
Not a Machine but a Flame | The Biology of Energy at Columbia and Beyond
Phenomena Podcast: The Science & Stories of Energy HealingShow Notes
What is the “energy” in energy healing? Every healer in this series uses the word. Every patient reaches for it. Ancient traditions built entire systems around it. But what is it — biologically, physically, measurably — and how does it move through the body to heal?
Three renowned scientists begin to offer answers: Columbia University's Martin Picard on the mitochondria that may link consciousness to biological health, Richard Hammerschlag on the biofields that run all the way in and all the way out of our bodies, and NYU's Neil Theise on the interstitium, a newly discovered hidden network coursing through us. Together they reveal an eye-opening vision of the body not as a machine, but as a dynamic energetic ecosystem.
Original music composed by Dan Baboulene. Additional music by Starluxe.
More from Phenomena Podcast: The Science & Stories of Energy Healing
What role could energy healing play in cancer care? Oncologist Dr. Santosh Rao shares his firsthand experiences with energy healing and what they’ve taught him about its potential role in cancer care. From surprising patient experiences to the science still waiting to be uncovered, Dr. Rao explores what it could take to bring biofield therapies further into mainstream medicine.
What actually happens between a healer and the person they're healing?
What happens when traditional medicine leaves veterans behind? In this episode of Phenomena, host Ivy Ross dives into the intersection of PTSD, military research, and energy healing. We share the moving story of Ron, a 79-year-old Vietnam veteran who spent seven years battling debilitating trauma following ICU delirium—until a single session with intuitive healer Maggie McIlvaine changed everything.
What if healing isn't something that happens to you — but something you're always doing for yourself?
Rick Axelson spent his career teaching research methods at medical colleges. He also spent decades suffering from debilitating migraines that even his team at the Mayo Clinic couldn't resolve. Then he tried one session of Reiki with a practitioner named Natalie Dyer. Forty-five minutes. And his migraines have never come back.