THE COLLECTION

The encyclopedia

Practices, traditions, and ideas. Explore the connections, keep the context.

Practices506

A practice record needs method, setting, lineage or origin context, safety boundaries, and claim-level evidence questions before it can become a full article.

Traditions30

A tradition record needs careful boundaries, community and textual context, terminology notes, and links to practices without implying ownership or endorsement.

Concepts39

A concept record needs definitions by context, translation or usage notes, and clear accounts of how meanings shift across traditions and modern settings.

Categories4

A category record explains an editorial lens. Categories can overlap and should never be treated as endorsement, ranking, or evidence of benefit.

Glossary12

A glossary record defines editorial vocabulary used across Machipedia so readers can interpret evidence, claims, sources, and review status consistently.

Refine your reading

Clear search & filters

Categories can overlap, and traditions may include several related practices.

39 entries

A–Z · Machipedia collection
Type: Concept
ConceptConcept: herbs said to raise resistance to stress, a term from Soviet research

Adaptogens

Adaptogens is a term for herbs said to raise the body's nonspecific resistance to stress, coined in Soviet research.

Complementary
Entry details
Aliases
Adaptogenic herbs
Tradition
Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Russian/Soviet pharmacology
Related concepts
Stress resilience

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: bliss as the nature of ultimate reality and as a contemplative state in Indian traditions

Ananda

Ānanda is a Sanskrit word for bliss, used in Indian philosophy for the nature of ultimate reality and for contemplative joy.

HolisticMetaphysical
Entry details
Aliases
Ananda, Bliss (Ānanda), Sat-chit-ananda, Saccidananda
Tradition
Vedanta (Upanishadic and Advaita texts), Classical yoga (Patanjali's Yoga Sutras), Tantric Yoga (Ananda Marga tradition)
Related concepts
Sat-chit-ananda, Brahman, Panchakosha (five sheaths of the self), Samprajnata samadhi, Hedonic and eudaimonic well-being

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: belief that behavior, trauma or illness patterns are carried across generations of a family

Ancestral Patterns

The idea that behavior, trauma or illness patterns are carried from one generation of a family to the next.

MetaphysicalHolistic
Entry details
Aliases
Generational Healing, Generational patterns, Intergenerational patterns, Transgenerational patterns, Family-line patterns
Tradition
Bowen family systems theory, Psychogenealogy (French-language tradition), Holocaust-survivor family research, Indigenous historical trauma frameworks, Attachment research, Family and systemic constellation work
Related concepts
Multigenerational transmission process, Differentiation of self, Intergenerational trauma, Transgenerational trauma, Historical trauma, Historical unresolved grief, Secondary traumatization, Epigenetic inheritance, Developmental programming, Genogram, Family secrets, Attachment transmission

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: esoteric belief in a personal or planetary spiritual transformation called ascension

Ascension

Ascension is a New Age and esoteric belief in a spiritual transformation of individuals or of the Earth.

Metaphysical
Entry details
Aliases
Ascension Techniques, Spiritual ascension, Planetary ascension, Personal ascension, 5D ascension, Earth ascension
Tradition
Theosophy, I AM Activity, Church Universal and Triumphant (The Summit Lighthouse), New Age spirituality, Starseed and lightworker communities, Western esotericism
Related concepts
Ascended Masters, Great White Brotherhood, Decrees, Karma, Age of Aquarius, 2012 phenomenon, 5D (fifth dimension), Lightworker, Starseed, Ascension symptoms, Higher Self, Millennialism

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: the mind's selection and sustained focus on some information over other input

Attention

Attention is the mind's selection and sustained focus on some information while other input is set aside.

Complementary
Entry details
Aliases
Attentional control
Tradition
Experimental psychology (William James, 1890), Contemporary cognitive neuroscience, Contemplative and mindfulness-based traditions, Education research on attention training, Information economics (Herbert Simon, 1971)
Related concepts
Selective attention, Sustained attention, Vigilance, Focused attention, Open monitoring, Covert attention, Mind wandering, Attention training, Attention economy, Cognitive rehabilitation

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: initiation rite in spiritual traditions and a relational term in psychology

Attunement

Attunement is a term for spiritual initiation rites and for emotional matching between people in psychology.

MetaphysicalHolistic
Entry details
Aliases
Reiki attunement, Reiki initiation, Reiju, Shaktipat initiation, Affect attunement, Affective attunement, Interpersonal attunement, Therapist attunement
Tradition
Reiki, Usui Reiki Ryoho, Western Reiki, Siddha Yoga, Developmental psychology, Psychotherapy research, Interpersonal neurobiology
Related concepts
Initiation rite, Reiju, Shaktipat, Affect attunement, Interpersonal attunement, Misattunement, Therapeutic alliance, Responsiveness, Expectation effects

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: the capacity to know one's experience, across contemplative and psychological settings

Awareness

Awareness is the capacity to know one's experience, a term used differently in philosophy, psychology and contemplation.

MetaphysicalHolistic
Entry details
Aliases
Nondual awareness, Witnessing consciousness
Tradition
Indian Buddhist philosophy of mind (Abhidharma and Yogacara), Tibetan Buddhism (Nyingma Dzogchen), Hinduism, Western philosophy of mind, Cognitive neuroscience of consciousness, Social and personality psychology, Mindfulness-based programs
Related concepts
Consciousness, Attention, Self-awareness, Objective self-awareness, Private self-consciousness, Rumination and reflection, Reflexive awareness (svasamvedana, rang rig), Rigpa (rig pa), Witnessing consciousness (sakshin), Nondual awareness, Higher-order theories of consciousness, Neural correlates of consciousness, Mindful attention awareness, Meditation-related adverse effects, Self-loss and ego dissolution

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: removal of harmful substances from the body, in wellness marketing and in medicine

Detoxification

Detoxification is the idea of clearing harmful substances from the body, used differently in wellness and medicine.

Alternative
Entry details
Aliases
Detox, Cleanse
Tradition
Not assigned
Related concepts
Autointoxication, Toxin, Cleanse, Withdrawal management, Chelation, Body burden

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: belief in a feminine aspect of the divine or of human nature

Divine Feminine

The Divine Feminine is a spiritual idea of a feminine aspect of the sacred or of the self, used in many traditions.

Metaphysical
Entry details
Aliases
Sacred Feminine, Feminine Divine, Feminine spirituality
Tradition
Shaktism and Devi traditions (Hindu), Chinese yin-yang thought, Jungian analytical psychology, Gnostic Christianity (Sophia), Jewish mysticism and feminist theology (Shekhinah), Goddess movement and feminist spirituality, Women's circles and wellness spirituality
Related concepts
Shakti, Devi, Yin, Anima, Archetype, Sophia, Shekhinah, Goddess, Gender essentialism, Contrasexuality

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: archetypal masculine principle in spiritual, Jungian and wellness teachings

Divine Masculine

The divine masculine is a spiritual concept of an archetypal masculine principle that adherents say is present in any gender.

MetaphysicalHolistic
Entry details
Aliases
Sacred Masculine, Sacred Masculinity, Divine Masculine Energy
Tradition
Hindu Sankhya and Shaiva thought, Chinese yin-yang cosmology, Jungian analytical psychology, Mythopoetic men's movement, Sacred masculine wellness teachings
Related concepts
Purusha, Shiva, Yang, Animus, Archetype, King, Warrior, Magician, Lover, Wild Man, Masculinity ideology, Gender essentialism, Divine Feminine, Green Man

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: DNA methylation and DNA repair as biology and as wellness marketing terms

DNA Methylation and Repair

DNA methylation and DNA repair are cellular processes studied in biology, and wellness marketing often uses both terms loosely.

Complementary
Entry details
Aliases
None recorded
Tradition
Not assigned
Related concepts
DNA methylation and gene regulation, DNA repair pathways, Repair capacity assays, Epigenetic clocks, Folate as a methyl donor, Wellness claims about methylation and DNA repair

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: ability to recognize, name, understand and express emotions

Emotional Literacy

Emotional literacy is the ability to recognize, name, understand and express emotions in oneself and in others.

Holistic
Entry details
Aliases
Emotional intelligence
Tradition
Not assigned
Related concepts
Emotional intelligence, Emotional granularity, Alexithymia, Emotion regulation, Affect labeling, Social and emotional learning, RULER approach, Transactional analysis

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: study of stable changes in gene activity that do not alter DNA sequence

Epigenetics

Epigenetics is the study of stable changes in gene activity that do not alter the DNA sequence itself.

Holistic
Entry details
Aliases
DNA methylation, Epigenetic regulation
Tradition
Not assigned
Related concepts
DNA methylation, Histone modification, Non-coding RNA, Epigenome, Epigenetic clock, Biological age, Transgenerational inheritance, Gene expression, Imprinting

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: scholarly category and popular label for hidden-knowledge currents in Western culture

Esotericism

Esotericism is a scholarly category and popular label for Western currents such as Hermeticism, astrology and alchemy.

Metaphysical
Entry details
Aliases
Western esotericism, Esoteric practices, Occultism
Tradition
Western esotericism, Theosophy, Spiritualism, New Age spirituality, Kabbalah
Related concepts
Correspondences, Living nature, Imagination and mediations, Transmutation, Rejected knowledge, Esoteric and exoteric, Hermeticism, Gnosticism, Alchemy, Magical thinking, Spiritual emergency

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: state of calm and composure described across traditions

Inner Peace

Inner peace is a state of calm and composure that religious, philosophical and psychological traditions describe differently.

Holistic
Entry details
Aliases
Peace of mind
Tradition
Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Taoism
Related concepts
Equanimity, Upekkha, Shanti, Apatheia, Ataraxia, Hesychia, Wu wei, Peace of mind, Low-arousal positive affect, Ideal affect

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: judgment or knowing reached without deliberate step-by-step reasoning

Intuition

Intuition is a judgment or sense of knowing that arrives without deliberate, step-by-step reasoning.

MetaphysicalHolistic
Entry details
Aliases
Intuitive judgment, Gut feeling
Tradition
Decision research and cognitive psychology, Clinical practice (nursing and family medicine), Anthroposophy, Philosophy (Henri Bergson), Contemporary psychic and New Age teaching
Related concepts
Dual-process theory, Heuristics, Naturalistic decision making, Tacit knowledge, Gut feelings, Precognition, Presentiment, Clairsentience, Inner guidance

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: belief that intentional actions have moral consequences, often across lifetimes

Karma

Karma is the idea in Indian religions that intentional actions carry moral consequences, in this life or later ones.

Metaphysical
Entry details
Aliases
Kamma, Karman, Law of karma, Law of cause and effect, Karmic law, Karmic causality
Tradition
Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Theosophy, New Age spirituality
Related concepts
Rebirth, Merit (punya), Intention (cetana), Just-world belief, Liberation (moksha), Samsara, Transfer of merit, Karma yoga

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: stable sense of aim and direction that gives a person's life and actions meaning

Life Purpose

Life purpose is a sense of aim and direction in life, studied in psychology and framed differently across traditions.

Holistic
Entry details
Aliases
Purpose in life, Ikigai
Tradition
Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity
Related concepts
Purpose in life, Meaning in life, Logotherapy, Psychological well-being, Ikigai, Dharma, Purusharthas, Calling, Vocation, Life crafting, Demoralization

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: belief that thoughts, intentions or visualization bring about matching outcomes

Manifestation

Manifestation is the belief that thoughts, intentions or visualization can bring about matching outcomes in a person's life.

Metaphysical
Entry details
Aliases
Law of attraction, Manifesting
Tradition
New Thought, Mind-cure movement, Prosperity theology, Popular self-help
Related concepts
Law of attraction, Positive thinking, Visualization, Mental contrasting, Positive fantasies versus expectations, Positive self-statements, Expectation and placebo, Self-blame

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: idea that mental and bodily states influence one another

Mind-Body Connection

The idea that mental and bodily states influence one another, studied in philosophy, medicine and psychology.

MetaphysicalHolistic
Entry details
Aliases
Mind-body relationship, Mind-body interaction, Mind and body connection, Mind-body link
Tradition
Seventeenth-century European philosophy, Psychosomatic medicine, Psychoneuroimmunology, Behavioral medicine
Related concepts
Mind-body dualism, Problem of mind-body interaction, Biopsychosocial model, Psychoneuroimmunology, Stress response, Allostatic load, Conditioned immune response, Placebo effect, Open-label placebo, Embodied cognition, Persistent somatic symptoms, Mind and body practices

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: idea that the autonomic nervous system shifts between states that can be steered

Nervous System Regulation

A popular term for how the autonomic nervous system shifts between states of arousal and calm.

Holistic
Entry details
Aliases
Dysregulation, Vagal tone
Tradition
Not assigned
Related concepts
Autonomic nervous system, Polyvagal theory, Window of tolerance, Heart rate variability, Vagal tone, Homeostasis, Allostasis, Neuroception, Fight-or-flight response

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: popular self-help idea that a hopeful mental attitude shapes health and success

Positive Thinking

Positive thinking is a popular self-help idea that a hopeful mental attitude shapes health, success and well-being.

Holistic
Entry details
Aliases
Power of positive thinking
Tradition
New Thought
Related concepts
Affirmations, Optimism, Positive psychology, Cognitive restructuring, Toxic positivity, Mental contrasting, Mind over matter

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: vital force or energy in Chinese philosophy and medicine

Qi

Qi is a Chinese term for a vital force or energy, used in philosophy, traditional medicine and qigong.

ComplementaryMetaphysical
Entry details
Aliases
Ch'i, Chi, Life-Breath (Philosophy), Vital Energy (Philosophy)
Tradition
Pre-Qin Chinese philosophy (Mencius, Zhuangzi, Xunzi), Han-dynasty thought (Lu Jia), Classical Chinese medical texts (Huangdi Neijing), Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qigong and tai chi practice, WHO Western Pacific standard medical terminology
Related concepts
Vital force or life-breath, Meridians, Yin and yang, Five phases, Essence, spirit, blood and fluids, Qi as physical energy (interpretive reading), Nonspecific effects in acupuncture research

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: online ASMR trend of simulated energy removal, not a Reiki technique

Reiki Plucking

Reiki plucking is an online ASMR video trend of quick pulling hand motions, not a form of Reiki.

Metaphysical
Entry details
Aliases
Energy plucking, Plucking negative energy
Tradition
Online ASMR community
Related concepts
Energy healing, Aura, ASMR, Reiki energy

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: belief that a person is born again into a new life after death

Reincarnation

Reincarnation is the belief that a person is born again after death into a new life, in forms that vary by tradition.

Metaphysical
Entry details
Aliases
Rebirth, Metempsychosis, Transmigration of the soul, Past lives
Tradition
Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Druze, Indigenous North American traditions, Pythagoreanism
Related concepts
Samsara, Karma, Rebirth, Metempsychosis, Transmigration, Moksha, Notq, Cases of the reincarnation type, Past-life memories, Source monitoring

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: belief that certain shapes and ratios carry symbolic or spiritual meaning

Sacred Geometry

Sacred geometry is the idea that certain shapes and ratios carry symbolic or spiritual meaning.

MetaphysicalHolistic
Entry details
Aliases
Sacred Geometry Healing
Tradition
Pythagorean and Platonic philosophy, Islamic geometric art, Gothic architecture, Contemporary esoteric spirituality
Related concepts
Golden ratio, Platonic solids, Girih patterns, Mandala, Flower of Life, Metatron's Cube, Yantra

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: modern Western movement treating sexual experience as a spiritual and wellness path

Sacred Sexuality

Sacred sexuality is a modern Western spiritual and wellness movement that frames sex as a path to meaning and connection.

MetaphysicalHolistic
Entry details
Aliases
Neo-tantra, Tantric sex, Western tantra, Modern tantra
Tradition
Tantra, Hinduism, Buddhism
Related concepts
Sacred sexuality, Sexual energy, Consent and boundaries, Mindfulness-based sex therapy, Sensate focus

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: belief in a non-physical, animating or enduring self

Soul

The soul is the idea of a non-physical or enduring self, understood in different ways across religions and philosophies.

Metaphysical
Entry details
Aliases
None recorded
Tradition
Ancient Greek philosophy, Platonism, Aristotelianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islamic philosophy, Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese religion, Indigenous traditions, Transpersonal psychology
Related concepts
Psyche, Nefesh, Neshamah, Atman, Anatman, Hun and po, Mind-body dualism, Higher self, Immortality

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: belief that souls agree before birth on life lessons or relationships

Soul Contracts

Soul contracts is the belief that souls agree before birth on lessons, relationships or hardships for a lifetime.

Metaphysical
Entry details
Aliases
Soul contract, Soul Contract Healing, Soul agreement, Pre-birth plan, Pre-birth planning, Soul plan
Tradition
Platonic myth of Er, Rabbinic and Lurianic Jewish writings on the soul before birth, Theosophy, Twentieth-century hypnotic regression, New Age spirituality
Related concepts
Pre-birth planning, Life between lives, Intermission memories, Reincarnation, Karma, Fate and fatalism, Theodicy, Hypnotic suggestion, False memory, Self-blame

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: belief in a destined or spiritually matched romantic partner

Soul Mates

Soul mates is the idea that one person is destined or spiritually matched to another as a partner.

Metaphysical
Entry details
Aliases
Soulmate, Soul mate, Soul-mate, Soulmates, Soul mate belief, Destined partner, Other half, Bashert
Tradition
Platonic philosophy, Jewish thought (bashert), Romanticism, New Age spirituality
Related concepts
Destiny belief, Growth belief, Implicit theories of relationships, Romantic love myths, Aristophanes' myth of divided humans, Soulmate theory

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: belief that obstacles to growth or energy flow can be sensed and cleared

Spiritual Blocks

Spiritual blocks are obstacles to growth or energy flow that New Age and energy-healing teachings describe.

Metaphysical
Entry details
Aliases
Energy blocks, Energetic blockages
Tradition
New Age spirituality, Traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, Reichian body psychotherapy, Theosophy
Related concepts
Energy blockage, Qi stagnation, Ama, Character armour, Chakra blockage, Karmic block, Ancestral block, Spiritual struggle, Experiential avoidance

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: belief that a person, object or place can be ritually purified of spiritual impurity

Spiritual Cleansing

Spiritual cleansing is the idea that a person, object or place can be ritually purified, held across many faiths and in wellness.

Metaphysical
Entry details
Aliases
Ritual purification, Smudging, Spiritual purification, Ritual cleansing
Tradition
Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Shinto
Related concepts
Ritual purity, Ritual impurity, Purification, Immersion, Smudging, Smoke ceremony, Space clearing, Banishing, Macbeth effect, Scrupulosity

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: crisis framing in which intense spiritual experiences are seen as growth-related

Spiritual Emergency

Spiritual emergency is a concept for a crisis in which intense spiritual experiences overwhelm a person's functioning.

Metaphysical
Entry details
Aliases
Spiritual crisis, Psychospiritual crisis
Tradition
Transpersonal psychology, Grof framework of non-ordinary states
Related concepts
Spiritual emergence, Non-ordinary states of consciousness, Religious or spiritual problem (DSM Z code), Differential diagnosis from psychosis, Kundalini awakening, Spiritually transformative experiences, Integration after intense experiences

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: change over time in a person's relationship to the sacred, to meaning or to transcendence

Spiritual Growth

Spiritual growth is a term for change over time in a person's sense of the sacred, meaning or transcendence.

Metaphysical
Entry details
Aliases
Spiritual development
Tradition
Christian mysticism, Psychology of religion, Humanistic psychology, Transpersonal psychology, Faith development theory, New Age spirituality
Related concepts
Mystic way, Stages of faith, Self-transcendence, Peak and plateau experiences, Spiritual transcendence, Daily spiritual experiences, Posttraumatic growth, Spiritual emergence and spiritual emergency, Spiritual bypassing, Religious or spiritual problem

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: contested idea of seeking meaning, connection or the sacred, with or without religion

Spirituality

Spirituality is a contested term for how people seek meaning, connection and the sacred, with or without religion.

Metaphysical
Entry details
Aliases
Spiritual life
Tradition
Christian spirituality (history of the term), Pauline and medieval Latin usage, Holistic mind-body-spirit milieu, Spiritual care in palliative and health care settings, Spiritual but not religious self-identification
Related concepts
Religion versus spirituality, Spiritual but not religious, Spiritual care, Spiritual well-being, Meaning and purpose, Connectedness, The sacred or transcendent, Subjective turn, Holistic milieu, Religious and spiritual struggle, Negative religious coping, Spiritual harm

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: belief that some people's souls originate on other stars or planets

Starseed

Starseed is a New Age belief that a person's soul originated on another star system or planet before birth on Earth.

Metaphysical
Entry details
Aliases
Starseeds, Star seed, Star people, Star children, Star-born souls, Wayshowers
Tradition
New Age spirituality, Theosophy, Spiritualism, UFO religions and contactee culture, Indigo child literature
Related concepts
Extraterrestrial soul origin, Ascension, Indigo children, Crystal children, Lightworkers, Life mission, Channeling, Dimensional shift

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: modern sexual practice labeled with the term tantra

Tantric Sex

Tantric sex is a modern label for sexual practices often linked to South Asian tantra, a family of ritual traditions.

Alternative
Entry details
Aliases
None recorded
Tradition
Hindu tantra: Kaula and Shakta-Shaiva lineages (South Asia), Buddhist tantra: Vajrayana Highest Yoga Tantra (South Asia and Tibet), Tantric Yoga meditation movements (modern), Neotantra: Western movement of the late 20th century
Related concepts
yogini cult in Kaula ritual, ritual use of sexual union in tantric texts, yoni worship in medieval tantric sects, modern sexual tantra and mindfulness framing, spiritual abuse and coercive control in teacher-student relationships

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: belief that one soul is divided between two people who are destined to meet

Twin Flames

A modern spiritual belief that one soul is divided between two people who are destined to meet.

Metaphysical
Entry details
Aliases
Twin Flame, Twin Flame Healing, Twin Soul, Divine counterpart
Tradition
New Age spirituality, Platonic myth of divided humans (cited as a precedent)
Related concepts
Soulmate, Karmic partner, Runner and chaser, Divine counterpart, Destiny beliefs, Growth beliefs, Spiritual awakening

Reference record available.

ConceptConcept: living processes depend on a vital force or principle

Vitalism

Vitalism is a historical belief that living things depend on a vital force or principle beyond physics and chemistry.

Metaphysical
Entry details
Aliases
vital force, vital principle, vitalist theory
Tradition
Greek natural philosophy, Galenic physiology, Montpellier medical school, French physiology after Bichat, German chemistry after Wöhler
Related concepts
pneuma, vital force, vital principle, organic and inorganic compounds, urea synthesis (1828), animism (Stahl), energy field (Reiki)

Reference record available.