Experimental evidence of stable water nanostructures in extremely dilute solutions, at standard pressure and temperature

Ultra-diluted/dynamized doxorubicin reduces the toxicity caused by doxorubicin during the in vitro culture of pig preantral follicles enclosed in ovarian tissue

The present study investigated the effect of adding allopathic doxorubicin (DOX 0.3 µg/mL), the vehicle of ultradiluted/dynamized doxorubicin (0.2 % ethanol), different dynamizations of ultradiluted/dynamized doxorubicin (DOX 6CH, DOX 12CH and DOX 30CH), both in the absence or presence of chemical stress induced by doxorubicin at 0.3 µg/mL on follicular survival and activation, antioxidant capacity of the medium, Catalase activity (CAT), production of reactive protein thiol, maintenance of type I and III collagen fibers and accumulation of lipofuscin in porcine ovarian tissue cultured in vitro for 48 hours. To do this, part of the ovarian tissue fragments was fixed for the uncultured control and the rest were cultured in: MEM (cultured control), DOX 0.3 µg/mL, Ethanol, DOX 6CH, DOX 12CH, DOX 30CH, DOX (0.3 µg/mL) + DOX 6CH, DOX (0.3 µg/mL) + DOX 12CH, DOX (0.3 µg/mL) + DOX 30CH treatments. The results showed that, in general, ultradiluted/dynamized doxorubicin (DOX 6CH, DOX 12CH and DOX 30CH) mitigated the toxic effect of allopathic doxorubicin (0.3 µg/mL) on the morphology of preantral follicles, the content of type I and III collagen fibers, and the production of lipofuscin in the tissue. However, only DOX (0.3 µg/mL) + DOX 6CH attenuated the oxidative stress induced by DOX (0.3 µg/mL), maintaining adequate CAT activity that was similar to the uncultured control. Additionally, when the three isolated ultradiluted/dynamized doxorubicin were considered, only DOX 12CH increased the reduced thiol levels compared to the uncultured control and MEM. In conclusion, supplementing the culture medium with ultradiluted/dynamized DOX (DOX 6CH, DOX 12CH and DOX 30CH) attenuated the toxicity induced by allopathic doxorubicin during the in vitro culture of pig preantral follicles enclosed in ovarian tissue.

Characterisation of Aqueous Ultra-high Homeopathic Potencies: Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

 Over the past decade, research using various methods has claimed the material nature, including nanoparticles (NPs), of high homeopathic potencies. The current study aims to verify these findings using NP tracking analysis (NTA).

METHODS

 Six independent serial dilutions of commonly used homeopathic medicines-either soluble (Gelsemium, Pyrogenium, Kalium mur) or insoluble (Cuprum, Argentum, Silicea)-were prepared according to European Pharmacopoeia standards. We compared the homeopathic dynamisations (DYNs) in pure water with their potentised controls and with simple dilutions (DIL) up to 30cH/10-60. We also tested the influence of the container (glass or PET) on the solvent controls.

RESULTS

 We observed the presence of particles from 20 to 300-400 nm in all DYNs, DILs and controls, except in pure unstirred water. The sizes and size distributions of NPs in high homeopathic potencies were smaller than those in controls for soluble sources and larger for insoluble sources, even above 11cH. The opposite behaviour was observed in the number of NPs. When comparing DYN and DIL, the number, size, presence of aggregates or chains and brightness of NPs increased with DYNs, which was also observed above 11cH. Many NPs scattered light of low intensity, indicating the presence of material particles. The container had a significant effect on the number and size of NPs, indicating the involvement of the atmosphere and leaching processes.

CONCLUSION

 Homeopathic medicines contain NPs with specific properties, even when diluted beyond Avogadro's number. Homeopathic potentisation is not a simple dilution. The starting material, the solvent used, the type of container and the manufacturing method influence the characteristics of these NPs. The nature of these NPs is not known, but most likely they are a mixture of nanobubbles and elements from the atmosphere and container, including insoluble ones.

Biological Medicines Prepared Using Vibration Processing Are Able to Influence Their Targets Without Direct Contact With Them

Recently, there has been a radical change in understanding of the nature of drugs based on highly diluted solutions. It has been established that their activity does not depend on the content of the original substance in dilutions, but is a consequence of the technological processing (TP) of dilutions with vibration, which accompanies each dilution during the preparation of solutions and, among others, leads to the formation of nanoparticles with certain properties. Repeated vibration treatment leads to the appearance of modifying activity that is absent in the original substance, and these effects of TP solutions can be exerted without direct contact with their targets, which clearly indicates the physical nature of the TP solution's activity. In the framework of this article, a statistically significant effect of TP antibodies to the insulin receptor on glucose consumption by CHO cells both with and without contact exposure, as compared with control (P < 0.05) was shown in the vast majority of the experiments. The obtained results shed light on a possible source of activity of drugs based on TP antibodies, which should be associated with the applied vibration effect and can manifest itself both with contact exposure and without it.

Molecular Signal Transfer of Highly Diluted Antibodies to Interferon-Gamma Regarding Kind, Time, and Distance of Exposition

Physicochemical examinations of very high dilution (UHD) solutions subjected to certain physical factors (such as shaking) are becoming more frequent and are increasingly producing conclusive results. A much less studied phenomenon is the transfer of molecular information (i.e., UHD signals of dilute substances) from one liquid to another without an intermediate liquid phase. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of such a transfer of the UHD signal from the UHD solutions to the receiver solution, in particular, if the molecular source used in the donor solutions was the biologically active antibodies to interferon-gamma molecule. We were especially interested in how the transfer of the UHD signal is affected by the time of exposure of the receiver to the donor, the distance between the two, and how the transfer is affected by activation (striking) versus exposure alone. Signal transfer was evaluated by differential measurements of electrical conductivity, ORP, pH, and UV/VIS spectroscopy of the exposed liquid. The results showed that activation strongly influences signal transfer and that this can be compensated to some extent by prolonged direct exposure. In principle, exposure time has a positive effect on signal transfer. Interestingly, the results of different distances between the donor and receiver showed similar changes in the parameters in the range of 0-4 cm, as estimated in this study. While the study mainly confirms the two hypotheses, it also raises a number of new questions and provides clues for further research.

Water as a sensor of weak impacts on biological systems

A characteristic feature of weak impacts is the non-monotonic response of living organisms and model biological systems to monotonically decreasing impacts. The qualitative similarity of the effects caused by the different acting factors makes one think about the common cause of the observed effects, which is water. A comprehensive analysis of the actual composition of water indicates that water under normal conditions is a multicomponent open non-equilibrium system. Nanobubbles that are always present in water play a significant role in the properties of dilute aqueous solutions. When collapsed, they can produce active oxygen and nitrogen species that have a strong effect on biological systems. Significant non-monotonic changes in electrical conductivity found in a series of sequentially diluted solutions subjected to vigorous shaking after each dilution convincingly demonstrate the presence of chemical changes in the composition of aqueous solutions explained by mechanochemical processes. Similar changes were observed in water samples prepared in the same manner with vigorous shaking and dilution without the addition of any chemical compounds. The long-term evolution of the conductivity of such solutions depends on the chemical structure of the solutes.

Physicochemical Study of the Molecular Signal Transfer of Ultra-High Diluted Antibodies to Interferon-Gamma

Physicochemical investigations of (UHD) solutions subjected to certain physical factors (like shaking) are becoming more frequent and increasingly yielding convincing results. A much less studied phenomenon is the transfer of molecular information (UHD signals) from one fluid to another without an intermediate liquid phase. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility of such a UHD signal transfer from UHD solutions into the receiver fluid, especially when the molecular source used in solutions was a biologically active molecule of antibodies to interferon-gamma. We used physicochemical measurements and UV spectroscopy for this purpose. The results of this large pilot study confirm the possibility of such a transfer and a rough similarity to the original UHD signal donors, the weaker signal detection relative to the original donor fluids, and that exposure time improves the effect.

Ion mobility mass spectrometry with surface activated chemical ionisation as a method for studying the domain of water clusters

Water holds great relevance in various biological and biochemical systems. Water behaves as an excellent solvent, a reactant, a product and a catalyst of the reaction. The organisation of the water molecules, synergised by hydrogen bonds, builds up the structure of the water clusters. These water clusters significantly influence biological functions. To study the domain of water clusters using Ion mobility mass spectrometry with surface activated chemical ionisation. The experimental analysis was aimed to determine the water behaviour in terms of cluster formation before and after the application of a physical effect, namely low-frequency irradiation. A sanist platform-based spectrometer, manufactured by ISB srl with SACI version for protein analysis, was used as the equipment. Furthermore, for samples, we used pure de-ionised water, a part of which was used virgin, and another part was irradiated. Ion-mobility mass spectrometry (IM-MS) procedure was adopted as the experimental method. An electromagnetic frequency fields generator was used to subject the test samples to electromagnetic radiations between 7 Hz to 80 Hz. The presence of neutral water species was confirmed in the water samples. For the same m/z, water ion clusters in the untreated water were found to have a much higher intensity than the electromagnetically treated water. The presence of a water cluster near the (M+H)⁺ in electromagnetically treated dilute arginine solution was also confirmed. It is possible to detect water ion clusters by using Ion mobility mass spectrometry and SACI with low surface potential (47 V). The water cluster formation and its characteristics were found to be different in the treated and non-treated water. The electromagnetic radiations of low frequency seem to affect the hydrogen bonds of the water molecules.

The Electrostatic Model of Homeopathy: The Mechanism of Physicochemical Activities of Homeopathic Medicines

This paper attempts to propose a model, called the electrostatic model of homeopathy, to explain a mechanism for the physicochemical activities of highly diluted homeopathic medicines (HMs). According to this proposed model, the source of HMs' action is dipole orientations as electrostatic imprints of the original molecules carried by diluent molecules (such as sugar molecules) or potentization-induced aqueous nanostructures. The nanoscale domains' contact charging and dielectric hysteresis play critical roles in the aqueous nanostructures' or sugar molecules' acquisition of the original molecules' dipole orientations. The mechanical stress induced by dynamization (vigorous agitation or trituration) is a crucial factor that facilitates these phenomena. After dynamization is completed, the transferred charges revert to their previous positions but, due to dielectric hysteresis, they leave a remnant polarization on the aqueous nanostructures or sugar molecules' nanoscale domains. This causes some nanoscale domains of the aqueous nanostructures or sugar molecules to obtain the original substance molecules' dipole orientations. A highly diluted HM may have no molecule of the original substance, but the aqueous nanostructures or sugar molecules may contain the original substance's dipole orientations. Therefore, HMs can precisely aim at the biological targets of the original substance molecules and electrostatically interact with them as mild stimuli.

Impact of ethanol and heat stress-dependent effect of ultra-diluted Arnica montana 6 cH on in vitro embryo production in cattle

This study evaluated the effect of adding ultra-diluted and dynamized Arnica montana 6 cH, and its vehicle (0.3% ethanol) to the in vitro maturation (IVM) medium, in the absence (experiment 1) or presence (experiment 2) of heat stress (HS), on bovine oocyte maturation and in vitro embryo production (IVEP). In experiment 1 (n = 902 cumulus oocyte complexes, COCs), the treatments were 1) IVM medium (Control treatment), 2) IVM medium + 0.3% ethanol, and 3) IVM medium + Arnica montana 6 cH. In experiment 2 (n = 1064 COCs), the treatments were 1) IVM medium without HS, 2) IVM medium under HS, 3) IVM medium + ethanol under HS, and 4) IVM medium + Arnica montana under HS. In the absence of HS (experiment 1), the addition of Arnica montana to the IVM medium had a deleterious effect on the IVEP (cleavage and blastocyst rates) and the total cell number/blastocysts. On the other hand, ethanol (0.3%) increased IVEP in relation to the Control and Arnica montana treatments. However, in the presence of HS during IVM (experiment 2), the addition of ethanol or Arnica montana increased IVEP when compared to the HS treatment alone, and the Arnica montana treatment resulted in greater total cell number/blastocysts compared to the other treatments. In conclusion, this study showed for the first time that the negative or positive effect of Arnica montana 6 cH on IVEP depends on the culture condition (i.e., absence or presence of HS during IVM). On the other hand, ethanol showed beneficial and consistent results on IVEP regardless of exposure to HS.

Physicochemical Investigations of Homeopathic Preparations: A Systematic Review and Bibliometric Analysis-Part 3

Objectives: In parts I and II of our review of physicochemical research performed on homeopathic preparations, we identified relevant publications and analyzed the data in terms of individual experiments, looking for the most promising techniques that were used in the past. In this third part, we analyze the results of the experiments seeking to extract information about the possible modes of action underpinning homeopathic preparations. Methods: We summarized the results from the 11 experimental areas previously introduced, extracting the general findings and trends. We also summarized the results in terms of specific research topics: aging, medium used for potentization, sample volume, temperature, material of potentization vessel, and, finally, the use of molecules to probe homeopathic samples. Results: We identified a number of effects that appear consistently throughout the data: Differences to controls seem to increase with: time, moderate temperature, small samples volume, and in ionic medium, whereas high temperatures seem to abolish differences to controls. Based on the present analysis, there is no consistent evidence to date for the nanoparticle hypothesis to explain specific homeopathic treatment effects. However, the quantum coherence domain hypothesis, the dynamic water cluster hypothesis, and the weak quantum theory are still contenders and need to be further assessed experimentally. Conclusions: The field requires further targeted experimentation to validate past findings reporting differences between homeopathic dilutions and controls, and to expand these findings by specifically testing the three main working hypotheses that are currently at hand.

"Memory of water" experiments explained with no role assigned to water: Pattern expectation after classical conditioning of the experimenter

The "memory of water" experiments suggested the existence of molecular-like effects without molecules. Although no convincing evidence of modifications of water - specific of biologically-active molecules - has been reported up to now, consistent changes of biological systems were nevertheless recorded. We propose an alternate explanation based on classical conditioning of the experimenter. Using a probabilistic model, we describe not only the biological system, but also the experimenter engaged in an elementary dose-response experiment. We assume that during conventional experiments involving genuine biologically-active molecules, the experimenter is involuntarily conditioned to expect a pattern, namely a relationship between descriptions (or "labels") of experimental conditions and corresponding biological system states. The model predicts that the conditioned experimenter could continue to record the learned pattern even in the absence of the initial cause, namely the biologically-active molecules. The phenomenon is self-sustained because the observation of the expected pattern reinforces the initial conditioning. A necessary requirement is the use of a system submitted to random fluctuations with autocorrelated successive states (no forced return to the initial position). The relationship recorded by the conditioned experimenter is, however, not causal in this model because blind experiments with an "outside" supervisor lead to a loss of correlations (i.e., system states randomly associated to "labels"). In conclusion, this psychophysical model allows explaining the results of "memory of water" experiments without referring to water or another local cause. It could be extended to other scientific fields in biology, medicine and psychology when suspecting an experimenter effect.

Physicochemical Investigations of Homeopathic Preparations: A Systematic Review and Bibliometric Analysis-Part 2

Objectives: In Part 1 of the review of physicochemical research performed on homeopathic preparations the authors identified relevant publications of sufficient reporting quality for further in-depth analysis. In this article, the authors analyze these publications to identify any empirical evidence for specific physicochemical properties of homeopathic preparations and to identify most promising experimental techniques for future studies. Methods: After an update of the literature search up to 2018, the authors analyzed all publications in terms of individual experiments. They extracted information regarding methodological criteria such as blinding, randomization, statistics, controls, sample preparation, and replications, as well as regarding experimental design and measurement methods applied. Scores were developed to identify experimental techniques with most reliable outcomes. Results: The publications analyzed described 203 experiments. Less than 25% used blinding and/or randomization, and about one third used adequate controls to identify specific effects of homeopathic preparations. The most promising techniques used so far are nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation, optical spectroscopy, and electrical impedance measurements. In these three areas, several sets of replicated high-quality experiments provide evidence for specific physicochemical properties of homeopathic preparations. Conclusions: The authors uncovered a number of promising experimental techniques that warrant replication to assess the reported physicochemical properties of homeopathic preparations compared with controls. They further discuss a range of experimental aspects that highlight the many factors that need to be taken into consideration when performing basic research into homeopathic potentization. For future experiments, the authors generally recommend using succussed (vigorously shaken) controls, or comparing different homeopathic preparations with each other to reliably identify any specific physicochemical properties.

Experimental neuropharmacology of Gelsemium sempervirens: Recent advances and debated issues

Gelsemium sempervirens L. (Gelsemium) is traditionally used for its anxiolytic-like properties and its action mechanism in laboratory models are under scrutiny. Evidence from rodent models was reported suggesting the existence of a high sensitivity of central nervous system to anxiolytic power of Gelsemium extracts and Homeopathic dilutions. In vitro investigation of extremely low doses of this plant extract showed a modulation of gene expression of human neurocytes. These studies were criticized in a few commentaries, generated a debate in literature and were followed by further experimental studies from various laboratories. Toxic doses of Gelsemium cause neurological signs characterized by marked weakness and convulsions, while ultra-low doses or high Homeopathic dilutions counteract seizures induced by lithium and pilocarpine, decrease anxiety after stress and increases the anti-stress allopregnanolone hormone, through glycine receptors. Low (non-Homeopathic) doses of this plant or its alkaloids decrease neuropathic pain and c-Fos expression in mice brain and oxidative stress. Due to the complexity of the matter, several aspects deserve interpretation and the main controversial topics, with a focus on the issues of high dilution pharmacology, are discussed and clarified.

Physicochemical Investigations of Homeopathic Preparations: A Systematic Review and Bibliometric Analysis-Part 1

Objectives: The last systematic review of physicochemical research performed on homeopathic preparations was published in 2003. The aim of the study is to update and expand the current state of knowledge in the area of physicochemical properties of homeopathic preparations. In part 1 of the study, we aim to present an overview of the literature with respect to publication quality and methods used. In part 2, we aim to identify the most interesting experimental techniques. With this, we aim to be in a position to generate meaningful hypotheses regarding a possible mode of action of homeopathic preparations.

Methods: A two-step procedure was adopted: (1) an extensive literature search, followed by a bibliometric and quality analysis on the level of publications and (2) a thorough qualitative analysis of the individual physicochemical investigations found. In this publication, we report on step (1). We searched major scientific databases to find publications reporting physicochemical investigations of homeopathy from its origin to the end of 2015. Publications were assessed using a scoring scheme, the Manuscript Information Score (MIS). Information regarding country of origin of the research and experimental techniques used was extracted.

Results: We identified 183 publications (compared to 44 in the last review), 122 of which had an MIS ≥5. The rate of publication in the field was ∼2 per year from the 1970s until 2000. Afterward, it increased to over 5.5 publications per year. The quality of publications was seen to increase sharply from 2000 onward, whereas before 2000, only 12 (13%) publications were rated as “high quality” (MIS ≥7.5); 44 (48%) publications were rated as “high quality” from 2000 onward. Countries with most publications were Germany (n = 42, 23%), France (n = 29, 16%), India (n = 27, 15%), and Italy (n = 26, 14%). Techniques most frequently used were electrical impedance (26%), analytical methods (20%), spectroscopy (20%), and nuclear magnetic resonance (19%).

Conclusions: Physicochemical research into homeopathic preparations is increasing both in terms of quantity and quality of the publications.

Could the study of cavitation luminescence be useful in high dilution research?

Cavitation in agitated liquids has been discussed for over five decades as a phenomenon that could play a role in the appearance of structural changes in the solvent of potentised dilutions. However, its lack of specificity as well as the absence of experimental confirmation have so far confined the idea to theory. The light emission associated with cavitational bubble collapse can be used to detect and study cavitation in fluids. The phenomenon has been extensively studied when driven by ultrasound, where it is called sonoluminescence. Sonoluminescence spectra reflect extremely high temperature and pressure in the collapsing bubbles and are parameter sensitive. This article tries to examine whether, despite objections and difficulties, the detection or the study of cavitational luminescence in solutions during potentisation could be useful as a physical tool in high dilution research.

Number of succussion strokes affects effectiveness of ultra-high-diluted arsenic on in vitro wheat germination and polycrystalline structures obtained by droplet evaporation method

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study is to investigate whether the number of succussion strokes applied after each dilution step when preparing the homeopathic treatments influences the effectiveness of ultra-high-diluted (UHD) arsenic trioxide at the 45th decimal dilution/dynamization (As₂O₃ 45x).

DESIGN

Wheat seeds, previously stressed with ponderal As₂O₃, were treated with: As₂O₃ 45x, H₂O 45x (dynamized control), or pure water (negative control). The succussion was done manually, and various succussion durations (numbers of strokes) were tested for each treatment. Treatment effectiveness was tested blind using the in vitro germination test and the droplet evaporation method (DEM). Data were processed by the Poisson test (germination test) and by two-way analysis of variance (DEM).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

We evaluated both the in vitro germination rate, by counting the non-germinated seeds, and the complexity of polycrystalline structures (PCS) (local connected fractal dimension (LCFD)) obtained by evaporating leakage droplets from stressed seeds that had been watered with the different treatments.

RESULTS

We observed a highly significant increase in germination rate when the number of strokes (N_S) was ≥32 for both As₂O₃ 45x and H₂O 45x, and a significant increase in the LCFD of PCS for As₂O₃ 45x when the N_S was ≥32 and for H₂O 45x when it was 70.

CONCLUSIONS

Both experimental approaches showed increased effectiveness for treatments prepared with a higher number of succussion strokes. These results indicate that succussion may have an important influence on treatment effectiveness, and so highlight the need for further research.

Evaluating the anticancer activity and nanoparticulate nature of homeopathic preparations of Terminalia chebula

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among women and is the second leading cause of cancer death. Homeopathic medicines are part of the alternative medicines that are given as a supportive therapy in breast cancer. The objective of this study was to investigate the anticancer activity of commercially available homeopathic preparations of Terminalia chebula (TC) and evaluate their nanoparticulate nature.

METHODS

Mother tincture (MT) and other homeopathic preparations (3X, 6C and 30C) of TC were tested for their effect on the viability of breast cancer (MDAMB231 and MCF7) and non-cancerous (HEK 293) cell lines by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Cell growth assay was performed to analyze the effect of the different potencies on the growth kinetics of breast cancer cells. MT and 6C were evaluated for the presence of nanoparticles by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

RESULTS

MT decreased the viability of breast cancer (MDAMB231 and MCF7) and non-cancerous (HEK 293) cells. However, the other potencies (3X, 6C and 30C) decreased the viability of only breast cancer cells without affecting the viability of the non-cancerous cells. All the potencies, MT, 3X, 6C and 30C, reduced growth kinetics of breast cancer cells, more specifically at 1:10 dilution at 24, 48 and 72 h. Under SEM, MT appeared as a mesh-like structure whereas under TEM, it showed presence of nanoclusters. On the other hand, 6C potency contained 20 nm sized nanoparticles.

CONCLUSION

The current study reports the anticancer activity of homeopathic preparations of TC against breast cancer and reveals their nanoparticulate nature. These preliminary results warrant further mechanistic studies at both in vitro and in vivo levels to evaluate the potential of TC as nanomedicine in breast cancer.

Publications on experimental physical methods to investigate ultra high dilutions--an assessment on quality

INTRODUCTION

Our first evaluation of fundamental research into the physics and physiology of Ultra High Dilution (UHD) was conducted in 1994. Since then, in 2003, Becker-Witt et al. conducted a more systematic evaluation of the literature and established the Score for Assessment of Physical Experiments on Homeopathy (SAPEH). While this evaluation focused on experimental methodologies, Stock-Schröer et al., in 2009, formulated a detailed guideline for authors on Reporting Experiments in Homeopathic Basic research (REHBaR) to promote a high standard in research as well as in its communication in scientific literature.

METHOD

In this paper, we evaluate publications on basic research into the physics of UHD since the decade following the presentation of the SAPEH score (2004-2014), and present the state of progress in this field.

RESULTS

Fundamental research into the physics of UHD has been reported at a steady rate over the past 60 years. Reported research of high quality as per SAPEH scoring appears to be still the exception rather than standard.

CONCLUSION

Considering the importance of a fundamental understanding of what makes a UHD preparation, results of this study suggest that it may be beneficial to this field of fundamental research if grant challenges are approached in strategic way similar to other grant challenges in science.

Update on preliminary elements of a theory of ultra high dilutions

INTRODUCTION

The different mechanisms: A. of the interaction between the molecular mother substance and the solvent water or ethanol B. of the storage of molecule-specific information in the solvent. C. the physiological basis of the sensitivity of the living organism towards an ultra high dilution (UHD). D. the mechanism of the interaction of the test dilution with the organism are largely unknown. Several ideas have been postulated, and experiments to test them carried out in physics and in biology.

METHOD

The authors revisited a 1994 contribution on 'preliminary elements of a theory on UHDs' and updated it with regard to more recent literature and research findings.

RESULTS

Although the experimental basis can still be questioned in most cases, remarkable fundamental observations have been made to explain the effects of UHDs. For some topics in question, it appears that information specific properties of the diluted substance to be transferred is stored by means electromagnetic fields. The interaction between the UHD and the organism seems to be electromagnetic in nature. The transmission of information from (bio-)molecules to the UHD is of special interest. Again, electromagnetic actions and vector potential fields appear to be implicated.

CONCLUSION

The mechanisms of information storage and transfer in UHDs are far from fully understood, but progress has been made at experimental and theoretical levels.

Johrei Effects on Water: A Pilot Study by Counting Drops

BACKGROUND

Water is a key ingredient in the creation and sustainment of life. Moreover, water may be a key vehicle in the processes of energy healing, such as in the preparation of homeopathic remedies and spiritual treatments. Given these properties, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether the application of Johrei to water could lead to significant changes in the hydrodynamic behaviour of the fluid.

METHODS

Four regular Johrei practitioners (P1, P2, P3 and P4) were selected for this study. Dripping water produced at the tip of a capillary was used as the hydrodynamic behaviour model. This behaviour was modelled mathematically, and tuning parameters φ4 and τ were used to assess significant differences in the dripping water samples that were subjected to Johrei compared with the samples that were not so treated. The tuning parameters were obtained using the Levenberg-Marquardt fitting algorithm. The data sets for each Johrei practitioner and the control experiment were analysed using ANOVA and a paired t-test.

RESULTS

The mathematical model exhibited an excellent fit to our data, generating correlation coefficients (r) greater than or equal to 0.999. Significant differences were observed in both τ (P1 and P2, P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively) and φ4 (P2, P < 0.01). As expected, no significant difference for the control experiment (without Johrei) was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicated a statistically significant change in the hydrodynamic behaviour of water correlated with Johrei treatment for 50% of the participating Johrei practitioners.

Water's quantum structures and life

This article discusses several clues pointing to the spontaneous quantum origin of the recently discovered dissipative structures induced in liquid water by low-energy physical perturbations. These structures show an astonishing permanence, so much that large ponderal quantities of supramolecular aggregates of water - at ambient pressure and temperature - subsist even in the solid phase, strongly suggesting the possibility that these structures are the matrix itself of life.