RESEARCH STUDIES SUPPORTING ENERGY HEALING
There are hundreds of studies demonstrating the effectiveness of energy healing, including these:
1. AIDS DISTANCE HEALING USING ENERGY HEALING
Ron Lavin, MA, using One Light Healing Touch therapy, has participated in four studies funded by the NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, through CA Pacific Medical Center. The studies are called “landmark" and demonstrate that energy healing had “positive effects on AIDS patients. All of the patients in the treatment group had an overall impressive improvement in their health and showed significant results: they acquired significantly fewer new AIDS-defining illness; they had noted decrease and/or elimination of various opportunistic diseases; they had lower severity of illness and required significantly fewer doctor visits, fewer hospitalizations and fewer days in the hospital. The treated subjects also showed a significantly improved state of mind and mood." The researchers called the results, “remarkable,” since it is the opportunistic diseases rather than AIDS itself, which causes patient deaths. The studies were double blind with two parallel groups and were conducted through California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. The initial 1996 study was small, yet its results were noteworthy and were featured in Time Magazine. The second study was larger, with 40 AIDS patients and 40 healers. The results were reported in the Western Journal of Medicine in 1998. In both studies, healing was done at a Distance. The healers in the study used differing types of energy healing traditions. Usual care was given, no placebo was necessary. Patients were tracked 18 months after the healing. Sponsors included: Elizabeth Targ, MD, The Institute for Noetic Sciences & Larry Dossey, MD. (footnote 1)
2. SYNOPSIS OF ENERGY HEALING STUDIES
The most complete compendium of studies showing the effectiveness of energy healing is from psychiatrist, Dr. Daniel J. Benor. He surveyed all such studies prior to 1990. They were done on enzymes, cells, yeasts, bacteria, plants, animals and human beings. “Of the 131 controlled experiments on ‘spiritual, psychic, prayer or psi’ healing, over 50% showed statistically significant results. In 56 of the studies, there was less than 1 chance in a 100 that positive results were due to chance, in another 21 studies, the possibility of chance was between 2 and 5 in 100.” (footnote 2)
Inhibiting Cancer Cell Growth: Spiritual healer, M. Manning used energy healing and inhibited cancer cell growth in cell cultures, producing changes of 200 to 1,200% in their growth characteristics. He influenced them even when he was placed in a distant room that was shielded from electrical influences.” (footnote 3)
Affect on Fungus Cultures: Ten energy healers inhibited growth of fungus cultures in the laboratory by using intention of concentrating on them for 15 minutes, from a distance of 1.5 yards. The cultures were then incubated for several hours. Of the total of 194 cultures dishes, 151 showed retarded growth. (footnote 4)
Wound Healing: A double-blind study of 44 patients with artificially created, full-skin-thickness surgical wounds. The treated group of 23 patients, received energy healing for 5 min. treatments. By day 16, 13 of 23 subject’s wounds were completely healed, (wound size “0”), compared with none in the untreated group. (footnote 5)
Hemoglobin Level: In 1971 Dr. Dolores Krieger did a study on in-vivo hemoglobin values. This study was replicated 3 times and the hypotheses were confirmed: The group receiving energy healing had a significant increase in their hemoglobin level, from that of the control group who received routine nursing care. (footnote 6)
Anxiety of Hospitalized Cardiovascular Patients: The anxiety of the patients in the treated group was significantly reduced, experiencing a (p<.001) reduction in state anxiety, compared to the control group. (footnote 7)
Stress Reduction/Relaxation/Strengthening Of Immune Function: The results of 14 patients receiving 30 minute energy healing sessions: a) Significant reduction in anxiety from t (22)=2.45, P=.02.: b) Significant drop in systolic blood pressure (SBP), F (2, 44) =6.60, P <.01: c) Significant rise of sIg A levels after treatment indicating a possible increase in the immune function. from, t (19) =2.33, P =.03. (footnote 8)
FOOTNOTES AND REFERENCES
1. AIDS STUDY: Fred Sicher, MA; Elizabeth Targ, M.D.; Dan Moore, Ph.D.; Helene Smith, Ph.D., “A Randomized Double-Blind Study of the Effect of Distant Healing in a Population with Advanced Aids”, The Western Journal of Medicine, Volume 169, number 6. (Dec. 1998): 356-363
2. MEDICAL SURVEYS AND RESEARCH BOOKS on Energy Healing: Dr. Daniel J. Benor, ”Survey of Spiritual Healing Research” Journal of Complementary Medical Research (1990) and his book, “Healing Research” (Munich: Helix Verlag GmbH, 1993) Address: Windeckstr. 82, D-81375 Munich, Germany.
3. INHIBITING CANCER CELL GROWTH, by Spiritual Healer, M. Manning: W. G. Braud, G. Davis and R. Wood, “Experiments with Matthew Manning” Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research 50, no. 782 (1979): 199-223
4. ENERGY AFFECTS ON FUNGUS: J. Barry,”General and Comparative Study of the Psychokinetic Effect on a Fungus Culture.” Journal of American Parapsychology 32 (1968): 237-43
5. WOUND HEALING, TT Study: Daniel P. Wirth, “The Effect of Non-contact Therapeutic Touch on the Healing of Full Thickness Dermal Wounds,” Subtle Energies 1:1, 1-20
6. HEMOGLOBIN LEVEL, TT Study: D. Krieger: “Therapeutic Touch: The Imprimatur of Nursing” American Journal of Nursing 75 (1975) 784-87
7. ANXIETY OF HOSPITALIZED CARDIOVASCULAR PATIENTS, TT Study: Janet Quinn. “An Investigation of the effects of Therapeutic Touch Done without Physical Contact on Anxiety of Hospitalized Cardiovascular Patients. Doctoral dissertation, NY Univ., 1982, Univ. Microfilm #DA8226788
8. STRESS REDUCTION/RELAXATION/IMMUNE FUNCTION, Reiki Study: D. W. Wardall; J. Engebretson, Biological Correlates of Reiki Touch healing” Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2001: 33(4):439-445
ADDITIONAL RESEARCH ON ENERGY HEALING INCLUDES:
The Intention Experiment, and The Field – by Lynne McTaggart
Energy Medicine - Practical Applications and Scientific Proof – by Dr. Norman Shealy, former president of the American Holistic Medical Assoc.
Energy Medicine, The Scientific Basis – by James L. Oschman
Daniel Benor, MD – (see #2 under studies.) See his website for more research. www.wholistichealingresearch.com