Bioenergetic Effects of Qigong

Biophotonics

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Electromagnetic Pollution

Emerging Science of Bioelectromagnetic Medicine

Energy-based Medical Technologies and Therapies

Integrative Medicine and Medical Qigong Therapy

Introductory Books on Energy Medicine and the Physics of Biology

Meditation

Non-Linear Dynamics of Human Function and Homeostasis

Qigong and Gene Expression

Scientific Basis of Qigong and Energy Medicine

An Introduction to the Bioenergetic Basis of Life

The fundamental principle of Western medical science has been that the basis of life is biological and the combination of biochemistry and molecular biology defines living organisms. However, each cell in the body can generate and receive different forms of energy -- heat, light, sound, vibration, magnetism, and electricity^{11, 12, 13, 14}. Historically, these different types of bioenergy phenomena have been treated as byproducts of normal cellular function instead of being recognized as intrinsic to the function.

Emerging fields of research including epigenetics, psychoneuroimmunology (see Epigenetics and Psychoneuroimmunology), biophysics, (including biophotonics and quantum biology), proteomics, biomedical imaging, bioengineering, metabolomics, morphogenetics, and frequency therapy (see Energy Based Medical Technologies and Therapies) are proving that energy is just as fundamental to life as biology. This should come as no surprise because in 1905 Einstein published his Special Theory of Relativity demonstrating the equivalence of mass and energy (E=mc²). This fundamental equivalence confirms the fact that human beings are simulataneously biological and energetic.

What explains the coordinated function of the estimated 75-100 trillion cells and over 100,000 reactions per second in most cells in the body, day after day, and year after year? Although DNA holds instructions for creating all of the roughly 70,000 proteins in the human genome, it is still just a parts list. Proteins that are involved in metabolism and body function are created and then can be reused many times without transcription being required from DNA. When a protein wears out or is damaged and must be replaced or extra demands are placed on the body, then DNA is accessed to create information in the form of a biomolecular program to create a new copy of a protein.

Epigenetics research has demonstrated how proteins are turned on and off by environmental bioenergetic signals, such as those generated by thoughts, emotions, and the practice of Qigong (see Qigong and Gene Expression). Although epigenetics affects cellular function and modulates the expression of genes, it is only one factor in the production and regulation of metabolic enzymes. Just as computers need oscillators to regulate the rate at which computations take place, the human body also needs oscillators and signaling mechanisms to coordinate body functions and regulate metabolism over time. The heart and brain are examples of oscillators that generate measurable electromagnetic fields ¹¹. Researchers are beginning to understand that the complexity and timing of the regulation of body function is simply beyond chemical signal processing speeds and capabilities ⁸.

This has not always been the case. Up until recently, the majority of biology research has been based on classical physics. But many researchers point out that the primary shortcoming of classical physics based molecular biology is that the holistic character of the physical world now recognized in quantum theory is not taken into account. For example, classical physics is inadequate for describing homeodynamics, ontogenesis, and morphology. In addition, fundamental biological processes that involve the conversion of energy into forms that are usable for chemical transformations are quantum mechanical in nature. These processes involve chemical reactions themselves, light absorption, formation of excited electronic states, transfer of excitation energy, transfer of electrons and protons, etc¹⁰. Molecular biology and biochemistry, though well grounded in empirical knowledge, have had no foundation in the principles of quantum theory¹. Biophysics must be based on more than classical physics in order to be able describe energy-based phenomena within cells such as quantum coherence and oscillating electromagnetic fields. Today, the field view of the organism and its interactions is finding increasing acceptance in biology, biophysics, and medicine¹. Quantum biology is an example of a new discipline which incorporates field theory and combines principles of biophysics and molecular biology based on quantum physics. It's interesting to note that some emerging sub-fields of bioenergy research are so new that their scientific descriptions are still being defined (e.g. biophotonics, quantum biology, and quantum chemistry).

Understanding the interaction between human energy and human biology is intrinsic to the scientific understanding of the basis of Qigong. At a basic level, all life depends on molecules interacting through vibrating or oscillating energy fields. Each electron, atom, chemical bond, molecule, cell, tissue, organ, strand of DNA, and the body as a whole has its own vibratory character^{11, 14}. A growing amount of energy field-based biophysics research is confirming the energetic nature of the human body. The heart, brain, and nervous system generate electromagnetic fields¹¹. Electromagnetic fields have been found to modulate cellular signaling molecules². Microtubules in cells generate oscillating electromagnetic fields which are believed to have an organizing affect upon water around microtubules and a role in cytoskeleton organization, cellular interactions, and information transfer ^{3, 6}. Bioelectric ion flows and gradients have been found to regulate cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation as well as appendage regeneration, embryogenesis, and formation of prepatterns for gene expression during craniofacial patterning⁴. Cancer cells have been detected by their electromagnetic signatures⁵, and their growth has been inhibited by specific electromagnetic frequencies⁷. Even the stomach generates measurable electric and magnetic fields⁹.

1.Bischof, M., Field Concepts and the Emergence of a Holistic Biophysics. International Institute of Biophysics, Published in: Beloussov, L.V., Popp, F.A., Voeikov, V.L., and Van Wijk, R., (eds.): Biophotonics and Coherent Systems. Moscow University Press, Moscow 2000, pp.1-25.

2. Pilla A, Fitzsimmons R, Muehsam D, Wu J, Rohde C, Casper D. Electromagnetic fields as first messenger in biological signaling: Application to calmodulin-dependent signaling in tissue repair, Biochim Biophys Acta. 2011.

3. Havelka D, Cifra M, Kucera O, Pokorny J, Vrba J., High-frequency electric field and radiation characteristics of cellular microtubule network, J Theor Biol., 2011.

4. Levin, M., Molecular bioelectricity in developmental biology: New tools and recent discoveries: Control of cell behavior and pattern formation by transmembrane potential gradients, Bioessays, 2012.

5. Pokorny, J., Vedruccio, C., Cifra, M., Kucera, O., Cancer physics: Diagnostics based on damped cellular elasto-electrical vibrations in microtubules, European Biophysics Journal, 2011.

6. Pokorny, J., Video: Microtubules - Electric Oscillating Structures in Living Cells (Google Workshop on Quantum Biology). 2010.

7. Zimmerman JW, Pennison MJ, Brezovich I, Yi N, Yang CT, Ramaker R, Absher D, Myers RM, Kuster N, Costa FP, Barbault A, Pasche B., Cancer cell proliferation is inhibited by specific modulation frequencies, Br J Cancer. 2011 Dec 1.

8. Georgiev, D., Bose-Einstein condensation of tunnelling photons in the brain cortex as a mechanism of conscious action, [Preprint], 2004.

9. Kim, et. al., Influence of body parameters on gastric bioelectric and biomagnetic fields in a realistic volume conductor, Physiol Meas. 2012 Mar 14.

10. Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Group, Quantum Biology, http://www.ks.uiuc.edu/Research/quantum_biology/.

11. Oschman, J., Energy Medicine: The Scientific Basis, Churchill Livingstone, 2000.

12. Salari, et. al., The Physical Mechanism for Retinal Discrete Dark Noise: Thermal Activation or Cellular Ultraweak Photon Emission?. PLoS One. 2016 Mar 7;11(3):e0148336. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0148336.

13. Tuszynski. The Bioelectric Circuitry of the Cell. Chapter 11 in Brain and Human Body Modeling: Computational Human Modeling at EMBC 2018 [Internet]. [PubMed]

14. Facchin, et. al. Physical energies to the rescue of damaged tissues. World J Stem Cells. 2019 June 26;11(6):297-321. [Pubmed].

Processing of fMRI-related anxiety and information flow between brain and body revealed a preponderance of oscillations at 0.15/0.16 Hz. Slow oscillations of different center frequencies and their coupling play an important role in brain-body interactions. This pattern of directed coupling between slow oscillations in the cortex and brainstem not only supports the existence of a pacemaker-like structure in brainstem, but provides first evidence that oscillations centered at 0.15/0.16 Hz can also emerge in brain networks. PMID: 35650314. 

Editorial: Nanotechnologies in Neuroscience and Neuroengineering. Neuroscience and Neuroengineering operate at the cellular level and their association with Nanotechnology is bringing unexpected strides. During the last decade, we have witnessed an unprecedented increase in the successful application of Nanotechnology to both basic Neuroscience and to Clinical Practice. Novel nanotechnologies are expected to bring important insights on brain mechanisms and medical care to patients.

Fashioning Cellular Rhythms with Magnetic Energy and Sound Vibration: a New Perspective for Regenerative Medicine. Compelling evidence recently shows that oscillations and synchronization of multiple oscillators is an essential requisite in living cells. This review discusses the most update and intriguing investigations demonstrating that circadian clocks exist at the subcellular and single cell level.

Introduction to Bioelectromagnetism.

Natural ELF Fields in the Atmosphere and in Living Organisms. Most electrical activity in vertebrates and invertebrates occurs at extremely low frequencies (ELF), with characteristic maxima below 50 Hz. The origin of these frequency maxima is unknown and remains a mystery. We propose that over billions of years during the evolutionary history of living organisms on Earth, the natural electromagnetic resonant frequencies in the atmosphere, continuously generated by global lightning activity, provided the background electric fields for the development of cellular electrical activity. In some animals, the electrical spectrum is difficult to differentiate from the natural background atmospheric electric field produced by lightning. In this paper, we present evidence for the link between the natural ELF fields and those found in many living organisms, including humans. 

Mitochondria are Key to Health and Aging

Mitochondrion: A bridge linking aging and degenerative diseases. Aging is a natural process, characterized by progressive loss of physiological integrity, impaired function, and increased vulnerability to death. For centuries, people have been trying hard to understand the process of aging and find effective ways to delay it. However, limited breakthroughs have been made in anti-aging area. Since the hallmarks of aging were summarized in 2013, increasing studies focus on the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in aging and aging-related degenerative diseases, such as neurodegenerative diseases, osteoarthritis, metabolic diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. Accumulating evidence indicates that restoring mitochondrial function and biogenesis exerts beneficial effects in extending lifespan and promoting healthy aging. In this paper, we provide an overview of mitochondrial changes during aging and summarize the advanced studies in mitochondrial therapies for the treatment of degenerative diseases. PMID: 37030614. 

Ends end it via mitochondria: A telomere-dependent tumor suppressive mechanism acts during replicative crisis. Telomere dysfunction communicates with mitochondria via the ZBP1-TERRA-MAVS axis. This pathway activates a detrimental innate immune response that may promote the elimination of cells prone to oncogenic transformation during replicative crisis, thus serving as a telomere-dependent tumor-suppressive mechanism. PMID: 37028414. 

The central role of mitochondrial fitness on antiviral defenses: An advocacy for physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. 2021. Mitochondria are central regulators of cellular metabolism, most known for their role in energy production. They can be “enhanced” by physical activity (including exercise), which increases their integrity, efficiency and dynamic adaptation to stressors, in short “mitochondrial fitness”. Mitochondrial fitness is closely associated with cardiorespiratory fitness and physical activity. PMCID: PMC8062414. 

Mitochondrial Psychobiology: Foundations and Applications. Picard, et al. 2019. Mitochondrial psychobiology is the study of the interactions between psychological states and the biological processes that take place within mitochondria. It also examines how mitochondrial behavior influence neural, endocrine, and immune systems known to transduce psychological experiences into health outcomes. Unlike traditional biological outcomes and mediators, mitochondria are dynamic and multifunctional living organisms. By leveraging a variety of laboratory tools including omics, scientists can now map mitochondrial behavior at multiple levels of complexity – from isolated molecular markers to dynamic functional and signaling outcomes. Here we discuss current efforts to develop relevant measures of mitochondrial behavior in accessible human tissues, increase their biological specificity by applying precise measurements in defined cell populations, create composite indices reflecting mitochondrial health, and integrate these approaches with psycho-neuro-endocrino-immune outcomes [PMCID: PMC7339630].

Defeating Diseases with Energy. Morad. Scientific American. 2018. A change in body energy can have a profound effect upon function. “My belief is that mitochondrial dysfunction underlies the etiology of most common complex diseases, as well as aging,” the author says. He explains that a person suffering from chronic headaches might see a neurologist, but there’s also the possibility that “there’s a systemic energy defect causing the headache. There’s nothing wrong anatomically with the brain.” Wallace believes the same can be said for problems with the heart, muscles, renal and endocrine systems. "We've completely ignored energy in Western medical philosophy," the author says.

A Mitochondrial Health Index Sensitive to Mood and Caregiving Stress. Picard et al., 2018. Chronic stress may induce recalibrations in mitochondria leading to changes either in mitochondrial content per cell, or in mitochondrial functional capacity (i.e., quality). Daily mood and chronic caregiving stress are associated with mitochondrial functional capacity. Mitochondrial health may represent a nexus between psychological stress and health. This research suggests how stress directly affects the body's production of energy [PMCID: PMC6014908].

Role of mitochondria in carcinogenesis. Tokarz, Blasiak. 2014. Mitochondria play the central role in supplying cells with ATP and are also the major source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) - molecules of both regulatory and destructive nature. Dysfunction of mitochondrial metabolism and/or morphology have been frequently reported in human cancers. Mitochondria with damaged DNA may alter signaling of the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway promoting cancer cell survival and conferring resistance to anticancer drugs [PMID: 25493442].

Targeting mitochondrial biogenesis for promoting health. Stefano et al., 2012. Mitochondrial biogenesis is a key physiological process that is required for normal growth and development and for maintenance of ongoing cellular energy requirements during aging. Of equivalent and or greater importance is the regulated enhancement of mitochondrial biogenesis upon physiological demand coupled to multiple cellular insults. Basically, cellular survival mechanisms following a variety of disease-related pathophysiological insults are entrained by convergent mechanisms designed to regain homeostatic control of mitochondrial biogenesis. Recent molecular studies represent a clearly defined approach to maximize normative cellular expression of mitochondrial biogenesis for maintenance of cellular energy requirements and as an anti-aging strategy in healthy human populations. Ensuring proper mitochondrial function represents a compelling therapeutic strategy for dealing with metabolic, degenerative, neurodegenerative, and metastatic diseases [PMCID: PMC3560740].

Mitochondria as Chi. Wallace. 2008. For the past 100 years, Western biomedical science has stood on two philosophical pillars: the anatomical paradigm of medicine and the Mendelian paradigm of genetics. While the anatomical paradigm of medicine and the Mendelian paradigm of genetics have been powerful predictors of medical relationships for the past century, they are failing to direct us toward solutions for the common age-related diseases. Life involves the interplay between structure and energy. Human diseases affecting a wide range of organs could result from systemic defects in energy metabolism and, second, hereditary human diseases could result from mutations in the non-Mendelian mtDNA. Consequently, mitochondrial biology and genetics become excellent candidates for expanding the anatomical and Mendelian paradigms to address the complexities of the age-related diseases, aging, and cancer [PMCID: PMC2429869].

Wei Qi Field

The body's energetic immune system

According to Medical Qigong theory there is a protective energy field around the body called the wei qi ("way chee") field. This electromagnetic energy field has a number of functions including extending past the skin to offer protection against a vast array of harmful energies and pathogens. It can be considered the body's energetic immune system. Internal organs generate this field which radiates through external tissues and interacts with surrounding environmental fields. In this article neuroscience researchers describe how they figured out a way to "feel" this invisible field or bubble that wraps around each of us.

We Have A ‘Force Field’ Around Our Bodies And Here’s How You Can Feel It

We don’t end where our bodies end.

Brain Networks and Gamma Synchrony

Gamma Rhythms in the Brain. Brain rhythms are activity fluctuations shared in populations of neurons. They are evident in extracellular electric fields and detectable through recordings performed within the brain or on the scalp. The gamma rhythm, a relatively high frequency (30– 80 Hz) component of these fluctuations, has received a great deal of attention. Gamma is modulated by sensory input and internal processes such as working memory and attention. Numerous theories have proposed that gamma contributes directly to brain function, but others argue that gamma is better viewed as a simple byproduct of network activity. Here we provide a basic introduction to this enigmatic signal, the mechanisms that generate it, and an accompanying paper in PLoS Biology attempting to elucidate its potential function.

Brain works like a radio receiver. Initial evidence is found that the brain has a 'tuning knob' that is actually influencing behavior. Brain circuits can tune into the frequency of other brain parts relevant at the time.

How the brain filters out distracting thoughts to focus on a single bit of information. Information is carried on top of gamma waves, just like songs are carried by radio waves. These "carrier waves" transmit information from one brain region to another. The lower frequencies are used to transmit memories of past experiences, and the higher frequencies are used to convey what is happening where you are right now. The cells can rapidly switch their activity to tune in to the slow waves or the fast waves, but they cannot listen to both at the exact same time. In this way, the brain cells can distinguish between an internal world of memories and a person's current experiences.

Brain Circuits Multitask to Detect, Discriminate the Outside World.

Successful Execution of Working Memory Linked to Synchronized High-Frequency Gamma Oscillations. These findings suggest that transient high gamma synchrony contributes to the successful execution of spatial working memory. Furthermore, the data are consistent with an association between transient high gamma synchrony and explicit awareness of the working memory content.

Biophysics Research

The Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Group (TCBG), an NIH Resource for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, was founded in 1989 and is located at the Beckman Institute of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). It is supported by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and other federal and private agencies.

Bioelectromagnetism: Principles and Applications of Bioelectric and Biomagnetic Fields. This book looks at the application of engineering science and technology to biological cells and tissues that are electrically conducting and excitable. It describes the theory and a wide range of applications in both electric and magnetic fields. The similarities and differences between bioelectricity and biomagnetism are described in detail from the viewpoint of lead field theory. This book aims to help with the understanding of the properties of existing bioelectric and biomagnetic measurements and stimulation methods, and to aid with the designing of new systems.

The Glymphatic System

Press Release: Scientists Discover Previously Unknown Cleansing System in Brain.

Technical Background: The Glymphatic System.

Article: Brain’s ‘Garbage Truck’ May Hold Key to Treating Alzheimer’s and Other Disorders.

Connectomics

Connectomics (Wikipedia) is the production and study of connectomes: comprehensive maps of connections within an organism's nervous system, typically its brain or eye.

Recent advances in non-invasive neuroimaging have enabled the measurement of connections between distant regions in the living human brain, thus opening up a new field of research: Human connectomics. Different imaging modalities allow the mapping of structural connections (axonal fibre tracts) as well as functional connections (correlations in time series), and individual variations in these connections may be related to individual variations in behaviour and cognition.

The Human Connectome Project. The NIH Human Connectome Project is an ambitious effort to map the neural pathways that underlie human brain function. The overarching purpose of the Project is to acquire and share data about the structural and functional connectivity of the human brain. It will greatly advance the capabilities for imaging and analyzing brain connections, resulting in improved sensitivity, resolution, and utility, thereby accelerating progress in the emerging field of human connectomics.

$40 million awarded to trace human brain's connections.

Also see Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative.

National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering

The mission of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) is to improve health by leading the development and accelerating the application of biomedical technologies. The Institute is committed to integrating the physical and engineering sciences with the life sciences to advance basic research and medical care. This is achieved through: research and development of new biomedical imaging and bioengineering techniques and devices to fundamentally improve the detection, treatment, and prevention of disease; enhancing existing imaging and bioengineering modalities; supporting related research in the physical and mathematical sciences; encouraging research and development in multidisciplinary areas; supporting studies to assess the effectiveness and outcomes of new biologics, materials, processes, devices, and procedures; developing technologies for early disease detection and assessment of health status; and developing advanced imaging and engineering techniques for conducting biomedical research at multiple scales.

Strategic Plan:

Goal 1: Develop innovative biomedical technologies that integrate engineering with the physical and life sciences to solve complex problems and improve health

Goal 2: Enable patient-centered health care through development of point-of-care, wireless, and personal health informatics technologies

Goal 3: Transform advances in knowledge of cellular and molecular disease mechanisms into precise medical diagnostics and therapeutics

Goal 4: Develop medical technologies that are low-cost, effective, and accessible to everyone

Goal 5: Train the next generation of diverse and interdisciplinary scientists, bioengineers, and health care providers and promote the value of research that synergizes these disciplines

Incorporating Biophysics into Biomedicine

There is no underlying theory for the relationship between bioenergy, physiology, electromagnetism, and biomolecular processing, and yet this interaction enables the function and health of every cell, organ, and tissue in the human body. Bioelectromagnetics, molecular biophysics, biophysics, bioenergetics, biophotonics, and photobiomodulation are examples of overlapping fields of research that are applying physics to biology and medicine. Biophysics is necessary to describe the organization, regulation, generation, and conversion of energy to support the rhythmic oscillatory patterns that sustain cellular function, signaling, and coordination. The electromagnetic fields that participate in these processes and functions constitute the bioenergetic foundation of life. An excellent introduction to the bioenergetic basis of life can be found in Energy Medicine: The Scientific Basis by James Oschman, PhD. 

Understanding the Feedback Loops between Energy, Matter and Life. This review gathers recent findings in biophysics that shed light on the biological principle of self-organization, spanning from molecules to more complicated systems with higher information processing capacity. The focus is on "feedback loops" from information and matter to an exchange component with a more fundamental meaning than "cybernetic regulation" and "maintenance of homeostasis". This article proposes that electric and electromagnetic forces are the most important mediators over large distances. Field-like mediation is distinguished from cell-to-cell communication by special electric- or ion-guiding mechanisms that create additional pathways to the "classical" mediators such as nerve conduction or blood flow. Resonance phenomena from phonons and photons in the visible range will be discussed in relation to organelles, cytoskeletal elements and molecules. In this context, the aqueous surrounding of molecules and cells is an important aspect. Many of these phenomena are caused by quantum physics, such as the tunneling of electrons in enzymes or in other coherent working systems. This suggests that quantum information processing is also spread over large-scale areas of an organism. PMID: 36575844. 

University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Brain Body Center for Psychophysiology and Bioengineering (BBCPB). The Brain-Body Center for Psychophysiology and Bioengineering (BBCPB) conducts research describing and evaluating the neurophysiological pathways that regulate behavioral state, social behavior, emotion, and stress reactivity. Our research is conducted within the framework of the Polyvagal Theory. The long term agenda of our research is to develop non-invasive techniques and strategies to optimize neural regulation of the autonomic nervous system, which would then support more optimal social behavior and mental and physical health. To support this effort, we design and test novel sensors and algorithms that quantify neural regulation of peripheral physiological processes linked to the autonomic and somatic activity of components of the Social Engagement System.

The Fourth Bioelectronic Medicine Summit "Technology Targeting Molecular Mechanisms": current progress, challenges, and charting the future. There is a broad and growing interest in Bioelectronic Medicine, a dynamic field that continues to generate new approaches in disease treatment. The fourth bioelectronic medicine summit "Technology targeting molecular mechanisms" took place on September 23 and 24, 2020. PMID: 34024277.

The new fields of electrophysiology and magnetogenetics are starting to  apply physics to biochemistry and defining the relationship between bioenergy and physiology. Biofield Physiology research, for example, explores the information flow resulting from electromagnetic fields that living systems generate to regulate biological function and homeostasis. 

Leskowitz, E. A cartography of energy medicine: From subtle anatomy to energy physiology. Explore. 2020, Nov. DOI: 10.1016/j.explore.2020.09.008

Hammerschlag R, Levin M, McCraty R, Bat N, Ives JA, Lutgendorf SK, Oschman JL. Biofield Physiology: A Framework for an Emerging Discipline. Glob Adv Health Med. 2015 Nov;4(Suppl):35-41. doi: 10.7453/gahmj.2015.015.suppl. Epub 2015 Nov 1. PMID: 26665040; PMCID: PMC4654783.

Bioelectronic medicines: Therapeutic potential and advancements in next-generation cancer therapy. Bioelectronic medicine has tremendous potential in biomedical sector including oncology research, research on biomechanical and chemical properties of cells and biomaterials, healing bone tissue using electromagnetic fields, and understanding bioelectrical properties of aging. Bioelectronic medicine uses electricity to alter the body's electrical communication systems in order to treat various illnesses. The bioelectric circuits produce an endogenous electric field and a resting voltage when the cells are functioning and communicating...It is possible to create new therapeutic options to slow the spread of cancer by taking advantage of the bioelectric properties of cancer cells. The treatment of cancer may benefit from bioelectronic medicine...It is crucial to identify or measure the electrical activity of body cells in order to control or modify bioelectricity and bring about changes in cell structure. PMID: 36208649. 

Physical energies to the rescue of damaged tissues

Rhythmic oscillatory patterns sustain cellular dynamics, driving the concerted action of regulatory molecules, microtubules, and molecular motors. We describe cellular microtubules as oscillators capable of synchronization and swarming, generating mechanical and electric patterns that impact biomolecular recognition. Rhythmic oscillatory patterns permeate the entire universe. Our cells encompass a seemingly infinity of rhythms, unfolding at the nanomechanical and electric level in the microtubular network. Essential signaling molecules are shown to behave as chromophores, supporting the absorbance and emission of light. Photobiomodulation is a rapidly growing area of inquiry for both deciphering novel signaling mechanisms and affording unprecedented clinical applications. The deployment of the diffusive features of physical energies is leading to a regenerative/precision medicine, based upon the reprogramming in situ of tissue-resident stem cells, without the needs for cell or tissue transplantation.

Science is increasingly looking at cell biology with the eyes of physics and electronics, providing compelling evidence that life is embedded within oscillatory patterns that create coherent rhythms, now recordable at cellular, subcellular, and even molecular levels. In addition to expressing rhythmically their molecular dynamics, cells are able to organize their decisions and fate by detecting and deploying the physical energies that permeate nature, including extremely weak mechanical vibrations (nanomotions), magnetic fields, and electromagnetic radiations (light).

As in the universe, in biological organisms, rhythmic oscillations and synchronization of oscillatory patterns are an essential requisite for recognition and connectedness. Sophisticated approaches, including atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), terahertz field microscopy (TFM), and hyperspectral imaging (HSIO are now providing a dynamic picture of the cellular environment at a nanoscale level, showing that mobile elements of the cyto- and nucleo-skeleton are dancing with patterns that display features of coherence, short- and long-range signal propagation, networking, and memory [PMC6600852].

Toward an electromagnetic paradigm for biology and medicine 

Work by Lund, Burr, Becker, and others leads to the inescapable conclusion that organisms tend to express quasisystemic electric changes when perturbed, and, conversely, will tend toward wellness either through endogenous repair currents or the application of equivalent external currents. We show that an all-inclusive electromagnetic field representation for living systems is fully consistent with this extensive body of work. This electrogenomic field may provide the basis for a new paradigm in biology and medicine that is radically different from the present emphasis on molecular biology and biochemistry. An electromagnetic field description also enables a more rational transformation from the genome than the present endpoint, universally stated in terms of the so-called visible characteristics. Furthermore, once the organism is described as an electromagnetic entity, this strongly suggests the reason for the efficacy of the various electromagnetic therapies, namely as the most direct means of restoring the body's impacted electromagnetic field to its normal state [PMID: 15025877] [PDF].

Bioelectronic medicine for restoring autonomic balance in autoimmune diseases. The aim of this mini-review is to introduce most prevalent autoimmune diseases, emphasize the importance of sympatho-parasympathetic imbalance in these autoimmune diseases, demonstrate how such imbalance can be effectively treated using the bioelectronic medicine, and describe potential mechanisms of bioelectronic medicine effects on the autoimmune activity at the cellular and molecular levels. PMCID: PMC10125261. 

Sound research: Scientific innovations harness noise and acoustics for healing. In examples from four Stanford labs, scientists are investigating harnessing the nuances of noise and the power of acoustics to generate inventive, if not unexpected, technologies that show just how potent the combination of sound and science can be. Read Article.

Biomagnetic Healing: A Rationale for its Use

Bioelectromagnetic Healing: A Rationale for its Use. A short introduction to bioelectromagnetic medicine. This book includes chapters on History of Electromedicine, Coherent Natural and Stimulated Biophoton Emission, Effects of Electromagnetic Fields on the Body, Biological Effects of Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields, Bioelectromagnetic Healing, and Electromagnetism in Nature.

The ability to measure matter to smaller and smaller levels has enabled deeper understanding of human biophysics. 

Science is increasingly looking at cell biology with the eyes of physics and electronics, providing compelling evidence that life is embedded within oscillatory patterns that create coherent rhythms, now recordable at cellular, subcellular, and even molecular levels. In addition to expressing rhythmically their molecular dynamics, cells are able to organize their decisions and fate by detecting and deploying the physical energies that permeate nature, including extremely weak mechanical vibrations (nanomotions), magnetic fields, and electromagnetic radiations (light). [PMC6600852]

Microtubules - Electric Oscillating Structures in Living Cells (Google Workshop on Quantum Biology)

Fröhlich formulated hypothesis of coherent electromagnetic activity in biological systems. The full featured Fröhlich's system is described by two complementary nonlinear models: the one with spectral energy channeling and energy condensation in the lowest frequency mode, the other with creation of a ferroelectric state and a potential valley for oscillation amplitudes. Electric and electromagnetic oscillations in various biological systems were found in a wide frequency range from acoustic to visible and UV bands but their internal physical mechanisms are rather unclear.

Bundles of Brain Microtubules Generate Electrical Oscillations. Microtubules (MTs) are long cylindrical structures of the cytoskeleton that control cell division, intracellular transport, and the shape of cells. MTs also form bundles, which are particularly prominent in neurons, where they help define axons and dendrites. MTs are bio-electrochemical transistors that form nonlinear electrical transmission lines. Electrical oscillations are an intrinsic property of brain MT bundles, which may have important implications in the control of various neuronal functions, including the gating and regulation of cytoskeleton-regulated excitable ion channels and electrical activity that may aid and extend to higher brain functions such as memory and consciousness. ResearchGate .PDF.

Quantum Processes in Neurophotonics and the Origin of the Brain's Spatiotemporal Hierarchy. The brain seems to function more as a nonlinear spatiotemporal hierarchy of interacting, dynamically layered systems. The brain's hierarchy apparently spans multiple layers covering at least 12 orders of magnitude reaching from large (nearly brain-wide, ∼10 cm), relatively slow (<100 Hertz, “Hz”) processes based on neuronal membranes and synaptic network activities (e.g., electroencephalography, “EEG”), downward and inward to increasingly smaller and faster molecular scales inside neurons including kilohertz (103 Hz), megahertz (106 Hz), gigahertz (109 Hz), and terahertz (1012 Hz) dynamics of cytoskeletal filaments and their constituents at micrometer, nanometer and subnanometer size scales. These faster, smaller processes delve into biomolecular quantum states whose properties are suggested to offer solutions to questions related to cognition and consciousness. Read abstract.

Electric Resonance in Microtubules

Quantum Cognition and Brain Microtubules

Cognitive decision processes are generally seen as classical Bayesian probabilities, but better suited to quantum mathematics. For example: 1) Psychological conflict, ambiguity and uncertainty can be viewed as (quantum) superposition of multiple possible judgments and beliefs. 2) Measurement (e.g. answering a question, reaching a decision) reduces possibilities to definite states ('constructing reality', 'collapsing the wave function'). 3) Previous questions influence subsequent answers, so sequence affects outcomes ('contextual non-commutativity'). 4) Judgments and choices may deviate from classical logic, suggesting random, or 'non-computable' quantum influences. Can quantum cognition operate in the brain? Do classical brain activities simulate quantum processes? Or have biomolecular quantum devices evolved? Hameroff discusses how a finer scale, intra-neuronal level of quantum information processing in cytoskeletal microtubules can accumulate, operate upon and integrate quantum information and memory for self-collapse to classical states which regulate axonal firings, controlling behavior.

Discovery of quantum vibrations in 'microtubules' inside brain neurons supports controversial theory of consciousness.

Selected Peer-Reviewed Bioenergy Research

Biological Effects of Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields above 100 MHz on Fauna and Flora: Workshop Report. PMID: 36480583. 

Biological Effects of Electric, Magnetic, and Electromagnetic Fields from 0 to 100 MHz on Fauna and Flora: Workshop Report. PMID: 36480584. 

Bioresonance therapy may treat depression. Bioresonance therapy could be useful in the treatment of recurrent major depressive disorder with moderate depressive episodes independently or as a complementary therapy to antidepressants. [PMCID: PMC8169130].

Human mind has microwave electromagnetic nature and can be recorded and processed. Discovery of the phenomenon of the microwave radiation of the human brain provides evidence to the idea that thinking and mind are material. The microwave electromagnetic activity of the brain is billion-fold different from the bioelectric activity recorded by the encephalography. This phenomenon has the potential to become a new informational channel of the diagnostics of the functional and pathological state of the higher nervous activity of the human brain. It can provide the basis for the development of the equipment for real-time analysis of the microwave bioelectric activity of the brain in norm and pathology, for objective early diagnostics of the functional and emotional conditions as well as of the psychiatric disorders at the preclinical stage, for the biocontrol of the human brain and the artificial simulators of the human brain. [PMID: 33223041].

Piezoelectric and magnetoelectric scaffolds for tissue regeneration and biomedicine; A Review. Electric fields are ubiquitous throughout the body, playing important roles in a multitude of biological processes including osteo-regeneration, cell signaling, nerve regeneration, cardiac function and DNA replication.  The ability to apply electric fields in a minimally invasive manner to remote areas of the body remains a critical and unmet need. Here, we report on the potential of magnetoelectric-based composites to overcome this challenge. Magnetoelectric materials are capable of producing localized electric fields in response to an applied magnetic field, which the body is permeable to. Yet, the use of magnetoelectric materials for biomedical applications is just beginning to be explored. [PMID: 32866097].

Resolving the connectome - Spectrally-specific functional connectivity networks and their distinct contributions to behaviour.  Even at rest, the human brain displays spontaneous coordinated rhythmic patterns of activity. Partitioning these according to their temporal properties reveals networks of distributed brain areas synchronized at different frequencies. The properties of these networks differ across individuals and are predictive of the brain's response to tasks, pointing to a functional substrate underlying variability of task-related responses. [PMID: 32826259].

Non-invasive brain intervention techniques used in patients with disorders of consciousness. Non-invasive brain intervention techniques include transcranial magnetic stimulation, transcranial electric stimulation, music stimulation, near-infrared laser stimulation, focused shock wave therapy, low-intensity focused ultrasound pulsation and transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation. These techniques present numerous advantages such as being painless, safe and inexpensive.

The Bioelectric Code: Reprogramming Cancer and Aging From the Interface of Mechanical and Chemical Microenvironments. Cellular membrane voltage (Vm), has been documented to exert control over cellular behavior both in culture and in vivo. Manipulating this fundamental cellular property influences a remarkable array of organism-wide patterning events, producing striking outcomes in both tumorigenesis as well as regeneration. These studies suggest that Vm is not only a key intrinsic cellular property, but also an integral part of the microenvironment that acts in both space and time to guide cellular behavior.

Inverse Drug Screening of Bioelectric Signaling and Neurotransmitter Roles: Illustrated Using a Xenopus Tail Regeneration Assay. the interplay between genetics, physiology, and anatomy in the control of structure and function. An important emerging field is the study of bioelectric signaling, the exchange of ion- and neurotransmitter-mediated messages among all types of cells (not just nerve and muscle cells), in the regulation of growth and form during embryogenesis, regeneration, and cancer.

Bioelectric gene and reaction networks: computational modelling of genetic, biochemical and bioelectrical dynamics in pattern regulation.

Electromagnetic Fields for the Regulation of Neural Stem Cells.

Biophysical mechanisms complementing "classical" cell biology. This overview addresses phenomena in cell- and molecular biology which are puzzling by their fast and highly coordinated way of organization.

Precision knockdown of EGFR gene expression using radio frequency electromagnetic energy. Electromagnetic fields (EMF) in the radio frequency energy (RFE) range can affect cells at the molecular level. This technology opens vast possibilities of targeting a broad range of molecules with applications in medicine.

Extremely low frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) reduces oxidative stress and improves functional and psychological status in ischemic stroke patients.

The cell's self-generated "electrome": The biophysical essence of the immaterial dimension of Life? In analogy with "genome," "proteome" etc. "electrome" (a novel term) stands for the totality of all ionic currents of any living entity, from the cellular to the organismal level. Cellular electricity is truly vital. Death of any cell ensues at the very moment that it irreversibly (excluding regeneration) loses its ability to realize its electrical dimension. Ionic/electrical currents associated with the cytoskeleton likely play a key role in cellular function and communication but have been largely overlooked. This paper aims at initiating a discussion platform from which students with different backgrounds but all interested in the immaterial dimension of life could engage in elaborating an integrating vocabulary and in initiating experimental approaches.

Environmental Light and Its Relationship with Electromagnetic Resonances of Biomolecular Interactions, as Predicted by the Resonant Recognition Model. The meaning and influence of light to biomolecular interactions, and consequently to health, has been analyzed using the Resonant Recognition Model (RRM). The RRM proposes that biological processes/interactions are based on electromagnetic resonances between interacting biomolecules at specific electromagnetic frequencies within the infra-red, visible and ultra-violet frequency ranges, where each interaction can be identified by the certain frequency critical for resonant activation of specific biological activities of proteins and DNA. We found that: (1) the various biological interactions could be grouped according to their resonant frequency into super families of these functions, enabling simpler analyses of these interactions and consequently analyses of influence of electromagnetic frequencies to health; (2) the RRM spectrum of all analyzed biological functions/interactions is the same as the spectrum of the sun light on the Earth, which is in accordance with fact that life is sustained by the sun light.

Bioelectromagnetic medicine: the role of resonance signaling. Ultrasmall magnetic intensities are biologically significant which suggests that EM signaling is endogenous to cell regulation, and consequently that the remarkable effectiveness of EM resonance treatments reflects a fundamental aspect of biological systems. Organisms contain mechanisms for generating biologically useful electric signals.

Nonlinear quantum phenomena and biophysical aspects of complexity related to health and disease. In this paper we discuss living systems as a non-linear self-interacting phenomenon, stabilized by the non-linear interaction between matter and self-created electromagnetic field. Such electromagnetic field can arise, in particular, as the radiation from electrosolitons which mediate the charge transport along macromolecules in metabolic redox processes. The non-linear nature of solitons results in an effective mechanism and leads to the synchronization of redox processes. It allows intra- and intercellular communication and long-range coherence in the system. One peculiar property of solitons is the resonant effect of external weak stimuli on their dynamics, which can explain the mechanism of low-intensity (non-thermal) electromagnetic therapies. We also discuss the stabilizing role of noise and spatial symmetry breaking in living organisms as open dissipative structures far from equilibrium, and health/disease states as the corresponding attractors of the system in the multi-parametric phase diagram. The essential role of electromagnetic potentials in self-regulation and self-healing processes is analyzed, based on the long-range matter-field interaction and fast information transfer, provided by the electromagnetic potentials.

Life Rhythm as a Symphony of Oscillatory Patterns: Electromagnetic Energy and Sound Vibration Modulates Gene Expression for Biological Signaling and Healing. Our lives contain a seeming infinity of rhythms, with vibrations at the atomic and molecular levels and within biochemical reaction rates. The physiological correlates of the rhythms of the breath, heartbeat, and brain have been extensively studied and shown to be intimately related to our emotions, thoughts, and psychospiritual state.

Fashioning Cellular Rhythms with Magnetic Energy and Sound Vibration: a New Perspective for Regenerative Medicine. Compelling evidence recently shows that oscillations and synchronization of multiple oscillators is an essential requisite in living cells. Proper delivery of radioelectric fields is able to finely tune the expression of multipotency in human adult stem cells and to afford a direct reprogramming of human dermal skin fibroblasts into cardiac-, neuronal- and skeletal muscle-like cells. Vibrational/acoustic energy is an inherent property of living cells,

“Nanosized Voltmeter” Enables Cellular-Wide Electric Field Mapping. Electric fields (E fields) are found in and surround every living cell and are critical for the proper functioning of biological processes. These E fields are as widely varied as the high internal fields that preserve cells' energy-dependent nonequilibrium chemical steady state, or the cell-to-cell signaling fields in complex organisms. Biological E fields can affect the entire human body, such as the E fields associated with neural signals or cardiac rhythm. Externally applied E fields have been employed in the modulation of a variety of physiological and pathophysiological processes, and significant alteration/adaptation of cellular regulatory processes have been achieved. In the clinical management of wound healing, external E fields have been shown to accelerate repair (5). Both endogenous and applied E fields have been demonstrated to stimulate Xenopus nerve growth and regeneration (6). Exposure of cells in culture to short E field pulses induces electroporation of membranes for the delivery of nucleotides, peptides, and small proteins.

Clinical neurophysiology of brain plasticity in aging brain. Italian researchers have studied the process of physiological brain activity by utilizing non-invasive electromagnetic means. Their integrated approach to research utilizing modern neurophysiological techniques, including electroencephalography (EEG), event-related potentials (ERPs), and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), together with biological markers and structural and functional imaging is promising for large-scale, affordable, and noninvasive medicine and testing drug actions.

A Protein Has Been Caught Conducting Electricity, And Scientists Are Really Excited

Proteins, the building blocks in every cell, have usually been thought of as blobs of inert organic matter. Now scientists have caught one particular protein doing something incredible: conducting electricity. If the findings can be replicated and used, we could have ourselves a powerful new diagnostic tool for medical use, capable of identifying single protein molecules with a little blip of electrical current. More....

Biofield Physiology: A Framework for an Emerging Discipline

Biofield physiology is proposed as an overarching descriptor for the electromagnetic, biophotonic, and other types of spatially-distributed fields that living systems generate and respond to as integral aspects of cellular, tissue, and whole organism self-regulation and organization. Medical physiology, cell biology, and biophysics provide the framework within which evidence for biofields, their proposed receptors, and functions is presented. As such, biofields can be viewed as affecting physiological regulatory systems in a manner that complements the more familiar molecular-based mechanisms. Examples of clinically relevant biofields are the electrical and magnetic fields generated by arrays of heart cells and neurons that are detected, respectively, as electrocardiograms (ECGs) or magnetocardiograms (MCGs) and electroencephalograms (EEGs) or magnetoencephalograms (MEGs). PMCID: PMC4654783. 

Assessment of cognitive-motor functions in adults with perceived neuropsychological problems using NIH toolbox after remote biofield energy treatment as non-pharmacological intervention: A randomized double-blind placebo controlled trial. The results suggest that remote biofield energy therapy is a safe, noninvasive intervention that improves cognitive and motor functions in adults. PMID: 39270308. 

Perception of Subtle Energy “Prana”, and Its Effects During Biofield Practices: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis. The idea of "life force" or "subtle pranic energy," sometimes referred to as prana, ki, qi, vital force, and scientifically accepted as biofield, is prevalent across many cultures. This review's objective is to synthesize data from studies that looked at a range of physical, psychological, and biofield sensations while experiencing prana and receiving biofield therapies. PMCID: PMC10498708. 

Biofield Science

Biofield Science and Healing: An Emerging Frontier in Medicine. A special issue of Global Advances of Health Medicine on Biofield Science,  Research, and Clinical Applications. Citation: Global Adv Health Med. 2015;4(suppl):3-4. DOI: 10.7453/gahmj.2015.105. suppl. Articles include History, Terminology, and Concepts; Current Physics Perspectives; Framework for an Emerging Discipline; Overview of Biofield Devices; and Clinical Studies of Biofield Therapies: Summary, Methodological Challenges, and Recommendations.

Biofield Therapies: Guidelines for Reporting Clinical Trials. This report highlights guidelines that have been created to improve the reporting of clinical trials of biofield therapies, e.g. External Qigong, Healing Touch, Reiki, and Therapeutic Touch. Appropriate use of these guidelines is likely to strengthen the evidence base for biofield therapies as well as increase their usage as stand-alone practices and as complementary therapies within mainstream healthcare.

The Bioelectric Circuitry of the Cell

[Chapter 11 in Brain and Human Body Modeling: Computational Human Modeling at EMBC 2018]

This chapter presents an overview of electric conduction in living cells when viewed as a composition of bioelectric circuits. We review the cell’s components that are known to exhibit electric conduction properties and represent them as parts of a complex circuitry. In particular, we discuss conductivity of the membrane, ion channels, actin filaments, DNA, and microtubules, each of which play important roles in the biological functioning of the cell. A new picture emerges where electrical conduction within the cell is taking place in an integrated fashion and may explain synchronization and orchestration of the cell dynamics. [Free Full Text] [PMID: 31725231].

Bioelectricity, Electrophysiology, and Morphogenesis

Dr. Michael Levin at the Department of Biology, Tufts University is at the forefront of researching the relationship between physiology and bioenergy. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine the Eight Extraordinary vessels or meridians are the energy template of the body. This energy template or field is affected by the environment and is the fundamental pattern that provides the basis for human growth and morphology. Levin's and other researchers' work expands our basic understanding of bioelectric morphogenetic processes responsible for the generation and repair of complex anatomy through researching and understanding our endogenous voltage gradients, ion flows, and electric fields.

Unveiling the morphogenetic code: A new path at the intersection of physical energies and chemical signaling. Tassinari, et al., 2021. The journey for understanding how physics may orchestrate molecular and cellular patterning up to contribute shapes and anatomical homeodynamics has started many years ago. Nevertheless, only recently we are facing the re-discovery of the potential for using physical energies to afford efficient modulation of cell signaling, tissue patterning and rescue. This editorial discusses the remarkable role of physical energies in the control of cell signaling networks and in the specification of the architectural plan of both somatic and stem cells. In particular, we focus on the biological relevance of bioelectricity in the pattern control that orchestrates both developmental and regenerative pathways [PMCID: PMC8567452].

On the Coupling of Mechanics With Bioelectricity and Its Role in Morphogenesis. Leronni...Levin. 2020. The role of endogenous bioelectricity in morphogenesis has recently been explored through the finite volume-based code BioElectric Tissue Simulation Engine. We extend this platform to electrostatic and osmotic forces due to bioelectrical ion fluxes, causing cell cluster deformation. We further account for mechanosensitive ion channels, which, gated by membrane tension, modulate ion fluxes and, ultimately, bioelectrical forces [PMCID: PMC7328399].

Bioelectric Signaling in Regeneration: Mechanisms of Ionic Controls of Growth and Form. McLaughlin, Levin. 2018. The ability to control pattern formation is critical for the both the embryonic development of complex structures as well as for the regeneration/repair of damaged or missing tissues and organs. In addition to chemical gradients and gene regulatory networks, endogenous ion flows are key regulators of cell behavior. Not only do bioelectric cues provide information needed for the initial development of structures, they also enable the robust restoration of normal pattern after injury. In order to expand our basic understanding of morphogenetic processes responsible for the repair of complex anatomy, we need to identify the roles of endogenous voltage gradients, ion flows, and electric fields. In complement to the current focus on molecular genetics, decoding the information transduced by bioelectric cues enhances our knowledge of the dynamic control of growth and pattern formation [PMCID: PMC5753428].

Endogenous bioelectrical networks store non-genetic patterning information during development and regeneration. Levin. 2014. This research explores the relationships between bioelectrical networks and cell behaviors, morphogenesis, regeneration, and cancer. The body's bioelectric signaling is an autonomous layer of control not reducible to a biochemical or genetic account of cell state nor is the real-time dynamics of bioelectric communication among cells fully captured by transcriptomic or proteomic analyses. This is a strong scientific validation of TCM Eight Extraordinary Vessels theory which "provides a blueprint of understanding how energy is formed and flows in the body (see Fabric of the Soul: 8 Extraordinary Vessels for an overview of related TCM theory). This research provides direct verification of our intrinsic energetic nature as well as new insight into the relationship between physiology and bioelectricity, for which there is no current theory [PMCID: PMC4048089].

Brainless Embryos Suggest Bioelectricity Guides Growth. Researchers are building a case that long before the nervous system works, the brain sends crucial bioelectric signals to guide the growth of embryonic tissues.

Toward AI-Driven Discovery of Electroceuticals - Dr. Michael Levin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pG6V4SagZE

Bioelectric Networks as the Interface to Somatic Intelligence for Regenerative Medicine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXJd2EE65YA

Michael Levin: The electrical blueprints that orchestrate life | TED

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XheAMrS8Q1c

Michael Levin | Taming the Collective Intelligence of Cells for Regenerative Medicine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41b254BcMJM

Biological Information beyond Genes: Bioelectricity | Michael Levin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WamKZyowX3Q

(Electroceuticals)

Collective intelligence of cell swarms | Prof. Michael Levin | AI Forward Forum

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmRaIQOlxTY

Dr Michael Levin - Bioelectric networks: from body intelligence to regenerative medicine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOYar9sT3_0

Bioelectric Fields at the Beginnings of Life. In this article, we suggest that a missing factor in origins of life theories is that a flow of ions, for instance in a deep-sea thermal vent, generated an electric field, which led to a far from equilibrium dissipative self-organizing structure and a prototypical morphogenetic field putting bioelectricity center stage in the origin and evolution of life. This might suggest that the smallest quanta of life, at least on this planet, is a self-replicating and adaptive structure capable of maintaining a self-reinforcing biofield that enables the dissipation of an energy gradient, which, critically, holds information about its overall shape. From this perspective, the uncoupling of ion gradients and futile cycling can perhaps be viewed as mechanisms not only to enable dissipation, but also to maintain these fields, and so fulfil the arrow of entropy. PMC9810354. 

Three Forms of Biofield Energy

(1) Transmission from human to human: The term “biofield” here refers to some form of energy that is transmitted from one person to another during practices like External Qi Therapy, Reiki, Johrei, Polarity Therapy, Therapeutic Touch, Pranic Healing, and Healing Touch. 

 (2) Frequency Therapy: Technology for diagnosing and treating illness and chronic conditions: Energy-Based Medical Technologies and Therapies.

 (3) Self-initiated practice: Epigenetics, Psychoneuroimmunology, and Qigong and Qigong and Gene Expression.

Qigong - Energy Medicine for the New Millenium. What is Energy Medicine?

The Biofield Hypothesis: Its Biophysical Basis and Role in Medicine

ABSTRACT: This paper provides a scientific foundation for the biofield: the complex, extremely weak electromagnetic field of the organism hypothesized to involve electromagnetic bioinformation for regulating homeodynamics. The biofield is a useful construct consistent with bioelectromagnetics and the physics of nonlinear, dynamical, nonequilibrium living systems. It offers a unifying hypothesis to explain the interaction of objects or fields with the organism, and is especially useful toward understanding the scientific basis of energy medicine, including acupuncture, biofield therapies, bioelectromagnetic therapies, and homeopathy.

The biofield is defined as the endogenous, complex dynamic electromagnetic (EM) field resulting from the superposition of component EM fields of the organism that is proposed to be involved in self-organization and bioregulation of the organism. The components of the biofield are the EM fields contributed by each individual oscillator or electrically charged, moving particle or ensemble of particles of the organism (ion, molecule, cell, tissue, etc.), according to principles of conventional physics. The resulting biofield may be conceived of as a very complex dynamic standing wave. It has a broad spectral bandwidth, being composed of many different EM frequencies, analogous to a musical symphony with many harmonics that change over time.

However, evidence shows that not just the frequency of the EM field, but other field parameters including waveform, intensity, carrier frequency, modulation frequency, polarity, and time exposure patterns are involved in the specific biological responses to externally applied EM fields. There is no single or ultimate homeostatic balance point in biologic systems because they are self-organizing systems with many more possibilities than a single steady state. They also rely on dynamics other than feedback control such as strange attractors and innumerable flows of information to regulate themselves. Thus, the concept of homeostasis is limited and is undergoing replacement by a new concept, homeodynamics.

In homeodynamics, the processes that render dynamic stability proceed simultaneously at multiple levels of organization, from the molecular level to that of the whole being, and with various time scales. These processes are constantly adjusting to the myriad information flows and the entire lifeline or history of the organism. In this way, the organism integrates a huge number of information signals and responds appropriately. The biofield is proposed to act as a regulator of homeodynamics to coordinate life functions PMID: 12614524 [PDF].

Rubik, B., The Biofield Hypothesis: Its Biophysical Basis and Role in Medicine. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Vol. 8. No 6, 2002, pp. 703-717.

The role of biofield energy treatment on psychological symptoms, mental health disorders, and stress-related quality of life in adult subjects: A randomized controlled clinical trial. Conclusions: Results suggest that experimenter's biofield energy plays a significant role in information transfer processes that contribute to individual's state of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being as well as improved overall health and quality of life.  PMCID: PMC10227731. 

Human Biofield Therapy Modulates Tumor Microenvironment and Cancer Stemness in Mouse Lung Carcinoma. Exposure to biofields from a human is capable of enhancing cancer cell death. PMID: 32975128. 

Human Energy Field: A Concept Analysis. The human energy field is defined as a luminous field of energy that comprises a person, extends beyond the physical body, and is in a continuous mutual process with the environmental energy field. It is a vital energy that is a continuous whole and is recognized by its unique pattern; it is dynamic, creative, nonlinear, unpredictable, and flows in lower and higher frequencies. The balanced HEF is characterized by flow, rhythm, symmetry, and gentle vibration.

Biofield Physiology: A Framework for an Emerging Discipline. Biofield physiology is proposed as an overarching descriptor for the electromagnetic, biophotonic, and other types of spatially-distributed fields that living systems generate and respond to as integral aspects of cellular, tissue, and whole organism self-regulation and organization. Medical physiology, cell biology, and biophysics provide the framework within which evidence for biofields, their proposed receptors, and functions is presented. As such, biofields can be viewed as affecting physiological regulatory systems in a manner that complements the more familiar molecular-based mechanisms. Examples of clinically relevant biofields are the electrical and magnetic fields generated by arrays of heart cells and neurons that are detected, respectively, as electrocardiograms (ECGs) or magnetocardiograms (MCGs) and electroencephalograms (EEGs) or magnetoencephalograms (MEGs).

 Biofield Science and Healing: History, Terminology, and Concepts.

Coherence and Entrainment

The bioenergetic basis of life is comprised of energy fields. Coherence (constructive interference) and entrainment are terms used to describe the generation, organization, and interaction of the fields.

Body function and well-being depends upon the degree of coherence which is reflected in the Heart Rate Variability (HRV). HRV is an indicator of Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) function. Generally speaking, relaxation and regeneration occurs when the ANS is in parasympathetic (highly coherent, or entrained) mode. Qigong moving meditation creates coherence and entrainment of body systems and cells.

The body generates electromagnetic fields of varying types and intensities. For instance, the heart generates an electromagnetic field many times greater than that of the brain. The electromagnetic fields of people have been measured from as far as six feet away using SQUIDS. This gives a real physical meaning to the term "charisma." Science is just beginning to investigate the properties of these fields. They have been part of energetic medicine and eastern spiritual and wellness practices for millenia where terms such as  aura, chakra, dantien, meridians, and others refer to different parts or combinations of the fields.

Nonlinear analysis of heart rate variability signals in meditative state: a review and perspective. Although understanding the dynamical complexity of HRV is not an easy task, the advances in nonlinear analysis has significantly helped in analyzing the impact of meditation of heart regulations. In this review, we intend to present the various nonlinear approaches, scientific findings and their limitations to develop deeper insights to carry out further research on this topic. Literature have shown that research focus on nonlinear domain is mainly concentrated on assessing predictability, fractality, and entropy-based dynamical complexity of HRV signal. Although there were some conflicting results, most of the studies observed a reduced dynamical complexity, reduced fractal dimension, and decimated long-range correlation behavior during meditation. However, techniques, such as multiscale entropy (MSE) and multifractal analysis (MFA) of HRV can be more effective in analyzing non-stationary HRV signal, which were hardly used in the existing research works on meditation. PMCID: PMC10103447. 

Rhythmic Memory Consolidation in the Hippocampus. Functions of the brain and body are oscillatory in nature and organized according to a logarithmic scale. Brain oscillations and bodily functions such as respiration and heartbeat appear nested within each other and coupled together either based on phase or based on phase and amplitude. This facilitates communication in wide-spread neuronal networks and probably also between the body and the brain. It is a widely accepted view, that nested electrophysiological brain oscillations involving the neocortex, thalamus, and the hippocampus form the basis of memory consolidation. PMCID: PMC9011342. 

The Slowest Shared Resonance: A Review of Electromagnetic Field Oscillations Between Central and Peripheral Nervous Systems. Electromagnetic field oscillations produced by the brain are increasingly being viewed as causal drivers of consciousness. Recent research has highlighted the importance of the body's various endogenous rhythms in organizing these brain-generated fields through various types of entrainment. We expand this approach by examining evidence of extracerebral shared oscillations between the brain and other parts of the body, in both humans and animals. We then examine the degree to which these data support one of General Resonance Theory's (GRT) principles: the Slowest Shared Resonance (SSR) principle, which states that the combination of micro- to macro-consciousness in coupled field systems is a function of the slowest common denominator frequency or resonance. This principle may be utilized to develop a spatiotemporal hierarchy of brain-body shared resonance systems. It is predicted that a system's SSR decreases with distance between the brain and various resonating structures in the body. The various resonance relationships examined, including between the brain and gastric neurons, brain and sensory organs, and brain and spinal cord, generally match the predicted SSR relationships, empirically supporting this principle of GRT. PMCID: PMC8888685.

See also: Non-linear Dynamics of Homeostasis, Function, and Consciousness.

Institute of Heart Math

The Institute of Heart Math is the first organization to systematically research human coherence and entrainment and make that research known to a wide audience. The Institute's mission is researching the link between emotions, heart-brain communication, and cognitive function. Just as oscillators provide the timing for computers, coordination of body function via rhythms such as heart beat and respiration are described by coherence and entrainment.

The following summary is from the Heart Math website:The term coherence is used to describe two or more waves (or systems) that are either phase- or frequency-locked. This is also called entrainment. In the coherent mode, respiration, heart rhythms, and blood pressure rhythms become entrained and oscillate at the same frequency. The term cross-coherence is used to specify this type of coherence. Note that this use of the term coherent is different than its use to describe coherent waves, which are man-made concentrated radiation that can harm biological organisms.Physiological coherence is a state characterized by:

• High heart rhythm coherence (sine wave-like rhythmic pattern)
• Increased parasympathetic activity
• Increased entrainment and synchronization between physiological systems
• Efficient and harmonious functioning of the cardiovascular, nervous, hormonal and immune systems

An exchange of electromagnetic energy produced by the heart occurs when people touch or are in proximity. Signal averaging techniques are used to show that one's electrocardiogram (ECG) signal is registered in another person's electroencephalogram (EEG) and elsewhere on the other person's body. While this signal is strongest when people are in contact, it is still detectable when subjects are in proximity without contact.Sustained positive emotions affect bodily functions. Thus, there are physiological correlates of positive emotion. This is called psychophysiological coherence. This mode, characterized by heart rhythm coherence, increased heart-brain synchronization and entrainment of diverse physiological oscillatory systems, is associated with increased emotional stability, improved cognitive performance, and a range of positive health-related outcomes.

Additionally, individuals frequently report feelings of increased spiritual connectedness during psychophysiologically coherent states. Through the use of tools and technologies that foster positive emotions and psychophysiological coherence, individuals can effectively initiate a repatterning process, whereby habitual emotional patterns underlying stress are replaced with new, healthier patterns that establish increased emotional stability, mental acuity, and physiological efficiency.

The heart generates the largest electromagnetic field in the body. Its electrical field as measured in an electrocardiogram (ECG) is about sixty times greater in amplitude than the brain waves recorded in an electroencephalogram (EEG). The magnetic component of the heart's field, which is around five thousand times stronger than that produced by the brain, is not impeded by tissues and can be measured several feet away from the body with Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID)-based magnetometers. Clear rhythmic patterns in beat-to-beat heart rate variability are distinctly altered when different emotions are experienced. These changes in electromagnetic, sound pressure, and blood pressure waves produced by cardiac rhythmic activity are "felt" by every cell in the body , further supporting the heart's role as a global internal synchronizing signal¹.1. McCraty R., Clinical Applications of Bioelectromagnetic Medicine, 2005.

Following the Rhythm of the Heart: HeartMath Institute’s Path to HRV Biofeedback. This paper outlines the early history and contributions the HeartMath laboratory, along with close advisors and collaborators, has made to the field of heart rate variability and heart rate variability coherence biofeedback. In addition to the many health and wellness benefits of HRV feedback for facilitating skill acquisition of self-regulation techniques for stress reduction and performance enhancement, its applications for increasing social coherence and physiological synchronization among groups is also discussed. PMCID: PMC9214473. 

The Coherent Heart, Heart–Brain Interactions, Psychophysiological Coherence, and the Emergence of System-Wide Order. This article presents theory and research on the scientific study of emotion that emphasizes the importance of coherence as an optimal psychophysiological state. A dynamic systems view of the interrelations between psychological, cognitive and emotional systems and neural communication networks in the human organism provides a foundation for the view presented. These communication networks are examined from an information processing perspective and reveal a fundamental order in heart-brain interactions and a harmonious synchronization of physiological systems associated with positive emotions. The concept of coherence is drawn on to understand optimal functioning which is naturally reflected in the heart’s rhythmic patterns. Research is presented identifying various psychophysiological states linked to these patterns, with neurocardiological coherence emerging as having significant impacts on well being. Read article.

Cardiac coherence: a new, noninvasive measure of autonomic nervous system order. Three unique conditions of autonomic nervous system order can be clearly discriminated in the data: (1) normal heart function mode, (2) entrainment mode, and (3) internal coherence mode. The internal coherence mode is new to the electrophysiology literature. We provide supporting data for modes 2 and 3 and show that a group of 20 subjects trained in this technique can enter and maintain these states at will. We found that, when one is in the entrainment mode, other physiological systems lock to the entrainment frequency, which is approximately 0.1 Hz. The results suggest that emotional experiences play a role in determining sympathovagal balance independent of heart rate and respiration and further suggest that positive emotions lead to alterations in heart rate variability that may be beneficial in the treatment of hypertension and reduce the likelihood of sudden death in patients with congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease. PMID: 8795873.

Entrainment and Coherence in Biology

"Coherence and chaos walk hand in hand in biological systems. Any living system is a complex entity interacting with the environment in many predictable and some unpredictable ways. Unpredictability stems from the fact that we are not able to understand the workings of the system. Thus, there is a need for mathematical and physical models for many functions of the body. For example, seemingly unrelated and chaotic behavior is considered "normal" in the function of neurons of the brain. Any coherent and correlated discharge of the neurons of the brain is considered unusual indicating need for close monitoring and possible intervention. However, for normal functioning of cardiac muscles, coordinated and systematic discharge of the neurons is necessary. Thus, in different parts of the biological system, different types of activities of the neurons are considered "normal."

Srinivasan T M. Entrainment and coherence in biology. Int J Yoga [serial online] 2015 [cited 2015 Oct 27];8:1-2.

Vibrations are Fundamental to Life

"Everything vibrates. When you go down to the very basic structure of the atom, you get vibrations. Every cell vibrates; they are like little electric circuits that give off vibrations and frequency, and stick a million different vibrations together and they perform one particular [holistic] frequency. So, all the different parts of any mass, which is pretty much everything in the universe, vibrate. Like the heart vibrates at its particular frequency, although not everyone’s heart is at the exact same frequency, as it will vibrate at a unique specific frequency depending on whose body it’s in. And then the whole vibrates differently than the parts, so you and I vibrate differently. This is not something that is debatable. This is a fact of physics. But it’s something that for some reason Western science misses...There is a corruption of Western science so that it is not open to the blindingly obvious. What’s blindingly obvious is that everything vibrates. If you understand that everything vibrates, then—it’s the whole Gaia theory, where people say that everything is interlinked. It’s sort of a no-brainer, in as much as if everything vibrates then our thoughts and everything have a relationship to each other. You can measure a healing vibration. But for some reason science has chosen not to look at vibrations, and certainly not medical science, probably because there is no money in it. So everything has become chemically based as opposed to vibrationally based."

Matthew Silverstone in Quantum Health, Issue 17, May/June 2012. 

Hypothesis on interactions of macromolecules based on molecular vibration patterns in cells and tissues. The molecular vibration patterns of structure-forming macromolecules in the living cell create very specific electromagnetic frequency patterns which might be used for information on spatial position in the three-dimensional structure as well as the chemical characteristics. Chemical change of a molecule results in a change of the vibration pattern and thus in a change of the emitted electromagnetic frequency pattern. These patterns have to be received by proteins responsible for the necessary interactions and functions.

Electromagnetic Detection of Cancer

Bioelectric signals can be used to detect early cancer. Biologists at Tufts University School of Arts and Sciences have discovered a bioelectric signal that can identify cells that are likely to develop into tumors. The researchers also found that they could lower the incidence of cancerous cells by manipulating the electrical charge across cells' membranes.

Ultra-weak Delayed Luminescence in cancer research: A review of the results by the ARETUSA equipment. The study of the photoinduced ultraweak photon emission in the optical wavelength range, namely the Delayed Luminescence, from human cells and tissues has an increasingly growing interest in view of its possible application in optical biopsy. Delayed Luminescence signals from normal and cancer cells are compared and the relationship between Delayed Luminescence and apoptosis is investigated.

Cancer physics: diagnostics based on damped cellular elastoelectrical vibrations in microtubules. This paper describes a proposed biophysical mechanism of a novel diagnostic method for cancer detection based on frequency selective absorption of electromagnetic waves by malignant tumors.

Multimodal polarization system for imaging skin cancer. An optical system is created that is capable of detecting tumor formations in vivo in real time by means of the spectrally resolved polarization imaging of light elastically scattered by tissue and imaging of fluorescence polarization of exogenous fluorophores. E. Salomatina-Motts, V. A. Neel, A. N. Yaroslavskaya. Optics and Spectroscopy. December 2009. Issue 6, Volume 107. 884-890. 

Biophysical Insights into Cancer Transformation and Treatment. The authors present compelling evidence that biological cellular activity depends on the cell's generated electromagnetic field. The field's role in the directional transport of mass particles and electrons, organization of living matter, interactions between systems, and information transfer is extensively analyzed and described. This research represents a new contribution to understanding the biological activity of living cells and describes how cancer can be detected by decreased power in the electromagnetic fields generated by cells.

The Effects of Non-Invasive Radiofrequency Treatment and Hyperthermia on Malignant and Nonmalignant Cells. Non-invasive radio-frequency treatment caused declines in cancer cell viability and proliferation.

Also see Qigong and Energy Medicine for Cancer.