What if the future of healing lies not only in chemistry, but in energy?
That question first stirred in me decades ago at a natural medicine convention that would change how I understood the body, health, and what it truly means to heal.
In my first piece on how natural medicine became my passion, I shared about the second natural medicine convention I ever attended and introduced you to the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, along with the remarkable Dr. Jim Sensenig.
I also introduced you to the father of functional medicine, Jeffrey Bland, PhD, and touched on other fascinating disciplines such as chiropractic care and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Where My Curiosity About Energy Healing Began
You may have noticed in my writing that I often speak about the role quantum physics is likely to play in the evolution of healthcare and in shaping future holistic healing methods.
Medicine has long focused on the biochemistry of the human body. This is especially true for pharmaceutical medicine, but it also applies to nutritional, herbal, and orthomolecular approaches.
As my understanding of natural medicine deepened, I began to realize that many of its most profound modalities focus not just on biochemistry, but on the body’s energy system.
Practices such as chiropractic, therapeutic massage, homeopathy, craniosacral therapy, Reiki, and acupuncture all work directly with this subtle energetic field. The science that may one day explain their healing power lies within the mysteries of quantum physics.
Science and medicine are only beginning to uncover how quantum physics interacts with the body’s natural ability to heal. Yet even the glimpses we have so far are truly fascinating and full of promise.
This piece is about the first convention I ever attended and how my interest and fascination with quantum physics were part of my path from day one.
An Entrepreneurial Adventure in Natural Medicine
In the early 1990s, I helped start a company that developed a nutritional supplement made from predigested, or fermented, fish protein. At the time, one of the health issues getting attention in the natural medicine community was protein malabsorption.
Doctors were beginning to notice that many patients were consuming enough protein in their diets, yet for a variety of reasons, their bodies weren’t digesting or absorbing it effectively.
We were hopeful that our predigested fish protein could help bridge that gap and support healthier nutrient absorption that would aid in addressing the issue.
After producing our first batch, a friend of ours shared a bottle with his chiropractor, Dr. Jeff Marrongelle, whose practice was located near Pottsville, Pennsylvania—about forty-five minutes from our offices in Reading.
One day, I decided to call Dr. Marrongelle’s office and was able to speak with him directly. I introduced myself and asked if he had any thoughts about the product we’d created.
Without hesitation, the first words out of his mouth were, “I think you have a home run with the bases loaded—this is one of the best supplements I’ve ever seen!”
I was stunned—excited, but also a little cautious. I replied, “That’s wonderful to hear, Doctor, but you only have one bottle. How could you possibly come to that conclusion?” He chuckled and said, “I’ve been testing it on all my patients, and it works on almost everyone.”
He then began describing his “testing” process, explaining that it involved a computer-based system that could evaluate a product’s effect on a patient before they even took it.
At that point, I’ll admit—I thought he might be a little eccentric! But he loved our product, and I was genuinely curious to understand why.
So I said, “I’m delighted that you love the product, but I have no understanding what this testing equipment is. Would you consider inviting me to your office so I could learn more?”
To my surprise, he immediately said, “Sure, come on up.” And so, I did.
Discovering Electrodermal Screening (EAV)
When I arrived, Dr. Jeff introduced me to something called Electrodermal Screening. Developed by Dr. Reinhold Voll in Germany in the 1950s, this system used a conductivity meter, a measuring probe, a reference electrode, and a test plate.
Also known as Electroacupuncture According to Voll—or EAV—it allowed practitioners to test various acupuncture meridians, usually on the hands and feet, while the patient held the reference electrode.
The acupuncture meridians correspond to different organs and systems in the body. When a specific meridian—say, the one connected to the liver—is tested, the conductivity meter displays a reading on a scale of 0 to 100.
A healthy, balanced liver typically registers around 50. Lower readings suggest underactivity or deterioration, while higher readings indicate inflammation or irritation.
As I sat and observed Dr. Marrongelle test his patients, I began to open my mind to the possibility that this equipment could, in fact, measure meridian points and determine whether the energy flow within an organ or system was “in balance” or “out of balance.”
And then things became even more intriguing. Based on his experience, the EAV feedback, and his understanding of each patient, Dr. Marrongelle would select various natural remedies he believed might help.
Within easy reach on his shelves were nutritional supplements, herbal preparations, homeopathic remedies, and other natural treatments.
He would place his chosen remedies on the “test plate” connected to the EAV system. As he retested the previously imbalanced meridian points, if the remedies were appropriate, the readings would move closer to 50—indicating balance had been restored.
I’ll never forget my first internal reaction to witnessing this process: “What a bunch of hocus pocus nonsense this must be!” But as I continued to watch Dr. Jeff work, observing patient after patient with their permission, my skepticism began to soften.
With each session, I saw genuine gratitude and relief on the faces of those he treated. Many said things like, “No one ever helped me until I found Dr. Marrongelle.”
A New Way of Seeing Healing and Health
It was in those moments that I began to realize there might be more to this unconventional approach than I had ever imagined.
Dr. Jeff continued testing our product with his patients and demonstrated how it helped balance multiple acupuncture meridians. He explained that it was quite rare for a single product to positively affect several meridians at once—which was exactly why he was so enthusiastic about it.
Meanwhile, even as my skeptical mind kept repeating, “This still sounds like a bunch of hocus pocus,” the entrepreneur in me was thinking something entirely different: “Where can I find a hundred more practitioners like Dr. Jeff?”
When I asked him that very question, he smiled and mentioned an upcoming annual convention in Utah for professionals who used this technology.
Without hesitation, we signed up—and I attended the convention, bringing both our product and a huge dose of curiosity and excitement. It turned out to be an unforgettable experience.
Though I knew no one except Dr. Marrongelle, he was wonderfully gracious and introduced me to many of his colleagues. The attendees came from a wide range of backgrounds—medical doctors, nurses, chiropractors, massage therapists, and other holistic practitioners.
It seemed that anyone could learn to use the EAV devices, and the exhibit hall featured several companies manufacturing similar systems, all rooted in the same fascinating concept.
This was unlike anything I had ever encountered in a conventional medical setting. In modern medicine, we’re used to the standard routine: they take our vital signs, typically order some blood tests and work to come up with a “diagnosis” based on the results, and then a prescribed medication to manage the symptoms.
What I saw with EAV was something entirely different. Practitioners could detect energetic imbalances in the body long before physical symptoms or disease appeared.
As someone just beginning my journey into the world of natural medicine, I felt I was standing on the edge of something extraordinary—an introduction to truly pioneering tools that could transform how we understand health and healing.
What struck me most at the convention was that none of the remedies these practitioners used were pharmaceutical. Every single one came from the natural medicine world.
It was explained to me that only natural remedies have the ability to restore balance to the intricate, dynamic biological system we call the human body.
During that same convention, Dr. Jeff introduced me to his friend from Australia, John “Croc” Kaye—a warm, spirited man with a gift for healing. John had developed a unique method of identifying imbalances in the body caused by emotional stress. It was a form of energy healing unlike anything I had ever seen.
I was so captivated by his approach that, later on, I decided to train with him myself. John didn’t use EAV technology; instead, his work centered around “muscle testing,” also known as applied kinesiology.
I’ll share more about that remarkable experience in another post, but I can say this much now—Croc was an amazing healer with a huge heart and a deep passion for helping others. I was truly in awe of the entire concept of energy healing.
How These Experiences Shaped My View of Holistic Healing
I remember thinking how astonishing it was that these diagnostic tools could identify not only imbalances in organs and body systems, but also determine which remedies could restore harmony.
It felt like I was witnessing the medicine of the future—and I couldn’t help but wonder why such technologies hadn’t been more widely embraced by conventional medicine.
Still, I didn’t have time to dwell on that question for long. I had a product to share and so much more to learn. I spoke with other exhibitors and vendors, asking which other gatherings and professional groups I should explore.
Their recommendations led me to a number of organizations, including the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, which I wrote about in my piece “How Natural Medicine Became My Passion.”
That first convention left me completely overwhelmed—in the best possible way. It felt like a firehose of knowledge and inspiration pouring over me, faster than I could absorb it all.
Yet even then, I knew this was just the beginning of something extraordinary. I couldn’t wait to see what would unfold next.
