Measuring effects of music, noise, and healing energy using a seed germination bioassay.
OBJECTIVE
To measure biologic effects of music, noise, and healing energy without human preferences or placebo effects using seed germination as an objective biomarker.


METHODS
A series of five experiments were performed utilizing okra and zucchini seeds germinated in acoustically shielded, thermally insulated, dark, humid growth chambers. Conditions compared were an untreated control, musical sound, pink noise, and healing energy. Healing energy was administered for 15-20 minutes every 12 hours with the intention that the treated seeds would germinate faster than the untreated seeds. The objective marker was the number of seeds sprouted out of groups of 25 seeds counted at 12-hour intervals over a 72-hour growing period. Temperature and relative humidity were monitored every 15 minutes inside the seed germination containers. A total of 14 trials were run testing a total of 4600 seeds.


RESULTS
Musical sound had a highly statistically significant effect on the number of seeds sprouted compared to the untreated control over all five experiments for the main condition (p < 0.002) and over time (p < 0.000002). This effect was independent of temperature, seed type, position in room, specific petri dish, and person doing the scoring. Musical sound had a significant effect compared to noise and an untreated control as a function of time (p < 0.03) while there was no significant difference between seeds exposed to noise and an untreated control. Healing energy also had a significant effect compared to an untreated control (main condition, p < 0.0006) and over time (p < 0.0001) with a magnitude of effect comparable to that of musical sound.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that sound vibrations (music and noise) as well as biofields (bioelectromagnetic and healing intention) both directly affect living biologic systems, and that a seed germination bioassay has the sensitivity to enable detection of effects caused by various applied energetic conditions.
Creath
Katherine
K
Center for Frontier Medicine in Biofield Science and Department of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721-0094, USA. kcreath@u.arizona.edu
Schwartz
Gary E
GE
D028483:Abelmoschus / Q000254:growth & development; D001681:Biological Assay; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D028464:Cucurbita / Q000254:growth & development; D018525:Germination / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008602:Mental Healing; D009146:Music; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects; D012639:Seeds / Q000254:growth & development*; D013997:Time Factors