Dr. Laurence E. Badgley Dr. Laurence E. Badgley, MD, graduated from Yale University School of Medicine in 1968. His medical
career began with a groundbreaking thesis published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine, titled "The Effect of Mental Arithmetic on Gastric Secretion," available online. With over 50 years of experience, Dr. Badgley combines scientific rigor with holistic approaches, focusing on biofeedback and energy medicine. Known as "Dr. Feelgood," he served as the tour physician for The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin in the 1970s. His expertise extends to treating complex conditions like Long COVID, guided by insights from leading experts such as Pierre Kory, MD, whom he hosted on the Big Island two years ago.

By Laurence E. Badgley, M.D.:

When I wrote the First Edition of Energy Medicine in 1986, it was 18 years after graduating from Yale Medical School in 1968. My journey since then has been one of exploration, discovery, and innovation, shaped by diverse experiences in both conventional and alternative medicine.

In 1970, after serving as a Major and Flight Surgeon to Army helicopter pilots on the DMZ in Korea during the Vietnam War, I transitioned to civilian life. My first stop was San Metro, just south of San Francisco. The 1960s and 1970s were transformative years—an era of “flower power” and “Whole Life Expos.” I immersed myself in the cultural and intellectual awakening of the time.

During medical school, my interest in pharmacology led me to study the Wassons' groundbreaking three-volume work, Russia, Mushrooms, and History. This book chronicled the couple's decade-long exploration of Mexico, where they uncovered the secretive “magic mushroom” cult. Inspired, I ventured to the Yale Rare Book Library to study their writings. Soon, I found myself in Huautla de Jimenez, a small village in Oaxaca, Mexico, where the Wassons conducted their research with María Sabina, the famed curandera.

I stayed with Herlinda Martínez, a local schoolteacher who had hosted the Wassons, and she introduced me to María Sabina. My experiences there expanded my understanding of consciousness far beyond the boundaries of conventional science. I studied three varieties of psilocybin mushrooms, even mailing spores back to my Yale dormitory to cultivate them. I might have been the first person in the United States to grow these mushrooms. However, my commitment to becoming a licensed medical doctor put an end to this particular endeavor. At the time, psilocybin had not yet been federally regulated.

In 1972, following President Nixon’s historic visit to China and James Reston Jr.'s celebrated appendectomy under acupuncture anesthesia, I was introduced to the ancient art of acupuncture. I earned one of the first 12 acupuncture certifications in the United States through a program for medical doctors in San Francisco. During this time, I met Dr. Palmer, who introduced me to Dr. Paul Nogier's work in auricular medicine. This clinical science became a foundation for my exploration of the human energy field.

In 1986, I presented my research on energy medicine, including methods from my book Chakra Chrome, at the Conference of Energy Medicine in Monte Carlo, Monaco, organized by Princess Stéphanie of Monaco. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, I practiced what was then called “holistic medicine,” delving into homeopathy under George Vithoulkis and studying crystal energy with IBM scientist Marcel Vogel, who pioneered magnetic recording tape and cholesterol liquid crystals.

In 1986, I also organized the First International Crystal Congress in San Francisco, where the legendary crystal skull made an appearance. My work in healing energies, along with essays on energy medicine, can be found on Quora.com.

My career has been dedicated to alternative and natural therapies, reflected in books like Healing AIDS Naturally and Choose to Live. In the 1980s, I hosted the Advanced Immune Discovery Symposia in San Francisco and Los Angeles, where I shared groundbreaking research on restoring immune system competence using teas made from Chinese medicinal mushrooms. While my findings were ahead of their time, they remained largely unrecognized.

I have also contributed insights into homeopathy, notably discovering that the AIDS miasma echoed the typhoid miasma. My use of homeopathic typhoid remedies significantly benefited many AIDS survivors, a topic discussed in detail in Energy Medicine.

My work in fibromyalgia led to recognition as a top expert on Healthtap.com in 2012. Along the way, I developed Biomechanical Functional Diagnosis™, a method addressing how gravity influences human tissue stress and dysfunction—an overlooked aspect in medical education.

The First Edition of Energy Medicine was an exercise in innovation, written on an early Macintosh computer and printed using one of the first West Coast laser printers. Though experts warned that the text would degrade over time, the pages have endured, much like the ideas within. I personally collated the first 142 copies, which sold for $45 each and now fetch several hundred dollars on resale platforms.

This Second Edition reflects decades of continued research, practice, and clinical anecdotes. My medical career has been an odyssey, blending conventional training with a relentless pursuit of knowledge in the arts and sciences of natural medicine.

Laurence E. Badgley, M.D.
Hilo, Hawaii
January 2025