The characteristic changes of EEG of persons after a long period of exercise of qigong or yoga during meditation have been reported elsewhere. The main feature of EEG changes are: the increase of alpha-waves in the frontal region, the tendency of synchronization of EEG waves throughout the leads from the occipital to frontal areas, the presence of theta rhythms at the frontal areas. However, we found by chance that the EEG of 8 normal adults (never doing any qigong exercise before) when sitting in relaxed condition showed the same changes as mentioned above after once received qigong wai qi delivered by the famous old qigong master Qu Baoxiang for the purpose of making the 3 narrows (wei-lu, jia-ji and yu-shen points) clear for the passage of qi. The following experiments were done for further confirmation of this finding.
Twenty two volunteers aged 22-62, are professor, lecturers, technicians and post-graduates of our college with good physical and mental conditions and have no history of disease of central nervous system. They have not done any qigong exercise. Some of them do not believe the effect of qigong at all.
EEG of the volunteers were taken before and after each time of wai qi delivering via 12 unipolar leads (PF1,2, F3,4, C3,4, P3,4, O1,2 & T3,4) by using NIHON KOHDEN 6113 EEG.
In the present work, the delivery of wai qi was chiefly done by Dr. Wang Xin, pupil of master Qu Baoxiang, with 'weak' and 'strong' techniques. Three groups were divided: 1) 'weak' wai qi group, 7 male and 5 female subjects, lay on the back with the eyes closed and muscles relaxed, the qigong master sat and delivered his wai qi softly only by 'idea.' 15 min for each time and 3 times for each subject with an interval of about 1 wk; 2) false delivery control group, 2 males and 1 female, did the same as the 1st group except did not really deliver wai qi; 3) 'strong' group, same subjects as in group 2 after receiving 3 times of false delivery (EEG no changed), sat straightly on a stool with the eyes closed and muscles relaxed, the hands put on the knees with the palms directed upward. The qigong master gave out 'strong' wai qi from his palm (lao-gong point) on the subject's head, neck and back, regions, 15 min for each person. Again, in March of 1990, fortunately we met Dr. Yian Xin, the most famous qigong master in our country, he was very interested with this work and appointed to have 3 experimental subjects to attend his speech hall next day. The 3 persons (postgraduates) sat on the given seats in the hall and listened to Yian's speech (carrying qigong wai qi signals). This is the group 4.
The results of the above experiments revealed that qigong wai qi did have effects on normal adult EEG: a) the EEG did not change after 3 times of false wai qi delivery but b) changed markedly after once 'strong' delivery and c) EEG changed gradually after successive 'weak' delivery as well as d) EEG changed after listening to Yian Xin's speech (carrying with wai qi signals). It is, therefore, reasonably to believe that the EEG changes found in our experiments can only be elicited by qigong wai qi.
The underlying mechanism of these finding warrants further study by physiologists and EEG doctors. According to the current understanding of the mechanism of the genesis of EEG we think that the effect of qigong wai qi on EEG may act on the thalamus and hypothalamus, giving beneficial effect on the regulation of the autonomic nervous functions and the activities of the cerebral cells.
According to the results of our investigation, however, it does not mean that any wai qi given by any qigong master can elicit the EEG changes mentioned above. There may be some difference involving such as ability or technique factors between different qigong masters. Again at the present time, we would not say that these EEG changes can be used as the index of 'clearing of the 3 narrows' although the qigong masters in these experiments used the technique of doing the 'clearing' since some definitions which are not easily be explained clearly are involved.
The fact that marked changes of EEG can be elicited by qigong wai qi in normal adults raises a new question which is important for the EEG doctors to consider when making an EEG diagnosis.
(Supported by the broad masses of enthusiastic members of Guangdong Society of Qigong Science. Part of this work has been reported on the Establishment Conference of Qigong Learned Committee of Guangdong Society of Qigong Science (1989,3, Guangzhou).)
