The Center for Brain, Mind and Healing (BMH) research initiatives explore how mind, body, brain, spirit and consciousness influence wellness. Since its inception as a center at Samueli, BMH has been at the forefront of this pioneering research. These studies pave the way for a more informed integration of mind-body practices with conventional medical interventions.
- BMH’s efforts in consciousness are primarily concerned with temporal and spatial modeling as well as using electroencephalographs (EEGs) and neuroimaging to determine the relationship between consciousness, wellness and healing.
- Recent technological breakthroughs by our researchers in The Netherlands allow for advanced exploration into the relationship between biophotonic emissions and specific disease states. Additionally BMH staff conducted both clinical trials and reviews around the clinical impact of biofield therapies in cancer and pain populations.
- Research on mind-body medicine produced scientific data on many different modalities and facets surrounding this growing field. Many studies have been conducted at the Institute on transcendental meditation, healing touch and guided imagery. BMH researchers in Germany developed a valid scale for measuring the effects of mindfulness in what they have named the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory or FMI.
- Placebo effect is not just the process of administering a “dummy pill”. It is a set of meaning and context effects that can ameliorate disease, for example, through a positive encounter with a healthcare provider or changing the color of a placebo pill. We explore how using placebos and manipulating the meaning and context of the clinical experience can help our bodies to self-heal with minimal aid of pharmaceuticals.
- Using the principles of Hormesis, homeopathy and nano-pharmacology, BMH’s scientific studies examine the utility of these products in areas such as viral pandemics, exposure to chemical toxins and exposure to varying levels of radiation. The “silica hypothesis” has also been developed within this program. This hypothesis posits that the healing caused by homeopathic remedies is due (at least in part) to particles of silica which remain in the remedy after succession.
- Led by BMH staff, Samueli Institute is developing a conceptual framework of health and wellness as a whole system in both healthy and diseased persons. The systems wellness projects will result in models capable of tracking resilience, health and wellness in humans.