I don't really believe in those energy things.
I think what you feel comes from your brain.
I understand where you are coming from completely, and I think I agree that perception is to a large degree (if not entirely) a function of brain activity. At least while we exist in this body (whatever that really means). Although that could change if my meditation practice were to reveal something that makes it difficult to maintain that world view.
And I also understand that sensory perception has been correlated with a relatively small region of the brain (close to the motor area I believe) where the entire body has been mapped out into a homunculus model. So I could re-frame my experiences in terms of abnormal activation of circuits within the motor/sensory brain cortex. But I'm not sure that helps me much.
I am not convinced that science has yet reached anywhere near the understanding needed to come up with credible explanations for consciousness and am absolutely certain that it has yet to come up with truly effective treatments for when things go wrong. In my experience drug treatments only suppress or control symptoms, rather than treat the root cause.
So I use the term energy because I need to provide a frame of reference for my experience. I clearly am not using it in the strict scientific sense. I could use the term prana or chi, but I only have my own experience to go on and prefer to use a more generic term for now, at the risk of sounding airy fairy new age. What I actually feel are sensations that move about within my body. There is associated muscle tension. There is build up of pressure. Sometimes there is a web of tingling sensations sometimes quite painful, and feelings of electricity. Acupuncture at certain locations can bring on the same webs of pain. The sensations move along channels, usually very quickly, and then pool in another location. For example I may feel it at a precise location in my abdomen perhaps along a series of points in line, it mutates, becomes fluid and flows quickly to a precise location in my shoulder or perhaps to my throat. I have noticed definite correlates with the chakras described in yogic philosophy - particularly the solar plexus, throat, forehead and crown. But it also occupies other locations along the spine and to the left and right of it. Rarely do I feel these sensations in my arms and legs, but I get occasional prickles.
This is not the work of an overactive imagination I should add. I wish it were, then I could presumably just dis-spell it.
But if you do believe there's somekind of energy unbalance going on, I think you should try seeing an energy expert. For instance, a Reiki practitioner, a Acumpuncturist, or a Yoga teacher.
Why would you recommend an energy expert if you don't believe in these things? Sorry couldn't resist.
I have been to 2 different acupuncturists in the last 7 years for a course of treatments (I think around 6 or so in both cases). And whilst I have felt some painful sensations during treatment, I didn't feel any long term benefits. Also I couldn't stand the tea they made me boil up. It is truly revolting!
I have thought about seeing a body worker or energy healer, but I have read about people that have been screwed up by practitioners that don't really know what they are doing. My nervous system seems to be very sensitive, so I would be cautious about someone performing genuine "energetic" manipulations unless they had treated other people in a similar state to me. But it is definitely on the list of treatments to try.
With regard to Reiki specifically, I am a bit skeptical and don't 100% believe in it. I could be persuaded - I just have never experienced it. Those that have tried in the past to apply Reiki have had no noticeable effect on me. I actually received a Reiki One attunement while I was doing a detox in Thailand, but it did nothing for me. Hence the skepticism.
Finding a good yoga or vipassana teacher might be the way to go, but how easy is it to find one? And are Yoga teachers in the western world generally knowledgeable about energetic disturbances, or do they just play lip service and teach the asanas as keep fit classes? This is my skeptical mind coming out now.
Did you manage to find a decent vipassana teacher?
Many thanks for the suggestions.