Holistic Health Practices/Part 10
| By: Dr. John Ankerberg, Dr. John Weldon; ©2007 |
| Bodywork methods (e.g., rolfing, functional integration, orgonomy, bioenergetics, the Alexander method, and Arica) represent diverse methods both in practice and philosophy which are frequently used as a tool to help “enlighten” or otherwise influence the mind. |
What are Bodywork Methods?
Bodywork methods, also known as the somatic sciences (e.g., rolfing, functional integration, orgonomy, bioenergetics, the Alexander method, and Arica) represent diverse methods both in practice and philosophy. Collectively they are used by millions of people. Frequently in these methods the body is used as a tool to help “enlighten” or otherwise influence the mind. The purpose is to supposedly improve mind-body functioning along a predetermined path or perspective that is in harmony with the underlying philosophy and goals of the particular bodywork method—goals which are often Eastern. This Eastern emphasis is documented in texts such as New Medicine authority Dr. Ken Dychtwald’s Bodymind.
The influence of Wilhelm Reich is seen in many bodywork methods, and similarities to yoga, an original bodywork technique, are frequently found. Because the body is usually believed to be a crude layer of mind, “proper” manipulation of the body may be used to impact the mind toward desired religious, psychological, or occultic goals.
Scientific testing is sparse although initial research and other considerations suggest that most of these methods do not work on the basis of their stated principles. For example, award-winning medical writer Hank Pizer’s Guide to the New Medicine: What Works, What Doesn’t (1982, p. 90) asserts, “There is little scientific evidence to support either the theoretical formulations on clinical effectiveness of either Rolfing or Feldenkrais [functional integration].” This is not to say they cannot have dramatic effects on a person’s consciousness; they can. This is why many body-work methods are used in conjunction with various New Age therapies to help secure New Age goals, such as psychic development, yogic kundalini arousal, development of alleged “higher” consciousness, etc.
The problem with bodywork discipline is that most of its methods are clinically unevaluated and/or suspect in terms of the claims made. Many have occultic potential such as the dangerous phenomenon of yogic kundalini arousal—which seems to be a not infrequent occurrence in many bodywork methods. Further, the New Age religious philosophies underlying many of these methods can condition practitioners along New Age lines.
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