Are There Any Effects Other Than Suggestion in External Qi(<Main Topics>Human PSI Forum "Human Potential Science" International Forum : Physical and Physiological Approach Joint with "Mystery of Mind and Body" International Forum and The Fourteenth Symposium on Life Information Science (International Version) 22-27 August 2002, OVTA, Makuhari, Chiba (near Tokyo), Japan)

Abstract

This is a part of the report on basic pilot experimental researches on external "qi" or "ki", healing and telepathy in the Bio-Emission Laboratory, National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS), in Japan. Qi/ki is a basic concept towards life within oriental philosophy and is a subtle energy. Some qigong masters (sender) cause body movements in others (receivers) or cure diseases without any physical contact. These masters claim that they use qi/ki. However, it is considered that suggestion must be involved. The purpose of these researches is to evaluate whether or not there is something other than suggestion. The authors carried out scientific experiments using double blinded and randomized conditions and statistical analysis. Experiments in Toh-ate: Toh-ate is a Japanese martial arts skill used to attack a person (receiver) who is at a distance of several meters from the attacker (sender). When the sender applies Toh-ate, the receiver steps back rapidly without any physical contact. In the experiment, the sender and a receiver were separated in different rooms. The time difference between the sender's motion of qi-emission and the receiver's recoil response and physiological parameters were measured. The result on a pair of sender and receiver shows 1% statistical significance in the time coincidence. Other pairs show interesting results. Experiment of perception of qi transfer: In this experiment, it was shown that a receiver even in a sensory-shielded state perceived qi sent from a qigong master. The difference in EEG alpha-wave intensity of the receiver is significant between qi sending and non-sending times. Experiment on cultured human cells: It is shown that the number of formed colonies after exposure to X-rays which were healed by external qi was double that of the control. These results show the possibility that there are some other effects than just suggestion.