Drawing : Visualising energy flow

A Tibetan visualisation of the energy 'spine' passing through the body

When reading Gabor Maté's 'In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts' I came across a very useful description of how he developed a complex understanding of addiction. He points out that it is impossible to understand something like addiction from any one perspective and that the complexity needs to be viewed simultaneously from many different viewpoints, and that whilst examining it from one angle we need to keep the others in mind. His understanding of the subject used biological, chemical, neurological, psychological, medical, emotional, social, political, economic and spiritual positions and I would in my case like to add historical, aesthetic and material thinking. Readers of this blog will by now be used to the way it flits around and narratives break off and re-start, sometimes months or years after coming to a stop. Certain approaches come into focus for a while and then drop back and are replaced by new interests or an awareness of perhaps an individual artist that has done work that appears to offer an insight into some aspect of what I'm investigating.

I was reading Gabor Maté's 'In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts' because it appeared to offer an alternative insight into how I could approach my own developing understanding of interoception. Reading it demonstrated to me the importance of a way of thinking that begins with human beings and their individual addictive 'demons', without negative evaluation, just accepting them for what they were. However this is only the beginning of a process that then goes on to look at aspects of the society people belong to and then scientific ways of understanding the situation such as neurology are brought into play, and after that perhaps a more spiritual approach, such as Buddhism or certain types of psychology might be woven into the debate, any and all of which at one time or another might have contributed to the 'forming' of people's 'demons' or might at least help in developing an understanding of them. The fact that the situation could be looked at from biological, chemical, neurological, psychological and other points of view, also helped me to accept the complexity in my own struggle to find a way of visualising the coming-into-being of forms that suggest the conjunction of often invisible forces that sometimes have names like biology, chemistry, physics, neurology, psychology, emotion, feelings, sociology, politics, history, economics or spirituality. We know that they effect us in some way, but we can rarely see these things in action. However over time, as we explore the possibilities of how forms arrive and shape themselves alongside these various understandings, a formal garden will grow. A set of 'plants' that will hopefully be a mutually beneficial group of species, forms or ideas, which in permaculture would be called a 'guild', a small collective that would itself be a part of the larger ecosystem. As I think about these possibilities I'm reminded of two of the twelve principles of permaculture, 'Integrate Don’t Segregate' and 'Use and Value Diversity', principles that are going to become very important as I bring ecology into the understanding framework that I'm trying to construct around my thinking.

Gabor Maté points out that hormones are central to the way we regulate our bodies and that the body / mind relationship can be illustrated by looking at their effects.

A map of Hormones and their interrelationships

How hormones effect you

Alongside the nervous system, sits the endocrine system, a complex communication system built from an interconnection of glands and body organs. While the nervous system uses neurotransmitters as its chemical signals, the endocrine system uses hormones. The pancreas, kidneys, heart, adrenal glands, gonads, thyroid, parathyroid, thymus, and even fat are all sources of hormones. The endocrine system works in a large part by acting on neurons (nerve cells) in the brain, which in turn controls the pituitary gland. The activity of the pituitary gland is however controlled by the hypothalamus which as well as being an endocrine gland, is also part of the nervous system. When exploring these things, it quickly become apparent that evolution weaves together different elements into a very complex dance, and entangled in this complexity is the mystery of energy flows, a concept that many previous civilisations have sought to work with using methods as varied as acupuncture, meditation, reflexology and various massage techniques to ease the flow of these energies if there is a perceived blockage. The pituitary gland secretes factors into the blood that act on the endocrine glands to either increase or decrease hormone production. This feedback loop involves communication from the brain to the pituitary, to an endocrine gland and back to the brain. This system is very important for the activation and control of basic behavioural activities, such as sex; emotion; responses to stress; eating, drinking, and the regulation of body functions, including growth, reproduction, energy use, and metabolism. Most importantly in relation to perception, the way the brain responds to hormones indicates that the brain is very malleable and capable of reacting directly to environmental signals and that these signals can come from both internal (interoception) and external environmental sources. (Perception)

In order for the body to operate it needs to deal with energy flow. The four forms of energy flow normally observed are thermal, chemical, electrical and mechanical. Everything we do demands energy, but it often has to be converted from one form to another in order to be useful.

A scientific view of the body's energy use

Of the different forms of energy, radiant energy, which is carried by waves is perhaps the most important to us. When a material is heated or cooled, this changes the internal energy of the particles that it is made up of. Two changes may happen to the particles within the material: either chemical bonds between the particles may form, break or stretch, causing a change in the chemical potential store of energy in the material, or the material heating up or cooling down as the particles within it gain or lose speed, causes there to be a change in the thermal store of energy within the material.
It is these changes in the internal energy of particles that cause atoms to emit energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation which includes visible light, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, infrared (IR) radiation, microwaves, radio waves, gamma rays, and X-rays. Electromagnetic radiation from the sun, particularly light, is vital to our survival because existing biogeochemical cycles and virtually all other processes on earth are driven by them.

Chemical energy is the energy stored in molecules and chemical compounds, and is found in things such as food, wood, coal, petroleum and other fuels, all of which store energy that has been converted into chemicals from the sun's radiant energy. Chemical energy in the form of the glucose in our food is turned into mechanical energy which is used in making movements such as running or lifting heavy objects. The muscles serve as a type of transducer; a device that converts energy from one form to another, such as a microphone which converts sound waves (mechanical wave energy) into audio signals (electrical energy). In this case muscle contraction is the method that transforms chemical to mechanical energy. When the chemical bonds are broken, either by combustion or other chemical reactions, the stored chemical energy is released in the form of heat or light. For example, muscle cells contain glycogen. When the muscle does work the glycogen is broken down into glucose. When the chemical energy in the glucose is transferred to the muscle fibers some of the energy goes into the surroundings as heat, which is why you get hot when you run.

Mechanical energy puts something in motion. The mechanical energy of a system is the sum of its kinetic and potential energy and we are using energy up all the time. However by being aware of energy use we can also become more aware of energy-harvesting. We can use mechanical technology to capture energy and convert it into electricity, such as by using a wind turbine but we can also use piezo-electrical materials which produce electricity when they are put under pressure, i.e. when someone steps on them or drives over them, for example, one of the best-known uses of the technique was in a club in Rotterdam, which installed an energy-generating dance floor, where the dancers movements created their own light show.

Electrical energy is produced when unbalanced forces between electrons and protons in atoms create moving electrons called electric currents. Our cells can conduct electrical currents, electricity being required for the nervous system to send signals throughout the body and to the brain, signals that make it possible for us to move, think and feel. The elements in our bodies, like sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, have a specific electrical charge. Almost all of our cells can use these charged elements, called ions, to generate electricity. The contents of the cell are protected from the outside environment by a cell membrane. This cell membrane is made up of lipids that create a barrier that only certain substances can cross to reach the cell interior. Not only does the cell membrane function as a barrier to molecules, it also acts as a way for the cell to generate electrical currents. Resting cells are negatively charged on the inside, while the outside environment is more positively charged. This is due to a slight imbalance between positive and negative ions inside and outside the cell. Cells can achieve this charge separation by allowing charged ions to flow in and out through the membrane. The flow of charges across the cell membrane is what generates electrical currents within the body. Thermal energy or Heat energy is related to the motion or vibration of molecules in a substance. When a thermal system changes, heat flows in or out of the system. Heat energy flows from hot bodies to cold ones. Heat flow, like work, is an energy transfer. When heat flows into a substance it may increase the kinetic energy of the particles and thus elevate its temperature. Heat flow may also change the arrangement of the particles making up a substance by increasing their potential energy.

Nuclear Energy is energy that comes from the binding of the protons and neutrons that make up the nucleus of the atoms. It can be released from atoms in two different ways: nuclear fusion or nuclear fission. In nuclear fusion, energy is released when atoms are combined or fused together. This is how the sun produces radiant energy and as we have seen it is radiant energy that drives the Earth's existing biogeochemical cycles.

Sapta Chakra: correspondences between subtle energy and Tibetan psycho-physiology

However alongside these more scientific ways of thinking about energy flows there are other older forms of thinking. For instance the chakra system also refers to the energy centres we have in our bodies. There are seven major chakras, each in a specific location along our spines.
The root chakra, or Muladhara, is located at the base of your spine. It provides a base or foundation for life. It grounds us and makes us able to withstand challenges and develop a sense of security and stability.
The sacral chakra, or Svadhisthana, is located just below the belly button and is responsible for sexual and creative energy. It’s also linked to our emotions as well as the emotions of others.
The solar plexus chakra, or Manipura, is located in the stomach area. It’s responsible for confidence and self-esteem, as well as helping us feel in control of our lives.
The heart chakra, or Anahata, is located near the heart, in the centre of the chest. It effects our ability to love and show compassion.
The throat chakra, or Vishuddha, has to do with our ability to communicate verbally.
The third eye chakra, or Ajna, is located between your eyes and is responsible for intuition and the imagination.
The crown chakra, or Sahasrara, is located at the top of your head. Your Sahasrara represents your spiritual connection to yourself, others, and the universe and plays a part in your life’s purpose.
A chakra imbalance or blockage it is believed may affect the parts of your body in close proximity to that chakra, including your organs, bones, joints, and tissues near that area and psychologically, imbalances in the chakras may cause an emotional imbalance, which may lead to increased anger, sadness, fear, or indecisiveness. Personal habits such as poor physical alignment or posture, eating unhealthy food, or self-destructive behaviour may cause a chakra to be imbalanced and prolonged imbalance may lead to physical disease and illness, musculoskeletal issues, and mental health challenges like depression or anxiety.

It is interesting to put the two systems alongside each other and to see how many overlaps there are. Many physical ailments are connected to emotional issues, and it is easy to see why, as hormone release is directly linked to feelings and feelings can lead to beliefs. Therefore if you believe in something like the chakra system, it may well be that working with it, you have as much right to expect better health as someone using the national health system.

For myself as an artist trying to represent interoception and its effects on perception these issues provide yet another area for consideration and they allow me to think more about the layering or interweaving of images based on observation with those directed by intuition or feeling tone, alongside those images that emerge from a wider awareness of other cultures, history, science and mythology.

Some people believe that human life exists simultaneously in two parallel dimensions, the physical body and the subtle body. The physical body being the mass of the material self, the subtle body consisting of our psychological, emotional and energetic body. These two bodies are always interacting and mutually affecting one another. My earlier work using votives did seem to support this, belief and feeling, seeming to sometimes work when scientific evaluation didn't.

Meditation is also used to release blocked energy. Also, known as shakti energy, Kundalini energy is the divine feminine creative force. It usually lies latent at the base of the spine like a coiled serpent. When you awaken your kundalini, you allow this energy to travel up through your spine, through your chakras and up and out your crown chakra where it connects to universal lifeforce energy. This usually shows up as expanded consciousness or expanded awareness and perception. The image above is an attempt to visualise these various energy flows and once again it is very instructive for myself to look at these types of images and see how they relate to ones I have myself already produced when trying to visualise interoception.

Body passing through space as it thinks it thinks

Images drawn to illustrate how interoception overlaps with perception

From the Tibetan Art of Healing

The more I look at these issues the more I am attracted to the drawings done to illustrate the Tibetan Art of Healing a heavy couple of tomes that the Leeds Arts University library has just purchased, so I shall be spending a few hours perusing them over the next few days. In my earlier post on lines as symbols of invisible forces, I pointed out that Henri Bergson had written extensively on what he termed an 'élan vital’, a similar concept to that referred to as a "vital force" by the pre-Christian Stoic philosopher Posidonius, who stated that the energy emanated by the sun, then spread out into all living creatures on the Earth's surface. More recent scientific explanations that point to the sun's radiant energy being converted into chemical energy by photosynthesis, simply confirming a hypothesis made over 2,000 years ago. More recently the philosopher Deleuze used Bergson's idea to describe an internal force, or substance in which the distinction between organic and inorganic matter disappears. (Ansell-Pearson, 2012, p.21) This removal of the difference between inorganic and organic life being for myself necessary as it supports my decision to use animism as a way of developing a more holistic understanding of the world and specifically in this case it helps me to think about how energy can flow between organic and inorganic entities. As an artist my personal understanding of these things doesn't have to stand up to scientific rational argument, it does though have to feel right. As I edge around these issues I am of course also drawing and as I do another type of understanding emerges, this time one embedded in materials play and the emergence of images that evolve out of that play.