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DISTANT HEALING: Intentionality and Brain Function in Recipients using fMRI Analysis

DISTANT HEALING: Intentionality and Brain Function in Recipients using fMRI Analysis Jeanne Achterberg, PhD. The Marriage of Science and Spirituality.

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DISTANT HEALING: Intentionality and Brain Function in Recipients using fMRI Analysis

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  1. DISTANT HEALING: Intentionality and Brain Function in Recipients using fMRI Analysis Jeanne Achterberg, PhD

  2. 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

  3. Consciousness and HealingHigh Tech Evidence • Mind/body/spirit Connections • Human Interconnections of Consciousness

  4. Consciousness and HealingHigh Tech Evidence • Mind/body/spirit Connections • Human Interconnections of Consciousness

  5. 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

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

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

  8. 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)

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

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

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

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

  13. 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

  14. 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

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

  16. Scanner at North Hawaii Community Hospital

  17. “Raw Data” fMRI Scans #00

  18. Qi Gong Anterior Cingulate Cortex #00

  19. Healing Touch Posterior Cingulate Cortex #10

  20. Vibrational Sound Healing Left Temporal Lobe and Left Cerebellum #30

  21. Traditional Hawaiian Healer (Kahuna) Cerebellum #40

  22. Traditional Hawaiian Healer (Kahuna) Hippocampus #40

  23. Psychic Healer Hippocampus #50

  24. Psychic Healer Lingual Gyrus, Cerebellum #50

  25. Prayer & Energy Healer Neck Muscles (Inverse) #60

  26. Prayer & Energy Healer Right Inferior Frontal #60

  27. Prayer & Energy Healer Cerebellum #60

  28. Reiki Thalamus #70

  29. Reiki Anterior Cingulate Cortex #70

  30. Reiki Olfactory Area #70

  31. Reiki Occipital cortex #70

  32. Reiki Surface Image #70

  33. Peruvian / Brazilian Healing Cerebellum #80

  34. Peruvian / Brazilian Healing Superior Frontal #80

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

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

  37. Group Activation Group activation in the precuneus and cingulate area

  38. Group activation in the anterior cingulate and frontal regions

  39. Qi Gong -- Master Teacher #00

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

  41. 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?

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