People often ask if energy healing depends on the belief of the client. The placebo effect is real, and while we can harness it by working through feelings and beliefs that may undermine the healing process - when I worked in consumer healthcare, research was expected to outperform the placebo.
This is why I was happy to find a book called Vibrational Medicine, by Dr Richard Gerber. It goes through research done in labs and clinical settings. The book is a brick: 500 pages and almost too technical, but worth reading as an energy healer.
Below you will find highlights from Chapter 8 on Psychic Healing. Please note, Energy Healing is complementary to medical care, not alternative. The terms energy healing and psychic healing are used interchangeably in this post.
Vibrational Medicine, by Richard Gerber M.D.
Dr Richard Gerber was a surgeon and this book looks at how medical care and vibrational healing can work together. The author explores the Aura and Chakras from technical and physiological points of view.
For example, the book looks at how energy flows from the Aura to the physical body through the meridian system, while presenting research done tracing the movement of fluids injected at acupuncture sites. This was helpful for me because the hand positions used in Reiki coincide with the meridians. It gave me an understanding of how Reiki energy flows to the body's organs and tissues.
Vibrational Medicine covers research from the 1800's until its publication in the 1980's. The studies mentioned below were carried out at universities in the US & Canada.
A Quick Note on Research
There are different types of studies, some used early in the scientific process to explore the potential for new lines of research. I am not a scientist, but based on my time in consumer healthcare, my understanding is that early stages of research further our understanding of anatomy, physiology and how biological processes interact (among other things).
These exploratory stages are often in vitro (petri dishes). They give us an understanding of how organisms function and if a new idea might have success. If it shows promise, that line of research can move out of the relatively inexpensive petri dish to more complex studies.
Dr Gerber's book is fascinating. It goes through research done on cell division, detailing how electric impulses are involved in a range of biological processes, before discussing separate lab studies where psychic healing was seen to have a similar effect to magnetic waves. It also presents tests on animals that indicate the presence of an energetic template around the body.
Taking Belief Out of the Equation:
1) In one experiment researchers performed surgery on mice and measured their surgical wounds afterwards. One group of mice received psychic healing, one group a placebo (warmth to simulate the healer's hands) and a third control group. The mice that received psychic healing recovered before the others with the difference being statistically significant. Dr Gerber then explores laboratory studies on the effect that psychic healing has on cell enzymes as a potential explanation for this.
2) This one I struggled with because thyroid tumours were induced in mice. Three groups of mice were exposed either to psychic healing, placebo or control. Delayed tumour growth was seen in the group of mice that received psychic healing. It didn't make their tumours disappear however, and Dr Gerber highlights the fact that psychic healing is complementary to medical care, not alternative. The results are said to be statistically significant, but the book doesn't go into the details.
>>> Despite these findings, the researchers were unable to detect a magnetic field emanating from the Healer's hands. The studies mentioned were carried out by Dr Grad at McGill University and Dr Justa Smith at Rosemary Hill College. The same healer participated in both studies, which brings up my next question ...
Both of the above mentioned studies involved the same person giving psychic healing. Based on my own experience, a person's health, stress levels, meditation practice and diet influence their ability to channel healing. To create a controlled study on a large scale, I wonder if participating Energy Healers would need similar backgrounds and lifestyles? As well as apply the same techniques, there are variations of energy healing, etc
3) The study that I found most intriguing reported increased haemoglobin levels in human patients who received energy healing from nurses. As far as I understand, haemoglobin relates to the amount of oxygen that is available to our cells, which in turn relates to how energized or tired we feel. This got me thinking about my experience as a complementary therapist with cancer patients; one of the feedbacks I receive most often is their feeling less tired after an energy healing session. I had attributed it to relaxing, letting go of stress or sleeping soundly. The haemoglobin study was carried out by Dr Dolores Krieger, who at the time, was a professor of nursing at New York University.
If you are an energy healer I would recommend reading Vibrational Medicine by Dr Richard Gerber. It also covers spiritual themes such as the Higher Self and how that part of our being relates to the outer layers of the Aura and the upper Chakras. It begins with loads of data, and goes deep into spirituality towards the end. It is not an easy book to read because of the level of detail, but I’m glad to have found it.
Energy healing is complementary to medical care, not alternative. We can support those we love in many ways; energy healing is one of them (see here).