Patient experiences and outcomes in a virtual healing setting: A feasibility study.

ABSTRACT

RESEARCH QUESTIONS How do participants with anxiety receiving distance healing using tuning forks, experience healing sessions? What outcomes do they spontaneously report? THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Modified grounded theory, using single interviews to learn about experiences with distant sound healing. METHODOLOGY: Standardized open-ended, qualitative interviews of 30-minute length were conducted after the intervention and analyzed using an inductive and iterative process for identifying themes, categories, and patterns in qualitative data. CONTEXT Single-arm, pilot feasibility study of Biofield Tuning (BT) for anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic delivered at a distance facilitated by Zoom (without video). SAMPLE SELECTION A total of 15 participants were recruited to this study 13 completed all quantitative aspects, and the 12 who completed the interviews are reported here. DATA COLLECTION The 30-minute qualitative interviews were designed to understand the impact of virtual BT sessions on the participant's experience, anxiety, and within the larger context of their life. The Self-Assessment of Change measured subjective shifts pre and post treatment. ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION: The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed using otter.ai. Two researchers read all the transcripts, identified key themes within the broader experience of sessions and outcomes categories, and came to consensus on key themes using a qualitative research analysis approach. MAIN RESULTS: Participants were surprised by the degree to which they felt sensations and heard tuning fork changes. They commented on the accuracy of the healers' perceptions and comprehension of their life experiences. Participants reported positive shifts in perceptions of themselves and their surroundings, both interpersonally and in response to triggers. The patients' own words provide insight into the lived experiences of healing, and guide future research.