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We have included a spectrum of reports in our list. The type of report is indicated at the end of each study:
CASE
DISC = discussion
META = meta analysis
MAR = marginal value (to save researchers the trouble of hunting these down)
MAR METHODS = a formal research study with seriously flawed methodology
OBS = Observational report (series of cases)
P = popular article
Q = qualitative study
RES = research
SUR = survey
T
Taylor, Bev. The Effects of Healing Touch on the Coping Ability, Self Esteem and General Health of Undergraduate Nursing Students, Complementary Therapies in Nursing & Midwifery, 2001, 7, 34-42. RES
Healing Touch research summaries of Diane Wardell
This study reported on 51 participants. The data was analyzed on four weeks of sequential data with the participants in the experimental group receiving one Healing Touch treatment per week for four weeks. There was no effect of Healing Touch on the coping ability, self-esteem and general health of first year students, but there were significant effects for the third year students in the experimental group. The qualitative findings showed that all participants in the experimental group found the experience positive and reported feeling relaxed, good, better able to study and think, more open-minded; noticed positive changes in sleeping patterns; and were in less of a hurry. A tentative conclusion was drawn by the author that Healing Touch is effective.
The study used a mixed methodology to investigate the effects of HealingTouch (HT) on the coping ability, self esteem and general health of undergraduate nursing students to: check the veracity of claims made by HT practitioners that the therapy is effective in reducing stress; monitor the effects of HT on participants' scores using instruments which measure coping, self esteem and general health; and compare objective data with subjective accounts relating to coping, self esteem and general health. Quantitative findings showed no effects of HT on the coping ability, self esteem and general health of first year students, but there were some slight effects for the third year students who were in the experimental group. Qualitative findings showed that all participants in the experimental group found the experience positive. However, conclusions may be drawn tentatively that HT is effective while acknowledging that this project's design may have been ineffective in measuring the effects of HT, as the questionnaire may not have tested the actual effects of the therapy, and objective measures may be inadequate for exploring subjective experiences such as HT.
Tedder, W./ Monty, M. Exploration of long-distance PK: a conceptual replication of the influence on a biological system, In: Roll, W.G. et al. (Eds), Research in Parapsychology 1980, Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow 1981. 90-93. RES
Tharnstrom, Christine Ann Louise, The effects of Non-contact Therapeutic Touch on Parasympathetic Nervous System as Evidenced by Superficial Skin Temperature and Perceived Stress (Master’s thesis) San Jose State University, CA 1993. RES
Thomas-Beckett, J. G. Attitudes toward Therapeutic Touch: A pilot study of women with breast cancer. Michigan State University 1991. Q? SURV?
Thompson, Donnalee M.S., A Qualitative Study of Patients' Experiences of Therapeutic Touch, D'youville College 1999. Q
This qualitative phenomenological investigation described 3 individuals' experiences of receiving a series of therapeutic touch treatments. Rogers' (1992) science of unitary human beings and Krieger's (1993) therapeutic touch framework form the basis for the study. Each person was interviewed following a researcher developed semi-structured guide. Content analysis was utilized to analyze the data derived from the interviews. The findings indicated that exposure to media and experiencing illness related symptoms were the two major reasons why participants decided to have therapeutic touch treatments. Participants described a sense of enhanced wellbeing and a decrease in symptoms since their first therapeutic touch treatment. The results of this study correlated to the literature regarding the theoretical frameworks. There is a relationship to some of the experiences of therapeutic touch documented in the literature.
Thornton, Lucia Marie, Effects of Energetic Healing on Female Nursing Students (Master’s thesis), Fresno: California State University 1991. RES
Tiller, WA/ Dibble, WE, Jr/ Krebs, CT. Instrumental Response to Advanced Kinesiology Treatments in a “Conditioned” Space, Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine, 2002, 13(2), 91-108. RES MAR
Research shows that intention can create a healing space
ABSTRACT: A “conditioned” laboratory is like a “sacred” space in that it manifests a higher electromagnetic gauge symmetry state than a normal environment. To test whether or not such a laboratory is also a very sensitive detector of subtle energies, we performed advanced kinesiological treatments on three subjects with fairly difficult health challenges, within the confines of such a laboratory that was multiply Instrumented to remotely monitor energy exchanges that might occur. Highly treatment-correlated, large amplitude signature, multiple perturbation responses simultaneously appeared in the data streams from five of these instrument stations. Such a “conditioned” laboratory is definitely a sensitive detector of subtle energies.
Tilley, James A. A Phenomenology of the Christian Healer's Experience with Faith Healing, Doctoral dissertation, Fuller Theological Seminary, School of Psychology 1989. Q
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Turner, JG/ Clark, AJ/ Guathier, DK/ Williams, M. The effect of therapeutic touch on pain and anxiety in burn patients, Journal of Advanced Nursing, 1998, 28(1), 10-20. RES
The purpose of this single-blinded randomized clinical trial was to determine whether therapeutic touch (TT) versus sham TT could produce greater pain relief as an adjunct to narcotic analgesia, a greater reduction in anxiety, and alterations in plasma T-Iymphocyte concentrations among burn patients. Therapeutic touch is an intervention in which human energies are therapeutically manipulated, a practice conceptually supported by Rogers' (1970) theory of unitary human beings. Data were collected at a university burn centre in the south-eastern United States. The subjects were 99 men and women between the ages of 15 and 68 hospitalized for severe burns, and they received either TT or sham TT once a day for 5 days. Baseline data were collected on day 1, data were collected before and after treatment on day 3, and post-intervention data were collected on day 6. Instruments included the McGill Pain Questionnaire, Visual Analogue Scales for Pain, Anxiety and Satisfaction with Therapy, and an Effectiveness of Therapy Form. Blood was drawn on days 1 and 6 for lymphocyte subset analysis. Medication usage for pain in mean morphine equivalents, and mean doses per day of sleep, anxiety and antidepressant medications were recorded. Subjects who received TT reported significantly greater reduction in pain on the McGill Pain Questionnaire Pain Rating Index and Number' of Words Chosen and greater reduction in anxiety on the Visual Analogue Scale for Anxiety than did those who received sham TT. Lymphocyte subset analyses on blood from 11 subjects showed a decreasing total.
The purpose of this single-blinded randomized clinical trial was to determine whether therapeutic touch (TT) versus sham TT could produce greater pain relief as an adjunct to narcotic analgesia, a greater reduction in anxiety, and alterations in plasma T-lymphocyte concentrations among burn patients. Therapeutic touch is an intervention in which human energies are therapeutically manipulated, a practice conceptually supported by Rogers’ (1970) theory of unitary human beings. Data were collected at a university burn centre in the south-eastern United States. The subjects were 99 men and women between the ages of 15 and 68 hospitalized for severe burns, and they received either TT or sham TT once a day for 5 days. Baseline data were collected on day 1, data were collected before and after treatment on day 3, and post-intervention data were collected on day 6. Instruments included the McGill Pain questionnaire, Visual Analogue Scales for Pain, Anxiety and Satisfaction with Therapy, and an Effectiveness of Therapy Form. Blood was drawn on days 1 and 6 for lymphocyte subset analysis. Medication usage for pain in mean morphine equivalents and mean doses per day of sleep, anxiety and antidepressant medications were recorded. Subjects who received TT reported significantly greater reduction in pain on the McGill Pain Questionnaire Pain Rating Index and Number of Words Chosen and greater reduction in anxiety on the visual Analogue Scale for Anxiety than did those who received sham TT. Lymphocyte subset analyses on blood from 11 subjects showed a decreasing total CD6 and lymphocyte concentration for the TT group. There was no statistically significant difference between groups on medication usage.
V
Vaghelaa, C/ Robinson, N/ Gorec, J/ Peacea, B/ Lorencb, A. Evaluating healing for cancer in a community setting from the perspective of clients and healers: A pilot study, Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 2007, 13, 240249 RES
Summary The real-life practice of healing for cancer in the community as perceived by clients and healers was investigated in a multi-method pilot study. Fifteen clients received six weekly healing sessions. Pre- and post-changes in perception towards well-being and client experience were assessed by EuroQol (EQ-5D), measure yourself concerns and well-being (MYCaW) and a client satisfaction tool. Qualitative methods, including focus groups, explored the perceived effects of healing in more depth and the participants¹ experience of taking part in research. The study was not designed to test the effect of healing on disease. Quantitative data showed perceived significant improvements in concerns/ problems for which clients wanted help (p < 0.01), well-being (p < 0.01) and anxiety/depression (p < 0.05) over the course of healing. Significant effects were not seen in all areas of quality of life. Qualitative analysis showed clients mainly sought help for psychological and emotional concerns and reported only beneficial effects of healing. Clients attributed many of the quantitative improvements to healing itself. Despite some concerns, healers and clients engaged fully with the research process, and were enthusiastic about the importance of research into healing. Our study suggests that, while there are some confounding issues and study limitations to address, clients and healers perceive healing to have a range of benefits, particularly in terms of coping with cancer, and regard it as a useful approach that can be applied in a community setting alongside conventional medicine.
Van Aken, R. Emerging from depression: The experiential process of Healing Touch, Paper presented at the 7th Annual Healing Touch International Conference, Colorado Springs, January 2003. (Data based). QAL
Healing Touch research summaries of Diane Wardell
The study provides information about the experience of 17 participants with moderate depression in addition to providing a middle range theory about the process. The grounded theory analysis has uncovered the basic psychosocial problem, the states of the process of emergence from depression and the strategies used within that process. The study aimed to explore and analyze the experiential process of Healing Touch for people with moderate depression. It showed the integral aspects of care and the benefits of using Healing Touch from multiple perspectives.
Van Dragt, Ryan, Paranormal healing: a phenomenology of the healer's experience, Vols. I & II. Doctoral dissertation, Fuller Theological Seminary, School of Psychology 1980. Q
Van Wijk R/ Van Wijk EP. The search for a biosensor as a witness of a human laying on of hands ritual, Altern Ther Health Med., 2003, 9(2),48-55. RES METH
Faculty of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
“Intentional healing by laying on of hands is a popular complementary therapy. Previous studies of this therapy have been focused on the influence of laying on of hands with focused intention on the patient or on a biological model that took the place of the patient.
OBJECTIVE: Exploring the line of thinking that the consciousness-mediated act of healing during ahealer-patient ritual changes a consciousness field that could be detected in another living non-human organism that was present only as a witness and was not the objectof any directed intention.
DESIGN: A comparison of a biosensor's behavior during healer-patient ritual treatments that were alternated by non-healing periods.
SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: An automatic device for measurement of ultra-weak emission of photons from algae was placed at the location of a healer during a series of experiments consisting of 36 healing sessions with human patients. Neither healer nor patients were aware of the type of measurements that took place.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The number and periodicity of photon counts.
RESULTS: Primary data analysis showed that the photon count distributionsshow some remarkable alterations during the ritual of healer-patient sessions. The data further suggest that during healing a shift in cyclical components of photon emission occurs.
CONCLUSIONS: The significance of the experiment lies in the possibility to enter the discussion on a quantitative basis with respectto the relevance of the patient-healer relationship in intentional healing.”
Vandenburg, Paula. The experience of receiving therapeutic touch in clients with osteoarthritis of the knee. M.S.N. dissertation, Medical College of Ohio, United States, MA 2005, 144/01, p. 318, Feb 2006DISC
The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the experience of receiving IT in clients with osteoarthritis of the knee. The clients experienced helicy in their energy field and they expressed it as physically decreasing the perception of pain, improving quality of sleep, being relaxed, improving attitudes, and promoting the perception of peacefulness as well as increased energy. The clients expressed this as demonstrated by the many statements quoted in this study.
Vaughan, S. The gentle touch. Journal of Clinical Nursing 1995, 4, 359-368.
Abstract: This research study, which, because of its small numbers should be regarded as more of a pilot study, investigated the effect that therapeutic touch may have on measurable physical signs of the subjects involved. It also looked at any change this complementary therapy may have made in health perception immediately following the experiment and 1 week later. The design is modelled on that of Quinn (1984).
Vekaria, Manish. spectral Characterization of Biophoton Emissions with Intentionality, California Institute for Human Science , Encinitas, Calfornia; Society for Scientific Exploration, 20th Annual Meeting, June 7-9, 2001
We repeated the experiments on the characterization of biophoton emissions of the hand and found similar results as seen by other groups. Previously at our Institute, we showed that biophoton emissions from the human hand could drastically be increased with the help of crystals and intention. This time, we decided to check the spectral distribution of biophoton emissions with the intention of increasing light from the hand . We found very interesting spectral characteristics using different bandpass filters ranging from 340nm to 600 nm. After taking baseline measurements (no intentionality), subjects were asked to increase the light emitted from the hand using intention. Detailed descriptions were taken from each participant about the method they used for the intention mode. During the intention mode, we found that there is a characteristic shift in biophoton emissions, comparing it to the basic characteristic pattern of normal mode. We observed that biophoton emmisions vary among different individuals during the intention mode. When asked to increase biophoton emissions, some subjects’ biophoton emissions increased and for others, it decreased. However, in all cases we discovered a shift towards higher (u.v.) frequencies when subjects tried to increase biophoton emissions. More experiments are currently planned to better understand the effect of intentionality on biophoton emissions.
Ventegodt, S/ Morad, M/ Merrick, J. Clinical holistic medicine: classic art of healing or the therapeutic touch, ScientificWorldJournal, 2004, 4(4), 134-47. MAR
Touching is often a forgotten part of medicine. The manual medicine or therapeutic touch (TT) is much more powerful than many modern, biomedically oriented physicians think. Pain and discomfort can be alleviated just by touching the sick area and in this way help the patient to be in better contact with the tissue and organs of their body. Lack of presence in the body seems to be connected with many symptoms that can be readily reversed simply by sensitive touch. When touch is combined with therapeutic work on mind and feelings, holistic healing seems to be facilitated and many problems can be solved in a direct and easy way in the clinic without drugs. This paper gives examples of the strength of manual medicine or therapeutic touch in its most simple form, and points to the power of physical contact between physician and his patient in the context of the theory and practice of holistic healing. Intimacy seems highly beneficial for the process of healing and it is very important to distinguish clearly between intimacy and sexuality for the physician and his patent to be able to give and receive touch without fear and without holding back emotionally.
Verret, P. Healing Touch as a relaxation intervention in children with spasticity,Healing Touch Newsletter 2000, 0(3), 6-7. (Data based). RES?
Healing Touch research summaries of Diane Wardell
The purpose of this study was to implement an intervention that was intended to promote relaxation in children with spasticity, and to describe the effects of the intervention on gross motor functioning. Three 6 to 7-year-old elementary students diagnosed with mild to moderate spasticity in at least one of the lower limbs were included. For Case Study 1, change was evident in weight gain of 2 pounds, increased range of motion, decreased muscle tone, and improvement in three gross motor skill subcategories. For Case Study 2, change was apparent in weight gain of 2.5 pounds, increased range of motion, and improvement in three skill subcategories. Case Study 3 demonstrated behavioral change with an increased range of motion and enrichment in one motor skill subcategory. The mothers' comments included: a more relaxed, cooperative, calm child; tremors in forearms and hands dissipated; more light-hearted, open, tolerant, less impulsive; more coordinated movements; eating and sleeping better; and more task-oriented.