The 33 Principles of Chiropractic teach that life is expressed through the Triune of Life: Intelligence, Force, and Matter. Intelligence is the organizing principle, Force is the active expression of that intelligence, and Matter is the substance through which life becomes visible. In the human being, this means the body is not merely material—it is living matter animated and organized by an intelligent force. This dynamic can also be understood through the language of energy: wherever there is life, there is energy, because all matter is in motion and all motion is an expression of force.
Energy is everywhere, and in a living person the quality of life depends on how much energy is available for organized expression and how coherently that energy is directed through the body. When energy is diminished, scattered, or chaotic, Innate Intelligence is not absent—it remains fully present within the organism—but its ability to express fully through matter is reduced. As a result, universal forces have greater influence, acting without solicitude for the preservation of the individual structure, increasing entropy, breaking down order, and reducing adaptability. With less energy available for Innate to direct growth, healing, and conscious experience, the individual encounters greater stress, breakdown, and suffering. In this state, structure loses coherence, behaviour becomes reactive or survival-driven, and perception narrows. Yet this process is also part of life’s design: the challenges we experience can serve as catalysts for growth, creating the perceptions and attracting the experiences that guide us back toward greater coherence, expanded awareness, and a conscious return to a more authentic expression of our divine nature.
When energy is focused and directed coherently within the body, it reflects the action of Innate Intelligence organizing matter through force. This is the constructive principle described in chiropractic philosophy: the maintenance of living matter in active organization. As available energy increases, the human experience changes in three interconnected ways (see The Triad of Change). Structure becomes more organized—spinal alignment, posture, and physical coherence improve. Behaviour shifts toward creative, adaptive, and life-enhancing choices rather than defensive patterns. Perception expands—more informational bandwidth becomes available, allowing clearer awareness, deeper insight, and a richer experience of reality.
In this view, growing our energy means increasing the capacity of Innate Intelligence to express itself through us. The more coherent our energy, the more ordered our structure, the more intentional our behaviour, and the more expansive our perception. Chiropractic seeks to reduce interference to this expression, especially within the spine and nervous system, so that the Triune of Intelligence, Force, and Matter can function with greater harmony. The lived experience of that harmony is often described as vitality, healing, and even a felt sense of divinity—recognizing that life is not merely something we possess, but something continuously expressing through us.
References
Donald M Epstein, Simon A Senzon, Daniel Lemberger (2009). Reorganizational healing: a paradigm for the advancement of wellness, behavior change, holistic practice, and healing. Journal and Alternative Complementary Medicine, May; 15(5): 461-4.
The International Chiropractors Association – https://www.chiropractic.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/33-Principles.pdf
Stephenson, R. W. (1927). Chiropractic textbook. Palmer School of Chiropractic.
