cover image Subtle Energy: Awakening to the Unseen Forces in Our Lives

Subtle Energy: Awakening to the Unseen Forces in Our Lives

William J. Collinge. Warner Books, $23.5 (303pp) ISBN 978-0-446-52017-1

Each of us has the ability to sense energies that may not be detectable by scientific means, contends Collinge (The American Holistic Health Association Complete Guide to Alternative Medicine). A teacher, researcher and writer in the fields of so-called ""subtle energy"" and integrative medicine, Collinge draws together the terms of ancient philosophies and spiritual traditions to describe the life force, or ""biofield,"" of unseen yet ubiquitous energy that, he says, must be present for life to exist. With intriguing anecdotes and simple exercises, offering clear, simple descriptions of feng shui, chakra theory, tantric sex, aryuvedic medicine and other ancient energy sciences, Collinge seeks to help readers discover and explore their own energy fields and the ways that awareness of these fields can improve their health, relationships and overall happiness. Although his treatment of a slippery subject is perhaps necessarily superficial, Collinge writes with a fluidity and confidence that will inspire some to see that the ethereal life force may be as close as their own breath, while leaving skeptics gasping in disbelief. (Jan.)