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HIGHLY DILUTE ANTIGEN INCREASES CORONARY FLOW OF ISOLATED HEART FROM IMMUNIZED GUINEA-PIGS
... Experimental data accumulated seemingly in favor of a role of water for storing information on molecules in solution. [14][15][16][17][18][19][20] During this period, Benveniste made a step further by stating that molecular information could be "imprinted" in water through electromagnetic fields (1992) as in a magnetic tape 15 and could be even digitized (1995). 20 At this occasion, he coined the expression "digital biology". ...
... Thus, it was reported that water "imprinted" with an antigen induced a biological change in the isolated heart, only if the animals were immunized to the same antigen. 1,17,18 Similar arguments have been reported for high dilutions in basophil degranulation (e.g., active histamine vs. inactive histidine; active anti-IgE vs. inactive anti-IgG). 2 In fact, this argument is not valid if one considers that specificity is always indirectly "demonstrated" through an intellectual construct. ...
The “memory of water” experiments suggested the existence of molecular-like effects without molecules. Although no convincing evidence of modifications of water – specific of biologically-active molecules – has been reported up to now, consistent changes of biological systems were nevertheless recorded. We propose an alternate explanation based on classical conditioning of the experimenter. Using a probabilistic model, we describe not only the biological system, but also the experimenter engaged in an elementary dose-response experiment. We assume that during conventional experiments involving genuine biologically-active molecules, the experimenter is involuntarily conditioned to expect a pattern, namely a relationship between descriptions (or “labels”) of experimental conditions and corresponding biological system states. The model predicts that the conditioned experimenter could continue to record the learned pattern even in the absence of the initial cause, namely the biologically-active molecules. The phenomenon is self-sustained because the observation of the expected pattern reinforces the initial conditioning. A necessary requirement is the use of a system submitted to random fluctuations with autocorrelated successive states (no forced return to the initial position). The relationship recorded by the conditioned experimenter is, however, not causal in this model because blind experiments with an “outside” supervisor lead to a loss of correlations (i.e., system states randomly associated to “labels”). In conclusion, this psychophysical model allows explaining the results of “memory of water” experiments without referring to water or another local cause. It could be extended to other scientific fields in biology, medicine and psychology when suspecting an experimenter effect.
... In the paper, it was demonstrated that human basophil degranulation was triggered by extremely diluted antiserum against IgE [1]. Since then, they published many papers proving water memory effect under various experimental conditions [2][3][4]. As biological reaction in the absence of any effective molecules cannot be explained by conventional theory, the results of Benveniste and colleagues sparked many investigation of various seriousness. ...
... For these last experiments, he coined the expression "digital biology". The experimental results obtained with "electromagnetic transmission" and "digital biology" have been mainly described as abstracts of congresses [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. ...
The case of the “memory of water” was an outstanding scientific controversy of the end of the twentieth century which has not been satisfactorily resolved. Although an experimenter effect has been proposed to explain Benveniste’s experiments, no evidence or convincing explanation supporting this assumption have been reported. One of the unexplained characteristics of these experiments was the different outcomes according to the conditions of blinding. In this article, an original probabilistic modeling of these experiments is described that rests on a limited set of hypotheses and takes into account measurement fluctuations. All characteristics of these disputed results can be described, including their “paradoxical” aspects; no hypothesis on changes of water structure is necessary. The results of the disputed Benveniste’s experiments appear to be a misinterpreted epiphenomenon of a more general phenomenon. Therefore, this reappraisal of Benveniste’s experiments suggests that these results deserved attention even though the hypothesis of “memory of water” was not supported. The experimenter effect remains largely unexplored in biosciences and this modeling could give a theoretical framework for some improbable, unexplained or poorly reproducible results.
... According to several researchers, none of the original molecules would remain in ultra diluted solutions to exert biological effect, indicating that bio-molecular information might be transferred via water. (8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14) Recent studies reveal that the water dipole may develop a coherent oscillation phase through radiation coupling [4][5]. It has been proposed that this would be modulated, like the pattern of an ordered period of signals, and could induce propagation of coherent waves in metals [11,14]. ...
After analysis of several experimental works in search for subsidies which would allow a discussion on the action of homeopathic medicines, the quantum mechanics can be chosen as the most appropriate tool for the discussion on this subject. Thus, it is presented a mathematical discussion based in this area, comprising different equations to propose a possible mechanism in the relation solute - solvent.
... More particularly, two biological systems were developed with success. These were the isolated guinea pig heart, a classical model in physiology, and the in vitro plasma coagulation, which had the advantage to be possibly automated [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. ...
Benveniste’s experiments have been the subject of an international scientific controversy (known as the case of the “memory of water”). We recently proposed to describe these results in a modeling in which the outcome of an experiment is considered personal property (named cognitive state) of the observer and not an objective property of the observed system. As a consequence, the correlations between “expected” results and observed results in Benveniste’s experiments could be considered the consequence of quantum-like interferences of the possible cognitive states of the experimenters/observers.
In the present paper, we evidence that small random fluctuations from the environment together with intersubjective agreement force the “expected” results and the observed results experienced by the observers into a noncommuting relationship. The modeling also suggests that experimental systems with enough compliance (e.g., biological systems) are more suitable to evidence quantum-like correlations. No hypothesis related to “memory of water” or other elusive modifications of water structure is necessary.
In conclusion, a quantum-like interpretation of Benveniste’s experiments offers a logical framework for these experiments that have remained paradoxical to now. This quantum-like modeling could be adapted to other areas of research for which there are issues of reproducibility of results by other research teams and/or suspicion of nontrivial experimenter effect.
... The isolated rodent heart is a classical model in physiology (Langendorff apparatus) that was routinely used in Benveniste's laboratory. Early attempts in 1991 showed that changes in coronary flow were recorded after injection of high dilutions of histamine or other molecules in the circuitry of the Langendorff apparatus (Hadji et al. 1991;Benveniste et al. 1992). One of the advantages of this biological model was that the changes in the flow through the coronary arteries were obvious in the series of tubes that covered the coronary flow. ...
Benveniste’s experiments were at the origin of a scientific controversy that has never been satisfactorily resolved. Hypotheses based on modifications of water structure that were proposed to explain these experiments (“memory of water”) were generally considered as quite improbable. In the present paper, we show that Benveniste’s experiments violated the law of total probability, one of the pillars of classical probability theory. Although this could suggest that quantum logic was at work, the decoherence process is however at first sight an obstacle to describe this macroscopic experimental situation. Based on the principles of a personalist view of probability (quantum Bayesianism or QBism), a modeling could nevertheless be built that fitted the outcomes reported in Benveniste’s experiments. Indeed, in QBism, there is no split between microscopic and macroscopic, but between the world where an agent lives and his internal experience of that world. The outcome of an experiment is thus displaced from the object to its perception by an agent. By taking into account both the personalist view of probability and measurement fluctuations, all characteristics of Benveniste’s experiments could be described in a simple modeling: change of the biological system from resting state to “activated” state, concordance of “expected” and observed outcomes and apparent “jumping” of “biological activities” from sample to sample. No hypothesis on change of water structure was necessary. In conclusion, a modeling of Benveniste’s experiments based on a personalist view of probability offers for the first time a logical framework for these experiments that have remained controversial and paradoxical till date.
... These innovative devices were most probably related to the determination of Benveniste for standing out from homeopathy and putting the debate on scientific grounds. Two models emerged from this period and very promising results, which were regularly communicated to scientific congresses, were obtained (Hadji et al., 1991;Benveniste et al., 1992;Aïssa et al., 1993;Benveniste et al., 1994;Aïssa et al., 1995;Benveniste et al., 1996;Benveniste et al., 1997;Benveniste et al., 1998;1999). The first model was the isolated rodent heart model (using Langendorff device) and the other one was the in vitro coagulation model, which was thereafter completely automated. ...
In previous articles, we proposed to describe the results of Benveniste’s experiments using a theoretical framework based on quantum logic. This formalism described all characteristics of these controversial experiments and no paradox persisted. This interpretation supposed to abandon an explanation based on a classical local causality such as the “memory of water hypothesis. In the present article, we describe with the same formalism the cognitive states of different experimenters who interact together. In this quantum-like model, the correlations observed in Benveniste’s experiments appear to be the consequence of the intersubjective agreement of the experimenters.
... One of the biological systems that were routinely used in Benveniste's laboratorynamely the isolated perfused rodent heart preparation (Langendorff preparation) -was shown to respond to high dilutions of various pharmacological compounds (Hadji et al., 1991;Benveniste et al., 1992). The Langendorff heart preparation is a classical model of physiology, which allows recording pharmacological effects of biological compounds or pharmacological drugs on different parameters of a rodent heart maintained alive. ...
Objectives: “Memory of water” experiments (also known as Benveniste’s experiments) were the source of a famous controversy in the contemporary history of sciences. We recently proposed a formal framework devoid of any reference to “memory of water” to describe these disputed experiments. In this framework, the results of Benveniste’s experiments are seen as the consequence of quantum-like interferences of cognitive states. Design:
In the present article, we describe retrospectively a series of experiments in physiology (Langendorff preparation) performed in 1993 by Benveniste’s team for a public demonstration. These experiments aimed at demonstrating “electronic transmission of molecular information” from protein solution (ovalbumin) to naïve water. The experiments were closely controlled and blinded by participants not belonging to Benveniste’s team. Results: The number of samples associated with signal (change of coronary flow of isolated rodent heart) was as expected; this was an essential result since, according to mainstream science, no effect at all was supposed to occur. However, besides coherent correlations, some results were paradoxical and remained incomprehensible in a classical
framework. However, using a quantum-like model, the probabilities of the different outcomes could be calculated according to the different experimental contexts. Conclusion: In this reassessment of an historical series of memory of water” experiments, quantum-like probabilities allowed modeling these controversial experiments that remained unexplained in a classical frame and no logical paradox persisted. All the features of Benveniste’s experiments were taken into account with this model, which did not involve the hypothesis of “memory of water” or any other “local” explanation.
... Many experimental models have been carried out with endogenous molecules, most of them relevant to the immune system. Descriptions of an immunomodulatory activity of succussed dilutions of bursin or thymulin are described in this book [43,44,45,46]; higly diluted histamin even placed in sealed vials or the highly diluted antigen itself was administered in isolated hearts of guinea pigs immunized with ovalbumin induced significant coronary flow variations [47,48,49]. Thyroxine was administered in highly diluted succussed solution (10 -30 ) to frogs at the end of the metamorphosis. ...
Basic research on high dilution effects started with homeopathic therapy. So many models have been tested that we have tried to classify them according to the general concept of regulation. Firstly, succussed dilutions must be separated from unsuccussed very low doses from a physical point of view. This leads us to discuss the validity of the controls in high dilution research. Then, following a classification according to regulating effects, one can consider that some research in the field of "homeopathic research" can be relevant to cybernetic regulation and, in some cases, very low dose effects can be described as cybernetic regulatory signals. Hormetic models and application of the Arndt-Schultz law are based on the identity principle and are related to variations of concentration. They are presented and differentiated from the self recovery process which exists as a function of time. By using unsuccussed molecular and succussed non-molecular dilutions, the hormetic model supports a learning process which must be related to informative concepts. Starting from this primary level of informative process and by comparison with the phylogenic evolution of the immune system as an informative system, we can elaborate a progressive information organisation of the high dilution effects. Endogenous molecules have a specific regulatory function while highly diluted exogenous molecules will only be informative in the framework of the similia principle.
... Različni raziskovalci trdijo, da v ultra visokih redčenjih ne ostane nobena izvirna molekula, ki bi izvajala biološki učinek, kar kaže, da se bio-molekularna informacija prenaša po vodi. (8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14) Nedavne študije so razkrile, da vodni dipol lahko s pomočjo spajanja sevanja razvije koherentno oscilacijsko fazo (4)(5). Predlagano je bilo, da bi se to moduliralo, kot vzorec določenih obdobij signalov, in bi lahko sprožilo razmnoževanje koherentnih valov v kovinah (11,14). ...
Kontakt avtorice: email: fitofarmacos@unifenas.br Povzetek Po analizi večjega števila eksperimentov, katerih namen je bil iskanje nadomestkov, ki bi dovoljevali razpravo o učinkih homeopatskih zdravil, se kot najbolj primerno orodje lahko izbere kvantno mehaniko. Zato je predstavljena matematična razprava z različnimi enačbami, ki bi lahko predstavljale možen mehanizem na relaciji topljenec – topilo. Ključne besede: ultra redčenje, virtualna kvantna struktura Uvod Homeopatija, ki jo je razvil Samuel Hahnemann (1755 – 1843), je dokaj razširjena praksa širom sveta. Skozi vso svojo zgodovino je bila deležna kar nekaj kritik in nestrinjanj. Kot veja medicine je bila pomembno prizadeta s spremembo znanstvene paradigme, ki jo je prinesla sodobna fizika. Še posebej to velja za ultra visoka redčenja. Najpomembnejši vzrok je dejstvo, da homeopatija nima konceptualnega modela, ki bi pojasnjeval vse klinične rezultate in tudi upravičeval funkcionalnost ultra visokih razredčenj na objektiven in znanstven način. Zaradi svojih konceptualnih in eksperimentalnih značilnosti homeopatija ne more biti klasificirana kot veja alopatije. Potrebno je definirajti nove znanstvene in konceptualne osnove za njeno razumevanje in preučevanje, z upoštevanjem napredka kvantne mehanike, sistemskega pogleda in nekaterih vidikov psihologije. V zadnjem času se je v različnih revijah pojavilo veliko število eksperimentov, ki kažejo biološke učinke ultra visokih redčenj, ki so bili poleg tega citirani tudi v bibliografskih pregledih (1). Leta 1996 je Evropski parlament po podrobnih študijah raziskovalnih centrov odločil, da je homeopatija realnost, vključno z uporabo visokih redčenj. Zato so pozvali k preiskavam, ki bi identificirali mehanizme delovanja teh procesov (2-3).
... In parallel, after high dilutions, Benveniste proposed other methods to ''imprint'' biological information into water. Thus, in 1992, he reported that a specific electromagnetic radiation emitted from a solution containing a biologically-active molecule could be transmitted to water via an electronic amplifier (Benveniste et al. 1992;Aïssa et al. 1993;Benveniste et al. 1994;Aïssa et al. 1995). Finally, in 1996, he described the storage of this ''biological information'' on a hard disk via the sound card of a computer; the stored information could then be ''played'' to water to transmit this specific ''information'' (Benveniste et al. 1996;Benveniste et al. 1997;Benveniste et al. 1998). ...
The “memory of water” was a major international controversy that remains unresolved. Taken seriously or not, this hypothesis leads to logical contradictions in both cases. Indeed, if this hypothesis is held as wrong, then we have to explain how a physiological signal emerged from the background and we have to elucidate a bulk of coherent results. If this hypothesis is held as true, we must explain why these experiments were difficult to reproduce by other teams and why some blind experiments were so disturbing for the expected outcomes. In this article, a third way is proposed by modeling these experiments in a quantum-like probabilistic model. It is interesting to note that this model does not need the hypothesis of the “memory of water” and, nevertheless, all the features of Benveniste’s experiments are taken into account (emergence of a signal from the background, difficulties faced by other teams in terms of reproducibility, disturbances during blind experiments, and apparent “jumps of activity” between samples). In conclusion, it is proposed that the cognitive states of the experimenter exhibited quantum-like properties during Benveniste’s experiments.
... As a first approach in the reanalysis of these results, the abstracts of congress communications on the Langendorff model written by Benveniste's team were collec-ted. [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] Then, all results were extracted, and they were classified regardless of the methods supposed to have "informed" the water samples and regardless of the biological molecules supposed to have left an "imprint" in water. It appeared that the distribution of the biological effects for samples reported to be active was unimodal (modal class with 20%-30% of the maximal change in coronary flow). ...
After more than 20 years, the case of the "memory of water" still has not been resolved satisfactorily. After the affair with the journal Nature, Benveniste extended his results on high dilutions to an "electromagnetic biology" and then to a "digital biology," where electromagnetic signals supposed to be emitted from biologically active solutions were said to be stored on magnetic memories. Although the results obtained by Benveniste and coworkers were obvious, the difficulties in reproducibility by other teams created doubt of the reality of the alleged phenomenon. In a first step, we analyzed a set of experiments obtained by Benveniste's team in the 1990s. We quantified the relationship between "expected" effects (ie, labels of the tested samples) and apparatus outcomes, and we defined the experimental conditions to observe significant correlations. We concluded that the results of these experiments were related to experimenter-dependent correlations, which did not support the initial "memory of water" hypothesis. The fact that a signal emerged from background noise, however, remained puzzling. Therefore, in a second step, we described Benveniste's experiments according to the relational interpretation of quantum physics of C. Rovelli. In this interpretation, the state of a system is observer-dependent and the collapse of the wave function appears only in the states relative to a given observer. This interpretation allowed us to elaborate a model describing Benveniste's experiments in which the emergence of a signal from background noise was described by the entanglement of the experimenter with the observed system. In conclusion, the pursuit of the experimental "proof" to support the "memory of water" hypothesis has prevented other interpretations. Although our hypothesis does not definitely dismiss the possibility of "memory of water," the experimenter-dependent entanglement could be an attractive alternative interpretation of Benveniste's experiments.
... lines: The principles underlying inversion effects of specially prepared dilutions (1,2); or the biophysical properties of the information transfer process. Substances so dilute that no original molecule is present still exert biological effects, ie molecular bio-information may be transduced via water (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8) and hence inhibit climbing activity of juvenile frogs (2). ...
... The model of isolated and perfused guinea pig heart seems to be effective in providing reliable results. In two subsequent publications (83,84), the same group reported that the system is also sensitive to immunization-dependent activation. By immunizing guinea pigs with ovalbumin and removing the heart after between 9 and 20 days, it was possible to obtain an increase in coronary flow at extremely high ovalbumin dilutions (10 À31 to 10 À41 M). ...
A search of the literature and the experiments carried out by the authors of this review show that there are a number of animal models where the effect of homeopathic dilutions or the principles of homeopathic medicine have been tested. The results relate to the immunostimulation by ultralow doses of antigens, the immunological models of the 'simile', the regulation of acute or chronic inflammatory processes and the use of homeopathic medicines in farming. The models utilized by different research groups are extremely etherogeneous and differ as the test medicines, the dilutions and the outcomes are concerned. Some experimental lines, particularly those utilizing mice models of immunomodulation and anti-inflammatory effects of homeopathic complex formulations, give support to a real effect of homeopathic high dilutions in animals, but often these data are of preliminary nature and have not been independently replicated. The evidence emerging from animal models is supporting the traditional 'simile' rule, according to which ultralow doses of compounds, that in high doses are pathogenic, may have paradoxically a protective or curative effect. Despite a few encouraging observational studies, the effectiveness of the homeopathic prevention or therapy of infections in veterinary medicine is not sufficiently supported by randomized and controlled trials.
The “memory of water” experiments suggested the existence of molecular-like effects without molecules. Although no convincing evidence of modifications of water – specific of biologically-active molecules – has been reported up to now, consistent changes of biological systems were nevertheless recorded. We propose an alternate explanation based on classical conditioning of the experimenter.
Using a probabilistic model, we describe not only the biological system, but also the experimenter engaged in an elementary dose-response experiment. We assume that during conventional experiments involving genuine biologically-active molecules, the experimenter is involuntarily conditioned to expect a pattern, namely a relationship between descriptions (or “labels”) of experimental conditions and corresponding biological system states.
The model predicts that the conditioned experimenter could continue to record the learned pattern even in the absence of the initial cause, namely the biologically-active molecules. The phenomenon is self-sustained because the observation of the expected pattern reinforces the initial conditioning. A necessary requirement is the use of a system submitted to random fluctuations with autocorrelated successive states (no forced return to the initial position). The relationship recorded by the conditioned experimenter is, however, not causal in this model because blind experiments with an “outside” supervisor lead to a loss of correlations (i.e., system states randomly associated to “labels”).
In conclusion, this psychophysical model allows explaining the results of “memory of water” experiments without referring to water or another local cause. It could be extended to other scientific fields in biology, medicine and psychology when suspecting an experimenter effect.
Several studies on biological effects of agitated highly diluted substances 1. on cell-lines, 2. on isolated hearts and 3. on mice in vivo are presented. In these studies, statistically significant differences have been observed between the effects of the respective test substances and those of their controls, that is, the dilution buffer in analogous preparation.
It was shown that treatment with a magnetic field suppressed the effect of an agitated high dilution. A mechanism is discussed for the transmission of information from the molecular mother substance, including intermolecular communication by oscillating electromagnetic fields and perimolecular coherent water separated from the substance molecule during the process of agitation.
Research on the scientific basis of homoeopathy can generally proceed on two lines: (a) with regard to the principles underlying inversion effects of specially prepared dilutions (van Wijk and Wiegant, 1994; Bastide, 1994; Endler et al., 1994a) and (b)with regard to the biophysical properties of the information transfer process. This paper is dedicated to (b).
Observation of physiological effects;’ similarity’ and ‘potency’ rule A large variety of studies with regard to fundamental research on homoeopathy has been presented up to now. The studies on the interaction of an organism and a test substance can in principle be divided into two complementary parts.
The retaining traces of molecules in polar liquids are discussed by means of the electromagnetic superradiance phenomenon occurring in a dense phase of matter. The superradiance model as proposed by Preparata is applied to polar liquids such as water. Some recent calculable results will be discussed, and summarized to a complete theory.
The homepathy is based in different principles of classic scientific model, turning difficult its understanding and acceptance for the traditional academic middle, that it leans on in the cartesian paradigm. So to get to legitimate the homeopathy before the modern episteme, it becomes fundamental the production of researches that they confirm the homeopathic presuppositions: principle of similitude, experimentation in the healthy man and infinitesimal doses. While the clinical trials confirm the effectiveness of the homoeopathic treatment in a series of illnesses, experiments in the basic areas of the science sustain the validity of the homoeopathic foundations. In this revision work, we told the main studies accomplished in several areas of the modern experimental research that endorse the homoeopathic pillars, bringing an idea of the roads until then trodden, aiding the sympathizers of the homeopathy to intend to venture in this taskwork and trying to satisfy the longing of those that shout for scientific proofs of the homoeopathic model.
RESUMO: A homeopatia fundamenta-se em princípios distintos do modelo científico clássico, tornando difícil sua compreensão e aceitação pelo meio acadêmico tradicional, que se apoia no paradigma cartesiano. Para que se consiga legitimar a homeopatia perante a episteme moderna, torna-se fundamental a produção de pesquisas que confirmem os pressupostos homeopáticos: princípio da similitude, experimentação no homem são e doses infinitesimais. Enquanto os ensaios clínicos confirmam a eficácia do tratamento homeopático numa série de enfermidades, experimentos nas áreas básicas da ciência sustentam a validade dos fundamentos homeopáticos. Neste trabalho de revisão, relatamos os principais estudos realizados nas diversas áreas da pesquisa experimental moderna que endossam os pilares homeopáticos, trazendo uma idéia dos caminhos até então trilhados, auxiliando os simpatizantes da homeopatia que pretendam se aventurar nesta empreitada e procurando satisfazer o anseio daqueles que clamam por comprovações científicas do modelo homeopático.
Stimulating effect: It is known that the thyroid hormone thyroxin (tetraiodothyronine, T4) has a decisive influence on the speed of metamorphosis in amphibians. If thyroxin is added to the water in a test basin until the final concentration in the basin is approx. 10-8, then this induces and accelerates the laboratory animal’s metamorphosis [1,2,3]. In previous experiments involving grass frog larvae (Rana temporarid) in the two-legged stage, L-thyroxin-sodiumpentahydrate at a concentration of 10-9 also accelerated the speed of metamorphosis in comparison to the control solutions (see methods) [4].
Making a brief history of what is named the ‘Memory of Water’ is obviously not an easy task. Trying to be as fair and accurate
as possible is hampered by two main difficulties: 1) one of the main actors, Jacques Benveniste, recently passed away and
2) cutting edge science creates many controversies, especially with those whose lifetimes have been spent pursuing an unorthodox
track. High dilution experiments and memory water theory may be related, and may provide an explanation for the observed phenomena.
As Michel Schiff said: ‘the case of the memory of water may or not contribute to the knowledge about water structure. Perhaps
the tentative interpretation Jacques suggested will finally have to be modified or even abandoned. Time and further research
will tell, provided that one gives the phenomena a chance (Schiff, 1995, p 45)’
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