Biofield Research: A Roundtable Discussion of Scientific and Methodological Issues

Abstract

Richard Hammerschlag: This discussion will be among the participants of a symposium on clinical and basic science research on the biofield, held as part of the International Research Congress on Integrative Medicine and Health in Portland, Oregon in May 2012. The 7 of us are conventional biomedical researchers in physiology, clinical psychology, cell biology, biophysics, and neurobiology, who through various paths have expanded our research interests to include performing preclinical studies, clinical trials, and systematic reviews of biofield therapies, as well as basic research and reviews on what we call biofield physiology. We should begin with a few definitions. Biofield therapies, which most commonly include external Qigong, Healing Touch, Johrei, Reconnective Healing, Reiki, and Therapeutic Touch, are a family of health care practices that involve either, or both, hands-on and hands-off treatment. 1,2 We infer that such healing can occur since living systems coexist within and co-contribute to a biofield, 3,4 which we define in terms of electric, magnetic, and electromagnetic fields as well as subtle energies (energies that appear to exist but have not yet been measured). I'd like to ask Jim to provide us with a brief overview of how the concept of the biofield has evolved.

Evaluation of Physicochemical, Thermal, Structural, and Behavioral Properties of Magnesium Gluconate Treated with Energy of Consciousness (The Trivedi Effect<sup>®</sup>)

“…The object or recipient always receives the energy and responds in a useful way. This process is known as The Trivedi Effect ® -Biofield Energy Healing Treatment [21]. Biofield (Putative Energy Field) based Energy Therapies are used worldwide to promote health and healing.…”

Evaluation of Antibiogram, Genotype and Phylogenetic Analysis of Biofield Treated Nocardia otitidis

“…Most of Nocardial infections occur in the United States due to inhalation of airborne spores or mycelial fragments from the environmental sources [6]. The most common manifestation of Nocardial disease is pulmonary nocardiosis [7], extrapulmonary disease [8], and ocular Ampere's law, which states that the moving charge produces magnetic fields in the surrounding space [15,16]. Thus, a human body emits the electromagnetic waves in the form of bio-photons that is also known as ultra-weak photon emissions (UPE).…”

In vitro Evaluation of Biofield Treatment on Enterobacter cloacae: Impact on Antimicrobial Susceptibility and Biotype

“…Afterward, the Harold Saton Burr, had performed the detailed studies on the correlation of electric current with physiological process and concluded that every single process in the human body had an electrical significance. Recently, it was discovered that all the electrical process happening in body have strong relationship with magnetic field as required by Ampere's law, which states that the moving charge produces magnetic fields in surrounding space [5,6]. Thus, the human body emits the electromagnetic waves in form of bio-photons, which surrounds the body and it is commonly known as biofield.…”