Magnetic field activity during psychic healing: A preliminary study with Healing Touch practitioners
Keywords:
Touch—Therapeutic use, Electromagnetic fields, Emotions, Progressive muscle relaxation, Biofield, ParapsychologyAbstract
Psychic healing, involving the paranormal abilities of healers, has re-invented itself in the cultural mainstream as “energy medicine”. Energy medicine ‘biofield therapies’ such as Reiki, Qigong, and Healing Touch are administered by a healer who clears, balances and replenishes ‘life-energy’, sometimes with the assistance of nonphysical ‘guides’. A small number of studies have noted electric field surges and magnetic field (MF) oscillations in close proximity to the healers’ body, suggesting that electromagnetic field variations may be part of the energy healing mechanism. In the present study, I examine whether MF oscillations are present during Healing Touch (HT), an energy-based, biofield therapy. Low-frequency (0 - 40 Hz) MF activity was measured continuously with Hall-type gaussmeters in close proximity to healer-client pairs during HT sessions. MF activity observed during each HT session was compared with pre-session and post-session MF activity, and with MF activity during guided progressive relaxation (GPR) sessions without a healer and during mock HT sessions without a client. Qualitative analysis was used to identify potential relationships between MF activity, client symptoms, and healer descriptions of the client’s biofield. Low-frequency MF oscillations were observed during 24 of 26 HT sessions, and 14 of 16 GPR sessions. The amplitude of the MF oscillations (Bpeak-to-peak) was significantly greater during the HT session and post-session periods, as compared to the pre-session period. Bpeak-peakshowed no significant change across the GPR time periods. Large-amplitude MF oscillations > 1.0 milliGauss during HT were associated with healer/client qualitative reports of emotional release and clearing of the biofield. MF oscillations in the GPR sessions were typically low-amplitude, with 55% of oscillations occurring in the first 20 minutes of the session. Based on comments from the participants, the MF oscillations during the first 20 minutes of GPR may represent physical releases, as this part of the guided meditation focused on releasing tension in different muscle groups. Low-amplitude MF oscillations in the HT sessions showed some association with physical releases and pain reduction. MF activity was extremely quiet during the mock HT sessions, particularly in cases where the HT practitioner reported being “heart-centered”. The results suggest that low-frequency MF activity may reflect the emotions and biofield qualities of the participants. Continuous recording of environmental variables, such as magnetic field activity, may be useful in the study of paranormal phenomena, such as psychic healing, psychokinesis, and remote viewing.References
Baldwin, A. L., Rand, W. L. & Schwartz, G. E. (2013) Practicing Reiki does not appear to routinely produce high-intensity electromagnetic fields from the heart or hands of Reiki practitioners. Journal of Alternative and Complentary Medicine, 19, 518-526.
Basar, E. (2008) Oscillations in “brain-body-mind” – A holistic view including the autonomous system. Brain Research, 1235, 2-11.
Benor, D. J. (2001) Spiritual Healing: Scientific Validation of a Healing Revolution. Southfield, MI: Vision Publications.
Braithwaite, J. J. (2004) Magnetic variances associated with ‘haunt-type’ experiences: A comparison using time-synchronized baseline measurements. European Journal of Parapsychology, 19, 3-28.
Braithwaite, J. J. (2006) Using digital magnetometry to quantify anomalous magnetic fields associated with spontaneous strange experiences: The magnetic detection system (MADS). Journal of Parapsychology, 69, 151-171.
Braithwaite, J. J. (2010) Neuromagnetic effects of anomalous cognitive experiences: A critical appraisal of the evidence for induced sensed-presence and haunt-type experiences. NeuroQuantology, 8, 517-530.
Brennan, B. A. (1988) Hands of Light: A Guide to Healing Through the Human Energy Field. New York, NY: Bantam Books.
Cook, C. A. L., Guerrerio, J. F. & Slater, V. (2004) Healing Touch and quality of life in women receiving radiation treatment for cancer: A randomized controlled trial. Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine, 10, 34-41.
Cook, C. M., Thomas, A. W., Keenliside, L. D. & Prato, F. S. (2005) Resting EEG effects during exposure to a pulsed ELF magnetic field. Bioelectromagnetics, 26, 367-376.
Crute, S. (2008) Most popular alternative treatments. AARP The Magazine, March.
D’Aquili, E. & Newberg, A. B. (1999) The Mystical Mind: Probing the Biology of Religious Experience. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press.
Dossey, L. (2008) Healing research: What we know and don’t know. Explore, 4, 341-352.
Engebretson, J. & Wardell, D. W. (2007) Energy-based modalities. Nursing Clinics of North America, 42, 243-59.
Fraser-Smith, A. C. (1993) ULF magnetic fields generated by electrical storms and their significance to geomagnetic pulsation generation. Geophysical Research Letters, 20, 467-470.
Gunderson, J. G. (2011) Borderline personality disorder. New England Journal of Medicine, 364, 2037-2042.
Green, E., Parks, P., Guyer, P., Fahrion, S. & Coyne, L. (1991) Anomalous electrostatic phenomena in exceptional subjects. Subtle Energies, 2-3, 69-94.
Harner, M. (1996) Shamanic healing: We are not alone. Interview by Bonnie Horrigan. Alternative Therapies in Heath & Medicine, 2, 68-75.
Heath, P. R. (2003) The PK Zone: A Cross-Cultural Review of Psychokinesis (PK). Lincoln, NE: iUniverse, Inc.
Hisamitsu, T., Seto, A. & Nakazato, S. et al. (1996) Emission of extremely strong magnetic fields from the head and whole body during oriental breathing exercises. Acupuncture & Electrotherapy Research, 21, 219-227.
Hover-Kramer, D. (2009) Healing Touch Guidebook: Practicing the Art and Science of Human Caring, 20th edition. San Antonio, TX: Healing Touch Program.
Hover-Kramer, D. & Shames, K. H. (1997) Energetic Approaches to Emotional Healing. Albany, NY: Delmar Publishers.
Hunt, V. V. (1996) Infinite Mind: Science of the Human Vibrations of Consciousness. Malibu, CA: Malibu Publishing Co.
Irwin, H. J. & Watt, C. A. (2007) An Introduction to Parapsychology. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., Inc.
Jewett D. L. (2005) What’s wrong with single hypotheses. The Scientist – Magazine of the Life Sciences, 19(21), 10.
Joines, W. T., Baumann, S. B. & Kruth, J. G. (2012) Electromagnetic emission from humans during focused intent. Journal of Parapsychology, 76, 275-294.
Jonas, W. B. & Crawford, C. C. (2004) The healing presence: can it be reliably measured? Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 10, 751-6.
Laythe B. R. & Owen, K. (2013) A critical test of the EMF-paranormal phenomena theory: Evidence from a haunted site without electricity-generating fields. Journal of Parapsychology, 77, 212-236.
Krippner, S. & Achterberg, J. (2000) Anomalous healing experiences. In: E. Cardena, S. J. Lynn & S. Krippner Varieties of Anomalous Experience: Examining the Scientific Evidence (pp. 353-395). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
MacIntyre, J., Hamilton, J., Fricke, T., Ma, W., Mehle, S. & Matt, M. (2008) The efficacy of Healing Touch in coronary artery bypass surgery recovery: A randomized clinical trial. Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine, 14, 24-32.
Markov, M. S. (2007) Expanding use of pulsed electromagnetic field therapies. Electromagnetics in Biology & Medicine, 26, 257-274.
Maville, J. A., Bowen, J. E. & Benham, G. (2008) Effect of Healing Touch on stress perception and biological correlates. Holistic Nursing Practice, 22, 103-110.
Moga, M. M. & Geib, R. (2009) Is bioenergy healing associated with changes in the magnetic field environment? Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine, 15, S89.
Moga, M. M. & Bengston, W. F. (2010) Anomalous magnetic field activity during a bioenergy healing experiment. Journal of Science Exploration, 24, 397-410.
Oschman, J. L. (2000) Energy Medicine: The Scientific Basis. Edinburgh, UK:Churchill Livingstone.
Persinger, M. A. (1983) Religious and mystical experiences as artifacts of temporal lobe function: A general hypothesis. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 57, 1255-1262.
Persinger, M. A., Tiller, S. G. & Koren, S. A. (2000) Experimental stimulation of a haunt experience and elicitation of paroxysmal electroencephalographic activity by transcerebral complex magnetic fields: induction of a synthetic ‘ghost’? Perceptual & Motor Skills, 90, 659-674.
Platt, J. R. (1964) Strong inference. Science, 146(3642), 347-353.
Puthoff, H. & Targ, R. (1974) Psychic research and modern physics. In: E. D. Mitchell & J. White Psychic Exploration: A Challenge for Science (pp. 536-538). New York: G. P. Putnam’s & Sons.
Radin, D. (1997) The Conscious Universe: The Scientific Truth of Psychic Phenomena (pp. 177-178). New York: HarperCollins Publishers.
Ramacharaka, Y. (1934) The Science of Psychic Healing. Chicago, IL: Yoga Publication Society.
Redpath, W. M. (1995) Trauma Energetics: A Study of Held-Energy Systems. Lexington, MA: Barberry Press.
Rein, G. (2001) Biological effects of non-classical electromagnetic fields exhibiting quantum non-locality. In: P. Moscow Energetic Processes: Interaction between Matter, Energy & Consciousness, Volume I (pp. 187-205). Elkhown, WI: United States Psychotronic Association.
Robertson, J. A., Theberge, J., Weller, J., Drost, D. J., Prato, F. S. & Thomas, A. W. (2010) Low-frequency pulsed electromagnetic field processing can alter neuroprocessing in humans. Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 7, 467-473.
Roll W. G., Persinger, M. A., Webster, D. L., Tiller, S. G. & Cook, C. M. (2002) Neurobehavioral and neurometabolic (SPECT) correlates of paranormal information: Involvement of the right hemisphere and its sensitivity to weak complex magnetic fields. International Journal of Neuroscience, 112, 197-224.
Ross, C. A. (2010) Electrophysiological properties of human ocular extramission. Subtle Energies & Energy Medicine, 21, 21-27.
Ryan, A. (2008) New insights into links between ESP and geomagnetic activity. Journal of Scientific Exploration, 33, 335-358.
Schoch, R. M., Yonavjak, L. (2008) The Parapsychology Revolution: A Concise Anthology of Paranormal and Psychical Research. New York, NY: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Schouten, S. A. (1993) Applied parapsychology studies of psychics and healers. Journal of Scientific Exploration, 7, 375-401.
Schwartz, G. E., Simon, W. L. (2007) The Energy Healing Experiments: Science Reveals our Natural Power to Heal. New York, NY:Atria Books.
Seto, A., Kusaka, C., Nakazato, S. et al. (1992) Detection of extraordinary large bio-magnetic field strength from human hand during external qi emission. Acupuncture & Electro-therapeutics Research 17, 75-94.
Sidorov, L. The imprinting and transmission of mentally-directed bioinformation. EmergentMind.org: www.emergentmind.org/sidorov_1.htm.
Slater, V. (2009) Energy healing. In: B. M. Dossey & L. Keegan: Holistic Nursing: A Handbook for Practice, 5th edition (pp. 647-673). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Targ, R., Puthoff, H. E., May, E. C. (2002) Direct perception of remote geographical locations. In: C. T. Tart, H. E. Puthoff, & R. Targ Mind at Large: IEEE Symposia on the Nature of Extrasensory Perception (Studies in Consciousness). Charlottesville, VA: Hampton Roads.
Tiller, W. A. (1995) Towards explaining anomalously large body voltage surges on exceptional subjects. Part I: The electrostatic approximation. Journal of Scientific Exploration, 9(3), 331-350.
Wardell, D. W. (2002) Healing Touch and Therapeutic Touch. In: P. Coughlin Principles and Practice of Manual Therapeutics. Philadelphia, PA: Churchill Livingstone.
Wardell, D. W., Rintala, D. H., Duan, Z., Ta, G. (2006) A pilot study of Healing Touch and progressive relaxation for chronic neuropathic pain in persons with spinal cord injury. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 24, 231-240.
Wells, R. & Watkins, G. K. (1974) Linger Effects in Several PK Experiments. Research in Parapsychology, pp. 143-147.
Wilkinson, D. S., Knox, P. L., Chatman, J. E., Johnson, T. L., et al (2002) The clinical effectiveness of Healing Touch. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 8, 33-47.
Wiseman, R., Watt, C., Greening, E., Stevens, P., & O’Keefe, C. (2002) An investigation into the alleged haunting of Hampton Court Palace: Psychological variables and magnetic fields. Journal of Parapsychology, 66, 387-408.
Zimmerman, J. (1985) New technologies detect effects of healing hands. Brain/Mind Bulletin, 10, 3.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
