title: Bioenergy definitions and research guidelines.
abstract: A model for the functional and observable interrelation among the various components in a physical bioenergy system is presented. The analogy is made between electric circuits and electromagnetic interactions, and contact and noncontact bioenergy transfer. It is postulated that there exists some form of bioenergy that has the capacity to do work and that this energy behaves in a manner similar to electricity in that the physical concepts of electromotive force, current, and impedance have their equivalents in bioenergy. It is further postulated that these analogous components are related by an equivalent to Ohm's and other physical laws of electricity. This is extended to a conjecture that bioenergy healing is the transfer of information from a practitioner to a healee. Research guidelines for bioenergy measurements are presented, including basic measurement practices for electrical and electromagnetic systems through direct measurements and the use of indirect measurement experiments for detecting these or other forms of bioenergy transfer. The research guidelines are divided into 2 sections: those involving direct measurement of the physical electrical properties of a practitioner, in particular the difficulties associated with electrical measurements of extremely low-level signals outside of a Faraday shield or electromagnetic measurements outside of a radio frequency anechoic chamber; and those for conducting experiments in which the effects of bioenergy are being investigated on the healee or other target system without direct measurements of the means for bioenergy transfer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, George Mason University, Fairfax, Va., USA.
authors.forename: Kenneth J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Hintz
authors.forename: Garret L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Yount
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kadar
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hammerschlag
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006694:Holistic Health; D006801:Humans; D008602:Mental Healing; D011603:Psychophysiology; D012106:Research / Q000592:standards*