Modern Biofield Research

Jeremy McGuire et al. (2026) · Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network : JNCCN

This three-arm randomized pilot trial with 87 adults explored whether Reiki, a biofield therapy in which a practitioner rests or holds hands lightly near the body to work with the body's energy field, could ease cancer-related fatigue as well as therapeutic massage does. Cancer-related fatigue is a persistent, rest-resistant exhaustion driven by cancer treatment itself — it affects roughly 6 in 10 people on aromatase-inhibitor therapy for breast cancer and about 4 in 10 on long-term androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer, and unlike ordinary tiredness it does not improve with sleep. Because many patients cannot manage the exercise-based therapies oncology guidelines usually recommend, the study looked at two passive, low-effort alternatives instead. Participants — 57 with breast cancer on aromatase inhibitors and 30 with prostate cancer on ADT — were randomly assigned to two Swedish-massage sessions, two Reiki sessions, or four Reiki sessions, each delivered by licensed practitioners in up to 75-minute visits over one to two weeks. Fatigue was tracked with the well-validated 9-item Brief Fatigue Inventory at baseline, weekly through six weeks, and again at a one-month follow-up. All three groups reported real, clinically meaningful drops in fatigue by week six, with benefits still holding a month later. Statistically, the massage and Reiki groups did not differ from each other, but Reiki's improvements were consistently larger and grew with more sessions: on the total fatigue score, the effect size (Cohen's d, where 0.8 is considered large) was 0.57 for massage, 0.87 for two Reiki sessions, and 1.16 for four Reiki sessions — with a similar pattern for the "worst fatigue" and "fatigue interference" measures. Looked at by cancer type, both therapies helped breast-cancer patients across the board, but for prostate-cancer patients only Reiki improved every fatigue measure, while massage helped only the single worst-fatigue item. No one in either therapy arm reported a treatment-related adverse event. These results position Reiki as a safe, well-tolerated option that may match or exceed massage for cancer-related fatigue, particularly for men on ADT, and hint that four sessions work better than two. As a small pilot without a placebo or "sham Reiki" comparison arm, it cannot rule out expectancy or attention effects, and its per-group sizes (26-30 people) are too small to draw firm conclusions — the authors call for larger, sham-controlled trials next.

Madhu Pandey et al. (2025) · Annals of neurosciences

This study explores the therapeutic benefits of 'Vancharya', a nature-based intervention, on the bio-field of young adults. The research involved 50 participants and aimed to assess the impact of this ancient practice on various subtle energy systems, revealing significant improvements in energy metrics and overall well-being. The findings suggest that 'Vancharya' could serve as a valuable therapeutic option for enhancing mental health among young adults. The study employed a non-experimental single-group pre- and post-research design with a sample size of 50 college students aged 17-19. Participants engaged in a seven-day intervention that included activities such as alternate nostril breathing, tree hugging, and listening to bird sounds, all conducted in a mango orchard setting. Outcomes were measured using a Biowell machine, which assessed parameters like aura field, chakra alignment, and stress levels before and after the intervention. Each session lasted one hour and occurred daily for seven consecutive days. Results indicated significant improvements in the aura field (AF: M pre = 36.94, M post = 44.82, t = −12.40, p < .001), overall chakra alignment (OCA: M pre = 63.52, M post = 79.72, t = −7.44, p < .001), and overall chakra energy (OCE: M pre = 4.16, M post = 5.07, t = −8.44, p < .001). However, stress levels (SL: M pre = 6.79, M post = 5.58, p = 1.000) and overall energy levels (OEL: M pre = 45.61, M post = 49.38, p = .133) did not show significant changes. Participants reported qualitative improvements such as enhanced emotional stability and clarity of thought, with no adverse events noted during the study. The findings suggest that 'Vancharya' may enhance emotional regulation and sleep quality among young adults, making it a potential addition to wellness programs aimed at addressing mental health issues. However, the study's limitations, including a small sample size and the lack of significant changes in stress levels, highlight the need for further research. The authors propose 'Vancharya' as a candidate component of mental health interventions, and call for longer intervention durations and more diverse populations to validate these results and understand the mechanisms involved.