Vital energy

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The term vital energy (syn.: life energy, vitality, vital force, dynamis etc.) has different meanings depending on the context in which it is used [1]. It usually involves the description of phenomena that can be observed in living organisms [2]. One possible definition is: Vital energy is spirit like and animates the material body [3]. Another possible definition is: Vital energy is the set of pathophysiological mechanisms that enable the organism to maintain itself in equilibrium [4]. Below you will find some explanations and examples of the use of the term.

Traditionally, the term ‘vital force’ is more commonly used. However, from a physical point of view, the term ‘vital energy’ is more appropriate. Thus, we prefer and introduce 'vital energy' as the generic term.

Common usage

In common usage, vital energy means the force, power or capacity that people or other living organisms have.

Examples: Strokes of fate can rob a person vital energy. Healthy and happy people radiate vital energy.

Meaning in religious-spiritual context

In a religious context, life energy is often understood as energy given by gods or as supernatural energy.

Example: Psalm 23 “He restores my vital energy” [5]

Meaning in scientific context

Historical usage in chemistry       

Chemists of the 17th and 19th centuries used the term "vital energy" to describe an energy that organisms hypothetically need to synthesize organic compounds. In 1828, Wöhler successfully synthesized urea in the laboratory. This shows that organic compounds could be produced artificially without this energy, so the hypothesis was rejected [6].

Biology

Vital energy is used as a synonym for vitality and refers to the ability of a living organism to adapt to the environment in order to stay alive [7].

Example: Sprouts that had sufficient nutrients and water available have higher vitality than sprouts that were grown under suboptimal conditions.


Physics

Instead of “live energy directs the physical forces in organisms” Physicists would say: “Quantum fluctuations forms the macroscopic forces”. The important message of quantum mechanics is that this is not a (vulgar) materialistic, mechanical process. Rather it comes beyond the limit of deterministic physical laws, from the quantum domain. One can call it materalistic or not. The concept of "matter" needs redefinition since the birth of quantum mechanics.

There is a growing community of physicists working in quantum biology where they try to show that the origin or the fundamental level of life is quantum mechanics [8].

Use of the term in philosophy

Life energy, or Latin "vis vitalis," is used by many philosophers and interpreted in various ways until now. Most commonly, a specific, internal cause of vital functions is assumed, in the sense of an unconsciously acting, organizing, and regulating energy .

Some view the life energy as something metaphysical, coming from outside the body. This is called vitalism. Vitalism is dualistically opposed to mechanism, which assumes solely mechanistic, or physical-chemical explanations of life processes [9].

Sometimes, vital energy is also used in a heuristic sense as an auxiliary term for analytical considerations, aiming to explain phenomena that can be observed in living organisms but cannot be grasped with previous scientific knowledge [10].

Example:

Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860): "In principle life energy is will"; "Physical and chemical forces are certainly at work in the animal organism; but what holds these together and directs them, so that a functional organism emerges and exists—that is the life energy: it therefore governs those forces and modifies their effect, which are therefore only subordinate here. To believe, however, that they alone can create an organism is not only false, but... foolish." [11]

Use of the term in medicine

In the predominantly mechanistic-materialistic approach of Western medicine, the assumption of a life energy has no room [12]. Proponents of this approach usually associate the term with mystical, vague considerations that do not follow the laws of logic.

In contrast, the principle of life energy is often given central importance in traditional and holistically medicine [13]. Here, some understand life energy as a spiritual entity separate from the body, while others interpret life energy as the body's own ability to self-regulate, to uphold the physical functions and adapt to environmental conditions.

The latter corresponds to a translation of the term vital energy into the language of modern physiology [12]. In particular in the field of psychoneuroimmunology, which studies behaviour as a result of the interaction between body, mind and environment [14], there are parallels to traditional and holistic models.

The concept of life energy in traditional and holistic medicine
Ayurveda

The Ayurvedic synonym for life energy is Prana – "breath of life." Prana takes various forms. At birth, it fills the body and organizes body, mind, and soul; at death, it escapes the body [13].

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

The Chinese synonym for life energy is Qi. Coming from the universe, it flows through living organisms. The unhindered flow of energy through the body is crucial [13].

Naturopathy

Naturopathy relies on the stimulation of natural self-healing powers, which can restore and maintain health [13]. “Medicus curat, natura sanat”: The doctor treats, nature heals.

Homeopathy

Samuel Hahnemann vehemently rejected speculative medical theories. He limited himself to observation and analytical consideration. He called for a rational medicine based on the patient's objectively observable symptoms, knowledge of objectively observable medicinal effects, and a selection of medicines "according to clearly comprehensible reasons" [15]. He introduced the term “vital energy” only after 39 years, in 1829, towards the end of his lifework [16]. He needed it to formulate a hypothesis about the processes underlying his observations of health, disease and drug reactions [17]. His statements on vital energy are therefore also based on empirical observations. Vital energy here represents an entity that regulates the life processes in the organism [10]. Illness arises from disturbance of this entity and thus dysregulation in the organism. Accordingly, therapy should also address this entity and should follow the similia principle with the aim of activating self-regulation [15].

Anthroposophical medicine

In Anthroposophical Medicine, the concept of life energy is viewed in a highly differentiated manner: The human organism, as a hierarchically structured energy structure, consists of four components. Each component is subject to its own laws and imprints these on the subordinate component. The hierarchically highest component, the ego organization, enables the free activity of the ego. The next lower component, the astral body, enables an autonomous inner life and free mobility. The etheric body, subordinate to this, organizes the specific life processes, and the physical body, as the lowest component, enables the organism to appear as a material object. In the physical body, the physical and chemical laws are limited in their effect by the laws of the superior, immaterial component [18].

Chiropractic

Chiropractic is based on the assumption of an innate, universal intelligence inherent in all natural things, which expresses itself through the central nervous system and gives the body the ability to heal itself [13].

Sociocultural aspects

The discussion about the term life energy must be viewed against the background of a question that has remained unanswered since classical antiquity: Are physical-chemical laws sufficient to characterise life, or are principles that go beyond these required [19]? Neither one nor the other is considered proven [13]. It is also no longer assumed that science can ever define an absolute, final truth, since it is decisively determined by the actual socio-cultural circumstances [20].

The following example illustrates how this question affects medicine: Effects of “force-like” [15], i.e. homoeopathically potentized substances can now be verified by current physical-chemical knowledge [21] but are not yet understood. Homeopathy therefore has few newcomers in times and countries with a predominantly material-mechanistic worldview, but is enjoying increasing popularity in a society open to immaterial content [22]. This applies, for example, to the Indian or Brazilian population and to the Western world during the 1960s and 1970s [23].

Controversies regarding the concept of vital energy also exist within traditional and holistic medicine. For example, some chiropractitioners reject the hypothesis of innate intelligence. The disputes between the two camps have been called the "chiropractic wars" and have contributed to the division of the profession [24]. Current homeopathic textbooks either reject the concept of vital force as outdated [25], see it as mandatory [26] or point out the hypothetical nature of Hahnemann's conclusions [17].

The debate becomes destructive when scientific research is rejected in principle and when its results are disregarded, and conversely, when traditional and holistic approaches are ridiculed and marginalized. An improvement in therapeutic options can be expected if the scientific community can understand the explanatory models of traditional and holistic approaches as inspiration for new research approaches. On the other hand, modern scientific findings should be taken into account in the further development of traditional and holistic models [27].

  1. ↑ „Lebenskraft“, Wiktionary. 25. Mai 2023. Zugegriffen: 18. April 2025. [Online]. Verfügbar unter: https://de.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Lebenskraft&oldid=9821688
  2. ↑ M. Wischner, Kleine Geschichte der Homöopathie. in Forum Homöopathie. Essen: KVC Verlag, 2004.
  3. ↑ Sucommittee Documentation, „HOMEOPATHIC THESAURUS KEYTERMS TO BE USED IN HOMEOPATHY TREE STRUCTURE AND ALPHABETICAL LIST ENGLISH, GERMAN, FRENCH, ITALIAN“, European Committee for Homeopathy, 2016.
  4. ↑ FIAMO A.P.S., „Quella che si ammala è la Forza Vitale: concetti cruciali nell’Organon, opera principale di Hahnemann“. [Online]. 2025 Verfügbar unter: https://www.fiamo.it/quella-si-ammala-la-forza-vitale-concetti-cruciali-nellorganon-opera-principale-hahnemann/
  5. ↑ „Altes Testament“, in Bibel.
  6. ↑ Brockhaus Enzyklopädie in 24 Bänden, Bd. 12. Leipzig: Brockhaus.
  7. ↑ „Vitalität“. Zugegriffen: 18. April 2025. [Online]. Verfügbar unter: https://www.spektrum.de/lexikon/biologie/vitalitaet/69732
  8. ↑ „Janos Polonyi private communication“.
  9. ↑ R. Eisler, Wörterbuch der philosophischen Begriffe, 2. Berlin: Mittler und Sohn, 1904. [Online]. Verfügbar unter: zeno.org
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 R. Künne, „Hahnemann’s Idea of the Vital Force: Fiction, Construct or Reality?“, Homœopathic Links, Bd. 28, Nr. 04, S. 255–259, Dez. 2015, doi: 10.1055/s-0035-1566238.
  11. ↑ A. Schopenhauer, Parerga und Paralipomena, Bd. 2. Berlin: A.W. Hahn, 1862.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 J. Schmidt, „Thure von Uexkülls semiotisches Modell des Menschen als Grundlage für eine moderne Theorie der Homöopathie“, Schweiz. Z. Für Ganzheitsmed. Swiss J. Integr. Med., Bd. 24, Aug. 2012, doi: 10.1159/000341352.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 I. Coulter, P. Snider, und A. Neil, „Vitalism-A Worldview Revisited: A Critique Of Vitalism And Its Implications For Integrative Medicine.“, Integr. Med. Encinitas Calif, Bd. 18, Nr. 3, S. 60–73, Juni 2019.
  14. ↑ E. Ulvestad, „Psychoneuroimmunology: the experiential dimension.“, Methods Mol. Biol. Clifton NJ, Bd. 934, S. 21–37, 2012, doi: 10.1007/978-1-62703-071-7_2.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 S. Hahnemann, Organon der Heilkunst, Textkritische Ausgabe der 6. Auflage. Heidelberg: Haug, 1992.
  16. ↑ R. Haehl, Samuel Hahnemann: Sein Leben und Schaffen., Neuauflage., Bd. 2. Hamburg: Severus, 2021.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 T. Genneper, Wegener Andreas, und Eppenich Heinz, Lehrbuch Homöopathie; Grundlagen und Praxis der klassischen Homöopathie, 4. Stuttgart: Haug, 2017.
  18. ↑ M. Girke, Innere Medizin, 3. Berlin: Salumed, 2020.
  19. ↑ „Vitalismus - Mechanismus - Lexikon der Biologie“. Zugegriffen: 18. April 2025. [Online]. Verfügbar unter: https://www.spektrum.de/lexikon/biologie/vitalismus-mechanismus/69730
  20. ↑ H. Walach, Psychologie Wissenschaftstheorie, philosophische Grundlagen und Geschichte ; ein Lehrbuch. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer, 2009.
  21. ↑ I. Universität Bern, „Stand der Grundlagenforschung in der Homöopathie“. Zugegriffen: 1. Mai 2025. [Online]. Verfügbar unter: https://www.ikim.unibe.ch/forschung/uebersichten_zum_stand_der_forschung/homoeopathie/index_ger.html
  22. ↑ J. Schmidt, „Die Homöopathie im Lichte ihrer antiken sozioökonomischen und geistesgeschichtlichen Wurzeln“, in Medizin, Gesellschaft und Geschichte, Bd. 41, in Jahrbuch des Instituts für Geschichte der Medizin der Robert Bosch Stiftung, vol. 41. , Stuttgart: Franz Steiner, 2023.
  23. ↑ M. Teut, „Glauben sie an die Evidenz der Homöopathie“, gehalten auf der Internationaler Köthener Erfahrungsaustausch, Köthen, 25. November 2023.
  24. ↑ I. Coulter, „The Chiropractic Wars or the Enemy Within“, Am J Chiro Med, 1989.
  25. ↑ Michael Teut, J. Dahler, C. Lucae, und U. Koch, Kursbuch Homöopathie, 2. München: Elsevier, 2016.
  26. ↑ H. Möllinger, „Das Wesen der Krankheit“, in Weiterbildung Homöopathie, 2. Aufl., Bd. Band A, 6 Bde., G. Bleul, Hrsg., Stuttgart: Sonntag, 2008.
  27. ↑ C. von der Planitz, „Zur Standortbestimmung der Miasmen-Theorie Hahnemanns im 21. Jahrhundert“, gehalten auf der 60th Homeopathic World Medical Congress, Berlin, 5. Mai 2005.
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