Human Existence and Universal Energy Models

Full Answer Section

             

• Unitary Human Being: An irreducible, indivisible, four-dimensional (later referred to as pandimensional) energy field identified by pattern. It is characterized by consciousness and the capacity for abstraction, imagination, and language.
• Environmental Field: An irreducible, pandimensional energy field that is integral with the human field. This field is dynamic, infinite, and changes continuously.
• Pandimensionality: A non-linear domain without temporal or spatial attributes, representing a single, unified whole. It encompasses past, present, and future as a seamless whole, reflecting the continuous, dynamic nature of the human and environmental fields.
• Pattern: The distinguishing characteristic of an energy field, perceived as a single wave. It is an abstract identification of the human field, constantly changing and innovating. It is through pattern recognition that the unitary human being and environment are identified.
• Integrality: The continuous, mutual, simultaneous interaction between the human and environmental fields. There is no cause-and-effect relationship; instead, change occurs as a dynamic process within these mutually influencing fields.
• Resonancy: The continuous change from lower to higher frequency wave patterns in the human and environmental fields. It reflects the increasing diversity and complexity of human life process.
• Helicy: The unpredictable, innovative, sequential, and continuous nature of change in the human and environmental energy fields. It signifies the evolutionary unfolding of life's processes in a non-repeating rhythm.

 

Other Concepts Used in Rogers' Science of Unitary Human Beings

  Beyond these fundamental concepts, an examination of literature about Rogers' theory reveals several other interwoven concepts that further elaborate on her vision of human existence and its implications for nursing:

1. Symphonic Interaction: This term is often used to describe the harmonious and continuous mutual process between the human and environmental energy fields. It emphasizes that the interaction is not a simple give-and-take, but a complex, interdependent dance where each field is integral to the other's manifestation of pattern. It highlights the dynamic, inseparable nature of human-environment interaction.
2. Health as Pattern Manifestation / Value Judgment: In Rogers' theory, health is not a state of being "well" or "sick," nor is it a dichotomy. Instead, health is seen as a continuous process, a pattern of the human and environmental fields. It is a value judgment made by a culture or individual, reflecting the perceived well-being of the individual within their unique pattern manifestation. This means health is highly individualized and constantly evolving, not a fixed point to achieve. The nurse's role is to facilitate the rhythmic changes in these patterns to enhance the life process.
3. Non-Invasiveness / Non-Contact Therapeutic Touch: While not explicitly a core principle in her initial formulation, the concept of Therapeutic Touch (developed by Dolores Krieger and Dora Kunz, based on Rogers' work) became a prominent practical application. This nursing intervention involves a practitioner placing their hands on or near a patient with the intent to help or heal. From Rogers' perspective, the human is an energy field, and the conscious intent of the nurse can influence the patient's energy field to facilitate pattern changes towards health. This directly embodies the idea of universal energy fields interacting for therapeutic purposes, without physical invasion or manipulation.
4. Art and Science of Nursing: Rogers viewed nursing as both a science (a body of abstract knowledge unique to the discipline) and an art (the creative and skillful application of this knowledge in practice). The science involves understanding the principles of unitary human beings, while the art involves the intuitive and compassionate use of self to engage with the patient's energy field, facilitating pattern manifestations that enhance health. This reflects the holistic, non-reductionistic nature of nursing practice envisioned by Rogers.
5. Sentient Beings and Abstract Thinking: Rogers emphasized that human beings are not merely biological organisms but sentient, thinking beings capable of abstract thought, imagination, emotions, and making choices. This aspect of consciousness allows humans to participate actively in their own pattern manifestation and development, distinguishing them from other life forms and underscoring their unique capacity for self-transcendence and intentionality within the pandimensional universe.
6. Evolutionary Change: The concepts of Resonancy and Helicy inherently imply a continuous, unpredictable, and innovative evolutionary process of change. Humans, as unitary energy fields, are always moving forward in a non-repeating rhythm toward increasing complexity and diversity. This means that human development is not cyclical but helical, constantly unfolding in new, unique ways, suggesting an inherent drive towards higher organization and consciousness within the universal energy field.

In summary, Martha Rogers' Science of Unitary Human Beings offers a profound shift from a mechanistic, reductionistic view of humans to one that embraces them as integral, dynamic energy fields continuously evolving within a larger universal energy context. The additional concepts identified through literature—such as symphonic interaction, health as pattern manifestation, the implications for non-contact therapeutic interventions, and the emphasis on human sentience and evolutionary change—further illuminate the richness and holistic scope of her theory, providing a robust framework for understanding and nursing human existence within the universal energy field.

Sample Answer

            When examining models and theories focused on human existence and universal energy, Martha Rogers' Science of Unitary Human Beings stands out as a foundational and highly influential framework within nursing and holistic health. This theory, first published in 1970, revolutionized the understanding of human health by positing a fundamentally different ontological and epistemological view of persons and their environment.  

Martha Rogers' Science of Unitary Human Beings: Definition

  Martha Rogers' Science of Unitary Human Beings defines nursing as a distinct discipline rooted in an abstract, theoretical system. Its central tenet is that the human being and the environment are irreducible, pandimensional energy fields that are in continuous, mutual process with each other. This means that a person is not a collection of parts (e.g., physiological, psychological, social components) but an indivisible whole, a unitary being that cannot be understood by reducing it to its constituent elements. Similarly, the environment is not a separate entity interacting with the person, but an equally indivisible energy field that is integral to the human field. Key concepts within this definition include:

• Energy Field: The fundamental unit of both the living and the non-living. Human beings are energy fields, and the environment is an energy field. These fields are dynamic, always expanding, and integral to each other. This concept directly addresses the "universal energy" aspect, viewing the human as a manifestation of this larger energy system.