An Embodied Science of Physical, Energetic, Emotional and Spiritual
Empowerment - Report of Dr. Jahnke's presentation at Subtle Energies and the Realms of Mind - Esalen Center for Theory and Research

Dr. Jahnke emphasized that the ancient Daoist (Dao – Tao) scientists of China were authentic investigators utilizing a highly relevant and systematic set of protocols. Jahnke pointed to a barely known but relevant fact: what were eventually known as Daoist temples, in a religious sense, were originally known as Daoist observatories. Highly revered in their day, these institutions were concerned with evolving a scientific method to explore mathematics, medicine, physiology, botany, agriculture, astronomy, physics, cosmology and more. It could be said that their goal was to systematically understand the nature of everything. Daoist monks were actually scientists. From their observatory they investigated both the inner and outer nature of the cosmos. One of their most profound discoveries was that the universe may be explored by the inward turning of one’s attention.

It is obvious that these scientists excelled; they discovered the zero, the decimal system, the plow, the circulatory system, and acupuncture 1,500 to 2,000 years before these ideas appeared in Europe. How did the Chinese do this? To start with, they investigated and observed the inner workings of their bodies with great care and detail. For them, the best laboratory was the human body and our direct subjective experience of it. The ancient masters did not distinguish between mind and body as sharply as we do in the West. Their science was not "objective" in the Western sense, because they did not see such a sharp division between the internal world of experience and the external world of "objective reality."

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Healing Ourselves & Others

In traditional Chinese medicine the most effective way to insure and sustain health or to promote recovery and healing is to manage, enhance and cultivate, this vital resource. These ancient masters developed personal health practices called Qigong, which enhance and balance Qi within the human system. Although these Qigong systems are numerous and diverse, the practices can be divided into two varieties: personal practice and Qi-transmission for healing.

Master Who Embraces Simplicity

A Father of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Master Ge had a strong influence on the development of traditional Chinese medicine. In particular he influenced the aspect of medicine related to enhancing health and longevity, called "to nourish and refine the righteous". He is most renowned, however, for his work as an alchemist, constantly exploring immortality and elixirs from both internal and external sources.