DISTANT HEALING Intentionality and Brain Function in Recipients

DISTANT HEALING: Intentionality and Brain Function in Recipients using f. MRI Analysis Jeanne Achterberg, Ph. D

The Marriage of Science and Spirituality • It is no exaggeration to say that the future course of history depends on the decision made by this generation as to the relationship between science and religion. Alfred North Whitehead

Consciousness and Healing High Tech Evidence • Mind/body/spirit Connections • Human Interconnections of Consciousness

Definitions • Distant Healing Intentionality=prayer, “energy” healing, transpersonal imagery, nonlocal healing • Healer= someone who works with others to help them return to health • Neurotheology=field dedicated to understanding the relationship between spirituality and the brain

Science and Wisdom • The problem with technology is that as knowledge increases, wisdom fades. Bertrand Russell

Healing and Consciousness: Lines of Evidence Substantial number of controlled studies showing positive effects of prayer, distant healing, healing intentions on health and behavior

New Large Well-Controlled Studies: Duke and Harvard NEGATIVE RESULTS Larry Dossey: This type of research must be conducted in environments at natural as possible (Context validity)

Healing and Consciousness • Placebo research • Opiates, placebo responders & nonresponders Petrovik, et al. (2002)

Correlated or co-consciousness • Twin Study (correlated EEGs) • Duane & Behrendt, 1965 • Bonded or close couples • Grinberg-Zylberbaum, 1987 (EEG) • Standish, et al. , 2003 (f. MRI) • Wackermann, et al. , 2003 (EEG)

Neuropsychology of Mystical States • Review: Newberg & D’Aquili (2001) Why God Won’t go away. • Kundalini/Zen, Lazar et al. (2000) f. MRI • Tibetan Monks, Newberg (2000)

Evaluation of Potential Effects of Prayer and Healing Intention on Brain Function, using f. MRI North Hawaii Community Hospital Bakken Foundation

Study Design • Pairs of “Sender” and “Receivers” • Random intervals of experimental and control conditions • Receiver “blind” to send/no send conditions • Statistical comparison of experimental and control conditions using BOLD analysis

RESULTS • Significant findings in 9 of 11 pairs of healers and receivers of distant healing intentionality when comparing send vs. no send conditions • Group significance in a cluster of brain areas-P=. 000127

CONSULTING INSTITUTIONS • • • Univ. of Washington Univ. of Hawaii Univ. of California, Irvine Univ. of California, Los Angeles Oxford

Scanner at North Hawaii Community Hospital

“Raw Data” f. MRI Scans #00

Qi Gong #00 Anterior Cingulate Cortex

Healing Touch #10 Posterior Cingulate Cortex

Vibrational Sound Healing #30 Left Temporal Lobe and Left Cerebellum

Traditional Hawaiian Healer (Kahuna) Kahuna #40 Cerebellum

Traditional Hawaiian Healer (Kahuna) Kahuna #40 Hippocampus

Psychic Healer #50 Hippocampus

Psychic Healer #50 Lingual Gyrus, Cerebellum

Prayer & Energy Healer Neck Muscles #60 (Inverse)

Prayer & Energy Healer #60 Right Inferior Frontal

Prayer & Energy Healer #60 Cerebellum

Reiki #70 Thalamus

Reiki #70 Anterior Cingulate Cortex

Reiki Olfactory Area #70

Reiki Occipital cortex #70

Reiki #70 Surface Image

Peruvian / Brazilian Healing Cerebellum #80

Peruvian / Brazilian Healing #80 Superior Frontal

Peruvian / Brazilian Healing Surface: Positive - frontal lobe #80 Negative - Occipital, parietal, cerebellum

Peruvian / Brazilian Healing Surface: #80 Positive Frontal Lobe (left)

Group Activation Group activation in the precuneus and cingulate area

Group activation in the anterior cingulate and frontal regions

Qi Gong -- Master Teacher #00

FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR RESEARCH 1. Could similar results be obtained from non-healers? 2. Do different types of healing yield different responses? 3. Is there a concordance of brain activity between pairs?

4. Are there anticipatory responses to these standardized random outcomes? 5. What is the experimenter effect in such research? 6. Can the finding of care, knowledge, bonding, and compassion be replicated? 7. Can the results be replicated?