produces our vital power, is the physical energy in our body, which represents the earth. Our mind can develop in the time/space context to make social relationships and things of that nature. This is the human level of existence, the human energy structure. The human body is a combination of heaven or "spirit", human being or "mind," and earth or "body" in one great unity, an exact microcosm of the harmonious universe. It can be a small workshop of the subtle power which operates as the subtle performer of the universe.
The purpose of meditation is to refine our energy. It is to refine desire to become wisdom, refine physical essence to become mental power, and ultimately, to refine one's high level mental power to become spirit. This spirit can unite with the immortal divine nature of the universe. One can achieve immortality by using one's own spirit to thrust through the illusion of duality of the physical realm and thereby unite with the eternally unfolding universe.
Established by Congress in 1992, The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine conducts and funds research to determine the effectiveness of alternative and nontraditional health-care practices, such as acupuncture, homeopathy, hypnosis, herbal medicine, and biofeedback. It funds ten specialized offices throughout the United States that investigate the use of alternative treatments for specific diseases and health conditions. The center does not endorse alternative therapies; it encourages discussion between practitioners of alternative medicine and traditional medical professionals. The center distributes information about alternative and complementary medicine to the public, media, and health-care professionals.
Acupuncture
National Institutes of Health
Consensus Development Conference Statement
November 3-5, 1997
NIH Consensus statements and State-of-the-Science statements (formerly known as technology assessment statements) are prepared by a non-advocate, non-Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) panels, based on (1) presentations by investigators working in areas relevant to the consensus questions during a 2-day public session; (2) questions and statements from conference attendees during open discussion periods that are part of the public session; and (3) closed deliberations by the panel during the remainder of the second day and morning of the third. This statement is an independent report of the panel and is not a policy statement of the NIH or the Federal Government.
The statement reflects the panel's assessment of medical knowledge available at the time the statement was written. Thus, it provides a "snapshot in time" of the state of knowledge on the conference topic. When reading the statement, keep in mind that new knowledge is inevitably accumulating through medical research.
This statement was originally published as: Acupuncture. NIH Consensus Statement 1997 Nov 3-5; 15(5): 1-34.
