Bibliography Benford MS, Talnagi J, Burr-Doss D, Boosey S, Arnold LE. Gamma Radiation Fluctuations During Alternative Healing Therapy. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. July 1999, Vol 5, No. 4:51-56. Benford MS. Biological Nuclear Reactions: Empirical Data Describes Unexplained SHC Phenomenon. Journal of New Energy. Vol. 3, Issue 4 1999; 19-27. Benford MS., Talnagi JW, Sivak-Sears N, Mitchell GL. Contributions of Training and Intent on Fluctuation of Gamma Radiation During Alternative Healing Therapy. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. IN PRESS for 2001. Benford MS. Radiogenic Metabolism: An Alternative Cellular Energy Source. Medical Hypotheses. January 2001, Vol. 56, No. 1, 33-39. Cohen S, Popp FA. Biophoton emission of the human body. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B:Biology 40, 1997;187-189. Haisch B, Rueda A. A Quantum Broom Sweeps Clean. Mercury. Vol. 25, No. 2, March /April 1996;2-15. Hawking S. A Brief History of Time. Bantam Books, New York, 1996; 209. Kahn J. The Flash of Discovery. Research Review. August 1994. Leakey R. The Origin of Human Kind. BasicBooks, A Division of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 1994; 115-116. Luckey TD. Radiogenic Metabolism. Am J. Clin. Nutr. 1980; 33:2544. Marino JG, Benford MS. The Shroud of Turin: Bridge Between Heaven and Earth. Journal of Religion and Psychical Research. April 1999. Mazonowicz D. Voices from the Stone Age. Thomas Crowell Co., 1974;196-199. Radin D. The Conscious Universe. HarperEdge, San Francisco, CA, 1997; p 286. Scintillators as Gamma-ray Detectors. Science News. http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/how_l2/gamma_scintillators.html, 1996. Slawinski J. Electromagnetic Radiation and the Afterlife. Journal of Near-Death Studies, 6(2) Winter 1987:79-94. Vander AJ. Energy and Cellular Metabolism. Human Physiology. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1970;76. |
Can a theory derived from recent experimental data explain precognition and other mysterious spiritual phenomena? M. Sue Benford, R.N., M.A. From The Journal of Religion and Psychical Research, July 2001, 24(3):132-141. Reprinted without 6 figures in original article. Abstract A long standing tradition in paranormal and religious literature suggests the existence of an "etheric" or spiritual body invisible to the eye, often termed the "soul," which continuously interacts with the physical body. It is further conjectured that this energetic body disassociates temporarily from the body in special states of consciousness (as under anesthesia, hypnosis, meditation, near-death experiences and sleep) and disassociates completely at death. This heretofore ill-defined etheric body has also been linked to psychic phenomena such as precognition. Although numerous scientific studies have documented some sort of "psi" factor which may be related to a person's ability to foresee events that have yet to occur, none have postulated a psycho-physiological explanation or mechanism of action for how the process may occur. This paper attempts to posit such a cause and effect relationship based upon recent experimental data. |
Introduction Since the dawn of human history, people have reported seemingly unexplainable spiritual and mystical experiences. As far back as 17,000 years ago, during the Magdalenian period, early hints at quests for the spirit can be found displayed as cave art. "David Lewis-Williams has recently offered a new and interesting interpretation: they are the telltale signs of shamanistic art, he says -- images from a mind in the state of hallucination. . . .they were the product of shamans in a state of trance: the images were a connection with a shamanistic spirit world were depictions of what the shaman saw during his hallucinations. . ." (Leakey, 1994) Even more astounding are the numerous cave paintings throughout the world which seemingly illustrate what Christians would call a "halo" around a person's head (Mazonowicz, 1974). Was this simply a mass hallucination across thousands of miles among peoples who could not have possibly known of the existence of their distant cousins, let alone their spiritual and religious underpinnings? Or is there possibly a scientific explanation for why people, of all time periods, perceive halos and experience precognitive impressions? |
Recent experiments may provide an explanation for these mysterious phenomena. Replicated studies demonstrated that during certain hand-mediated healing sessions, conducted by Polarity therapists, there was a statistically-significant decrease in gamma radiation levels during the therapy sessions compared to control sessions. Gamma rays are highly energetic forms of ionizing radiation which, theoretically, should not be influenced by human bodies. In fact, radiation safety precautions insist that in order to "block" or stop gamma rays one needs to employ lead shielding. Gamma rays materialize when matter (in the form of electrons) and antimatter (in the form of positrons) annihilate upon impact (Science News, 1996). Antimatter is the exact counterpart of matter which has a charge and a spin that is in the opposite of all matter. When combined with any matter in the universe, antimatter reacts and completely converts the entire mass of the positron and electron into two 511 KeV gamma rays, which radiate at 180 degree angles. Other matter-antimatter annihilations also occur leaving their own signature gamma energy which can be either higher or lower than the positron-electron energy. "Earthbound" gamma radiation exists in the decay of radioactive elements and, as theorized by the great inventor Nikola Tesla, emanates from the zero-point energy field (ZPF) which interweaves all energetic forms of existence. "The zero-point field, also defined by physicists as a 'vacuum,' is far from empty -- quite the opposite. It perpetuates the dynamic interaction of subatomic particles and energy fields acting as a source by which virtual particles manifest into existence. According to the principles of quantum physics, every state must have a minimum population of either zero or one photon, with equal probability. The average of zero and one is one-half. Therefore there must be, on average, the equivalent of at least half a photon in every possible state. Half a photon in each state is not much but there are countless possible states. The result is a vast sea of radiation underlying the universe." (Haisch and Rueda, 1996) It is this interaction with the dynamic ZPF that may underlie the human spiritual and mystical experiences. |
Is there reason to speculate that an ongoing interaction is occurring between matter and an energetic field of radiation? And, if so, towards what end, and potential, is this field utilized and manipulated by the intentional expressions of human beings? Based on the reports of observed uniform, substantial, and consistent decreases in gamma radiation both before and during alternative healing sessions, a testable hypothesis can be formulated that gamma radiation is being absorbed, metabolized, and possibly stored by the human cells as an alternative energy source. Additionally, the need for this high-energy radiation may, in turn, be accelerated under certain conditions. If this is the case, then it allows for a scientific explanation for certain previously unexplainable mystical and spiritual phenomena including precognition. Radiogenic Metabolism: Food for the Soul? In human cells, only 40% of the total potential energy in glucose transfers to ATP. The remaining sixty percent of the energy generates thermal radiation or heat (Vander, 1970). Given this relatively inefficient energy cycle, it is not hard to imagine the cellular need for an alternate fuel source other than foodstuffs. By comparison, plants are able to directly capture the energy in sunlight and use this energy to synthesize glucose by the complex process of photosynthesis. It is a well-known fact that all life is ultimately dependent upon the energy derived from sunlight. But are human cells also directly benefiting from radiant energy? A crucial observation is that bacteria are part of the Plant Kingdom. Researchers speculate that mitochondria, the power-producers within the human cell, were once free-dwelling prokaryotes identical to bacteria. Subsequently, mitochondria are more closely aligned to organisms from the plant kingdom capable of photosynthetic processing of radiant energy than the eukaryotic cells with which they now share a symbiotic relationship. |
If mitochondria already are known to be capable of anaerobic energy-generating processes and, like other plant organisms, can theoretically utilize radiant energy as a power source for energy production, is it not possible that this ability extends to the use of high-energy gammas to supply energy within the cell? After all, prior to an atmosphere rich in oxygen, and their symbiotic relationship with the eukaryotic cells, the mitochondrial bacteria had to have some energy source that was abundant and powerful enough to provide all their energy needs. Dr. T.D. Luckey, an expert in cellular biology, coined the term for this postulated gamma usage within human cells as radiogenic metabolism. By Luckey's description, radiogenic metabolism is "the promotion of metabolic reactions by ionizing radiation and its products." (Luckey, 1980) Luckey hypothesized that "radiogenic metabolism involved prephotosynthetic transformation of radiant energy into chemical energy. Metabolic adaptation to the utilization of free radicals from the radiolysis of water could be the evolutionary precursor to the use of active oxygen radicals in photosynthesis and respiration." (Luckey, 1980) Luckey's rationale for the existence of this phenomenon begins with readily accepted premises and ends with postulates which can be tested. 1) Ionizing radiation was a major energy source 4 to 3 billion years BP during the origin of life and the development of early metabolic pathway; 2) The atmosphere at that time was highly reducing; 3) Volcanic dusts and water clouds made the sunlight an inconsistent force at the surface of the earth; 4) Warm pools contained adequate nurture for diverse fermentation; 5) In a few millennia fermentation would have been expected to slow, due to depletion of oxidants to accept protons and electrons from fermentation; 6) Discontinuous sources of oxidants included sporadic disgorgement of nitrates, sulfides, CO2, metals, and even small amounts of O2 by geologic processes; 7) A continuous supply of oxidants was provided by the generation of free radicals by ionizing radiation, as exemplified by the simplest radiolysis products from water; 8) An exhaustive fermentation depleted other supplies, the radiolytic supply became qualitatively important. Regular association to transition metals and certain organic radicals with active oxygen radicals would reoccur to encourage their use by evolving organisms; 9) Organisms reacted positively to this supply of oxidants by concentrating intracellular potassium 200 fold over sea water. Since 40K (the radioactive isotope of K) was about 10 times more abundant then than now, this supplied Beta-radiation within the cell matrix. This constant supply of intracellular free radicals had survival value during periods of low availability of exogenous oxidants and allowed further evolution of metabolic machinery to utilize active oxygen radicals in a prephotosynthetic system. 10) The gradual decrease of radionuclide radiation was accompanied by an increased constancy of sunlight, this allowed the evolution of systems with efficient pigments which could utilize low-energy photons (photosynthesis with visible light) (Luckey, 1980). |
The "halo" effect If this theory of radiogenic metabolism is correct, in that, high-energy gamma photons are being "digested" and utilized as an ongoing energy source by human cells, then there should be some identifiable "byproduct" of the metabolism in the form of low-energy photon emissions (Benford, 2001). In fact, modern opto-electronic devices, such as single photon counters, are increasingly being used to detect just such occurrences (Slawinski, 1987). These emissions cover a broad spectral region from ultraviolet to near infrared, e.g., 200 to 900 nanometers. Researchers have noted that the photon-flux intensity of stationary luminescence averages between 10 to 1,000 hv/second/centimeter and strongly depends on the physiological state of the organism (Slawinski, 1987). Other research has found that living systems emit electromagnetic radiation in a longer part of the spectrum, e.g., infrared or thermal radiation and radio waves. Brain, heart, and muscle activity reportedly elicit changes of electrical potential of about 0.1 volt with frequencies in the range of 0.5 - 3.0 hertz and 20 - 5,000 hertz respectively (Slawinski, 1987). These electromagnetic interactions extend beyond the parameters of the physical body to form a low-frequency field or "aura." Recently published work by Dr. Fritz-Albert Popp of the International Institute of Biophysics in Germany further supports the hypothesis that low-energy biophotons emanate from human beings. In a long-term study, Popp demonstrated that photon emissions from each of the skin areas tested followed the same biological rhythms but were phase-shifted between various body parts, e.g., hands versus forehead. Cohen and Popp also demonstrated that normal patterns are disrupted in people suffering from various illnesses and diseases (Cohen and Popp, 1997). Given that gamma rays disappear around subjects both before and, more dramatically, during alternative healing therapies, there is reason to speculate that the crystal-like formations within the body, from mtDNA to connective tissues, may act as organic scintillators. The general description of a scintillator is a material that emits low-energy (usually in the visible range) photons when struck by a high-energy charged particle (Science News, 1996). When used as a gamma ray detector, the scintillator does not directly detect the gamma rays. Instead, the gamma rays produce charged particles in the scintillator crystals that interact with the crystal and emit photons. These lower energy photons are subsequently collected by photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) such as the one used in the Benford et al. experiments. Ordinarily, materials transform ionizing energy into heat. Rather than radiate away all their energy as heat, however, scintillators transform some of this energy so that they glow with light. |
The efficiency of a scintillator is determined by the extent to which light is produced versus heat, such that, a more efficient crystal scintillator, like sodium iodide, may produce about 13% of the gamma interactions in the form of light energy compared with other crystals, like bismuth germinate used to create PET scans, which may translate only 2% of the gamma radiation into light (Kahn, 1994). If this theory is correct, then the crystalline formations within the body may be acting as collecting and/or processing points of gamma radiation which, in turn, produce some proportion of light versus heat. The degraded energetic byproduct is eliminated from the body similar to the digestive process of foodstuffs; however, the output point may be in the crown region. This would equate with basic physiology that teaches that the majority of the body's heat radiates from the top of the head. The previously described gamma measurement results may also indicate a type of "self regulation" by the body; whereby, only the amount of gamma needed is absorbed at any given time when applied under certain conditions. In higher elevations, where naturally occurring ambient gamma rays are more abundant, the need for these types of energy interventions may not be as great as in a lower elevation. Subsequently, the magnitude of the observed healing results may also be affected depending on the ambient background gamma radiation. In other words, in the lowest place on earth, the Dead Sea region, many more "healing miracles" might be apparent than in the upper elevations of Colorado. Likewise, preliminary results indicate that when a subject's system is stressed by disease, e.g., breast cancer, cardiac arrhythmia, etc., there may be an additional gamma "hunger" that occurs which manifests in heightened absorbance of the needed energy source. According to Popp and coworkers, DNA may indeed "store" virtual photons. "In certain critical events of the cell's life, such as cell division or cell death, virtual photons would be transformed into real photons. A long, spiral-shaped DNA macromolecule might also act as an efficient antenna, receiving or emitting electromagnetic radiation within a very broad spectral range." (Slawinski, 1987) |
Predicting the future From prophets of God to soothsayers and psychics, foretelling the future has remained an unexplainable enigma to both science and religion. Although numerous scientific studies have documented some sort of "psi" factor which may be related to a person's ability to foresee events that have yet to occur, none have postulated a psycho-physiological explanation or mechanism of action for how the process occurs. Radiogenic metabolism may provide the missing link. One of the first physicists to consolidate Einstein's theory of relativity and quantum physics was Paul A. M. Dirac. Dirac proved that the vacuum contained an infinite number of electrons with unmeasurable negative energies. The vacuum of space keeps the electrons "on hold," so to speak, until a certain energy enters the empty space. Once this occurs, and the electron becomes "real" matter, its departure from the vacuum leaves behind a hole in nothing. This hole has the physical characteristics of a real positron which is the electron's counterpart made of antimatter. On occasion, if the electron interacted with the positron, it appeared as if the electron was interacting with its mirror image self, having a positive mass and positive charge opposite to the electron's negative electrical charge. If the electron happened to fall back into the sea and fill up the space now occupied by the positron, the electron and the positron would instantly vanish, giving up an energy equal to twice the mass-energy of the electron. This was called "electron-positron pair annihilation" which produces both radio waves and gamma rays upon annihilation. How does this quantum phenomenon relate to foretelling the future? One noteworthy physicist, Richard Feynman, suggested that a positron can be thought of as an electron moving backwards in time. The Feynman sum over histories permits travel into the past on a microscopic level. This means that an antiparticle, such as a positron, spinning in the anticlockwise direction and moving from A to B can also be viewed as an ordinary particle, like an electron, spinning clockwise and moving backward in time (Hawking, 1996). Subsequently, an ongoing "dance" ensues within the vacuum space whereby a continuous interaction of particle-antiparticle annihilations supplies both high-energy gamma radiation and information to human recipients. Theoretical, then, when gamma radiation is absorbed via the radiogenic metabolic process, for use as a cellular fuel source, it may carry remnant information about future events. But how much information could possibly fit in a gamma ray? Wouldn't the quantity of radiation required to produce even a single thought cause brain cancer? Scientists once believed that a minimum energy level was required for the transmittal of information; however, IBM physicist Rolf Landauer demonstrated that, based on the principles of quantum theory, there are no theoretical minimum energy requirements for transmitting a bit of information. This means that even the most minuscule gamma exchanges could provide meaningful information even at long distances over time and space (Radin, 1997). When considering that a future glimpse typically provides only a small amount of identifiable data, it is easy to imagine that only bits of the transmission are received and translated to the conscious level of awareness. |
Conclusion It seems especially significant that life arises as a consequence of the energy produced during the cosmic process of symmetry restoration, regardless if that symmetric point is deemed the "zero-point field" or "vacuum" or "source" or the "Almighty Creator." Matter and antimatter, both propelled materials from the symmetry are, individually, chaotic and incomplete. The annihilation event returns these half-energies to their full potential and to a nonchaotic, or peaceful, state of total light. It is this state which we know of as "eternal" and in which space-time loses all definition. Indeed, we are emergent products of symmetry restoration both in terms of religious and scientific definition. And what of the larger consequence of proving the existence of an energetic nutrition source consisting of light which supports ancient beliefs in the existence of a soul? While this knowledge may help answer the age old questions of "Who am I?" and "Is there existence beyond this lifetime?" we are forced to ponder new queries such as: does the soul deviate among various types of living organisms, perhaps corresponding with evolutionary development? How does the soul interact with the body while the physical organism is living and at the time of physical death? Is it possible that this same energy source is responsible for the information exchange between two distant people or organisms or departed souls? Do individuals with more efficient organic scintillators demonstrate higher capacities to process and/or receive information from the future? As with any bona fide theory of science, this hypothesis needs to be tested under controlled scientific conditions. Studies should be conducted that measure the fluctuations of gamma radiation under numerous conditions including the intentional transmission of mental images and information from one subject to another. |
Bibliography Benford MS, Talnagi J, Burr-Doss D, Boosey S, Arnold LE. Gamma Radiation Fluctuations During Alternative Healing Therapy. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. July 1999, Vol 5, No. 4:51-56. Benford MS. Biological Nuclear Reactions: Empirical Data Describes Unexplained SHC Phenomenon. Journal of New Energy. Vol. 3, Issue 4 1999; 19-27. Benford MS., Talnagi JW, Sivak-Sears N, Mitchell GL. Contributions of Training and Intent on Fluctuation of Gamma Radiation During Alternative Healing Therapy. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. IN PRESS for 2001. Benford MS. Radiogenic Metabolism: An Alternative Cellular Energy Source. Medical Hypotheses. January 2001, Vol. 56, No. 1, 33-39. Cohen S, Popp FA. Biophoton emission of the human body. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B:Biology 40, 1997;187-189. Haisch B, Rueda A. A Quantum Broom Sweeps Clean. Mercury. Vol. 25, No. 2, March /April 1996;2-15. Hawking S. A Brief History of Time. Bantam Books, New York, 1996; 209. Kahn J. The Flash of Discovery. Research Review. August 1994. Leakey R. The Origin of Human Kind. BasicBooks, A Division of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 1994; 115-116. Luckey TD. Radiogenic Metabolism. Am J. Clin. Nutr. 1980; 33:2544. Marino JG, Benford MS. The Shroud of Turin: Bridge Between Heaven and Earth. Journal of Religion and Psychical Research. April 1999. Mazonowicz D. Voices from the Stone Age. Thomas Crowell Co., 1974;196-199. Radin D. The Conscious Universe. HarperEdge, San Francisco, CA, 1997; p 286. Scintillators as Gamma-ray Detectors. Science News. http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/how_l2/gamma_scintillators.html, 1996. Slawinski J. Electromagnetic Radiation and the Afterlife. Journal of Near-Death Studies, 6(2) Winter 1987:79-94. Vander AJ. Energy and Cellular Metabolism. Human Physiology. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1970;76. |
