We Are Beings of Light: Chiropractic’s Vitalistic Roots and the Quantum Connection

By Michael Dorausch, D.C.

We are quite literally beings of light. This profound statement resonates deeply with the chiropractic philosophy pioneered by D.D. Palmer in 1895 and expanded by his son, B.J. Palmer, in the early 20th century. It speaks to a vitalistic worldview – one that sees life as more than a mechanical interplay of parts, but as a dynamic expression of energy, vibration, and an innate life force. From the Palmers’ early insights to modern explorations of the quantum universe, chiropractic practice continues to affirm that we are radiant beings, vibrating with purpose, and that subluxations (blockages in this vibratory flow) diminish our light. By tuning this light through spinal adjustments, we unlock our fullest potential, aligning with both ancient wisdom and cutting-edge science.

D.D. Palmer: Tone, Vibration, and the Light of Innate Intelligence

When D.D. Palmer laid the foundation of chiropractic in 1895, he introduced the concept of innate intelligence – the body’s inherent wisdom to heal and thrive. He saw this intelligence as a vibrational force, often described as tone, flowing through the nervous system. To Palmer, a subluxation was a disruption in this tone – a reduction in the body’s vibrational harmony that dulled its life force. His first adjustment on Harvey Lillard, restoring hearing through a spinal correction, was more than a physical fix; it was a recalibration of this vital energy, allowing the body’s light to shine brighter.

Palmer’s vitalistic lens stood in stark contrast to the mechanistic view of his time, which often reduced humans to mere machines governed by physical laws. He believed we are animated by something greater – a Divine light, an electromagnetic essence, a living frequency that connects mind, body, and spirit. As he wrote, health depends on the “normal transmission of nerve force,” a concept that hints at the interplay of vibration and light within us.

B.J. Palmer: Vitalism Amplified

B.J. Palmer took his father’s ideas further, championing vitalism with fervor. He saw the nervous system as the conduit for this life force, a vibratory network that radiates beyond the physical body. B.J. often spoke of the subluxation as a state of “less light” – a blockage that dims the expression of innate intelligence. To him, chiropractic adjustments weren’t just about aligning bones; they were about restoring the body’s natural resonance, allowing it to hum with vitality.

Like D.D., B.J. rejected the mechanistic paradigm that viewed humans as collections of parts to be fixed. He embraced a universe alive with energy, where every cell contributes to a vital field of light. This field, he argued, carries a message – a blueprint of health and potential. Adjustments, in this view, are a tuning process, amplifying the body’s electromagnetic song and countering the stress of a materialistic, matter-focused existence.

The Science of Light and Vitalism

Today, this vitalistic vision finds echoes in modern science. Every cell in our body emits and receives electromagnetic energy (a life force that governs molecular function). This isn’t a poetic metaphor; it’s a measurable reality. Biophotons, tiny packets of light emitted by living cells, form an actual light field around us, a phenomenon studied in quantum biology. This field isn’t static; it vibrates, moves, and communicates, reflecting the dynamic nature of life itself. As the statement suggests, “The electromagnetic energy that the cell emits and receives is the life force that governs those molecules. That’s a vitalistic view that supports the truth of who we are.”

In this light (quite literally) we are beings of light, always moving, always vibrating, never at rest. The totality of our cells contributes to a radiant field that carries information beyond what our senses can grasp. Yet, the more we define reality through a materialistic lens (focusing on objects, people, and places in our outer world) the more we activate the stress response. This narrowing of focus blinds us to the subtle frequencies of our inner light, rendering them invisible and, to our awareness, nonexistent.

Subluxation: Less Light, Less Life

Here’s where chiropractic’s early pioneers were prophetic. A subluxation, in their terms, means “less light” – a reduction in the body’s vibratory frequency that dims its vital field. Toxic thought, stress, poor posture, or trauma misalign the spine, disrupting the nervous system’s ability to conduct this electromagnetic energy. The result? A muted life force, manifesting as fatigue, pain, or even depression – conditions that signal a disconnect from our innate potential.

Modern research, like Haavik et al.’s 2024 study in Brain Sciences, supports this. Spinal adjustments alter brain activity in regions like the Posterior Cingulate Cortex, enhancing self-perception and reducing symptoms of depression. This isn’t just a physical shift; it’s a recalibration of the body’s light and vibration, aligning with the quantum idea that energy and information are inseparable from health.

The Quantum Universe and Chiropractic’s Metaphysical Edge

Step into the quantum universe, and the Palmers’ vitalism feels less like mysticism and more like foresight. Quantum physics reveals a reality of probabilities, vibrations, and interconnected energy fields (far from the mechanistic clockwork of old). We’re not just matter; we’re waves of possibility, resonating with the cosmos. Chiropractic taps into this by addressing the spine as a tuning fork for our light field, amplifying the frequencies that define us.

The more we live as materialists, fixated on the tangible, the less we sense these quantum vibrations. But chiropractic practice, rooted in vitalism, invites us to see beyond the physical (to tune the light within). It’s a metaphysical leap grounded in practical care: remove subluxations, restore vibration, and live life to its fullest potential.

D.D. and B.J. Palmer didn’t have quantum labs, but they understood something timeless: we are beings of light, animated by a vital force that thrives when unhindered. Chiropractic practice remains a vitalistic approach to health, honoring this truth. By correcting subluxations, we don’t just adjust spines – we tune the frequencies of life itself. In a stressed-out, materialistic world, this is a call to reclaim our radiance, proving that the early chiropractic pioneers had it right all along. At Planet Chiropractic, we celebrate this legacy, helping humanity shine brighter, one adjustment at a time.