Unresolved, Not Unscientific – The Mind-Body Connection & Energy Healing

Written by Grinia Bradwell, Intuitive Author & Writer

Grinia Bradwell, PhD, is a scientist, author, and Reiki Master exploring the intersection of science, consciousness, and personal growth. She is the author of The Energy Field: The Paths We Take Are the Choices We Make, a reflective memoir exploring personal transformation, cultural change, and inner awakening.

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Energy healing has often been met with skepticism by mainstream science, frequently dismissed as a placebo or anecdotal. Yet, across cultures, many people report meaningful benefits from alternative healing practices, such as Reiki, therapeutic touch, and other forms of energy-based healing. While some of these effects may involve a placebo-like mechanism, this explanation alone does not fully account for some early findings, such as reports on long-distance healing or initial experiments performed on cells, plants, and animals, which are not influenced by belief or expectation. Additionally, in a recent paper, scientists have shown that Reiki and mindfulness significantly improved symptoms of knee osteoarthritis when compared to the placebo (‘fake Reiki’) and control (waitlist) groups.

Although some of these early studies may not have met the rigor of traditional scientific methodologies, there is growing scientific interest in the reported benefits of energy healing, including new clinical studies to further investigate its effects. The positive outcomes associated with energy healing have now been observed and reported across multiple contexts, suggesting that the topic warrants curiosity and careful inquiry rather than outright dismissal.

This leads to an important question: what exactly is the placebo effect, and how might the mind-body connection play a role in the outcomes people experience with energy healing?

Placebo & the mind-body connection

The placebo effect occurs when a person experiences a real physical or psychological improvement after receiving treatment with no active medical ingredients, like taking a sugar pill. This response is not imagined: research shows measurable changes in the body and brain, including alterations in neurotransmitter activity and neural circuits linked to pain and emotion.

The placebo effect shows that the mind can play a powerful role in how the body responds to treatment. When someone expects relief or healing, the brain can trigger real biological changes, such as releasing natural pain-relieving chemicals, altering stress hormones, and activating neural pathways involved in emotion and regulation. These responses can be measured in the brain and nervous system using modern scientific tools.

Rather than being “all in the mind,” the placebo effect reflects an ongoing conversation between thoughts, emotions, past experiences, and the body’s physiological systems. This mind-body connection helps explain why belief, context, and intention can influence how people experience symptoms and recovery, even when no active medication is involved.

The mind-body connection has been recognized for centuries, with many cultures applying this knowledge to healing practices often described as spiritual. Take mindfulness and meditation as an example. For a long time, their potential benefits for health and well-being were largely dismissed by the scientific community as fringe or unscientific. Now, however, there is a growing body of well-designed scientific studies showing that meditation and mindfulness can have measurable effects on the brain, biology, and overall well-being. What was once viewed with skepticism is now being explored with scientific tools, revealing how mental states can influence physical health.

What is energy healing, and is it a placebo?

Across many spiritual and healing traditions, the human body is understood as more than a purely physical structure. Systems such as yoga, Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Japanese healing arts describe a vital life force, often called prana, qi (chi), or ki, that is believed to flow through and around the body, forming the human energy field. In these traditions, health is associated with balance and free flow of this vital energy, while illness is seen as disruption or stagnation within the energy field. Energy healing is the art of working with these energy systems to support health and well-being.

The human energy field, as described in spirituality, hasn’t been fully accepted by mainstream science. However, early research has identified measurable biological, electrical, and magnetic fields generated by the heart, brain, and cells, referred to as the biofield. This biofield is described as a complex, dynamic field of energy and information arising from normal physiological activity. Some researchers propose that it may act as a complementary organizing system, helping to coordinate physiological processes throughout the body, from activity within individual cells to the functioning of organs.

Within the scientific community, these measurable electrical and magnetic signals are well accepted, while broader ideas of an energy field influencing healing in more subtle ways are still under investigation. This is largely due to current limitations in measurement tools and theoretical models. Spiritual traditions, by contrast, describe the human energy field as a life-giving or conscious force connected to intention, awareness, and meaning, an idea that closely aligns with the mind-body connection we discussed above.

The mind-body connection is well documented in scientific research through the placebo effect. In some cases, energy healing may activate similar mechanisms. When a person is placed in a calm, supportive environment and expects a positive outcome, measurable physiological changes can occur. Improvements such as pain reduction, relaxation, or enhanced well-being may fall under this broad definition of placebo. Rather than diminishing the value of energy healing, this perspective highlights the body’s innate capacity to respond to intention, belief, and supportive care.

While the precise mechanisms through which energy healing may operate are not yet fully understood, there are documented case studies, clinical observations, and client-reported outcomes suggesting that these practices can be beneficial for some individuals. History offers useful parallels: meditation, as mentioned above, was once viewed primarily as a spiritual practice, but now it is widely studied after scientific research began demonstrating measurable changes in brain activity, nervous system regulation, and overall health. Similarly, the absence of a complete scientific explanation does not necessarily negate the value of energy healing, rather, it highlights the need for continued, careful exploration. Maintaining an open yet discerning mindset allows space for inquiry without dismissing lived experience.

It is important to acknowledge that the use of scientific terminology to explain certain spiritual phenomena, without rigorous scientific protocols, has contributed to skepticism and discredit within this field by mainstream science. While correlations and parallels could be used to hypothesize a potential mechanism, from a rigorous scientific perspective, it remains premature to infer causality based on the current body of evidence.

In summary, energy healing may initiate a cascade of effects similar to those observed in the placebo effect through the mind-body connection. However, a placebo alone does not appear to fully account for all reported outcomes of energy healing practices. From a scientific standpoint, further research, including stronger study designs, improved protocols, and more refined measurement tools, would be needed to better understand these mechanisms, including the nature of the human energy field and the conditions under which healing effects may occur, even at a distance.

A personal perspective: Bridging science and energy healing

As a PhD-trained scientist in chemical engineering and someone who has had spiritual experiences since childhood, I hold both perspectives with equal respect. I am deeply committed to scientific rigor, evidence, and critical thinking, and at the same time, I cannot ignore my own lived experience.

While science has not yet established a definitive mechanism or conclusive proof for how energy healing works, I have personally practiced it and witnessed meaningful benefits, both in myself and in others. These experiences do not replace the need for scientific understanding, but they do suggest that there may be more to explore than our current models can explain.

I believe that understanding mechanisms is important and ultimately helpful, yet the absence of a complete explanation should not automatically lead to rejection or dismissal. Throughout history, many phenomena were observed and used long before their underlying mechanisms were understood. Energy healing, as practiced responsibly, is non-invasive, promotes relaxation and well-being, and based on current knowledge, does not appear to carry significant risks or harmful side effects. For these reasons alone, we should approach it with curiosity rather than embarrassment or fear of scrutiny.

It is also worth noting that belief is not a prerequisite for existence. We do not need to believe in oxygen for it to sustain life, we only need to interact with it. In a similar way, certain effects may occur independently of personal belief, expectation, or interpretation.

Finally, as science continues to grapple with fundamental questions about consciousness, perception, and the interconnected nature of the universe, it remains clear that our understanding is still incomplete. While it may be premature to draw firm conclusions, remaining open to inquiry, without abandoning rigor, allows space for discovery. In my view, energy healing belongs in that space: not as an established scientific fact, but as a true phenomenon worthy of thoughtful, honest exploration.

If these ideas resonate with you, I’d love to keep the conversation going! Connect with me on Instagram and explore my website for more insights, inspiration, and tools to support your personal and spiritual growth.

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Read more from Grinia Bradwell

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Grinia Bradwell, Intuitive Author & Writer

Grinia Bradwell, PhD, is a scientist, author, and Reiki Master who explores questions of perception, awareness, and personal growth. With a background in scientific research and a deep interest in consciousness and energy, her writing reflects on how logic and intuition can coexist. Through personal experience and thoughtful inquiry, she invites readers to expand perspective and reconnect with inner balance.