For many years, research on Reiki, Healing Touch, and other biofield therapies has focused on helping people cope with cancer. Studies have shown that these therapies can reduce anxiety, stress, pain, and fatigue while improving quality of life.
Now researchers are asking a different question.
Could biofield therapy also influence cancer cells themselves?
A recently published study from researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center—one of the world’s leading cancer research institutions—explores that possibility. Published in the peer-reviewed journal Cancer Medicine, the study investigated the Bengston Energy Healing Method, one type of biofield therapy.
The findings offer some intriguing clues. While this research is still in its early stages, it adds to a growing body of science seeking to better understand how biofield therapies work.
What is biofield therapy?
Biofield therapy is a broad category of energy-based therapies. The Bengston Energy Healing Method is one example.
Biofield therapies are used to support well-being alongside conventional medical care. They are not intended to replace medical care.
Why pancreatic cancer?
Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most difficult cancers to treat, making new avenues of research especially important.
What did the researchers do?
The investigators studied both human pancreatic cancer cells in the laboratory and mice with pancreatic tumors.
To make the study as rigorous as possible, they:
- Used several different pancreatic cancer cell lines.
- Included three biofield practitioners using the same standardized protocol.
- Compared the treated cells with two separate control groups that did not receive biofield therapy.
The researchers wanted to know not only whether biofield therapy had an effect, but also how these effects might occur.
What did they find?
The researchers found several consistent findings. Importantly, similar findings were observed across multiple human and mouse pancreatic cancer cell lines and with three different biofield practitioners using the same standardized protocol.
1. Cancer cells grew more slowly.
Across multiple experiments, pancreatic cancer cells exposed to biofield therapy multiplied more slowly than untreated cells.
2. The cells appeared to function differently.
The treated cells showed changes in their mitochondria—the tiny structures that produce energy for the cell. The researchers also found significant changes in the cells’ electrical activity, suggesting that biofield therapy may influence important aspects of cell function.
3. Cell division slowed.
Many of the treated cells became “stuck” in an early stage of the cell cycle, making them less able to continue dividing.
4. A key cancer-promoting gene became less active.
The researchers found lower levels of FOXM1, a gene that plays an important role in helping pancreatic cancer cells grow and spread.
5. Cancer cells became less invasive.
The treated cells were less able to invade surrounding tissue, an important step in the spread of cancer.
6. Tumors grew less and spread less in mice.
Perhaps the most striking finding was that mice receiving biofield therapy developed smaller tumors and fewer liver metastases than the untreated mice.
Why we’re paying attention
This study is important for two reasons. First, the researchers found measurable changes in pancreatic cancer cells and in mouse models. Second, they identified several possible biological mechanisms that may help explain those findings.
For many years, research on biofield therapies has focused primarily on improving quality of life by helping reduce stress, anxiety, pain, and fatigue during cancer treatment.
This study asks a different question: Could biofield therapy also influence the biology of cancer cells?
We don’t know the answer yet. This research represents an early step, and additional studies in people will be needed. But researchers at one of the world’s leading cancer research institutions believed the question was worth investigating. They designed a rigorous study, identified measurable biological changes, and published their findings in a peer-reviewed journal.
Each carefully designed study brings us one step closer to understanding how biofield therapies may support people with cancer.
At LifeSpark, we believe thoughtful research helps us better understand complementary therapies and their potential role in supporting people with cancer. We’ll continue sharing important new research as it becomes available.
Learn more about this study HERE.Â
Read the original published study in Cancer Medicine HERE.
