The slides that accompanied a presentation to the National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine conference in December 2008.

1. Taking Control of the Energy of Your
Life, From Your Cells To Your Soul
Richard G. Petty MD, MSc,
MRCP(UK), MRCPsych,
Promedica Research Center,
Georgia State University College of
Health Sciences,
Loganville, Georgia,
USA
RichardGPettyMD.com
rpettyus@aol.com

2. The Questions:
Have your perceptions changed in
recent years?
Are we changing as a species?
Are the Laws of Healing changing?
And if the answers are “Yes,” how can
we use this information in practice?

3. In 1905
The average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47
Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub
There were 8,000 cars in the U.S. and 144 miles of paved roads
More than 95 percent of all births in the U.S. took place at home
Ninety percent of all U.S. physicians had no college education
The average annual intake of refined sugar was 60 pounds per
head, up from 7 pounds per head in 1805. (It is estimated to be
about 150 pounds per head in 2005)
The five leading causes of death in the U.S. were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke
There were only about 230 reported murders in the entire U.S.
Only 8 percent of homes had a telephone, and there were no
computers, airplanes or 24-hour lighting
The human body contained several hundred fewer synthetic
chemicals than it does today

4. Diseases Have Changed...
Apart from epidemics and diseases of
social change...
The “English sweats”
Rheumatic fever
Schizophrenia
Coronary artery disease

5. Have We - And Are We - Changing?
The interplay between food, society and
cognition
The discovery of the actual role of genes
in the brain
The strange case of the “Missing chakras”
Stage models, e.g.:
Karl Jaspers
Jean Gebser
Ken Wilber
The Spiral Dynamic model

6. Turquoise
Yellow
Green
Orange
Blue
Red
Purple
Beige

7. The Value Memes (vMemes)
First Tier: The Six “Subsistence” vMemes:
Beige: Instinctive, survivalist
Purple: Magical, animist
Red: Egocentric, impulsive
Blue: Order
Orange: Scientific
Green: Egalitarian
Second Tier: The “Being” vMemes:
Yellow: Integrative
Turquoise: Holistic

8. And So?
If we are indeed changing
And the mind and the body are so
intimately inter-related
We should expect that our physical,
emotional, cognitive, social and spiritual
development will have an impact on the
problems that we see and how to help
them

9. Have Some Therapies “Stabilized” or
Become More Valuable Over Time?
Homeopathy
Flower essences
Thought Field Therapy
Quantum-Touch
The Reconnection
And dozens more...

10. Larry Dossey’s Three “Eras” of Medicine
Era I: Mechanical
Era II: Mind-body
Era III: Non-local

11. “New” Problems That Need New
Approaches
Increasing emotional and environmental
sensitivity
“Salience disruption syndromes:”
Mood instability
Attention deficit
Addictions
Sensitivity to geopathic stress
“Diseases of discipleship”

12. “Diseases of Discipleship”: 1
Visual disturbances
Extreme sensitivity to light and sound
Paradoxically they often also find a raised pain threshold
Increased metabolic rate, which may cause a slight increase in
body temperature and a little weight loss
Variable libido: some people lose all interest in sex, but most
experience an increase in sexual desire, which can take them
and any partners by surprise
Disturbances in circadian rhythms
Disturbances in thyroid and adrenal function: the thyroid often
becomes slightly – or sometimes more than slightly – overactive
and the adrenal glands slightly less responsive to stimulation
Hypoglycemia
Hypertension

13. “Diseases of Discipleship”: 2
Chronic fatigue
Anxiety and a feeling of “butterflies” in the region of the solar
plexus
Inexplicable sensations roughly corresponding to the channels
identified in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine
Irregular breathing patterns, usually hyperventilation
Something that feels like electricity under the tongue and on the
palate
Crying for no readily apparent reason
As peoples’ consciousness rises, it is quite common to
experience “Synesthesia” in which senses overlap: people may
taste sounds, feel colors and “hear and see” with different parts
of the body
Psychic abilities often begin to appear: clairvoyance,
clairaudience, spiritual intuition and the ability to heal

14. The Development of a New Model
There is an underlying Matrix of
Information: this is the same “Inner
Light” mentioned throughout the world

15. Informational Matrix
!
The Thought Field
!
The Main Centers and the Chakras
!
The Flow of Energy in the Channels and Meridians
!
The Electromagnetic Field
!
The Liquid Crystalline Matrix of the Body
!
Biochemical Reactions

16. The Development of a New Model
The Axioms:
There is an underlying Matrix of Information
The single greatest force in the human system is its
constant drive to heal itself
Symptoms are signals of disconnection
Relationship is the key to a therapeutic interaction
In contrast to treatment, healing implies and involves:
Meaning
Purpose
Transformation
Therapies are specific to our stage of development

17. Integrated Health: 1
The Axioms of Treatment:
It is “Integrated Health” since it uses
intention to integrate the five dimensions:
Physical
Psychological
Social
Subtle
Spiritual
Healing must:
In-form
Transform: be a vehicle for growth
Be evolutionary

18. Integrated Health: 2
Achieving “conventional” health is simple:
Diet
Exercise
Sleep
Posture
Flow of “energy” etc.
Integrated health entails a transformation of
of heart and mind
This transformation is usually necessary for
us to achieve, exceed and express our full
potential

19. Integrated Health: 3
This needs for “patients” and practitioners to
work both with an external orientation:
Treatments
Therapies
Self-help
Self-improvement
And internal approaches:
Self-cultivation
Meaning
Purpose
Spirituality

20. Spiritual Healing;
Flower Essences
Gem Elixirs Causal
Electro-acupuncture;
High Potency
Homeopathy
Traditional Acupuncture;
Acupressure; Shiatsu
Subtle
Homeopathic Remedies in Low Potency;
Psychotherapy
Nutritional Interventions; Herbs; Essential Oils’
Detoxification
Gross
Plane of Physical Interventions: Orthodox Medicines;
Gene Therapies

21. Applying the Model to “Energy”

22. Why is “Energy” the Key?
Time is finite and limited
With a little care and
attention, our energy can
become almost infinite
Time management is
important to help
structure our lives
Energy management is
the key to resilience
Our energy helps
determine the quality and
quantity of our lives

23. Physical Energy
Impacts our ability to manage all of the other energies
Physical energy is primarily dependent on:
Blood flow
Oxygenation
Nutrient supply
Metabolism
Rest, recovery and renewal
Therefore the keys to mastery of your physical energy
include:
Synchronizing circadian rhythms and physical exercise:
Aerobic, strength, core groups and stretching
Breathing
Nutrition
Sleep

24. Psychological Energy: Emotional
The capacity to manage emotions
High emotional intelligence
Modulate
Boost when necessary
The keys to emotional mastery include:
Self-awareness
Self-confidence
Self-control
Patience
Perseverance
Forgiveness
Trust
Beauty
Music

25. Psychological Energy: Mental
Capacity to:
Focus attention
Sustain concentration
Maintain a realistically optimistic perspective
The keys to mastery of mental energy include:
Action
Adaptability
Autonomy
Mental preparation
Visualization
Positive self-talk
Effective time - and energy! - management
Creativity
Detaching from the outcome

26. Social and Relationship Energy
They include not only inter-personal relationships, but
all relationships
They may provide:
Resilience
Coping
Support
Engagement
But they may also cause a huge energy drain
The keys to mastery of the energy of relationships
include:
Social intelligence
Empathy
The ability to “protect” your energy
Converting dominant relationships into partnerships

27. The Cinderella of Energy: Subtle
Systems
At least 97 cultures have described subtle systems of
the body:
Pneuma
Qi (Chi, Ki)
Prana
Odic force
Orgone
Vital force
Biofield
(Please see the questions in the Personal Evaluation
of Wellness)

28. Mastery of Your Subtle Energy
Yoga
Breathing
T’ai chi ch’uan and qigong
Acupressure
Reiki
Tapping therapies
And so on...

29. Spiritual Energy
“Spiritual” has so many meanings:
Contact with the Divine
The highest levels of any of the lines of development
through which we can pass
Having something to do with experiences that can come
about from prayer, meditation, devotion, love
Here I suggest that it is our connection to a deeply
held set of values and to a purpose beyond our own
self-interest
It is one of our most powerful motivators
We can probably all recognize an absence or
presence of spiritual energy
But we may not always work on it ourselves or with
our clients

30. First Things First
Before starting the program:
Make sure that there is not
some physical reason for
lacking energy
BUT
Be careful about spending
time and money on
unproven tests and
treatments

31. Your Energy “Audit”
Where do you expend your energy?
For example:
Physical activities
People who are - or have been - in your life
Beliefs
Habits
Obligations

32. Your Energy “Audit”
Where do you get your energy from?
Things
People
Places
Spiritual practices

33. Your Energy “Audit”
It is essential to discover the rhythms or
cycles of your energy

34. Energy Thieves

35. Energy Thieves
Poor diet: many of us are malnourished and
dehydrated
Bad posture
Poor breathing patterns
Poor sleep patterns
Clutter
Disharmony
Worry
Ego fears
Some people
Failing to manage stress

36. Energy Thieves
Poor diet: many of us are malnourished and
dehydrated
Bad posture
Poor breathing patterns
Poor sleep patterns
Clutter
Disharmony
Worry
Ego fears
Some people
Failing to manage stress

37. Stress is Not Always Bad!

38. Your Energy Plan
The Core Personalized Program:
Make sure that you are not trying to “Teach a Cat
to Quack!”
The Rescue Package:
Sometimes we all fall off: so we need some simple
steps to get back on track
The Emergency Energy Kit:
What to do when you need some extra energy
now, this minute

39. Nutrition

40. Nutrition

41. Nutrition

42. Nutrition
 Content:
 What to avoid
 What to include
 Supplements
 Breakfast, lunch, dinner and healthy snacks
 Avoid hydrogenated oils
 Water instead of drinks that cheat you
 Fruit
 Glycemic index Balance
 Learn labels
 Don’t just eat: Dine!

43. Synchronizing Circadian Rhythms
Food: The time that you eat and what
you eat is critically dependent on your
circadian rhythm
The optimal time for exercise is also
dependent on an individual’s rhythms
Knowledge of the cycles can also help
identify the energy nadirs, when it is
best to focus on mundane and repetitive
tasks

44. The 48-Minute Hour
Whatever an individual’s basic circadian
structure, it is highly likely that he of she
will still follow the basic 8, 20 and 48-
minute cycles
A key to focused energy is the forty-
eight minute hour

45. The Major Determinants of Sleep
Melatonin
Temperature:
Ambient
Core
Serotonin levels
Muscle tension
Inflammatory mediators
Age:
Therefore any interventions must consider age as
a factor

46. Practical Techniques for Managing
Sleep
Establish the Cause
Sleep hygiene
Then:
Use the nasal cycle: Lie on your left then your right
Aromas
Melatonin
Cold compress:
Chinese medicine
Stonewall Jackson

47. Practical Techniques for Managing
Sleep
Visualization
Remembering backwards
Herbal remedies
Homeopathic remedies
Calcium/magnesium
Facial massage
Music

48. Protecting Your Energy
We do not want to lose our empathy or intuition
but we also cannot afford to be overwhelmed by
those who come to us for help
There are a number of techniques that can help
us all to deal with this pressing issue:
Improve our ability to ground ourselves
Rapid centering
Protection:
Crossing your hands
“Smoothing” our subtle systems
“Zipping up”
Flower essences (see handout)

49. Sample Grounding Exercise
Use your intention and your breath to
visualize that you can lower your mind into
your heart
Visualize yourself breathing into and out of
your heart
Visualize yourself sending the energy in your
heart down through your body into the earth –
to the pulsing core of the earth
Now visualize yourself breathing the energy
of the earth back into your heart

50. The Rescue Package
You will only stay with a plan if it fits with your core
values:
Remember your purpose
Remember your contribution and legacy
Remember how good it felt to have the extra energy for just
one day
And if those are not enough, we have other tools:
Tapping therapies
Flower essences
A skilled guide

51. Psychological Reversal
Typical features:
Confusing right and left or up and down
Sudden word finding problems
Consistently typing two letters the wrong way
round
Intense episodic irritability, energy collapse or
procrastination for no readily apparent cause
Often specific to a place or topic
Response to treatment can be diagnostic

52. The Psychological
Reversal point
The point on the hand used to treat psychological reversal:
it corresponds to the acupuncture point Small Intestine 3

53. Emergency Energy Boost 1: Energizing Breath
Sit up, with your back straight, with your eyes closed
Place your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your
upper front teeth and keep it there throughout the exercise
Breath in and out rapidly through the nose, keeping the mouth
lightly closed
Inhalation and exhalation should be equal and short, and until
you are an expert, you should feel the muscular exertion in your
neck and diaphragm
The chest action should be rapid and mechanical, like a bellows
(Stop if you develop any dizziness)
Breath audibly on both inhalation and exhalation, aiming to
reach 3 cycles (in and out) per second
Start with 15 seconds and gradually increase the length of time
of the exercise up to a minute at a time

54. Emergency Energy Booster 2: Acupressure
Acupressure: SO LONG AS
YOU ARE NOT PREGNANT:
press here gently for 30-60
seconds
Then gently massage the
middle of the sole of your foot
for 30-60 seconds
Then with your feet flat on the
floor, do 30-60 seconds of
abdominal breathing

55. Summary
Integrated Health is an approach that does
not replace but enhances existing methods
Energy is an important key to health, attention
and engagement
It is wise to incorporate three strands into a
program of development or treatment:
Core personalized
Rescue
Emergency