Effects of Intentionally Treated Water on Growth of Arabidopsis thaliana Seeds with Cryptochrome Mutations

The Noetic Signature Inventory: Development, Exploration, and Initial Validation

Noetic comes from the Greek word noēsis, meaning inner wisdom or direct knowing. Noetic experiences often transcend the perception of our five senses and are ubiquitous worldwide, although no instrument exists to evaluate noetic characteristics both within and between individuals. We developed the Noetic Signature Inventory (NSI) through an iterative qualitative and statistical process as a tool to subjectively assess noetic characteristics. Study 1 developed and evaluated a 175-item NSI using 521 self-selected research participants, resulting in a 46-item NSI with an 11-factor model solution. Study 2 examined the 11-factor solution, construct validity, and test–retest reliability, resulting in a 44-item NSI with a 12-factor model solution. Study 3 confirmed the final 44-item NSI in a diverse population. The 12-factors were: (1) Inner Knowing, (2) Embodied Sensations, (3) Visualizing to Access or Affect, (4) Inner Knowing Through Touch, (5) Healing, (6) Knowing the Future, (7) Physical Sensations from Other People, (8) Knowing Yourself, (9) Knowing Other’s Minds, (10) Apparent Communication with Non-physical Beings, (11) Knowing Through Dreams, and (12) Inner Voice. The NSI demonstrated internal consistency, convergent and divergent content validity, and test–retest reliability. The NSI can be used for the future studies to evaluate intra- and inter-individual variation of noetic experiences.

Spectroscopic analysis of water treated by and in proximity to Energy Medicine practitioners: An exploratory study

Previously reported experiments suggest that healing intention focused toward water, or merely taking place in the vicinity of water, affects the hydrogen-oxygen (HO) covalent bonds. This claim was explored in the context of a clinical energy medicine pilot study involving 17 practitioners and 190 participants. In a "direct" test, samples of water were directly treated by the practitioners; in an "indirect" test, aliquots attached to lanyards were worn by practitioners and participants as they were engaged in healing sessions. Samples of laboratory-grade distilled water and Fiji brand water were used in the tests, and the water was analyzed using an Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometer equipped with a liquid nitrogen-cooled detector. The comparison of interest was the ensemble average spectrum recorded during pre- vs. post-intentional healing periods in the primary infrared absorption portion of the water spectrum. The analyses indicated that distilled water directly treated by the practitioners resulted in a change in the HO bond at the wavenumber 3200 cm^-1 (p < 0.03, two-tailed). No effect was observed with the Fiji water. The distilled water in aliquots worn by practitioners also resulted in a significant change at the same wavenumber (p = 0.0004, two-tailed). No effects were observed in Fiji water aliquots worn by practitioners or participants, or in distilled water worn by participants. This study contributes to previously reported observations suggesting that the structure of water reacts in an anomalous way to healing intentions. Such effects appear to involve some form of energetic influence, but that is not yet well established. Nor is it certain that the observed effect can only be due to intention; it is conceivable, for example, that an unidentified environmental factor may have been responsible for the observed comparisons. However, given similar results observed in several experiments so far, including the present study, further research seems warranted.

Effects of intentionally treated water and seeds on the growth of Arabidopsis thaliana

OBJECTIVE

. A previously reported experiment indicated that Arabidopsis thaliana seeds with cryptochrome mutation His-CRY2 showed more robust photomorphogenic growth when hydrated with intentionally treated water as compared to untreated water. The present study attempted to replicate that outcome, adding a condition where the seeds were also intentionally treated. Arabidopsis seeds were used because they contain a photosensitive flavoprotein called cryptochrome (CRY). CRY has been proposed as a possible "transducer" of intention in living systems because it is thought to have quantum biological properties, and as such, it might potentially be sensitive to quantum observer effects.

DESIGN

Three Buddhist monks directed their attention toward commercially bottled water and Arabidopsis seeds while holding the intention to improve the growth of the plant. As a control condition, no attention was directed at water or seeds from the same sources. Under double-blinded conditions, treated and untreated seeds were placed in an incubator, hydrated with treated or untreated water, and exposed to either continuous blue light or blue plus far-red light. The seed germination process was repeated three times, each time using new seeds. A 2 × 2 × 2 ANOVA, with water, seeds, and light as factors, was used to analyze the results.

RESULTS

. Treated water was associated with enhanced photomorphogenic growth, as reflected by a shorter hypocotyl length (p = 0.04) and greater amounts of chlorophyll (p = 0.0005) and anthocyanin (p = 2 × 10^-6). Treated seeds resulted in greater amounts of chlorophyll (p = 0.04), but also a longer hypocotyl (p = 0.0004) and less anthocyanin (p = 0.01). Plants exposed to blue plus far-red light were constantly more robust than plants grown under blue light, regardless of the type of water or seed (p < 10^-10).

CONCLUSION

. Intentionally treated water improved the growth of the His-CRY2 variant of Arabidopsis, confirming results of an earlier experiment. Enhanced growth associated with exposure to blue plus far-red light also confirmed to known effects. A more complex relationship was observed with treated seeds. Further research is required to understand the latter outcome, as it may provide clues about the underlying mechanisms of intentional influences.