Research of subtle fields

Many research studies, both past and present, demonstrate that not everything is describable in terms of the known four physical forces and their fields. One example of this is homeopathy. These fields may strongly influence living beings - at least their physiological processes. Although their physical nature is not known, they seem to have a close connection with the electromagnetic field. Certain studies try to show that the nature of at least some of these fields may be quantum mechanical (Vitiello 92). To remain open as to their nature we named them only as "subtle", since – as in the case of homeopathy – they mostly manifest themselves more as information rather than as a force.
While the majority of researchers dismiss such fields from any serious scientific consideration, regarding them as a remnant of vitalistic mysticism on the ground of our own and other serious research, we – together with many other researchers of course – think they deserve proper scientific attention. They may play a vital role in biological processes that is completely ignored by contemporary biology.
The main problem with subtle fields is that they are very elusive; it is very difficult to measure them in the sense of ordinary physical forces and fields. For the time being we are forced to measure them indirectly and with methods that yield more qualitative than quantitative data. Since the beginning of our Institute we have been developing means to detect these fields. So far we have developed four methods:
- digital electrophotography of water drops,
- differential contrast photography (DCP)
- electronic transfer of vibrations
- biological measurements
 
 

1. DIGITAL ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY OF WATER DROPS
At the present time throughout the world a growing amount of evidence is being accumulated that water is able to store imprints of various influences to which it is exposed (the so-called memory of water). This offers the possibility for the detection of subtle fields via their imprint in water through the comparison of suitable processes that may run differently under the influence of imprinted vs. control water. This indirect detection also has the advantage that it is often easier to adequately control experimental conditions by performing further experiments on water.
One possibility to retrieve this imprint from the exposed water is through the corona discharge process (Kirlian effect), where the drops of water are exposed to a high frequency, high tension electric field. Various pieces of information stored in water can affect the corona discharge patterns around the drop during this process. Through a comparison of the corona discharge patterns of exposed and control water (unexposed, but otherwise identical), we are  trying to detect and obtain certain information about the imprinted fields.
In the past few years we developed a special method of corona discharge photography of water drops which we term Corona Discharge Electrography, since the images obtained were not real photographs, but a result of extraction and subsequent reaction of different ions and radicals from water drops with a specially prepared photographic emulsion (see more fully). We have made many experiments with this technique and also published most of the results. Recently, we developed an improved method where we use a digital camera and transparent electrode to capture corona discharge images. We call this method Digital Electrophotography.
After capturing the images they are passed to a computer where they are processed and analyzed partly by standard and partly by specially developed software. The features of corona discharge patterns are expressed through a suitable set of parameters that are obtained and compared by computer analysis. The parameters express the most important angular, radial and overall characteristics of each image. The differences between treated and control water are then qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated. The significance of the results is statistically tested.
 

In our basic research we try to determine out which influences on water can be detected by this method. We tried to improve the sensitivity and reliability of the method, and find suitable methods for imprinting the subtle fields in water.
The influences to which we could expose the test samples of water may extend from various EM fields, subtle fields emanated by living organisms and unanimated objects, different environmental conditions, ultra-highly diluted and homeophatically prepared solutions, etc. During our previous research we made experiments with:

We also made many experiments by exposing water to different EM fields including  microwave fields (Kmecl et al. 2000, abstract), computer monitor fields,  50Hz fields of electrical installations, etc.
Most of these experiments were performed with our previous method mentioned above (see here). These images were then scanned and afterwards analyzed by computer in a similar way.
 
 

Original image (above) and color coded image (right) with indicated angular segments and three rings for computer angular/radial analysis

 

 
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 2. DIFFERENTIAL CONTRAST PHOTOGRAPHY (DCP)
This method is applied for the detection of subtle fields around larger objects like stones, plants, animals and humans. We record a resting object and its surroundings using an appropriate camera and capture the images on a computer. A special programme extracts small oscillations of the light field, enhances them and displays them in an appropriate form. With the help of another programme we are even able to measure the intensity of the oscillations. For the human eye the oscillations are completely invisible.
 
Until now we have found significant differences in oscillations   between wounded and unwounded young bean plants. We usually noticed a higher level of oscillations after the applied stress. We sometimes observed higher oscillation fluctuations around and just after the time when a stress is applied. We also noticed a counter-effect, when the oscillation fluctuations were initially high and subsided after the application of stress. A correlation between the structure of oscillations and the health/disease condition of a man were also found (see applications of DCP).
Whatever the nature of the subtle field that demonstrates itself through the oscillatory structures, it seems
1) to radiate from living beings and thus most probably resides within organisms,
2) to be correlated with the physiological and sometimes even psychological state of the organism,
3) to interact with photons in a subtle, not easily perceivable manner. These specific oscillations are easily overlooked as only a noise. 
An example of DCP image 
of young bean plant

 
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 3. ELECTRONIC TRANSFER OF VIBRATIONS
It is known from physics and chemistry that substances have specific absorption and electromagnetic emission spectra. They may also have characteristic phonon vibrations. However, according to contemporary academic physics, no kind of vibration, be it electromagnetic or sound, can be stored in a water medium for even a very short time. Yet the phenomenon of homeopathy and its serious scientific research demonstrate that at least some specific molecular vibration structures may be stored in water for a very long time indeed. Among open-minded scientists there are several hypothesis as to how molecular structures or their presumed field patterns can be stored in water (the phenomenon of water memory; see Endler, Schulte 94, Schulte, Endler 98). Not one of them explains the phenomenon fully.
We believe that the phenomena of homeopathy and water memory prove that every molecule has its subtle field. The research of various teams including our own demonstrates even more, namely that these fields can be captured by electronic means (Benveniste), transmitted through a wire, stored on a computer disc, and reproduced, enhanced and imprinted in water. While some scientists investigating the phenomenon think that the stored and transmitted oscillations are of a low frequency electromagnetic nature (Benveniste), our hypothesis is that a subtle molecular field is transmitted via an electric current and stored in the magnetic field of a computer disc.
 
Scheme of a system for digital recording of subtle molecular information

Our pilot tests on humans corroborate the similarity between the homeopathic application of a particular substance and its directly electronically transmitted form (from a substance through electronic devices into water) as well as the application of a computer record of the same substance. The similarity between a directly transmitted vibration into water and its imprint in water from the computer was also verified instrumentally by digital electrophotography.
 
 
Examples of three different corona discharge images (all color coded): 
a)left - with bright, narrow, and high contrast streamers, 
b)middle - with somewhat broader but still contrast streamers,
c)right - with low contrast, poorly developed streamers

The differences in points between two electronically imprinted waters (one with direct  and one with recorded signal) and control water in three parameters (streamer luminosity, streamer contrast, streamer width) used to characterize corona discharge patterns, as obtained with Digital Electrophotography.

 
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 4. BIOLOGICAL MEASUREMENTS
The experiments with cress seedlings and magnetic fields, which produced consistent and repeatable results, enable us to develop a useful biological sensor system for detecting various subtle energy sources from the environment or from special devices. We successfully tested the protective effects of special blankets produced by various companies. Any successful shielding effect of the proposed product against the environmental electromagnetic fields elicited a less harmful stress effect on plants.
We also tested the possible effect of pure water irradiated by human hands. The phenomenon is known as bioenergy, but its true nature is unknown. It is assumed that information rather than energy is stored in water in certain circumstances. Irradiated water is afterwards applied to seedlings (the temperature increase was excluded) and produced growth effects. However, this information is not retained in water more than a few hours. Even if the irradiating person had been sick, there were no effects. Research is still in progress.
 
 
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Our references

  1. Jerman I., Berden M., Ruzic R. (1996): Biological influence of ultraweak supposedly EM radiation from organisms mediated through water. Electro- Magnetobiology 15(3): 229-244. Abstract
  2. Berden, M., Jerman, I., Skarja, M. (1997): Indirect instrumental detection of ultraweak, supposedly electromagnetic
  3. radiation from organisms. Electro- Magnetobiology 16(3): 249-266. Abstract
  4. Berden, M., Jerman, I., Skarja, M. (1997): A possible physical basis for the healing touch (biotherapy) evaluated by high
  5. voltage electrophotography. Acupuncture & Electro-therapeutics Res., Int.J. 22: 127-146. Abstract
  6. Skarja, M., Berden, M., Jerman, I. (1998): The influence of ionic composition of water on the corona discharge around water drops. Journal of Applied Physics 84(5): 2436-2442. Abstract
  7. Skarja M, Jerman I, Berden M, Papuga P (1998): Corona discharge electrography. Congress of COST B4, Unconventional medicine at the beginning of the third millennium, June 4-6, 1998, Pavia, Italy. "S. Maugeri" Foundation IRCCS. Published in: Abstract book & Scientific program, p.129.
  8. Jerman I, Berden M, Skarja M, Papuga P (1998): Preliminary report on the comparison of homeopathically and "normally" prepared ki-solutions. Congress of COST B4, Unconventional medicine at the beginning of the third millennium, June 4-6, 1998, Pavia, Italy. "S. Maugeri" Foundation IRCCS. Published in: Abstract book & Scientific program, p.138
  9. Skarja M, Berden M,  Jerman I (1998): The influence of ionic composition of water on the corona discharge in electrography. 4th Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association, Zagreb, Croatia, Nov. 19-21, 1998, Zagreb: Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing. Published in: Proceedings, pp. 120-121:.
  10. Jerman I, Ruzic R, Berden M (1998): Nonchemical influence of mealworm beetles on spruce seeds germination - preliminary report. 1st World Congress on the Effects of Electricity and Magnetism on the Natural World. Funchal, Madeira, Oct. 1-6, 1998. Coghill Research Laboratories, Published in: Abstract book, p.27-28.
  11. Jerman I, Berden M, Skarja M (1999): Instrumental measurements of different homeopathic dilutions of potassium iodide in water. Acupuncture & Electro-therapeutics Res., Int.J. 199:24(1): 29-44, Abstract
  12. Kmecl  P, Jerman I, Škarja M (2000): Microwave electromagnetic field affects the corona discharge pattern of water Electro Magnetobiol. 19(2):135-148, Abstract
Other references
  1. Endler P.C., Schulte J. Eds. (1994): Ultra high dilution, Physiology and physics. Kluwer Academic Publ.
  2. Schulte J., Endler P.C. Eds. (1998): Fundamental research in ultra high dilution and homoeopathy. Kluwer Academic Publ.
  3. Vitiello G 1992. Coherence and electromagnetic fields in living matter, Nanobiology, 1(2): 221-8.
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