Current Study
June 28, 2008
Current Study
June 28, 2008
This page shows current studies of the Institute for Living Body Measurements (Bio-Emission Laboratory) of the International Research Institute (IRI) (Chiba, Japan). The institute is one of laboratories of IRI which is a non-profit organization. Previous studies were done at Yamamoto Bio-emission Laboratory of the National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS). Yamamoto Bio-Emission Laboratory was closed on March 31, 2005 because Dr. Mikio Yamamoto was retired. Then, we made the laboratory near NIRS.
1. Research on Measurements of Non-contact Healing Effects Using Biophotons
2. Approach to Mechanisms of Non-contact Healing
3. Aging and Ability of Spiritual Healing
4. Study on Brain Blood Flow Change During Clairvoyant Task
5. Distant Healing for Autistic Patients
6. Presentiment
7. Facial Recognition Between Dialectical and Non-dialectical Cultures
8. Green Psychology
9. Study on Taichi-quan
10. Investigation on Brazilian Rituals Using Field RNG
11. Psi Inducive Training
Parts of studies from 1995 to 2000 are uploaded as a project report of previous Yamamoto Bio-Emission Laboratory.
1. Research on Measurements of Non-contact Healing Effects Using Biophotons
| One of aims of this study is to develop the standard measuring method for
non-contact healing, such as laying-on-of-hands. Recently I use a measuring
system for biophotons to detect effects of spiritual healing for small
samples. Available sizes of samples are from 10cm to 2-3 cm. There are various chemical reactions in vivo. Some reactions generate weak visual lights. Such super weak visual photons are called as biophotons. Intensity of biophotons from living body is very small. Therefore we never be able to recognize biophotons by our eyes. They are generated chiefly by reactions relating oxygen radicals.
In 2006, I succeeded to develop a quantitative evaluation method for non-contact healing using biophotons. Original rearch paper will be published on March 2007. Pairs (control and sample) of a cucumber were measured for 18h with a highly sensitive detector which has an Image Intensifier (I.I.); wave length 280-650nm. The intensity of biophotons from the experimental sample was compared with the control. Measurements were done after 30-minute healing treatment and four 30-minute non-healing treatments; thermal treatment in which experimental samples were stressed by a kettle with water at 40 degrees of Celsius; covered treatment in which experimental samples were covered by a screen for the room lighting; thermal and covered treatment: and exposed treatment in which both experimental and control samples were exposed to the room lighting. The cucumber samples were prepared by a way as above figure. First, a circular slice (thickness: 2cm) was cut from a cucumber. Then, this slice was cut in 2 slices of 1cm thickness and each was opened at the center. One of the paired pieces was the experimental sample and the other was the control. Four pairs of targets were made from one cucumber. Controls and experimental samples were placed symmetrically in two glass petri dishes to ensure the distance and angle for the camera lens was equal for each pair sample. Each petri dish was covered by a glass cover before treatments. Intensities of biophotons were compaired each pair. Results, there was no difference in the intensity between the experimental samples and controls in the non-healign treatments. However, in the healing group, the intensity of biophotons from the experimental samples was significantly greater than the controls (p = 6.5x10-7, two tails, Wilcoxon signed-rank test). Effects of laying-on-of-hands are not thermal or lighting effects. In addition, as an index of effect of healing, we used J value which is the logarithm of ratio of biophoton intensity of experiment IE to the biophoton intensity of control IC. J values of non-healing treatments were nearly zero. However, J value of healing treatment was distant from J = 0. Below graph shows J values and thier 95% confidential intervals.
We can evaluate healing effects quantitatively using J value. We classify healers' abilities tentatively such as J < 0.1 is Novice class (Class N), J = 0.1-0.2 is Middle class (Class B) and J > 0.2 is Expert class (Class A). Characteristic points of the method are as follows. (1) There is no effect by suggestion or operant conditioning because experimental samples are pieces of plants (cucumber), not humans nor animals. (2) Subjects (healers) only perform laying-on-of-hands of target samples for 15 to 30 minutes, and there are few burdens for such a short task. (3) Biophotons are measured over a long period (18h). (4) Cucumbers are inexpensive and readily available. Therefore it is easy to plan experiments. Even if this measuring method proves that a healer has abilities of bio-psychokiness (bio-PK), it cannot be said that the healer has the ability to cure people. What can be said is the possibility "A human body will not be affected, either, if a vegetable sample is not affected." At the present stage of development, if we apply this measuring method to certifying examination of healers, it might serve as a screening test which checks the existence of abilities indispensable as a healer, for example, an affecting ability which gives some effects to other living bodies. References
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2. Approach to Mechanisms of Non-contact Healing
| This study is an application of above method. Below figures show the time transition of intensities of photon emissions of experimental samples (E) and control samples (C) after 30-minute non-contact healing.  Left: Intensities of experiments (E) and controls (C) and standrd deviation There is no difference of intensities during Phase I (rising phase), but the obvious difference occurs during Phase II (peak phase). Non-contact healing affects on chemical reaction systems which emit photons during Phase I, but it does not affect systems which emit photons during Phase II. In other words, non-contact healing can give effects to certaion chemical reaction systems, not all systems. It means that the healing effects can be cancelled easily if we use inhibitors. What chemical reactions generate biophotons? At present, I am studying below chemical systems among possible systems. 1) oxidation reaction of ascorbic acid 2) biosynthesis of C9/C6 aldehyde and alcohol 3) other defense reactions which are introduced by 2). For the 1) and 2), I supplied alpha-linolenic acid, linoleic acid, ascorbate oxidase (ASOD) and lipoxygenase (LOX) onto cut pieces of cucumber. Resutls, the intensities of biophotons increased. However, I have not tested the 3) yet because we do not have enough knowledge of the details of 3).   Left: ASOD test. Right: LOX test. In addition, I am searching what kinds of physical stimuli can cause phenomena similar to non-contact healing. I have already tested the heat at 40 degree of Celsius (see above section) and magnetic stimuli of static, alternative and pulse magnetic fields. However, those stimuli did not show similar results. Further studies are needed. References
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3. Aging and Ability of Spiritual Healing
| This study is an application of the standard evaluation method of non-contact
healing using biophotons (See section 1). We measured effects of non-contact healing for plant samples (cucumber) using biophotons by 10 healers of laying-on-of-hands (5 beginners and 5 veterans). J value, the logarithm of the biophoton intensity ratio of an experimental sample and a control sample, was used as the quantitative index of healing. Moreover, the details of healing of each trial, and the past experience and healer's self-evaluation for his/her abilities were investigated with 186 items in two questionnaires. Using mailing lists, e-mail magazines, web sites and social network service (SNS), we initially recruited 10 subjects in 2 categories. Group A: 5 healers. Their experience in healing was shorter than 3 years, or they had fewer than 100 healing clients. Group B: 5 healers. Their experience in healing was 3 or more years, or they had 100 or more healing clients. Many subjects had experienced training in plural techniques or schools of healing, for example, various schools of qigong, Nishino breathing method, Kiatsu breathing, Shintoic laying-on-of-hands, hypnotic therapy, Reiki, Quantum touch, TDE (Perfect Harmony), Johrei (Mokichi Okada Association), etc. All subjects tried to take effort to increase intensities of biophotons by their practices. The fruits of this study are much. One of important results is that the ability of spiritual healing can be described as a function of healer's "age" and "degree of skill". Another important result is the biological hypotehses of spiritual healing. (The details of the present study will be published as Ref. 1 this March.) Equation of Healing Ability Through multiple regression analyses, we considered that the measured J values could be approximated by a 2-variable model (Model II) which consisted of an age function A(x) and a beginner-veteran function B(y) which relates to the difference between a beginner and a veteran. Here, β0 is a constant, and β1, β2 are partial regression coefficients. Below graph shows that the theoretical values of J fit the measured values of J very much.
Biological Hypotheses of Spiritual Healing We advocate the following biological hypotheses of spiritual healing which can be interpreted from results of the present study. Hypotheses: (1) In order to control the pain produced as a result with aging, the self-healing ability of pain improves. (2) Non-contact healing to control other persons' pains is an external application of self-healing ability. Sub-hypotheses: (a) Self-healing ability is improved with aging in the range from 20 to 70 years of age. (b) This ability can be controlled consciously. (c) Character traits have important roles in the control process of the ability. (d) Performance of the ability is barred by specific mind-physical states in which the person feels the change of body sense caused by learning different kinds of techniques/schools. These hypotheses are also a biological answer for "Why do many people claim that they have healing abilities?" and "Why do they claim that everyone can develop their own abilities through easy training?" The present study suggests many possibilities. For example, many parapsychologists suppose that paranormal phenomena are caused by will, mind or consciousness. Of course, I also agree that the role of consciousness is important. However, basic ability of laying-on-of-hands (a kind of bio-PK or DMILS) is considered as originated from human body, NOT consciousness. We should never forget the role of our bodies. Summary of Other Results
References
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4. Study on Brain Blood Flow Change During Clairvoyant Task
| Guess is considered as an important activity which has a close connection
with psi, especially, clairvoyance. We must be able to understand the details
of physiological mechanism relating to psi if we know activated areas of
human brain during guessing. For example, there is a report that the prefrontal
area of human brain is activated during guess (Elliott et al., 1999). It
is very interesting because the prefrontal area is located at the position
of so-called "the third eye" Before Elliott reported, I had already measured brain activities of a true psychic during guess by fMRI (a collaboration study). At that time we also got an image that the prefrontal area of her brain was activated during guess. However, unfortunately, we must abandon studies because the subject did not like fMRI. Therefore I have studied brain blood flow change by functional near infrared spectroscopy: fNIRS. fNIRS is the newest non-invasive imaging method which is being developed in Japan. fNIRS can measure only cerebral cortex near head skin (depth: 2-3 cm) and its spatial resolution is 2-3 cm. But, its time resolution is 100ms. Moreover, fNIRS is silent and subjects are easy as same as EEG measurements. Therefore NIRS is a suitable method for sensitive subjects such as present study. Current Stage of Research I have tested non-psychic and psychic subjects since 2001. One of results is that brain blood flow of non-psychics often increases spontaneously largely at both tenporal lobes during the guess task (forced choice, clairvoyant conditions). And subjects feel clair formulation of target image at that time. This blood flow change continues for 60-80 sec. And the subject can feel it if he have eough experience. We named these as spontanaeous blood flow change (SBFC) and instantaneous highly activated states of awareness. Also this phenomenon occurs at the pre-frontal area of the brain.
At the first, I considered that SBFC has a relationship to success of guessing. But, now I consider there is no direct relationship. I have measured only a few true psychics yet. However, brain blood flows of star psychics were differenct from ones of non-psychics. The characteristic point of star psychics is the increase of brain blood flow at pre-frontal area. (See a movie of actual data of T004.) I made the instructions based on hearing to psychics and training techniques which were developed in China in 1980's. The important point of the instructions is "Be devoted only to guessing a target during subject execution." However, as results, it had not become the instructions which subjects copy the brain activities of psychics. Even if the task requires subjects to formulate figure images, the process of image formulation is not important, especially for such as the present study. The instructions should be revised. References
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5. Distant Healing for Autistic Patients
| This study was conducted with the international collaboration of Brazil, Chile, Peru, England, and Japan from May 2005. The experiment was performed under double-blinded conditions and included 10 autistic patients from a hospital in southern Brazil, out of which five patients were experimental and the others served as controls. The study included 10 healers from Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Japan, three of which were Japanese healers. Curitiba in Brazil and Japan are located on opposite sides of the earth and the distance between them is the longest on earth. Purpose The effects of distant healing are estimated by the degree of the patients' recovery. Evaluation The evaluation of the patients' disease conditions were done before and after the healing sessions. Evaluations were done using CARS and others. Healing In the healing sessions from November to December in 2005, each two healers conducted distant healing on each patient every five days (i.e., for five patients, 25 days).  Present Stage of Study Preliminary analyses were done. CARS scores decreased after distant healing. However, we found some problems in our study, for example, a medicinal change caused the change of CARS scores of a certain patient possibly. We have discussed plans of new experiments. References
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| In conventional experiments of psychophysiological studies, researchers
analyze the repsonses which occur after stimuli. Recently, the test of
precognition is designed to extend analyzed intervals to pre-stimuli term.
Early study of such new type tests was done by Klintman (1983). In 1990s, Radin (1997) reported precognitive physiological responses using visual stimuli. Usually, subject's electrodermal activity is activated when he sees emotional pictures rather than clam pictures. Radin claimed such difference is also ovserved a few seconds before stimuli. Radin's experiment is called as "presentiment".
There are two possible explanations for presentiment. 1. [Area of consciousness] Conscousness has time-width which center is located at "present". 2. [Retrocausality] Arrow of causality also runs towards the past, not only towards the future. The study of our institute is in the stage of basic research. Responses for stimuli of pictures of International Affective Picture System (IAPS) are different in different cultures. Japanese do not show expected responses. We have seeked good experimental design for Japanese. Reference
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7. Facial Recognition Between Dialectical and Non-dialectical Cultures
| This study was a collaborative reseach with Tokyo University of Science.
It is a conventional study in psychology, but I have applied it to parapcyhological
studies too. Subjects were Japanese, Chinese (non-dialectical culture) and Brazilians (dialectical culture). Target pictures are photos of various vague faces of a Japanese woman. Subjects guess her emotions through her pictures. Brain blood flows of the subjects are measured by fNIRS.   Results, the task was easy relatively for Japanese, but it was difficult for Chinese. Brain blood flow of Chinese subjects increased during the task. Also, the recognition for Japanese emotional faces seems to be very difficult for Brazilians. For example, a Brazilian claimed "These faces are not normal!" and another Brazilian laughed heartily saying "Very strange!!" Moreover, I applied this test to a star psychic (W004). Her brain blood flow increased remarkably at right hemisphere during the facial recognition task. And then, I measured her brain blood flow during psychokinetic tasks (teleportation). Teleportation phenomena were not observed. But I obtained a very interesting result of her brain blood flow change. The changing areas of her brain blood flow were common between the facial recognition task and the psychokinetic task. The reasons are still unknown. References
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| This study is a collaboration with Toho University. Green psychology is
a new concept which we advocate. It is focused on interaction between human
and environment. After a mental stress is given to a subject, we measure psychophysioogical factors as parameters of recovering process after stress during a view of urban environmental movies and natural environmental movies. Also, we have tested electric characters of plants Epipremunum aureum under various stimuli. Stimuli are sounds (music of classic, rock and pops) and humidity chiefly. We have intrest in Backster effect too. In early studies, Backster effect was claimed that the plants could feel human emotions by similar telepathic way. However, at present day, Backster effect is considered as a misunderstanding for plants' responses against the change of humidity or electric fields. In our study, we recognized that plants are sensitive for change of humidity. Moreover, they also can show responses to human's conversation (which is a kind of sound stimuli). Therefore plants seems to read human's consciousness apparently. Existence of the Backster effect cannot be denied theoretically if human's psi affect to other organs. However, further studies on bio-rhythm of plants and effects of lights/humidity/sounds are needed before discussing Backster effect. Reference
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| This is a collaborative study. Subjects are measured during taichi-quan
by EEG, fNIRS, EDA, PPG, salivary chromogranin A as index of psychosomatic
stress response, and pupillogram. The stage of the study is preliminary, but there are some interesting results. For example, the brain blood flow increased at a position of "the third eye" during taichi-quan. It may be a result of concentration of consicousness.
References
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10. Investigation on Brazilian Rituals Using Field RNG
| Brazil is a multi-ethnic nation with various religions, although the Catholic population is in the majority. It includes people from different origins, for example, West Africa, and has indigenous population. Furthermore, the spiritism from France is popular in Brazil. This study was conducted in collaboration with Meiji University, and the University of Dr. Bezerra de Menezes. We measured various religious rituals and group activities using field RNGs from April in 2004. Generally, participants reach altered states of consciousness or have peak experiences at religious rituals or similar group activities. Field RNG experiments measure physical influences of unconscious activities (psychokinesis) using a small RNG device. Analyses of 26 datasets (13 events) including Umbanda and Candomble showed significant anomalies of the output Z2 that occurred frequently and was significant (6 of 26 datasets were significant. p = 0.0015, direct probability, one tail). The results were very complex and very strange more than I considered. There were also significant negative correlations between the Z values of RNG and the measuring time, event time, and distance from the center of the city. I have continued to re-analyze data, but it is difficult to explain data by simple hypotheses. A strange hypthesis is needed.
References
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| This study is a collaboration with the University of Dr. Bezerra de Menezes.
We performed psi-inducive training, which was developed in the 1980s in
China, for Brazilian children. This method is a free-response training in which the targets are letters or figures drawn on a round piece of paper. The training was conducted at Yunnan, Shanghai, and Beijing in China, and many subjects succeeded in developing their psychic abilities. We used alphabets, numbers, and Chinese and Japanese letters as targets for Japanese. However, it is difficult to make targets for Brazilians because of few types of letters. Through trainings, it is considered that the problem of population in the target pool can be resolved by using simple drawings. (See How To Make Targets.) In addition, children showed better answers than the adults.
References
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![Umbanda [Photo by H. Kokubo, 2004]](Umbanda_01.jpg)
