Journal of Traditional Chinese Medical Sciences (2018) 5, 29e34

Available online at www.sciencedirect.com

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journal homepage: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jtcms

The scientific hypothesis of an “energy

system” in the human body
Tianjun Liu

Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China

Received 25 January 2018; accepted 25 February 2018

Available online 17 March 2018

KEYWORDS Abstract This paper proposed the scientific hypothesis that human beings have an “energy
Energy system; system” inside their body and put forward the necessity to propose the hypothesis. In details,
Qi; this paper explained the hypothesis from its existence, composition, functions, and possible
Scientific hypothesis; verifying methods. This paper argues that the human body includes both visible and invisible
Human body parts. The former is the material system and the latter is the energetic system. As matter
and energy can be converted into each other, it is important to study the human body from
the perspective of both the material and energetic systems, which can complement each
other. The nature of the energetic system is different from that of the material system. The
traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) perspective is based on energy; therefore, extending
research on the human energy system may lead to the establishment of a modern TCM research
field that is firmly grounded in the principles of TCM. Such a research field might generate
novel findings.
ª 2018 Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. This is
an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/
by-nc-nd/4.0/).

The testing of scientific hypotheses is fundamental to the
formation of scientific theory. The proposition of a testable
scientific hypothesis is the first step to progress in scientific
research. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been
used for over 3000 years.1 Most researchers agree that the
formation and development of TCM follows a different
process from that of modern science; it is probably
impossible to completely define the complexity of TCM
E-mail address: liutj2911@126.com (T. Liu).
Peer review under responsibility of Beijing University of Chinese
Medicine.
using the perspectives and research methods of modern
science.
Therefore, what is the key factor that differentiates
TCM from bio-medicine (Western medicine)? This question
is not easy to answer. It is impossible for modern people to
return to the time and living environment of ancient people
for field discussions. We can only ascertain the develop-
ment of TCM from the substantial number of ancient classic
TCM texts and from long-established clinical practices. In
the process, we need to do as suggested by William Ian
Beardmore Beveridge, an Australian scientist: “Scientists
must have imagination so that they can imagine how things
that cannot be seen by the naked eye happen and work,

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcms.2018.02.003
2095-7548/ª 2018 Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC
BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
30
and conceive a hypothesis.” Based on discussion and
reflection, this paper presents the scientific hypothesis that
human beings have an “energy system” inside their body.
What is the energy system of the human body?
“Qi” as “energy”
TCM theory posits the concept of qi, adopting a world view
that can be considered qi monism.2 Of related concepts in
modern science, the one most similar to qi is energy. Qi in
TCM can therefore be likened to the modern scientific
concept of energy. This assumption is the foundation of the
hypothesis that the human body contains an energy system,
though the concept of qi may be more wide-ranging than
that of energy.
By accessing relevant literature and materials and
visiting TCM physicians, physicists, and philosophers, we
have determined that the concepts of qi in TCM and energy
in modern science have much in common and are used to
explain the same type of phenomena. For example, both qi
and energy refer to a force that cannot be directly observed,
but that has an effect on physical entities. Comparative
discussions of the two concepts can help to synthesize the
knowledge accumulated from different eras and different
modes of cognition, which helps to clarify the corresponding
concepts and provide a broader perspective. Why do we say
that the concept of qi may be broader than that of the
concept of energy? Qigong practice shows that the concept
of qi can contain information, consciousness,3 and other
factors that the concept of energy does not seem to include.
Existence and composition of an energy system in
the human body
The following description of the composition of the human
body’s energy system is derived from modern science and
the account of its existence drawn from TCM.
The human body’s energy system is related to its ma-
terial system. The material system of the human body re-
fers to the different levels of physical structure, including
the material composition of genes, organs, and limbs at
microscopic and macroscopic levels, as well as histology
and embryology. The energy system is a dynamic system
that maintains and influences human life activities,
including energy operations from microscopic to macro-
scopic levels such as chemical energy released by mito-
chondria and enzymes, heat generated by food, and
gravitational and electromagnetic energy generated by the
moon’s waxing and waning and sunspot activity.
Studies of the human body by bio-medicine and modern
science focus on the material system, which is character-
ized by interconnection between tangible entities. In
contrast, the energy system is a system in which intangible
forces interact with each other. Any living body simulta-
neously contains a material system and an energy system,
just as shapes and their shadows are inextricably linked. As
all material and structural components of the body have
their corresponding energetic components, material com-
ponents move owing to the action of energetic components
and form functions: the life activities of the human body.
T. Liu
Although the existence of the material system in the human
body has been confirmed by bio-medicine and modern sci-
ence,4e7 the existence of an energy system has not yet
been scientifically demonstrated. This paper proposes the
hypothesis that an energy system of the human body exists.
The TCM of meridians can be used as the theoretical
basis of a model of a bodily energy system.8,9 According to
TCM, qi flows through the meridian system. If qi is energy,
the meridian system constitutes the channels through
which energy operates. The meridians do not correspond to
any physical structures. The findings of modern scientific
research on meridians support this view of the meridian
system to date. However, the operation of qi or energy occurs
not just inside the meridian system, but also outside it.
According to TCM, nutrient qi flows inside the vessels and
defensive qi flows on the surface of the body.10 The body’s
organs also have their own qi, such as heart qi, liver qi, and
spleen qi. Another type of qi is external qi, which can be
emitted from the body by some individuals, such as Qigong
practitioners. We can see that the location and operation of
energy does not always have clear boundaries, just as elec-
trical energy can spread both through wires and wirelessly.
TCM acupuncture and Qigong therapy are practical appli-
cations of the theory of human energy and depend on the
operation of the meridian system. These are the two therapies
based most heavily on TCM and have demonstrated clinical
effects. They are further discussed later in the paper.
Why should the energy in the human body be
termed a system?
Ludwig Von Bertalanffy, the founder of general systems
theory, defines a system as “a set of interrelated elements
that interact with each other”.11 A system is an organic
whole composed of several interrelated, interactive, and
interdependent parts. Material and energetic components
in the human body are formed by the interrelations and
interactions between different levels and different parts;
therefore, these components can be considered a system.
The material structure of the human body forms a sys-
tem because of its interconnection at different levels, and
the energy operation of the human body forms a system
because of its mutual communication at different levels.
Although both systems exist in the human body, the ma-
terial system is tangible and can be observed whereas the
energetic system is intangible and unobservable.
Here, it is necessary to define tangibility and intangi-
bility as well as visibility and invisibility. In ancient times,
tangibility and visibility referred to things that could be
directly observed by the naked eye; things that could not
be so observed were defined as intangible and invisible. In
modern times, the use of observation equipment such as
magnifying glasses and telescopes has expanded the range
of what is tangible and visible.
Why is it necessary to propose an energy
system for the human body?
As mentioned above, one fundamental difference between
matter and energy is that the former is visible and the
latter is invisible (except for the visible part of light). The
Scientific hypothesis of energy system
human body contains visible parts as well as invisible parts
(such as energy and consciousness). For example, mito-
chondrial adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is visible and the
release of ATP energy is invisible; brain cells are visible and
consciousness is invisible. Invisibility does not equate to
non-existence. To try to understand the human body and
the universe, ancient people divided them into two parts:
being with form and being without form (the philosophical
statements of visible and invisible things). This seems
similar to the way that modern physics divides the universe
into matter and dark matter.
Research approaches to the human body that focus only
on the visible part and ignore the invisible part result in an
incomplete model of the body that considers the parts to be
the whole. In addition, many researchers tend to interpret
changes in the visible parts of the body as indicating the
invisible parts. For example, it is assumed that the visible
changes in brain neurons and neural networks explain the
formation of consciousness (an inadequate explana-
tion).12,13 Objective phenomena do not directly explain
subjective phenomena. If the invisible parts of the human
body can be completely explained by changes in the visible
parts, the hypothesis of an energy system in the human
body is superfluous; until this is so, such a hypothesis has
practical significance.
This hypothesis takes as its research focus on the invis-
ible parts of the human body and therefore may develop
into a new area of life science. An energetic system has
its own characteristics that are different from those of a
material system. For example, energy cannot be directly
observed, it has no clear boundaries or scales (sunspot ac-
tivity affects the processes of the human body), and it can
be induced by consciousness (the microcosmic orbit and
macrocosmic orbit of Qigong practice. The two orbits are
two paths through which energy move internal qi through
the Du and Ren meridians or all the meridians). Therefore,
the assumptions (of observability, measurability, and
repeatability) that underlie the experimental methods used
to study material and structural systems cannot be directly
applied to the study of energetic systems. However,
without the hypothesis of an energy system, it is hard to
exploit new research directions and fields.
Bio-medicine is based on changes in the structure of
matter, whereas TCM is based on changes in energy oper-
ation. The former is a morphological perspective and the
latter is a kinetic perspective. Bio-medicine often uses
morphological changes before and after treatment to
illustrate therapeutic efficacy, which is a reasonable
approach. However, the presence of morphological changes
does not explain why things change. There is no doubt that
energy is needed for all physical changes to occur. The main
focus of TCM is dynamic change in the operation of energy.
It is important to use modern scientific methods to open up
this research field and modernize TCM while retaining its
unique characteristics.
The role of the hypothesis of an energy system
in the human body
First, the hypothesis that there is an energy system in the
human body would lead to a more comprehensive and
31
in-depth understanding of TCM theory and methodology.
Further, such a hypothesis could help to explain the phe-
nomena of life, the universe, and nature.
Understanding TCM epistemology and
methodology
Matter is the foundation of modern scientific epistemology
and methodology. In contrast, qi or energy is the foundation
of TCM epistemology and methodology. In modern physics,
matter is a form of energy. Einstein’s mattereenergy con-
version formula, E Z MC2, shows that energy and matter
are interchangeable. Therefore, energy is matter, and vice
versa. The TCM worldview is qi monism, which can be un-
derstood as the theory of energy monism. This corresponds
to the cosmological theory that the universe came into
being in the form of energy in the short period of time just
after the Big Bang.
Although energy and matter can be equivalent, their
different natures have led to naturally different ways of
studying them. As mentioned above, the principles of
observability, measurability, and repeatability are effec-
tive when used to study material or structural systems, but
not very useful for studying the operation of energetic
systems.
So, how did ancient people study qi or energy? One basic
method is introversive, or subjective observation. Qigong is
a method for studying the human body, the universe, and
nature through direct experience of qi or energy. Although
energy cannot be directly observed, it can be experienced.
It is possible to experience changes in energy and thus
control these changes. This can lead to an understanding of
the human body’s physiological and pathological processes
in term of energy. Energy or qi can be directly guided by
consciousness and breathing. Using such guiding skills,
Qigong can integrate one’s body, mind, and breath and
adjust the human body’s energy system. Another method of
studying energy is termed “classification according to
manifestation”.14 This method combines extroversive and
introversive observation, and is a more holistic and
embodied mode of observation that differs from objective
observation in modern science. The classification according
to manifestation method is based not only on similarity of
appearance, but also on the resonance of internal and
external energy. The expression “similar kinds of qi attract
each other” means the mutual resonance of energy.
Extroversive observation focuses only on how similar phe-
nomena appear to be. In addition, an alternative mode of
observation is to investigate the resonance of energy, and
this is the main purpose and focus of the method of clas-
sification according to manifestation. Therefore, classifi-
cation according to manifestation is not objective
observation, but a combination of subjective and objective
observation.
The methods of Qigong and classification according to
manifestation are not perfect, but they can be used to
investigate the human body’s energy system and so they
merit further study. To date, there is still no modern sci-
entific method of studying nature and the human body that
could lead to an explanation of the unity of mind and body
and of subject and object.
32
Interpreting TCM theory
TCM theories such as yin-yang and the five elements; five
circuits and six qi; zang-fu organs and meridians; qi, blood
and body fluids; harmony between humans and nature; the
bodyemind; etiology and pathogenesis; and the four
properties and five flavors are all related to the operation
and resonance of energy in the human body and the uni-
verse. If they are interpreted only according to material or
structural principles, they often seem unclear and far-
fetched.
For example, the TCM concepts of organs and meridians
and qi, blood and body fluids are the TCM concepts that are
most closely related to bio-medicine. However, no
anatomical correspondence has yet been identified for the
meridians, and TCM organs do not correspond with Western
anatomy. This is because the organ and meridian theory of
TCM is based on the operation of qi or energy, not on
anatomical structure. From a TCM perspective, invisibility
precedes visibility, meridians precede viscera, and qi pre-
cedes blood. An adherence to the assumptions that the
tangible determines the intangible and material structure
determines the operation of energy obscures the original
meaning of TCM theory. The TCM concept of the unity of
humans and nature can only be understood and experi-
enced in terms of interactions between qi and energy,
because this unity is not a connection of material structure,
but of the operation of energy. This also holds true for the
theories of yin-yang, the five elements, and five circuits
and six qi.
According to the TCM worldview of qi monism, qi is
concentrated into objects and objects disperse into qi. This
principle directly communicates the idea that, at all levels
(tiny-cosmic, microcosmic, macrocosmic, cosmoscopic, and
distended cosmic), objects are constituted by the concen-
tration and dispersal of qi or energy. In essence, TCM theory
is based on the metaphysical concept of “being without
form” but includes “being with form”; the former is
assumed to coordinate the latter. This is different to the
way that bio-medicine and modern science understand the
human body and disease. As bio-medicine lacks a concept
that corresponds to the TCM concept of qi, bio-medical
concepts cannot fully explain TCM.
Guiding clinical treatment
To be of any value, medical theory must be able to guide
clinical application. The TCM theoretical concepts of qi
monism and the primacy of energy provide a sound foun-
dation for TCM clinical practice.
“An excellent doctor treats disease before it arises but
not diagnosed diseases.” This familiar Chinese expression
illustrates the advantages of TCM clinical practice and can
be explained as follows. According to the energy system
theory, an incipient disease is one that has disturbed the
energetic system but has not affected, or only slightly
affected, the material system of the body. At this stage,
there are no changes in laboratory test results, and even no
obvious symptoms or signs, but the local or overall energy
flow has deviated from normal. If adjustments are not
made to rebalance the energy system, the deviation in the
T. Liu
energy flow will gradually become fixed. If this happens,
the qi imbalance will manifest as physical symptoms, thus
affecting the material system and leading to a “diagnosed
disease”.
We can see from this that TCM is more suitable to treat
diseases that have not yet affected (or only slightly
affected) the material structure of the body, whereas bio-
medicine treats diseases that have caused an obvious
change in the material structure. The adjustment of the
operation of energy can also affect the body’s material
structure, but more slowly. As qi is concentrated into ob-
jects and objects disperse into qi, the two can be trans-
formed into each other. The formula E Z MC2 suggests that
this transformation is not easy. An easier way to express
this process is to state that TCM is suitable for treating a
variety of both chronic and functional diseases.
Of TCM therapies, Qigong therapy uses the most direct
clinical manipulation of the energy system of the human
body to achieve health and cure disease. The aim of prac-
tice is to integrate the mind, body and breath into one.15
The unified state of the mind, breath, posture, and move-
ment can help to maintain and adjust the energy system in
a balanced and stable manner. Qigong theory and practice
does not refer to the material system of the human body.
From the perspective of Qigong, all diseases originate from
a misaligned and imbalanced mode of energy operation,
but the local or overall energy can be adjusted back to a
normal state through unifying the body, mind and breath.
The ancient TCM term for Qigong was “guidance”, which
indicates that Qigong guides the flow of internal qi through
an adjustment of the body, mind and breath. There is
evidence that Qigong therapy is effective, especially for
chronic diseases and miscellaneous diseases that are diffi-
cult to treat.16,17
Another core TCM therapy, acupuncture, is now prac-
ticed worldwide. TCM assumes that the role of acupuncture
is to regulate qi. Qigong therapy uses the introversive
method to regulate qi and acupuncture uses the extro-
versive method to regulate qi. Both methods directly affect
the energy system in the human body, which is the original
aim of TCM. As the body’s material structure and energy
operation change simultaneously, it is feasible to interpret
the mechanism of clinical acupuncture from the perspec-
tive of material and structural changes. However, to do so
would not reflect a true TCM perspective. To interpret the
effects of acupuncture only in terms of material structure
would neglect the role of the invisible energy operating
system. For example, traditional Chinese acupuncture is
based on meridian and its actions cannot be fully under-
stood in terms of material structure. However, if no evi-
dence is found for the existence of the meridian system,
what does this mean for traditional Chinese acupuncture?
How to verify the existence of an energy
system in the human body
As energy cannot be perceived directly but can only be
experienced or induced, TCM focuses on the essential,
qualitative nature of the energy system. It is difficult to
measure energy changes quantitatively, because both
experience and induction are ambiguous. Some TCM
Scientific hypothesis of energy system
phenomena can be seemingly expressed in quantitative
terms, but they are also expressed in terms of their
inherent nature. For example, the herbal properties of
cold, hot, warm, and cool express the nature of an herb,
although they can also be expressed as quantitative
changes in temperature. Therefore, TCM tends to changing
external observation into internal experience, and to favor
introversive observation over extroversive observation.
TCM’s focus on inner experience stems from its world-
view of qi monism (knowledge is about understanding
invisible energy) and also from a lack of adequate external
observational methods in ancient eras. Because of the rapid
development of modern science and technology, TCM needs
to incorporate external observation using modern scientific
technology. It is easy to standardize observations of
external phenomena, and this is the best way to modernize
TCM. The use of inner experience is not inaccurate and is
suitable for understanding the energy system. However,
large individual differences make it difficult to have a
uniform standard for subjective observation, and it is
difficult to generalize from such observations. External
observations based on modern scientific technology could
be used to explore the energy system of the human body.
The following methods may be useful.
Indirect measurement
It is difficult to directly observe the operation of energy,
but we can indirectly observe and measure it. In fact, in-
direct measurement is a commonly used modern scientific
method of observing energy. A simple example of indirect
observation is the measurement obtained using a mercury
thermometer. The thermometer registers changes in mer-
cury volume that are affected by heat and converts the
change in thermal energy to a change in mercury volume.
As it is the change in the length of the column of mercury
that is observed, not the heat, this is an indirect observa-
tion. Other examples of indirect observations are the use of
weighing scales to take simple measurements of changes in
gravity and ammeter measurements of electrical energy
changes. In September 2015, American scientists observed
gravitational waves,18 which was also an indirect observa-
tion. More indirect observation instruments need to be
developed to observe energy.
Use of existing bio-medical instruments with an
energetic interpretation
The data from many bio-medical monitoring devices, such
as electrocardiogram, electroencephalograph, and func-
tional magnetic resonance imaging can actually be inter-
preted in terms of energy changes,19 despite being
currently interpreted in terms of morphological changes.
Data interpretation depends not on the instruments them-
selves, but on higher-level theoretical and methodological
assumptions. Bio-medical research is based on morpholog-
ical changes, and all observations are interpreted in terms
of such changes. If we broaden the medical research field
to observe physiological and pathological changes from the
perspective of energy change, informed by a corresponding
higher-level model, the data from bio-medical instruments
33
could suggest a different interpretation. There is no dearth
of useful instruments for TCM research, what is lacking now
is appropriate higher-level theoretical and methodological
frameworks.
Subjective measurement scales
It is also feasible to directly observe subjective experience
itself using psychometric scales. For example, the Minne-
sota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and the
Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) are used directly to screen
for, diagnose and evaluate the therapeutic effects of some
mental diseases.20,21 Similarly, a variety of observational
scales could be developed based on subjective experience
of energy changes, such as the microcosmic orbit and the
macrocosmic orbit of Qigong practice. Some common clin-
ical symptoms, such as pain, itching, and dizziness, can also
be measured using psychometric scales.
Thought experiments and mathematical methods
Modern physics and consciousness studies also use thought
experiments and mathematical methods to elaborate
principles or laws that are difficult to demonstrate with
experimental methods. For example, Schrödinger’s cat and
Nagel’s “What is it like to be a bat?” are thought experi-
ments.22,23 Many of the corollaries of physical phenomena
are first based on mathematical calculations, and then
gradually form the basis of observations, such as the Big
Bang theory. In fact, physics is not a purely experimental
science and requires imagination and reason. Good physical
experiments have always been theoretical and even
philosophical.24
There are very few natural laws that can be experi-
mentally confirmed. Bio-medicine is good at explaining
macroscopic phenomena in terms of changes in micro-
substance and TCM is good at explaining macroscopic phe-
nomena in terms of changes in cosmoscopic energy. As
microcosmic phenomena are smaller than macroscopic
phenomena, they are relatively easy for us to understand
and to experimentally investigate. However, cosmoscopic
phenomena are larger than macroscopic phenomena, so we
can only observe them at most (for example, it is impossible
to artificially move the planet) and the possibility of con-
ducting experiments is greatly reduced. Therefore, thought
experiments are needed to investigate these phenomena.
The establishment of research on energy change
using TCM meridian theory, Qigong, and
acupuncture
The establishment of research on TCM meridian theory,
Qigong and acupuncture from the perspective of human
energy changes will begin to open up new research fields in
the life sciences. Previous research in this field has been
limited to searching for a material basis of them, and there
have been no significant breakthroughs to date. For
example, the material structure of the meridians has not
been identified. This is not because of insufficient research;
rather, it is a consequence of inadequate models. The
meridians are the channels through which energy operates
34
and are not necessarily based on a material structure. A
change in the conceptualization of such phenomena may
lead to a breakthrough in research.
For example, some research indicates that when an
acupuncture needle penetrates the skin, it initiates ATP
changes in acupoint cells, which release energy.25 The
release and operation of these energies facilitate later
morphological changes in the tissue structure. In other
words, energy changes occur before morphological
changes. It may be possible to detect and measure the
energy released by ATP. Such data could be used to further
study the energetic mechanisms of acupuncture. Qigong
research is more difficult, as it involves the influence of
consciousness on energy. Consciousness and energy are
examples of “being without form” in the human body and it
is more difficult to grasp two invisible factors than one.
However, the assumption that Qigong cannot be investi-
gated is incorrect. For example, most people can achieve
microcosmic orbit circulation after a short period of
training. Psychometric scales could be used to collect first-
hand information about the subjective experience of the
practice. We could also externally monitor cell energy
changes along the path of the microcosmic orbit.
To sum up, the human body includes both visible and
invisible parts. The former is the material system and the
latter is the energetic system (in addition to consciousness,
as mentioned briefly above). As matter and energy can be
converted into each other, it is important to study the
human body from the perspective of both the material and
energetic systems, which can complement each other. The
nature of the energetic system is different from that of the
material system. The TCM perspective is based on energy;
therefore, extending research on the human energy system
may lead to the establishment of a modern TCM research
field that is firmly grounded in the principles of TCM. Such a
research field might generate novel findings.
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