Energy flows where attention goes: Combining Qi Gong, Dao and Quantum Physics.
Experience the blend of science & spirituality at a Qi Gong retreat, nestled deep within the mountains of Malaysia.
My first ever experience with Qi Gong was in my mid 20s, going for weekly morning sessions at Botanic Gardens, sometimes with my Mom. I learned under Master Joseph who would guide us with basic moves. Over 80 million people practice Qi Gong worldwide. I found the practice great for learning how to further relax my body. I practiced it for 6-9 months.
In March 2024, I went to Song Yan resort in Kuala Lumpur for YSQQ & TWC Retreat led by Master Tho. This was a more holistic and immersive experience where we had a mix of Qi Gong practice and 2 science lectures - 1 by a local eminent professor, and another by a local Qigong master author. Location was at a beautiful mountain region at Bukit Tinggi, with fresh air, gushing waters and little people.
Qi Gong has been associated with improved cardiovascular health, reduced stress and anxiety, improved sleep quality, and enhanced immunity. Experiencing Qi Gong from a guided physical practice, combined with the intellectual side from science made me better appreciate the delicate intricacy of how Qi Gong marries the mind, body and spirit.Each of these 3 modalities in tandem, inspired a deeper understanding of "What is Qi?", and shed light on the nature of the Dao, a core tenet in classic Chinese Philosophy.
Where there is Qi, there is life.
- Ancient Chinese Proverb
Exploring the Roots of Daoism: Its Birth and Developments
Emerging from the depths of ancient Chinese philosophies, Daoism, also recognized as Taoism, weaves an intricate narrative of harmony and energy. Rooted in the 6th century BC, Daoism is the brainchild of Laozi — a mystic philosopher whose work, the Dao De Jing (道德经), outlines the fundamental tenets of Daoist thought.
Later, I read said the Dao De Jing is actually not from 1 author, but a collection of authors who collectively made up this school of thought. Laozi is not an actual person, but rather a symbol of a wise sage which conveniently removes the identities of the actual contributors.
Cultivation of one's moral character, or De (德), is a central Daoist teaching. It advocates personal transformation and self-realization, encouraging humans to live in harmony with the Dao, the universal force or energy that guides all phenomena. Daoism proposes that everything in the universe is a balance of yin and yang, and this balance leads to harmony and health.
This unity is said to bring immortality, which has led many China kings to seek an elixir that could grant them longevity.
However, I think that the immortality here is not literally referring to physical (3D) life, but the idea of legacy and continuity is a more abstract way. The fact that the Dao De Jing philosophy has been passed down so many generations shows its timeless value, whereas there are physical limits our biology has.
Quantum Physics: Related to Qi?
So, what is quantum physics, you might ask? It is the study of everything too small to be seen by the naked eye. This includes particles like atoms and photons. It's all about the tiny building blocks that make up our vast universe. The concept of 'Qi' in Qi Gong is similar to the concept of 'energy' in quantum physics. Qi is considered the life force or energy flow that sustains living beings.
Quantum physics dives into the considerably mind-boggling world of waves and particles. In this mysterious realm, a particle can exist in multiple places at once before you decide to measure it. That's where the principle of superposition comes in. A particle won't settle on a state until it's observed. Rather strange, wouldn't you agree?
Another strange behavior known as quantum entanglement builds on this idea and takes it to a new level. When particles become entangled, the state of one instantly affects the other, no matter the distance between them. Some even liken it to "spooky action at a distance." It's just one of the many fascinating enigmas of quantum physics.
Finally, we shouldn't forget about Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, which states that the more precisely you try to measure one property of a particle (say its position), the less precisely you can know another property (like its momentum). This is not due to any technical limitations but a fundamental part of the very nature of the quantum world.
Quantum physics suggests that at the most fundamental level, matter and energy are interchangeable, and particles can exist in multiple places at once, blurring the line between physical 'things' and the energy or forces that act upon them.
Drawing Energy from the Universe: What is Qi?
One definition the Qi Gong Master raised was that Qi is "information", where this information is a collection of thoughts by the people who have given attention to this space/ object. The emotions and judgments passed during these thoughts make up the quality of "Qi".
For example, he gave the contrasting case of his student visiting a kindergarden and a morgue blindfolded, and feeling the difference in the "information" there. The energy at the kindergarden felt light and cheerful, while the morgue felt angry and hateful.
I can relate to this experience, especially comparing the abundant, prosperous vibe I get when walking by prime, upscale shopping malls like Orchard, Marina Bay Sands. In contrast, there is a feeling of dread and darkness when I walk by some shady alleys, bars or Ktvs. Even hospitals.
We have an intuitive sensing that can indicate the nature of a place, which influences the thoughts of people in the place in a synergistic manner. Over time, the Qi is a combination of the natural vibe of the place, added in the conscious intent and emotions of people who stay in the place, or direct attention to the place.
My Math Formula For Qi
Personally I prefer to call Qi as a "resource", affected by astrology patterns, natural phenomenon and conscious attention. It is a manifestation of the interconnected view of the universe, where matter, energy, and consciousness are all intertwined. Around 30% of quantum physicists believe in the possibility of a connection between quantum physics and consciousness.
As these are all different modalities, some without measurable units, it's tricky to put it down into a math formula. But I still do for the sake of simplicity.
Qi = matter + energy + consciousness
Qi is this "resource" that is available where there is "emptiness", in the sense where an atom is more than 99% empty. Since most things in our physical world are made up of atoms, we could propose that "Qi" is virtually everywhere.
There is a dual trait to this, where there needs to be a form (Yang) to the substance (Yin). Matter and consciousness would be the more Yang elements and energy would be Yin.
I regard consciousness as fundamental. I regard matter as derivative from consciousness.
- Max Planck
The whole point of Feng Shui is to manipulate Qi in a space, dealing with the interplay between the walls (Yang) and the empty space (Yin) inside a home. If it deals with outside a home, it operates on the basis of understanding nearby land-forms to understanding how the Qi flows, and having control to build a house that can dam up the Qi and collect it for its inhabitants.
The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth. The named is the mother of ten thousand things.
-LaoZi
If many people before me have tried to study Dao and are not able to fully define it, I understand it as a lack of our language to describe something that is beyond language. People usually describe enlightenment or deep meditation states as hard to put into words.
I would describe it as an experience across multiple modalities - sight, sound, smell, touch, emotions and senses that humans might not fully understand.
Beyond these traditional five senses, humans also have additional senses that include balance, temperature, pain, and body awareness. Balance, or the vestibular sense, allows humans to maintain their body orientation and balance. It is coordinated by the inner ear.
Lastly, there is the sense of time, which is not universally agreed upon, but most people experience a sense of time passing and can distinguish between past, present, and future events. It's worth noting that the categorization and count of senses are not absolute and can vary depending on different cultural and scientific perspectives.
Quantum Time Travel?
I learned that Qi has interesting properties. While it has no consciousness, it does store information from the past, like how humans store memories. It is dependent on the user's awareness and intention on how to utilize the Qi, such as in healing the body. Quantum physics principles, like entanglement and superposition, are believed to have parallels in Daoist philosophy by 40% of scholars in the field.
It can also "travel" across far distances in our 3-dimensional space. During the retreat, we were instructed to face our palms into the far mountains, which contains a rich source of positive Qi. Mentally, we were told to imagine that we are interacting with the Qi on the mountain. Combining conscious thought with the physical action of pushing and pulling, we were causing the state of the Qi around our hands to mirror the good state of the Qi on the mountain. Finally, we would direct this good Qi into our body through the navel to absorb it and nourish our body.
Science would call this quantum entanglement. Where the state of point A (my hand) and point B (mountain) is mirroring each other, Resulting in point A becoming good Qi just by directing intention to copy the Qi from point B. Yet this defies the typical scientific explanation of energy, as the energy alone cannot travel so far across hundreds of kilometres.
If Dao is "the way", then Qi is the "resource" that flows through it, like how water would flow in a canal. Strictly speaking, Qi cannot be called energy alone as energy cannot travel from point A to point B in the manner that Qi does, like in the case of quantum entanglement. Science does not have a "Qi device" specific to measuring Qi.
Attention: A Missing Ingredient To Qi?
Without human attention (or consciousness), there is a missing ingredient to activate the Qi resource. This means that the Qi of famous tourist attractions can be affected by the attention of the global population on it. If Marina Bay Sands in Singapore is known for upscale world-class entertainment, marketing energy is spread to across minds to perpetuate and strengthen the information in the buildings as a place where people have great fun.
Energy is the currency of the universe. When you 'pay' attention to something, you buy that experience.
- Emily Maroutian
When travelers come from around the world and have great experiences, they perpetuate this information through their own mind share, strengthening the Qi of the place for upscale entertainment. Over time when more people hear of the place and experience positive emotions there, they Qi of the place becomes more stable, vibrant and prosperous. Of course, this Qi management is supported by Feng Shui design during the building phase.
I think of Qi has being of different vibration levels, with good quality Qi corresponding to the higher vibrations of peace, joy and love. However, being "information" alone is also incomplete as Qi is not just a set of information, it also has a "force" resulting from the vibration of the information. This is the interplay between energy and matter, or what I would call essence (intangible) and form (tangible).
We Live In Our Own Universe
Without any conscious intent to something, there is also no Qi available. The paradoxical thing is that once we think about anything that doesn't have Qi, it will start to have Qi powered by the energy behind our thoughts. This is what Taiji (太极) calls as the known things in our Universe.
Wuji (无极), on the other hand, is often translated as 'limitless' or 'boundless' to represent unknown things in our Universe. It represents the state of the universe before the existence of Taiji, a state of pure potentiality and undifferentiated wholeness. In this state, there is no Yin and Yang, no movement or change, just a void of infinite possibilities (sounds like what quantum would call superposition).
This assumes that you first believe in the existence of Qi. If you don't, then that is you putting Qi into the realm of Wuji (无极) in your Universe. While the Qi Gong Master has it in their realm of Taiji (太极).
Qi Gong would be reduced to a set of physical exercises, and the benefits would not be as large, if apparent at all. Master Tho calls this a mental block that restricts the flow of Qi from matching the physical action.
What this tells us is that attention alone is not enough, the intent during the attention shapes the outcome of the Qi. Generally I see there are 2 aspects, the intent in the form of words shaping a thought, and the emotional charge showing the feeling conveyed during that thought.
In practice, what I do after collecting energy from Qi Gong Practice is that I run the thought "Use this energy to heal my body" so that the energy has an active outlet to be directed to. Without this thought, I get a sense that I don't know what to do with the energy I collected.
Conscious Attention: Matter Matters
Attention is a very real real currency, as seen as how big the commercial market is. The global advertising market is a vast and dynamic industry. As of 2020, it was estimated to be worth approximately $560 billion, according to Statista. This includes all forms of advertising from traditional media such as television and print, to digital advertising which has seen significant growth in recent years.
Attention can bring huge amount of Qi to something, causing large mind share and activity. The New York Stock Exchange, one of the largest equity markets globally, can see over a billion shares traded in a single day.
The double-slit experiment is a fundamental demonstration in quantum mechanics that reveals the wave-particle duality of quantum objects. In this experiment, particles such as electrons or photons are fired towards a barrier with two slits. When unobserved, these particles behave as waves and create an interference pattern on the screen behind the barrier.
This suggests that each particle, in a sense, passes through both slits simultaneously, a phenomenon that defies our classical understanding of reality. The experiment becomes even more intriguing when these particles are observed. When we place a detector to determine which slit the particle passes through, the interference pattern disappears, and the particles behave as if they are individual entities passing through one slit or the other, not both.
This change in behavior upon observation is known as the 'observer effect'. The observer effect suggests that the act of observation or measurement determines the state of quantum systems. Before measurement, quantum particles exist in a superposition of states, meaning they can be in multiple states at once. But once observed, they 'collapse' into a single state.
My understanding of Qi relates to this. When no one is practicing Qi Gong, the "particles" are just there as a resource, dissipated and waiting for conscious intent from someone to start thinking about it. Once someone does focus on it, its state starts to get manipulated. A simple practice I learned during the retreat was La Qi (拉气), where I practice collecting Qi between my palms to manipulate the size and density of the Qi I collected from the surroundings.
Depending on the skill level of your practice, different people collect different amounts and quality of Qi. But Qi does get condensed by concentration, and they "collapse" into the state around my palms. If I don't notice it, it's not in my awareness. But if I do, I start to feel its strength between my palms. This implies that attention is a key aspect in recognizing the presence of this energy.
In the context of Daoism and Qi Gong, this quantum phenomenon can be metaphorically related to the concept of 'energy flows where attention goes'. By consciously directing our attention during Qi Gong exercises, we can potentially influence our physical and emotional states, much like the observer influences the state of quantum particles. This highlights the potential of consciousness in shaping our reality, a concept central to both quantum physics and Daoist practices.
Linking Daoism and Quantum Physics: A Closer Look at an Unexpected Connection
The unexpected connection we're discussing lies in the basic tenets of both Daoism and quantum physics. At the heart of the Daoist philosophy is the concept of understanding and embracing the unobservable, the hidden truths of the universe. Both Daoism and quantum physics propose that reality is not fixed, but is fluid and constantly changing.
Where does Quantum Physics enter the picture, you ask? Well, it's right there in its significant axiom - the Uncertainty Principle. This principle, proposed by celebrated physicist Werner Heisenberg, suggests that precision is impossible when attempting to measure the position and momentum of a subatomic particle simultaneously.
During the final day of Qi Gong retreat, we were guided by Master Tho and Christina into an advanced practice called Ming Jue (明觉) which I would translate as "enlightened awareness".
We were standing for around 45-60mins, following a set of guided practices and led into a deep, relaxing state while performing gentle movements that involved collecting Qi from the surroundings, and directing it inward to the body.
Initially, I had some disturbances from my monkey mind that didn't want to give up control of my body to Master Tho's guided voice. It was a hot afternoon, and I felt like the practices were getting more challenging for my willpower. This part of me wanted to stop halfway and I went back and forth with this voice for 3 times, coaxing it that I'll eat my favorite food after the retreat as a reward to myself.
I Felt As Though I Had Dissolved Into A "Cloud"
Eventually the monkey mind died down. Around what felt like 40 minutes in, I felt like a entered a state I have never experienced before, where I couldn't feel the boundary between my body and the space around me. My "nerves" disappeared, and where I thought my hand was, I didn't feel my familiar shape of my arm, but rather a mass of "white energy" that moved as per my intention.
To a mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.
- Lao Tzu
Like a cloud, while my physical body was still at the same spot, in my mind I felt like I had entered a high vibration state where I was wholly focused on the "Qi" state of my body, instead of my usual physical form. It's kind of like entering a new matrix of the soul, where I could feel lots of condensed Qi in what represented "me".
I came into this retreat having some shoulder pain so I directed some movement at my shoulder area to move the stagnant energy, thinking that it might bring some relief. I felt the mass of white energy moving and swirling, beyond a muscular movement. It was a very deep and intense experience, one that even after we came back to the 3D world, I had to sit down and stone for a while to recollect my thoughts.
It felt like a very delicate balance between relaxation and effort, focusing without forcing, intertwining strength with weakness.
Perhaps such is the middle way as the Buddhists often speak of, the point where Dao can be cultivated in great amounts. I wasn't tired after doing the practice, but I did feel drained of willpower from giving up the need to take back control of my body.
Later I shared this with the group, and Master Tho said that this was the goal of the practice, to be in that state. The practice aims to detach our consciousness from our body. To me, it tapped on a spiritual part of the Qi Gong practice, while the other practices were more on physical form. Around 50% of Qi Gong practitioners reported experiencing a deeper spiritual connection.
I did some connection to the Uncertainty Principle, where I was focusing on the movement and flow of Qi, or life energy, throughout my body. This focus is not on exact measurement or control of this energy, but rather on its overall balance and flow. This suggests that it is the overall state of a system that is important, not its exact parameters at any given moment.
It didn't matter as much where my hands physically where, than where it felt right to put them. It didn't matter how long I was standing, but rather how relaxed I could be relative to the weight I was currently feeling.
I certainly felt the uncertainty (pun intended) when I "lost my boundaries" of my arms and body. In my mind's eye my body had completely disappeared from the place. Yet I was conscious of being there as well. While there are no obvious devices and methods to measure the "performance" of each person, hearing observations and experiences is directionally accurate in understanding how far someone has gone in the practice.
Qi Gong's - A Practice Combining The Mind, Body & Spirit
This trip was a very fulfilling dive into Qi Gong. It has widened my perspectives on how the spiritual component of Qi Gong can be well intertwined with the physical practice, which can be obstructive for those who don't cultivate this awareness, or are stuck in certain staunch beliefs. There is some intellect needed in understanding the basics of Qi Gong, but majority of it is still experiential beyond the mind.
In this enlightening exploration, we unraveled the complex threads connecting Daoism, a profound branch of Chinese philosophy, to the cutting-edge scientific field of Quantum Physics. We dove into the origins and principles of Daoism, understanding its essence in tandem with the mysterious world of quantum units. Importantly, we learned how our subjective perceptions could shape our individual universes, and how cultivating conscious attention could dramatically affect matter.
Learning about the links between spirituality and Quantum Physics was an unexpected reward for me. I'm thankful for Master Tho, Christina, Master Kevin Chan, the speakers and participants who made this happen.