Reality or illusion? Understanding Bioenergy through the Egely Wheel

The resurgence of naturopathy in Hungary during the 1980s and 1990s brought widespread recognition to this scientifically hypothesized phenomenon, linking it to theories of aura and chakras known for thousands of years, primarily from Eastern philosophies and healing methods. But what do we really know about bioenergy in the scientific sense of the word?

Before focusing on the possible measurement methods of bioenergy, let’s examine a few naturopathic treatment methods based on the theory of bioenergy. Most of the long-standing alternative medical practices hold that the state of the human body is determined by invisible flows of energy, in which internal bioenergetic processes play as important a role as the connections binding the body to so-called cosmic or universal energy.

According to theories of chakras and aura, our bodies are enveloped in layers of aura, which become less “physical” and contain fewer “material and subtle material” components as they move away from the body, making the outer layers almost entirely composed of “information“.

However, dowsing measurements – pendulum dowsing, rod dowsing, etc. – on the one hand, rarely provide consistent diagnoses under scientific conditions. On the other hand, it is theoretically conceivable that such situations may activate Extra-Sensory Perception (ESP), which has been proven more convincingly in experiments. This ESP manifests and is indirectly represented through the symbols of the bioenergy concept system. There is a clear scientific demand to compare bioenergetic processes with the simplest theoretical model that can unequivocally prove their effect. More visible and thought-provoking results have been obtained with aura photography as opposed to “subjective” dowsing methods.

In the context of bioenergy measurements, the name of dr. George Egely, a research engineer, is indispensable. He is one of the first in Hungary to start researching and categorizing parapsychological phenomena, originally developed his water-stirring experiment in the 1980s, which later led to the development of what is known as the life energy or bioenergy measuring device, known as the Egely Wheel.

The essential lessons from these scientifically documented and methodically conducted water-stirring experiments can be summarized as follows. If the subject places their hand next to the water in a flat, round glass dish (Petri dish), the water gradually starts to rotate. The speed and consistency of this rotation depend greatly on the individual’s mental state, a characteristic also noted in psychokinesis phenomena. Of course, we cannot speak of psi-phenomena or bioenergy until known physical interactions are ruled out from the experiment’s mechanism. The criticisms of the later-marketed disc-shaped life energy meter, it is about the above-mentioned Egely Wheel, could be valid for both cases. Therefore, it is important to first examine the validity of these objections.

In the case of non-contact water or disc rotation, the remaining significant physical effect could be air movement caused by the heat of the palm. However, several observations seem to contradict this as the determining factor. Early water-stirring experiments revealed – detectable by the flow of dyed electrolytes placed in the Petri dishes – that the water does not rotate due to surface or peripheral forces but through uniform mass acceleration. Moreover, the changes in rotation speed recorded by the Egely Wheel, the computerized vitality meter show accelerations and decelerations that are difficult to explain by sudden temperature changes in the hand, considering the maximum temperature limits achievable in the palm’s tissues and their thermal inertia.

As mentioned, dr. Egely’s early experiments revealed that this mysterious effect can be influenced by significant constitutional and psychological factors. Unlike classical psychokinesis, it is strongly dependent on distance, suggesting the existence of an energy field close to the body. An interesting and experimentally testable concordance might be found with traditional bioenergy theories, which suggest an association of different parts of the body with different mental states.

According to Eastern chakra systems, there are seven energy connection points on the human body, ranging from instinctual properties at the base to the expressly spiritual crown chakra at the top of the head. In our case, the traditional functioning of the third chakra, which also has “solar plexus” extensions in the palm apart from its stomach-area center, represents the same communicative, extroverted “fire” force that characterizes the participants in the experiments who are capable of intense rotation through their palms. However, these results are currently based more on intuitive assumptions.

Since 1995, disc-shaped life energy meters have been used with computerized data recording, allowing for precise tracking and recording of rotational speed changes during experiments. Since the experiments were almost always conducted with measurements taken simultaneously beside both hands of the subject, it soon became apparent that there is a kind of dominance difference between the hands, varying from person to person. This asymmetry measured in such a way suggests the determination of this mysterious energy by the brain hemispheres. Let’s now look at a few typical measurement methods and results, and consider what else might influence the rotation of the Egely Wheels.

First and foremost, it must be clarified that even if the Egely Wheel truly measures bioenergy, it likely captures only a certain part of this specially structured energy system, as per traditions. Therefore, there could be additional “energetic” processes that are not detectable with this instrument. Measurements have been conducted on elderly individuals in deteriorated physical states, as well as on seriously ill patients. Interestingly, the occasional high rotational speeds observed in these cases were more influenced by the subjects’ mental state and expressive spiritual creativity rather than their physical condition.