posted ago by MindlessRationality ago by MindlessRationality +7 / -0

Let us delve into this topic of energies and breaths. I am sure I am missing many such other variants in other tongues but these are areas which are extremely hard to research without first hand experience, someone you know who experiences it, or you have some passing fancy or interest that turns to obsession.

Most people will first off correctly state that the first is not like the others...I agree, and I will give my thoughts, but would like to open the floor for further discussions in general across all of these.

First Psi refers often to telekinesis or telecognition or remote viewing and other psychic phenomenon. This is typically associated with the concept of paranormal activity, metaphysics, and it also is the one people in the west know best through media and folk lore. The classic fortune teller is a common european facet, and so it the means of various other such practices (many associated it with demonic or witchcraft as well). These days we see psychics and the various forms it comes in various media representations and they often form one of thre main broad groupings:

  • Possessed / Demons / Villians / Tyrant
  • Gifted / Tormented / Misunderstood
  • Hero / Marysue / Magician / Wizard / Witch

With these types of characters we tend to see psychic power either wielded for the general benefit of protagonists or weild against them or others. This has formed the basis of much magic, comic books, and video games and is what most people would first think of.

In the other cases we get a different situation. Ki (japan) - Qi/Chi (china) - Mana (Polynesia) - Prana (India).

Ki is probably associated with a person if they ever enjoyed japanese content such anime, martial arts, movies, manga, or folk lore. The same goes for Chi (though not so much Qi) as these two translations tend to be most common in that area of content. Though it is often shown as some kind of glowing force, the translations seem to vary in definition depending on who you ask. Same goes for Qi which is essentially the same concept but translated with the Q(Pronounce ck) instead from chinese. These sometimes get translated as energy, as breath, as life force, as blood, as spirit, and as referring to your legs or movement and stance. The variations are so broad that it appears to be possibly either an esoteric concept which has been cultivated in the east but not disseminated freely due to its potential benefits which perhaps was seen as a secret and worthy of apprenticeship or kept withing a school or family dynasty. So it would not be very easy to get a truthful description of how each school cultivates Chi/Ki/Qi. This could be a clever sleight of hand to add gravitas or perhaps they covet these teachings. The few sources I have seen, seem to be able to harness some control, but they never explain it or the translation is so useless and clearly not designed to be educational which makes it hard to confirm if different techniques are being harnessed, or if a general practice is common across all schools. Mana is essentially the same, but just found in the areas more towards the polynesian peninsula. And similarly when you get to singapore, india, and that region of the world, you find that they have a very similar thing called Prana.

Now I believe that the west and east have such different world views that they effectively see the world in incompatible ways. The philosophies of the western schools of thought are so vastly different from those of the east that it begs the question - why does the western world not embody these concepts?

Why did the west over look this stuff, outlaw it, and treat any sign of it as demonic, whilst in the east, they removed tend to focus on it as a natural rhythm of nature and all of life?

Please focus this on the actual underlying history, mention rough time periods if possible, mention theories, practices or experiences you have had, and if you feel well versed in any of the incarnations please expand. Psychic enthusiasts please join, but for the love of what you pray to, do not derail this conversation with short theories or modern day issues. I want this thread to be apolitical - purely focused on psychic and extrasensory energy stuff...