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Cell Culture Models of Energy Healing

Principal Investigator: Garret Yount, PhD, Scientist, Complementary Medicine Research Center

Affiliation: California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute

Co-Funders: Sekai Kyusei Kyo; Izunome Association, Japan

Background: Increasing scientific attention is devoted to healing practices that use energy techniques. The best studied modality involves the channeling of energy (external Qi) toward cultured cells. Some report that external qigong treatment can promote cell death of cultured tumor cells and change the absorption intensity of DNA. However, most studies are rated poor because of inattention to scientific rigor (randomization, blinding, unreported data, etc). The experimental design of this project exceeds standards of rigor applied to conventional therapeutic interventions. Johrei is a system of energy healing practiced in Japan and Korea, and monitored by the Sekai Kyusei Kyo.

Hypotheses: 1) Human brain tumor cells stressed by exposure to ionizing radiation will be further inhibited in culture by Johrei healing, resulting in decreased cell growth and/or increased cell death compared to controls; 2) normal human brain cells stressed by exposure to ionizing radiation will be supported in culture by Johrei healing, resulting in increased cell growth and/or decreased cell death compared to controls; and 3) demonstrated cellular responses to Johrei healing will be mediated within the cells through known molecular signaling pathways.

Methods and materials: As with previous studies on Qigong healers, double blinded, sham controlled experiments will be run on the brain tumor cell line, SF-188, derived from human glioblastoma. Primary cultures of human astrocytes will serve as the control cell model. Both cultures will be exposed to ionizing radiation in the same dose used to treat patients. Johrei healers, all of training and experience required to reach reverend status, will focus their healing energy toward cultures of both cell lines in a randomized, blinded manner in two separate sessions. All technicians and investigators will also be blinded. Outcome measures invoke colony-forming characteristics related to programmed cell death or apoptosis using biochemical and video microscopy techniques.

Anticipated results: A positive effect on normal brain cell survival, and an enhancement of the effect of ionizing radiation will be found in the study portion in which Johrei healers are involved.

Relationship to SIIB mission and healing: Support of the hypotheses will suggest that healing intention and healing energy can affect stressed and nonstressed cells biochemically and genetically. Theoretically, this suggests that healing could be enhanced by applications of energy to bolster the effects of ionizing treatment on tumors.