ABSTRACT
Developmental studies have shown that children assign purpose to objects more liberally than adults, and that they explain biological processes in terms of vitalistic causality. This study tested the hypothesis that similar misconceptions can be found among superstitious adults. The results from 116 superstitious and 123 sceptical individuals showed that more than sceptics, superstitious individuals attributed purpose to objects, and explained biological processes in terms of organ intentionality and energy transmission. In addition, they thought of energy as a vital force, attributing life and mental properties to it. These conceptual confusions were positively associated to all types of superstitions as well as belief in alternative medicine. The results support the argument that category mistakes and ontological confusions underlie superstitious and vitalistic thinking.
Subject(s)
Culture , Superstitions , Vitalism , Adolescent , Adult , Concept Formation , Energy Transfer , Female , Humans , Intention , Intuition , Male , Middle Aged , Qi , ThinkingABSTRACT
Vitalism is the belief that internal bodily organs have agency and that they transmit or exchange a vital force or energy. Three experiments investigated the use of vitalistic explanations for biological phenomena by 5- and 10-year-old English-speaking children and adults, focusing on 2 components: the notion that bodily organs have intentions and the notion that some life force or energy is transmitted. The original Japanese finding of vitalistic thinking was replicated in Experiment 1 with English-speaking 5-year-olds. Experiment 2 indicated that the more active component of vitalism for these children is a belief in the transfer of energy during biological processes, and Experiment 3 suggested an additional, albeit lesser, role for organ intentionality. A belief in vital energy may serve a causal placeholder function within a naive theory of biology until a more precisely formulated mechanism is known.
Subject(s)
Physiology , Thinking , Vitalism , Adult , Child , Child, Preschool , Concept Formation , Energy Transfer , Female , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
Energy medicine is becoming more frequently used in supporting patients to attain optimal health. The concept of energy medicine as a holistic practice is introduced and its relationship to physical medicine is discussed. In addition, descriptions of energy systems and modalities that are commonly used are also offered.
Subject(s)
Energy Metabolism/physiology , Energy Transfer/physiology , Qi , Complementary Therapies/methods , Flowers , Holistic Health , Homeopathy , Humans , Hydrotherapy , Medicine, Chinese Traditional , Music , Music Therapy , Tai Ji , Therapeutic Touch , YogaABSTRACT
Using a newly developed computerized intraoperative data acquisition system, the apparent adequacy of rewarming and its relation to the energy exchange between the patient and the bypass system was investigated. Retrospective analysis of comparable patients identified two groups that had, at the end of surgery, either a nasopharyngeal temperature (NPT) of 36 degrees C or more ("warm" group, n = 19), or a NPT of 35 degrees C or less ("cold" group, n = 19). Temperatures from the nasopharynx, thenar eminence skin, and bypass pump arterial and venous lines were continually recorded and sent to the computer data base together with the pump flow rate. There were no significant differences between the groups regarding time on perfusion, time taken to cool, time of hypothermia, or the time interval from end of perfusion to the end of surgery. However, rewarming time was greater in the warm group (P less than 0.01). The cold group were subjected to more profound hypothermia (P less than 0.001), and had lower NPTs and skin temperatures at the end of bypass (P less than 0.0001 and P less than 0.01, respectively). However, the difference between NPT and thenar skin temperature in each group at either the end of bypass or the end of surgery was the same. The net energy exchange between patient and pump was significantly different (mean in warm, 130 kJ [SD = 530]; in cold, -389 kJ [SD = 427]; P less than 0.003). In conclusion, the adequacy of rewarming can be expressed in terms of the energy exchanged in the bypass system, and cannot be assessed by the nasopharynx:skin temperature gradient.
Subject(s)
Body Temperature/physiology , Cardiopulmonary Bypass , Hyperthermia, Induced , Hypothermia/etiology , Nasopharynx/physiology , Anesthesia, Intravenous , Anesthetics/administration & dosage , Cardiopulmonary Bypass/instrumentation , Cardiopulmonary Bypass/methods , Energy Transfer/physiology , Etomidate/administration & dosage , Fentanyl/administration & dosage , Fentanyl/analogs & derivatives , Hot Temperature , Humans , Hyperthermia, Induced/instrumentation , Hyperthermia, Induced/methods , Operating Room Information Systems , Pancuronium/administration & dosage , Retrospective Studies , Rheology , Skin Temperature/physiology , Sufentanil , Thermometers , Time FactorsABSTRACT
El paramagnetismo del oxígeno puede dar lugar a un enlace de intercambio entre los oxígenos de dos moléculas de agua. Este enlace se formaría en una pequeña cantidad de moléculas y podría desplazarse de una molécula a otra, inclusive formando la misma unión entre los oxígenos semiacetálicos de los monos y disacáridos; en el organismo podría reubicarse en la deoxiribosa del ADN y en la ribosa del ARN. La sucusión y la trituración pueden modular en forma permanente el spin de los electrones que forman este enlace con frecuencias que reflejan las características del medicamento. Cuando el enlace de intercambio consigue ubicarse en el ADN, esta modulación del spin puede activar información allí dormida, lo que explicaría la profunda y amplia acción curativa del remedio homeopático