Objective: To test whether healing treatments by biofield practitioners can protect normal human brain cells against cell death induced by oxidative stress.
Design: Cultured human brain cells were exposed to increasing concentrations of hydrogen peroxide and cell death was quantified by computerized time-lapse microscopy. Biofield treatments were delivered to cells from a short distance in 24 independent experiments. Six highly experienced biofield practitioners each participated, all with exceptional reputations within their respective communities (4 independent experiments each). An equal number of control experiments involving no healing intervention were conducted to provide a measure of intrinsic variability of the experimental system. Experiments were conducted with blinding applied to each of the scientists and randomized sample assignment.
Intervention: Healing treatments were delivered to cells from a short distance by a single practitioner, before and after exposure to hydrogen peroxide, for a total of 30 minutes.
Outcome measure: Cell death was quantified over a 4-hour period following experimental treatments.
Results: We found no significant difference in cell death rates between treatment and control groups.