Can you feel qi energy immediately?

đŸȘ· Bridge
,
1

The Day Everything Changed

In a laboratory in Shanghai, March 10, 1978, something impossible happened.

Professor Lin Hou-Sheng sat motionless while nuclear scientist Gu Hansen aimed scanning technology at his palms. Within minutes, the instruments detected low-frequency infrared ray modulations and electromagnetic waves streaming from Lin’s hands. For the first time in human history, science had proven the physical nature of qi[1].

But the real shock came decades later.

Discovering Qi
Discovering Qi1024×1024 14.4 KB

The Discovery That Rewrote the Rules

When researchers tested average Americans with zero qigong experience, they expected nothing. What they found sent shockwaves through the martial arts world.

Half of them could feel qi energy immediately.

Lisa B. O’Shea, a certified qigong master and researcher, confirmed: “Without any training at all, 50 percent of people can feel energy on the first try”[2].

Even more mind-blowing? After just one week of basic instruction, these complete beginners were emitting infrasonic waves at 54dB - five times stronger than their baseline of 47dB. Meanwhile, the qigong master teaching them generated waves of 78dB, approximately 1,000 times greater than the average person[3].

Have you ever experienced sensations that might be qi energy during meditation, martial arts, or mindfulness practices?

  1. Yes, I’ve definitely felt energy sensations in my body
  2. Maybe - I’ve felt something but wasn’t sure what it was
  3. No, I’ve never noticed anything like that
  4. I’ve never tried these types of practices
0 voters

The Student Who Broke the Internet

“I practiced traditional qigong for 18 months,” wrote one student in a testimonial that went viral in martial arts forums. “I felt nothing. Absolutely nothing.”

Then she tried a different approach with instructor Anthony Korahais.

“I felt more qi in the first six weeks of Sifu Anthony’s class — all online! — than I had in 18 months of in-person training elsewhere”[4].

Her story sparked a revolution. Suddenly, students everywhere started questioning why they’d been waiting years for something that could happen in minutes.

The Science That Changes Everything

Here’s where it gets wild.

Those “mysterious meridians” that supposedly take years to open? Scientists discovered you’re already using them every single day. Research in somatic experiencing reveals that practices like qigong work through existing systems: interoception (sensing internal body signals) and proprioception (awareness of body position)[5].

You haven’t been developing these systems through years of practice. You were born with them fully operational.

The Hidden History Nobody Talks About

Research into qigong teaching methods reveals a troubling pattern. According to experts studying traditional transmission: “some Chinese teachers are known to avoid imparting important information to any but their own family”[6].

The “years of practice” narrative appears to be more about maintaining hierarchical control than physiological necessity.

The Physics of Human Energy Fields

When scientists attached sensitive instruments to qigong practitioners, they discovered humans are basically walking physics experiments:

  • Your hands emit infrasonic waves at 8-12.5 Hz (below human hearing range)[7]
  • Your body generates electromagnetic fields with peak intensity in the infrared region (4-20 microns)[8]
  • These biofields can be measured and are considered “a complex organizing energy field engaged in the generation, maintenance, and regulation of biological homeodynamics”[9]

Here’s the kicker: EVERYONE emits these energies. The only difference between beginners and masters? The intensity.

The Neuroscience Bombshell

Research has shown that qigong practice immediately affects brain regions including those involved in interoceptive awareness and body mapping. The Qigong Institute notes that “Qigong practice consists of quieting the mind through mindfulness, thus enabling an enhanced interoception, proprioception, vestibular system, awareness of present moment experience”[10].

These areas don’t need years to “develop.” They’re already there, waiting to be activated.

If you were interested in learning to sense qi energy, which approach would appeal to you most?

  1. Traditional method with years of gradual cultivation
  2. Modern science-based approach focused on immediate results
  3. Hybrid approach combining traditional wisdom with scientific understanding
  4. Self-directed learning using online resources and research
  5. I’m not interested in learning this
0 voters

The Revolution in Real Time

A landmark study examined the relationship between the “qi experience” and flow states. Participants in their very first practice sessions reported:

  • “feeling energy in the body”
  • “concentrating on breath and action”
  • “decreased stress”
  • “a peak experience”[11]

These experiences, previously thought to require years of cultivation, were happening immediately.

The Plot Twist Nobody Expected

Scientific analysis of meditative movement practices reveals that they involve “bottom-up processing by directing the client’s attention to internal sensations, both visceral (interoception) and musculo-skeletal (proprioception and kinesthesis)”[12].

In other words, you’re not building new abilities - you’re learning to pay attention to what’s already there.

Why This Discovery Matters More Than You Think

This isn’t just about martial arts. Major research institutions are now studying biofield phenomena:

The NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health recognizes qigong as a legitimate practice[13]. Biofield science is emerging as “an overarching descriptor for the electromagnetic, biophotonic, and other types of spatially-distributed fields that living systems generate”[14].

The Question That Changes Everything

If scientific research proves qi can be felt immediately

If your body already has all the necessary sensory systems

If biofields are measurable physical phenomena


Then what else have we been told is impossible that’s actually just waiting to be rediscovered?

The energy is already flowing through you. The only question is: What will you do now that you know?

After reading this article, what’s your next step regarding qi energy and body awareness?

  1. I want to try feeling qi energy for myself right away
  2. I’m going to research more about the science behind biofields
  3. I’ll look for modern teachers who focus on immediate results
  4. I’m skeptical and want to see more scientific evidence
  5. This has inspired me to explore other “impossible” human abilities
  6. I’m not planning to pursue this further
0 voters

Check out my tutorial for how to sense Qi (paid members, sub here):

https://neidan.discourse.group/t/connecting-mind-body-and-spirit/116

  1. Palmer, D. A. Qigong Fever. Columbia University. Referenced in Shibashi Tai Chi Qigong documentation. ↩

  2. O’Shea, L. B. (2019). Sensing Qi. YMAA. ↩

  3. Tai Chi, Qigong & Feng Shui Institute. (2022). Qi Energy: How to Feel and See It. ↩

  4. Flowing Zen. (2023). How to Feel Qi Energy Without Waiting Years. ↩

  5. Payne, P., Levine, P. A., & Crane-Godreau, M. A. (2015). Somatic experiencing: using interoception and proprioception as core elements of trauma therapy. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 93. ↩

  6. Acupuncture Ecology. (2024). Qigong Practice: Teacher, Student, Method. ↩

  7. Qigong Institute. Measurement and analysis of the infrasonic waves from emitted qi. ↩

  8. Rubik, B. (2016). Measurement of the Human Biofield and Other Energetic Instruments. Foundation for Alternative and Integrative Medicine. ↩

  9. Hammerschlag, R., et al. (2015). Biofield Science and Healing: History, Terminology, and Concepts. Global Advances in Health Medicine, 4(Suppl), 8-14. ↩

  10. Qigong Institute. Interoception and Proprioception. ↩

  11. PMC. (2021). Is the Qi experience related to the flow experience? Practicing qigong in urban green spaces. PMC7781670. ↩

  12. Schmalzl, L., Crane-Godreau, M. A., & Payne, P. (2014). Movement-based embodied contemplative practices: definitions and paradigms. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8, 205. ↩

  13. NCCIH. Qigong: What You Need To Know. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. ↩

  14. Hammerschlag, R., et al. (2015). Biofield Physiology: A Framework for an Emerging Discipline. Global Advances in Health Medicine, 4(Suppl), 35-41. ↩

2 Likes
2

yesI did from Day 1and grateful for that

1 Like
3

Many biofield and qigong studies, like the 1988 Beijing study, are small-scale, lack rigorous controls, or have not been widely replicated. I would like to see this test done again
then replicated several times using modern instrumentation to ensure the measured phenomena (infrasound, infrared, biofields) are not simply byproducts of normal physiology—e.g., muscle vibrations, body heat, or cellular biophoton emissions
rather than evidence of a distinct “qi.” For instance, the heart’s electromagnetic field (60 times stronger than the brain’s) is well-documented but attributed to bioelectric activity, not a mystical life force.

In order to correctly design custom experiments that might lend validation to the theory a precise definition of what Qi is would be needed. In my humble opinion at the present it lacks a clear definition because Qi is a multifaceted concept, varying across TCM, martial arts, and spiritual traditions. Without a universally agreed-upon definition, it’s hard to design experiments that definitively test for “Qi” as opposed to related phenomena like electromagnetic fields or biophotons.

The findings presented offer support for the hypothesis that qi corresponds to measurable bioenergetic processes, particularly in trained practitioners. The article indicates Qi has physical manifestations that can be studied scientifically. I would love to see modern physics tackle this in order to test the hypothesis using modern scientific method and equipment. It is a very interesting topic.

2 Likes
4

@Dr.O You raise absolutely excellent methodological points that get to the heart of the scientific challenge here!

the measured phenomena (infrasound, infrared, biofields) are not simply byproducts of normal physiology—e.g., muscle vibrations, body heat, or cellular biophoton emissions

This is crucial. We know the body produces electromagnetic fields, infrared radiation, and even infrasound through muscle contractions. The key question isn’t whether these can be measured (they can), but whether trained practitioners produce them in qualitatively or quantitatively different ways that can’t be explained by known physiological processes.

In order to correctly design custom experiments that might lend validation to the theory a precise definition of what Qi is would be needed.

:100: This is perhaps the biggest challenge. Without operational definitions, we’re essentially trying to measure “something special” without defining what makes it special. The multifaceted nature across TCM, martial arts, and spiritual traditions makes this even trickier.

What would you think about starting with more modest claims? Rather than testing “qi” as a distinct force, maybe focusing on whether certain practices reliably produce measurable physiological changes that correlate with subjective experiences? At least that gives us concrete, testable hypotheses.

The neuroscience angle around interoception seems more promising to me than the biofield claims - what’s your take on that approach?

I would love to see modern physics tackle this in order to test the hypothesis using modern scientific method and equipment.

Completely agree! The instrumentation we have now is night and day compared to earlier decades. A properly designed modern study could be fascinating regardless of the results.

That said, I personally don’t think it’s essential to science-explain everything as long as something can be felt and works for people. The scientific research seems most valuable for folks who need that extra reassurance or logical framework to feel comfortable trying these practices. For many people, the direct experiential benefits are enough validation on their own.

2 Likes
5

Master Ziji I think you made a very good point about how if something can be felt and works for people this may be all that is needed for their motivation or validation of the practice. Ever since I have been a child I wanted to know how things work. At my day job I am Physicist so I have a mind set of knowing the mechanics of process and validating through experiments or direct observation. There is a interesting book titled “The Dao of Physics” that corelates the similarities between modern physics and ancient Easter mystic practices and philosophy. They are very similar in many ways but one that is an ultimate truth of both disciples is "all things of being are created by non-being but they are not separate entities, but rather aspects of the same underlying reality. In Taoism, the concept of “wu” (non-being) is not understood as absolute nothingness, but rather as a potentiality from which being arise and this is very similar in physics as infinite potentials in quantum mechanics. Thank you for your time as I enjoyed your insight.

1 Like