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Bi-directional Stress Reduction

Energy Healing and Bi-directional Stress Reduction

Reported in Massage-Therapy

William C. Butler

Lamar University

McNair Scholars

Mentor

George McLaughlin, EdD, LPC

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Abstract

This research seeks to obtain quantitative evidence of statements from registered massage

therapists (RMT) that clients have "a good-energy" or "a bad-energy." Other RMT's have stated

that massage with particular clients leaves them feeling "energized" or "just feeling better."

Therapists have also stated that other clients leave them feeling "drained" or "worn-out." This is

a pilot for a study of client and therapist stress reduction following therapeutic massage. This

information should be of value to energy healing/energy medicine and may prove beneficial to

the caregivers of the chronically/ terminally ill and parents of children with disabilities.

Research most closely related to this phenomena are studies in "energy medicine,"

"subtle-energy" and "energy healing." This research seeks to add to the body of knowledge by

(1) reporting qualitative data from related research and (2) collecting and analyzing data acquired

from pre- and post-test stress assessments administered to RMT's before and after they

administer therapeutic massage.

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Introduction

“I could not shake the sense I had that that the human mind-and the beliefs we so often

associate with the human soul-had physical manifestations. I was reluctant to explore

these factors because philosophers and scientists have through the ages, considered them

intangible and unmeasurable, making any study of them ‘unscientific.’ But I wanted to

try, because, again and again, my patients’ progress and recoveries often seemed to hinge

upon their spirit and will to live” (Benson, 96 p17).

There have been other occasions, where attending nurses have “just felt” that a given patient

was going to recover …or not. While most “non-western” ways of healing often involve a form

of spirituality or some sort of “subtle energy” that is difficult to describe, thus very difficult to

measure in the laboratory, these healing arts in fact withstood the most demanding test, the test

of time. Not only are many of these techniques thousands of years old, but they have also

survived the onslaught of western medicine for hundreds of those same years.

Research in this area goes back as far as Wilhelm Reich who referred to this unknown

force as orgone. Reich “believed that a life force permeates all living things in the universe…He

felt that health depends on the adequate flow of this energy throughout the body” (Benor, 94

p28). “Even Albert Einstein speculated: It is possible that there exist human emanations which

are still unknown to us…The knowledge about man is still in its infancy” (Brenor, 94p154).

L. E. Eeman (1947) conducted research that studied subtle energy transfer. Eeman “studied an

apparent biological energy transmission within single individuals and between various people via

copper wires” (Benor, 94p167). In these experiments Eeman placed a copper gauze mat under

an individuals head and another under the base of their spine, when a wire from the head-mat

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was held in the left hand and the wire from the spine mat was held in the right hand “the subject

felt relaxed within a few minutes…If the wires were held in the opposite hands (H-R and S-L)

the person felt tense, restless, and uncomfortable” (Benor, 94p167). With this information

Eeman assigned polarities to various parts of the body and followed by involving several

subjects in a circuit, which led to the observation that as long as positive was connected to

negative on alternating individuals “then even more marked relaxation was produced…Subjects

tended to regularly fall asleep for a few minutes…awakening invigorated, with a feeling of

having rested well” (Benor, 94p167-8). Other interesting observations noted during this line of

study showed that “many illnesses were relieved by spending time in a relaxation circuit…

normal subjects in the circuits could sense symptoms of ill people. A drunk in the circuit

produced a mild sense of intoxication in sober participants” (Benor, 94p168). Eemans studies

were followed by Aubrey Westlake who found that silk worked as well as copper, other healers

use cotton as an energy receptacle, and Leslie and Terry Patten who observed that “an acute

illness appeared to be ameliorated by another person in a circuit who had recuperated from that

illness” (Benor, 94p168).

Today more physicians trained in standard western schools are looking into and using

homeopathic modalities in their practices. This trend is being augmented by the fact that many

schools of allopathic medicine are offering courses in alternative/complementary therapies. In

fact the “ Journal of the American Medical Associations’ issue of November II, 1998 was

devoted exclusively to the field of alternative medicine” and “new medical journals such as

Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine have also arisen, which provide a voice for

research that is out of the mainstream” (Dossey, 99 p100). Interestingly RN’s, who usually have

much closer physical contact with patients, have led the way in allopathic medicine’s acceptance

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of the validity of complementary health care. Also of interest is the fact that many health care

professionals are pursuing training in complementary modalities after conventional training. “At

the Barbara Brennan School of Healing, for example, 13 medical doctors, 35 nurses, and 51

physical therapists have graduated since 1993” (Goldner, 97 p62). And according to the Nurse

Healers- Professional Associates in Philadelphia more than 30,000 American nurses have studied

therapeutic touch in nursing programs (Goldner, 97). In fact even physicians who have not

trained in alternative modalities are bringing these complementary therapies into their practices.

One example being “Mehmet Oz, M.D. director of the medical assistance device program at

Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York and a leading heart surgeon [who] was one

of the first Western surgeon to invite energy healers into his operating room nearly four years

ago” (Goldner, 97 p59). Dr. Oz states “As a physician I treat anatomical problems,…But that’s

not a holistic approach to healing. We need also to look for an alternative understanding of why

people get sick. That’s where energy healing comes in” (Goldner, 97 p62). Al de los Reyes,

M.D., vice chairman of neurosurgery at Beth Israel Medical Center has also put to use the

benefits of complementary care. After a recent dangerous brain surgery that he performed, in

which Julie Motz a healer was involved, Dr. De los Reyes was “impressed with Motz’s work on

Linda [the patient]. It was a very big operation with substantial discomfort and pain. But Linda

bounced back twice as fast as expected….I think it was very positive to have her (Motz)

involved” (Goodwin, 97 p230).

Previous studies in stress reduction through alternative/ complementary modalities, such

as massage, therapeutic touch, rieki, etc. have focused primarily on the patient/client and have

seldom looked at benefits realized by the therapist. If prior studies suggestions that this stress

reduction was realized through an ordering of an “energy field” or a transfer of “subtle energy”

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are correct then it is conceivable that this phenomenon is bi-directional. In fact one noted

practitioner of therapeutic touch said “… two personality variables -denial of illness and

hostility- do have a negative effect on Therapeutic Touch, perhaps because they both may

translate themselves graphically to the healer and inhibit the healer’s efforts” (Benor, 93 p75).

By comparing before and after stress tests of both therapist and client we may not only add to

the knowledge of these subtle energies but also open the door to new studies into the idea of

positive/negative energies.

There is controversy in the idea that various alternative/complementary therapies can be

proven to be 100% effective. Many universities are now involved in cutting edge research into

the validity of energy medicine.

“For example, Dr. William A. Tiller Professor Emeriti’s of Stanford University

and a pioneering researcher of subtle energy,…and his colleagues at Stanford University

developed a subtle energy detector – an ultra-sensitive Geiger counter-type device – with

which they demonstrated the existence of an energy field that is not in the

electromagnetic spectrum. With this special detector, Dr. Tiller demonstrated that this

subtle energy field responds to intentional human focus. The combination of the

instrument that detects the DNA phantom effect (description of machine) and the ultra-

sensitive gas discharge detector (description of machine) represent two of the most

advanced technologies known for the scientific study of subtle energy. Much of the basic

research and the proof that these are workable technologies have already been

completed” (webcom.com, 00).

“Dr. Schwartz…(and) Linda Russek [in studies at the University of Arizona in Tucson]

have examined the ways that energy communication takes place between two people. In

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their lab, they discovered that when an electrically charged body-such as a human being-

moves through space, an electromagnetic force is created that can be measured in another

person’s body a few feet away. They also found that, at least for two people who care for

one another, the electrical impulses from one person’s heart register on the other’s brain!

This suggests that energy transfer between two people (between an energy healer and a

patient for example) is very real” (O’Donnell, 00 p109).

This study’s aim is not to reaffirm the fact that massage therapy are very successfully

reduce stress levels in the recipient. The hypothesis addressed here is that the therapist benefits

from measurable stress reduction as a direct result of the therapy administered by the therapist.

Perhaps a mingling of subtle energies is therapeutic for client and therapist. It may reveal an

insight that the life expectancies doctors (healers?) do not necessarily have to be lower than that

of the general public. For instance, a physician Hans Engel realized that he was gifted in the

field of energy healing and not only did many of his patients benefit from his practice of energy

healing but he was found to have a malignant lymphoma that went into complete remission after

discontinuing use of medication. Engel also noted that during healing sessions “He routinely

experienced sensations of cold as he passed his hands over diseased portions of his patients’ but

occasionally felt tingling” (Benor, 93 p270). “Proponents of therapeutic touch claim that it is

possible to use one’s hands to detect when a person is sick, pinpoint where the pain is” (Butler,

92 p217) again suggesting a transfer of some sort.

Knowledge of this kind could be very beneficial to care givers of all kinds, for instance in

cases involving chronic, or even terminal, illnesses the primary caregiver may be a relative

whose interventions in the past usually involved only uncomfortable procedures could have

another course of action available, one that not only benefits the patient, but also the caregiver.

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Recent studies done at the University of Miami School of Medicines’ Touch Research Institute,

directed by Tiffany Field, have agreed with this hypothesis. Regarding these studies Field stated

“we discovered that the act of giving a massage helps parents too. We train parents to be

the massage therapists so their children can be massaged daily at no cost, and to help

parents feel less helpless and more involved in their child’s treatment. Typically parent’s

involvement in their children’s treatment involves giving shots or monitoring dietary

compliance, as in the case of diabetic children. Being able to be involved in a more

positive treatment, such as massage therapy, may be more helpful to these parents”

(Field, 95 p1).

Field noted that in a study of asthmatic children where the mother administered a 20-minute

massage before bedtime for a month that data indicated “both the mother’s and the children’s

anxiety decreased” (Field, 95 p1). During another aspect of this research involving diabetics

“preliminary analysis of pilot data … showed that immediately after the massage therapy

session, both the parent’s and the children’s anxiety and depressed levels had abated. At the end

of the one-month period, the parents’ insulin and food regulation scores improved” (Field, 95 2).

Only one other reference to research in this area was found which stated “In one study, older

folks (sic) who gave massages to young children in a home actually improved their own moods

to the point where they made fewer trips to the doctor” (Bricklein, 96 18 ). A point to be noted

concerning all of the above studies is that they all involved only children as the recipients of the

massage therapy, and novice massage therapists.

It may be stated that stress is one of the major problems in our American society, and a

problem that the health care industry faces on a daily basis. Stress in may be related to obesity

(stress eating), hypertension (coronary disease), and various psychological problems. It may be

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argued that these benefits are psychological in nature, a point for future testing. Some studies

have suggested that a psychological aspect may be minimal at best, in a doctoral dissertation at

the University of Maryland a study was conducted in which premature infants were tested to

observe the effects of Therapeutic Touch on their stress levels. This study was unique in that it

included Therapeutic Touch (TT), no Therapeutic Touch (NTT), as well as mock Therapeutic

Touch (MTT) was to be administered to the infants. “MTT was expected to duplicate the NTT

and [the observation] that MTT stressed the infants was only discovered during the statistical

analysis of the data. The likelihood of getting the results that MTT stressed infants as much as

the TT relaxed them while NTT is exactly in the middle is very slight” (Benor, 93 p238).

Research done here could not only add to the knowledge base in the field of energy medicine but

may also lead to new insights to the strengthening of the family as a unit.

This will be a pilot study done with the hope of validating further research into the idea

that stress reduction may be bi-directional. Many practicing massage therapists feel that there is

a transfer of some sort of energy with nearly all massages. Through conversations with massage

therapists one may realize that many practicing therapists share these feelings. As a result of

reading literature on this subject one may come to the conclusion that the most recent relevant

research is being done primarily in subtle energies, although similar research has been done in

therapeutic touch, meridian therapy and the study of chakra’s. A noted healer, Dr. Andrew Weil

states “We’re attempting to document these energies, discover how they’re generated, what their

effects on the body might be, and how they can be used to promote healing,…At the moment, all

of this remains on the fringes of conventional science, but my hunch is that energy medicine will

come into it’s own in the next few decades” (O’Donnell, 00 p108).

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Method

The participants of this study will be twenty registered massage therapists (Texas)

who are currently practicing massage therapy in various reputable establishments. These

participants will be volunteers who have been practicing massage for at least one year. They will

be tested before and after their first massage of the day. This group was selected because they

are registered [with the state of Texas] professionals. Their clientele does not consist of family

members or children. The participants will have their pulse rate and blood pressure checked,

along with a galvanic skin test and a short questionnaire (attached) before and after administering

a one-hour massage. Data gathered will be examined for evidence of a reduction of stress or

anxiety in the therapist A demographic of profile of the participants will be included.

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Works Cited

Benor, D.J. (1993). Healing Research Volume 1. United Kingdom: Helix Editions Ltd.

Benor, D.J. (1994). Healing Research Volume 2. United Kingdom: Helix Editions Ltd.

Benson, H. MD. (1996). Timeless Healing. New York: Scribner.

Bricklein, M. (1996). Vitamin T: An extra dimension of health. Prevention 48, 17-18.

Butler, K. (1992). A Consumer’s Guide to Alternative Medicine. Buffalo, NY: Prometheus

Books.

Dossey, L. MD. (1999). Reinventing Medicine. New York, NY: HarperSanFransico

TM

Field, T. PhD.(1995). Massage improves disorders. Brown University Child & Adolescent

Behavior Letter 11, 1-2.

Goldner, D. (1997). Soul Surgeons. American Health for Women, 16, 58-62

Goodwin, J. (1997). The Healer. Ladies Home Journal, 114, 186-190

O’Donnell, S.A. (2000). The Cutting Edge of Alternative Medicine. Prevention, 52, 108-116

webcom.com/~hrtmath/IHM/Research/SubteEnergy.html

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