Thoughts on Chi and Phantom Limb Pain

I recently read an article, which discussed researchers and doctors using specially placed mirrors help to diminish the notoriously vexing problem of phantom limb pain in patients. Researchers believe that the restored image of the limb, and the associated perception of wholeness, tricks the brain, and may be the underlying magic. It seems simple and logical.

But, I would guess that most of, if not all, of the subjects in this medical study make use of a prosthesis, at least occasionally. Obviously, even the best prosthetics do not actually look like real limbs. But, they are usually covered by clothing, which fairly makes the clothed limb identical visually as the opposing, healthy limb.

I would imagine that as adults, we spend most of our visual time viewing our legs and arms clothed rather than unclothed, and that this--pants, shoes, shirt sleeves-- is our normal state of visual limb perception. So--why doesn't this fooling-the-brain trick work just as well when the healthy leg and prosthetic device are identical?

There is a fairly famous bit of parapsychology that was included on that Leonard Nimoy hosted 70s documentary, in which Kirlian photography reveals the whole energetic imprint remains around a leaf that has been cut. Within an energy medicine framework, there's the notion that the human body likewise 'knows' its entire physical self; energy is still directed around physically missing areas.

Therefore, of course pain is likely to occur in this field--it still belongs to the body. Directing such energy would logically be the answer to pain alleviation. Perhaps that is why the mirror seems to be magical.

Mirrors are water energy in the classic Chinese medicine system, and a very appropriate choice in dispersing the fire energy (or 'chi'-the term for the life force energy) associated with the pain and that is also at play in the dynamics that likely led to the lost limb in the first place.

Additionally, mirrors have ancient usages in absorbing and redirecting energy, and also are involved in occult transformation. I would guess that the mirror method would work even in a blind subject study--even if the patient wasn't able to view the resultant 'wholeness' (the trick)-- even if the mirror wasn't set up in a particular position so as to 'fool the brain.'

If this is so, then I would also speculate that other forms of energy work maybe indicated in relieving phantom limb pain.

Sources and further reading/viewing:

Miranda Hiti, Phantom Limb Pain: Mirrors May Help, Web MDhttp://www.webmd.com/pain-management/news/20071121/phantom-limb-pain-mirrors-may-help?src=rss_drugcard

VS Ramachandran, A Journey to the Center of your Mind, TED talks video
http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/184