“Memory of Water” Without Water: Modeling of Benveniste’s Experiments with a Personalist Interpretation of Probability

2021

EXPLORE

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Introduction. The "memory of water" experiments suggested the existence of molecular-like effects without molecules. Although no convincing evidence of modifications of water-specific of biologically-active molecules-has been reported, consistent changes of biological systems were nevertheless recorded. We propose an alternate explanation based on classical conditioning of the experimenter. Methods. Using a probabilistic modelling, we describe not only the biological system, but also the experimenter engaged in an elementary dose-response experiment. We assume that during conventional experiments involving genuine biologically-active molecules, the experimenter is involuntarily conditioned to expect a pattern, namely a relationship between the descriptions (or "labels") of experimental conditions and the corresponding biological system states. Results. The modelling predicts that the conditioned observer could continue to record the learned pattern even in the absence of the initial cause, namely biologically-active molecules. The phenomenon is self-sustained since the observation of the expected pattern reinforces the initial conditioning. A necessary requirement is the use of a system submitted to random fluctuations with autocorrelated successive states (no forced return to the initial position). The relationship observed by the conditioned observer is however not causal and has a quantum-like structure. The modelling predicts also that blind experiments with an "outside" supervisor lead to a loss of correlations (i.e. system states randomly associated to "labels"). Conclusion. This psychophysical modelling allows explaining the results of "memory of water" experiments without referring to water or another local cause. It could be extended to other scientific fields in biology, medicine and psychology when an experimenter effect is suspected.

Section: Quantum-like Nature Of Correlationsmentioning

confidence: 73%

“…As explained in the introduction, the spreading of "activated" states regardless "labels" was interpreted as the consequence of external disturbances. However, further improvements of experimental conditions and devices did not prevent this unwanted phenomenon [19,20].…”

Section: Consequences Of the Modelling For Blind Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Memory of water” experiments explained with no role assigned to water: Pattern expectation after classical conditioning of the experimenter

2021

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“…However, further improvements of experimental conditions and devices did not prevent this unwanted phenomenon. 25,26 In 2013, I reanalyzed in depth a series of "digital biology" experiments with isolated rodent heart performed by Benveniste's team. 23 The main interest of this series of experiments was that both inside and outside supervisors operated on the same test samples.…”

Section: Consequences Of Blind Experiments On Correlationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Memory of Water” Experiments Explained with No Role Assigned to Water: Pattern Expectation after Classical Conditioning of the Experimenter

2020

Preprint

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The “memory of water” experiments suggested the existence of molecular-like effects without molecules. Although no convincing evidence of modifications of water – specific of biologically-active molecules – has been reported up to now, consistent changes of biological systems were nevertheless recorded. We propose an alternate explanation based on classical conditioning of the experimenter. Using a probabilistic model, we describe not only the biological system, but also the experimenter engaged in an elementary dose-response experiment. We assume that during conventional experiments involving genuine biologically-active molecules, the experimenter is involuntarily conditioned to expect a pattern, namely a relationship between descriptions (or “labels”) of experimental conditions and corresponding biological system states. The model predicts that the conditioned experimenter could continue to record the learned pattern even in the absence of the initial cause, namely the biologically-active molecules. The phenomenon is self-sustained because the observation of the expected pattern reinforces the initial conditioning. A necessary requirement is the use of a system submitted to random fluctuations with autocorrelated successive states (no forced return to the initial position). The relationship recorded by the conditioned experimenter is, however, not causal in this model because blind experiments with an “outside” supervisor lead to a loss of correlations (i.e., system states randomly associated to “labels”). In conclusion, this psychophysical model allows explaining the results of “memory of water” experiments without referring to water or another local cause. It could be extended to other scientific fields in biology, medicine and psychology when suspecting an experimenter effect.

“…I described these experiments in details in a book [ 23 ] (now translated into English [ 10 ]), more particularly the experiments that were designed as proofs of concept. Then I tempted to decipher the logic of these experiments in a series of articles [ 21 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ]. The purpose of these articles was also to show that these results were consistent and deserved to be considered from a fresh point of view, even though the price to pay was an abandon of the initial hypothesis (namely, a molecular-like effect without molecules).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Benveniste’s Experiments Explained by a Non-Conventional Experimenter Effect

2018

Medicines

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Background: Benveniste’s biology experiments suggested the existence of molecular-like effects without molecules (“memory of water”). In this article, it is proposed that these disputed experiments could have been the consequence of a previously unnoticed and non-conventional experimenter effect. Methods: A probabilistic modelling is built in order to describe an elementary laboratory experiment. A biological system is modelled with two possible states (“resting” and “activated”) and exposed to two experimental conditions labelled “control” and “test”, but both are biologically inactive. The modelling takes into account not only the biological system, but also the experimenters. In addition, an outsider standpoint is adopted to describe the experimental situation. Results: A classical approach suggests that, after experiment completion, the “control” and “test” labels of biologically-inactive conditions should both be associated with the “resting” state (i.e., no significant relationship between labels and system states). However, if the fluctuations of the biological system are also considered, a quantum-like relationship emerges and connects labels and system states (analogous to a biological “effect” without molecules). Conclusions: No hypotheses about water properties or other exotic explanations are needed to describe Benveniste’s experiments, including their unusual features. This modelling could be extended to other experimental situations in biology, medicine, and psychology.