Energy Medicine includes all  concepts of energy: light, sound, electro-magnetism, body, mind and spirit. In addition to concepts central to electro-chemical physiology, older traditions of "life force" or " élan vital" are commonly found in the discourses of Energy Medicine. From Taoist alchemy and Chinese Medicine comes the principle of Chi, with its Cosmic and Microcosmic cycles and flows through the channels or meridians in the physical body. From Yogic Hinduism comes the breath or Prana, and the principles of multiple energy vortices in the body - the Chakras, and especially the concepts of multiple bodies beyond the flesh and blood physiological body, conceived in various systems as layers such as the etheric body, the astral body, the emotional body, the mental body, and the spirit bodies.

Many roots and paths have contributed to these ecumenical and syncretic endeavors that are loosely allied around the concept of energy. The psychology of Carl Jung, with his conception of the collective unconscious and especially his emphasis of myth and Kundalini Yoga is a major root. Another main stream is Christian mysticism in its many forms. Christian Science and the spiritual healing practices of both conventional religious denominations and the "New Thought" churches such as Unity and Science of Mind are also threads that underlie various practices in energy medicine. Recent studies on the healing efficacy of prayer are contributing to the resurgence in spiritual healing. Northern European folk healing traditions have come in through Naturopathy and the teachings of skilled healers such as Olga Worral and Hanna Kroeger. On the more intellectual side, the emphasis on Spirit also has roots in American Transcendentalism and from Northern Europe, in German Idealism, which was heavily influenced both by the Hermetic Alchemical tradition coming via the Arabs in the fourteenth century from late Alexandrian Greek culture, and by Chinese Alchemical traditions coming into Continental Europe in the seventeenth century via the Jesuits, such as in the work of Athanasias Kircher. The Hindu Yogic revival in Europe comes in the Nineteenth century such as through the Theosophy of Madam Blavatsky and the later Anthroposophy of Rudolph Steiner, and then again in the second half of the Twentieth century in both Europe and America , as part of the enthusiasm for meditative disciplines and consciousness studies.

The work of Drs. Elmer and Alyce Green in the 1960s with their colleagues at the Menninger Clinic in Topeka , Kansas , pioneered investigations in biofeedback studies and what they preferred to call voluntary control of autonomic physiological processes. The Green's world view and research questions were influenced by their own exposure to traditions of psychic healing in the early Twentieth century and their researches in India in the 1960s, studying the physiology of Yogic adepts and Tibetan Tantric trance meditators.

Dr. Green and associates founded ISSSEEM as an interdisciplinary association for the study of energetic and informational interactions, to explore the concepts of subtle energies in the experience of consciousness, healing, and human potential. ISSSEEM is intended as a bridging organization for scientists, clinicians, therapists, healers, and any other interested people. This is an interdisciplinary professional organization representing the entire field of Energy Medicine. (Williams, 2004)

Specialties in Holistic and Energy Medicine

• Acupuncture/Acupressure
• Anthroposophy
• Aromatherapy
• Ayurveda
• Bioelectromagnetic therapy
• Biofeedback
• Botanical medicine
• Chiropractic
• Craniosacral therapies
• Creative therapies (including ?art, dance, drama, and music)
• Flower and gem essences
• Diet/Nutrition/Nutritional supplements
• Environmental medicine
• Five Element Chinese Medicine
• Health promotion
• Homeopathy
• Hypnotherapy
• Healing Touch
• Imagery
• Indigenous medical practices
• Intuition practices
• Literature reviews, ?systematic reviews and meta-analyses research
• Massage
• Meditation
• Medical Acupuncture
• Mind-body therapies (including ?behavioral and educational aspects)
• Naturopathy
• Nonlocal therapies
• Osteopathic medicine
• Orgonomy
• Qigong
• Polarity Therapy
• Psychoneuroimmunology
• Psychotherapy
• Reflexology
• Reiki
• Relaxation/stress reduction
• Spiritual/transpersonal healing/prayer
• Therapeutic Touch
• Tibetan Medicine
• Traditional Chinese Medicine
• Yoga

Energy Medicine University