Exploring the Energy of People, Places, and Spaces — Through Your Questions
At IONS, we love sharing the latest research on consciousness and energy – but what excites us even more is hearing your questions! They bring the science to life, revealing the personal connections, deep curiosities, and unexpected insights that make this work so meaningful. In our recent ConnectIONS Live webinar, a conversation between IONS Director of Experience and Engagement, Kerstin Sjoquist, and IONS Scientist, Garret Yount, PhD, your curiosity took us on a journey through the science and mystery of subtle energy. We explored his book, Why Vibes Matter: Understand Your Energy and Use it Wisely, and his newly released IONS course: The Energy of People, Places and Spaces.
There were so many fascinating questions that we weren’t able to get to them all, so we thought we would respond to some of the follow-up questions in a blog! We have combined a few, and Dr. Yount has provided his responses in the text below:
ConnectIONS webinar recordings are typically available to the public for 2 weeks. IONS members have lifetime access to all videos. We’re making this recording available for free again until September 2.
Register for the course today and use code yes2energy for 15% off.
Measuring Subtle Energy
Question: Olga responded to Dr. Yount’s statement during the ConnectIONS Live webinar that we can only measure subtle energy indirectly because current technology does not exist to measure it directly. Olga’s follow-up question was, “What about tools that we have to measure the sizes of auras?”
Dr. Yount’s Answer: Scientific evidence doesn’t yet support aura cameras as subtle energy detectors – most measure physical signals like skin conductance or temperature. For example, some “aura cameras” combine galvanic skin response sensors with preprogrammed software that translates small physiological changes (e.g., skin conductance, temperature) into color patterns. On a positive note, even though there is no solid evidence that these color patterns represent the detection of subtle energies, they can be interesting biofeedback tools because they do reflect measurable physiological variables.
Another technique, Kirlian photography, produces colorful fringes around objects by applying a high-voltage electrical field to a photographic plate; the resulting image is shaped by factors such as air humidity, surface moisture, and electrical conductivity of the skin. Variations in sweat, skin oils, temperature, and even pressure on the sensor can change the recorded pattern, giving the illusion of detecting a changing aura. You can find Kirlian photography images here.
Hermetic Philosophy and Quantum Physics
Question: James asked what Dr. Yount thinks about Hermeticism, which teaches that intentional thoughts shape reality.
Dr. Yount’s Answer: I love reading about Hermeticism, and I actually talk about how it jives with modern physics theories in the Energy of People, Places and Spaces course. For example, in quantum physics, especially in interpretations like the observer effect and quantum entanglement, there’s a recognition that the act of observation appears to influence outcomes at the subatomic level. While not proof of thought creating reality, Hermeticism opens the door to the idea that consciousness and matter are deeply intertwined.
Measuring the Heart’s Electromagnetic Field
Question: Ben asked how the heart’s toroid field was measured in the HeartMath Institute study that Dr. Yount mentioned in the webinar.
Dr. Yount’s Answer: The research results I spoke about were measured using SQUID-based magnetometers – sensitive instruments capable of detecting the magnetic component of the heart’s field several feet from the body. Research by Dr. Rollin McCraty suggests this field may be part of how we communicate energetically with one another. You can read more about Dr. McCraty’s work on The Energetic Heart: Bioelectromagnetic Communication Within and Between People here.
Mind vs. Consciousness
Question: Christina asked, “What’s the difference between mind and consciousness?”
Dr. Yount’s Answer: The mind refers to our thoughts, memories, emotions, and cognitive processes. Consciousness, in contrast, is the underlying awareness that observes these mental activities. While the mind is active and content-based, consciousness is the silent field in which mental events occur.
Energy Healing of Johrei vs. Reiki
Questions: Todd asked, “What was the name of the Japanese healing practice specifically associated with radiation treatment? And, is there a link or source you could point me to? And Juli asked how Johrei works and whether it is the same as Reiki.
Dr. Yount’s Answers: Johrei, a Japanese practice from the 1930s, focuses on purifying spiritual “clouds” through divine light. Reiki, developed earlier in Japan by Mikao Usui in the 1920s, focuses on channeling universal life energy to support balance and healing. In Johrei, practitioners typically place their hands lightly on or just above the body in specific positions, and the practice is generally taught in secular as well as spiritual contexts, focusing on transmitting divine light (Jyoka), and often incorporates a religious or moral framework tied to the Johrei Fellowship.
Johrei and Reiki are both spiritual healing practices that involve channeling universal energy, but they differ in origin, focus, and method. In short, Johrei is more explicitly tied to a spiritual purification philosophy, while Reiki is framed more broadly as a hands-on or near-hands energy healing technique. You can read more about Johrei on the IONS website.
Johrei, Reiki, and Qigong
Question: Alice asked how Qigong compares to Johrei and Reiki.
Dr. Yount’s Answer: Qigong is rooted in ancient Chinese and martial arts traditions, and it cultivates and balances qi through movement, breath, and mental focus. Unlike Johrei and Reiki, which channel energy to others, qigong is primarily a self-practice for health, stress reduction, and spiritual growth. It is more physically active and grounded in Traditional Chinese Medicine, rather than the divine light of Johrei or the universal life force of Reiki.
There are also forms of “external Qigong,” in which a practitioner directs qi toward another person to support healing. This is a modern offshoot of the ancient self-practice traditions. The history of external qigong and its connection to Traditional Chinese Medicine is complicated and often misrepresented. For a deep dive into this topic, see the book chapter: Yount, G., Qian, Y., & Zhang, H. (2005). Changing perspectives on healing energy in traditional Chinese medicine. In M. Schlitz & T. Amorok (Eds.), Consciousness and healing: Integral approaches to mind-body medicine. Elsevier. pp. 428-432.
Dumping Buckets Qigong Exercise
Question: Claire asked if Dr. Yount would be willing to share some of the qigong practices he and his father did while his father was co-existing with cancer.
Dr. Yount’s Answer: The course actually includes a video demonstration of the ‘Dumping Buckets’ qigong exercise I learned with my father in Beijing, and I still practice regularly.
Quantum Biology and Subtle Energy
Question: Colin asked if newly discovered “superradiant states” in tryptophan networks might relate to subtle energy reception and transmission, and if this has led to any ideas for future research.
Dr. Yount’s Answer: Yes and yes! Superradiant states occur when networks of tryptophan molecules in neuronal microtubules become quantum-coherently excited, emitting an amplified signal. In Penrose and Hameroff’s Orch OR theory, these networks may sustain quantum states in microtubules, whose orchestrated collapse generates conscious moments. And IONS just started a pilot study in collaboration with Stuart Hameroff (an anesthesiologist and professor at the University of Arizona known for his consciousness studies) involving low-intensity transcranial ultrasound that could find supporting data for a link between microtubules and consciousness.
Music as Vibrational Healing
Question: Eleanor asked why music is such a powerful healing force.
Dr. Yount’s Answer: Music works both mechanically, through vibration and resonance, and neurologically, by influencing brain and hormonal pathways. One of my favorite examples is vibrational and acoustic coupling, where low frequencies, harmonics, and rhythm can have been shown to improve microcirculation (which is a vital factor in healing since impaired microcirculation plays a role in conditions like diabetes complications, cardiovascular disease, chronic wounds, and neurodegenerative disorders).
Orgone Energy and Coherence
Question: Bob asked about Dr. Yount’s thoughts on Wilhelm Reich’s orgone energy.
Dr. Yount’s Answer: I find it fascinating, and so did IONS founder, Dr. Edgar Mitchell, who was quoted as saying: “Through these arrangements of materials, Reich is getting coherence out of the energy, and that accounts for the effects he is achieving. I would use the analogy of natural daylight. Natural light is incoherent. But laser technology makes the light coherent. The energy field of the planet is incoherent, but Reich’s technology makes the energy coherent.”
I am currently working to raise funds for a study on an orgone energy device that could potentially aid people with macular degeneration. The idea stems from reports of two individuals who reversed this condition, with confirmation from their eye doctor, who has agreed to serve as the consulting physician on the study team.
We actually have an orgone energy funnel device in the IONS Lab.
Why Your Questions Matter
These conversations remind us that exploring subtle energy is both a scientific and a human journey. The questions you ask expand our shared understanding – bridging the measurable, the experiential, and the mysterious threads that weave people, places, and spaces together.
We hope you’ll dive deeper into these fascinating topics by signing up for the new course, The Energy of People, Places and Spaces. Use code yes2energy for 15% off now through September 2. Together, we’re mapping the edges of what’s known… and stepping into what’s possible.
