SYMPOSIA Friday, May 26, 1:30-3:00
Generalised Entanglement: Its Relevance to CAM and
Latest Experimental Findings
Speakers: Harald Walach, PhD, Jiri Wackermann, PhD, IGPP,
Thilo Hinterberger, PhD, Nikolaus von Stillfried
Several authors have suggested recently that
different CAM modalities such as homeopathy, healing, massage, touch
and indeed all forms of therapeutic encounter may operate on principles
of non-local connectedness (Dossey 1993, Hyland 2004, Milgrom 2002,
Walach 2005). A theoretical-formal basis for such an idea has been derived
from a generalised version of quantum theory as generalized entanglement
(Atmanspacher et al. 2002). The model of generalized entanglement predicts
non-local connectedness between elements of a system that is organizationally
closed, when a global variable describing the system as a whole and
a local variable describing elements of the system are complementary.
The model has been applied to healing, homeopathy and touch-based therapies,
and it was demonstrated that it can be used for explaining the underlying
mechanism of these therapies, or certain elements thereof, without contradicting
established scientific knowledge. In addition the model predicts that
repeated testing for causal efficacy will destroy non-local connectedness,
due to the inherent impossibility of using such non-local processes
for signal transfer. This could offer an explanation for the difficulty
of capturing CAM effects in clinical studies as can be seen in meta-analyses
and literature on homeopathic RCTs and other CAM healing research. Possibly,
principles can be deduced from the model to allow the design of studies,
which preserve any non-local component of the effect.
The model also predicts correlations between
active and control groups in blinded RCTs, and such correlations have
been empirically demonstrated (Walach et al. 2005). Initial experimental
support for a non-local mode of connectedness has been presented in
an experimental EEG-correlation paradigm (Wackermann et al. 2003).
The purpose of this symposion is to
1. introduce the idea to a broader audience
2. bring together the latest experimental research in this area, as
well as
3. new theoretical developments which are either directly relevant to
CAM itself or which have
4. implications for CAM research-methodology.
An introductory talk will present the general
idea and the consequences of an entanglement model for clinical research.
Three subsequent talks will address the question of experimental verification
of the model. One will present two replication studies of the first
experiment and address the question of replicability of the experimental
EEG-correlation model. The second one will present a separate, completely
independent replication of this model. A final talk will present data
from two different experimental models that test the hypothesis of generalized
entanglement.
The symposion will conclude with a general discussion
on how experimental work can further proceed and what consequences the
theoretical model and the experimental findings will have for clinical
practice and for research methodology.
Atmanspacher, H., Ršmer, H., & Walach, H. (2002).
Weak quantum theory: Complementarity and entanglement in physics and
beyond. Foundations of Physics, 32, 379-406.
Dossey, L. (1993). Healing Words: The Power
of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine. San Francisco: Harper.
Hyland, M. E. (2004). Does a form of 'entanglement'
between people explain healing? An examination of hypotheses and methodology.
Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 12, 198-208.
Milgrom, L. R. (2002). Patient-practitioner-remedy
(PPR) entanglement: a qualitative, non-local metaphor for homeopathy
based on quantum theory. Homeopathy, 91, 239-248.
Wackermann, J., Seiter, C., Keibel, H., & Walach,
H. (2003). Correlations between brain electrical activities of two spatially
separated human subjects. Neuroscience Letters, 336, 60-64.
Walach, H. (2005). Generalized entanglement:
A new theoretical model for understanding the Effects of Complementary
and alternative medicine. Journal of Alternative and Complementary
Medicine, 11, 549-559.
Walach, H., Sadaghiani, C., Dehm, C., & Bierman,
D. J. (2005). The therapeutic effect of clinical trials: Understanding
placebo response rates in clinical trials - a secondary analysis. BMC
Medical Research Methodology, 5(26).
Back