Research
Research Focus Areas
Grant applications that include the following may be prioritized:
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High degree of research rigor, quality of methodology
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Projects with additional funding
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Projects that expand on previous pilot work
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Multidisciplinary projects
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Consistent with systems change mission of the Subtle Energy Funders Collective
Background
We support researchers using rigorous scientific methods and open science practices to explore how subtle energy, biofield therapies, and consciousness-based healing can deepen our understanding of health and healing. The research we support explores how these largely untapped avenues can expand current models of wellbeing and whole person health and healing. By bringing together varied methods and viewpoints, we help illuminate the full complexity of human experience rather than narrowing it to a single interpretation. This transdisciplinary outlook supports thoughtful hypotheses, careful experimentation, and open dialogue across fields that may use different vocabularies yet share a commitment to inquiry.
Within this collaborative environment, we seek to inspire research capable of addressing challenges such as chronic pain, stress related illness, and the growing burden of mental health conditions, while advancing a science of healing that values both objective physiology and subjective lived experience.
Definitions
Energy Healing/Biofield Therapy
Nonphysically invasive and noninstrumental therapies in which a practitioner explicitly works locally or remotely with another living system’s (e.g., person, plant, animal, cell) biofield (interacting fields of energy, consciousness, and/or information that surrounds living systems) to facilitate a healing response.
Examples Include: Healing Touch, Reiki, Therapeutic Touch, Brennan Healing Science, External Qi Gong, light and/or sound healing, and other modalities such as spiritual healing, shamanic energy medicine, and the Bengston Method.
Consciousness-Based Healing Modalities
Modalities and practices that are described as supporting healing through shifts in consciousness or the movement of energy, whether these shifts are perceived or not. These processes, involving changes in consciousness and the movement of energy, are often reported to occur at the same time, though in some accounts one is said to precede the other.
Examples Include: Energy/biofield healing, psychedelic assisted therapy, meditation, yoga, and Qigong amongst other approaches.
Clinical Research to Establish Efficacy and Effectiveness
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Evaluate subtle energy and biofield healing as treatments for chronic pain and related conditions.
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Assess effects on trauma recovery and nervous system regulation.
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Investigate benefits of subtle energy and biofield healing for mental health including anxiety, depression, and stress.
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Study applications in cancer care with emphasis on quality of life, symptom management, and disease progression.
To evaluate the impact of subtle energy and biofield healing modalities on physical and mental health outcomes using mixed-methods approaches that capture their multidimensional effects and explore their efficacy and effectiveness.
Chronic pain and related disorders, trauma and PTSD, anxiety, depression, cancer symptoms and treatment
Research priorities include
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Representative Conditions of Interest
Investigate Objective Measures of Energy and Biofield Healing Mechanisms
To investigate potential mechanisms by which subtle energy and biofield healing may influence living and nonliving systems using basic science, preclinical research, and mechanistic studies in humans.
Measurement Approaches of Interest
Biophoton measurement and coherency, interpersonal hyperscanning, electrophysiology, heart rate variability and autonomic measures, EEG and MEG, magnetometry, spectroscopy, genomic and transcriptomic assays, mitochondrial and metabolic assays, water and biological fluid analysis.
Research Priorities
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Investigate the physics of subtle energy and biofield-like behaviors including coherence and superradiance.
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Characterize putative mechanisms of subtle energy transmission and information transfer.
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Examine effects on mitochondrial function, gene expression, and cell signaling during and after healing.
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Identify neural and energetic correlates in practitioners and recipients including hyperscanning approaches.
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Develop and apply novel instruments and analytic methods for detection and measurement of biofields.
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Measure changes in biophoton emission associated with energy interactions.
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Assess effects on water and biological fluid properties including pH, conductivity, and microbial load.
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Categorize first person experiential reports alongside physiological and biofield related measures.
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Examine how factors such as set, setting, intention, expectation, and therapeutic relationship influence energy and healing outcomes.
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Quantify phenomenological aspects of energy and transformation and examine why some modalities are effective for certain individuals compared to others
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Develop frameworks for assessing whole-person outcomes across mind body and spirit
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Create and/or fine-tune novel methods for tracking individual longitudinal changes in experience and healing.
Explore the Role of Energy in Consciousness-Based Healing Modalities
Research Priorities Include
To investigate how energy-like experiences and non-ordinary states interact and contribute to healing processes and outcomes across modalities. Integrating first person phenomenology, physiological measures, and whole-person outcomes is highly encouraged. This focus area includes three distinct subareas of interest.
Theme 1. The Experience of Energy in Consciousness-Based Healing
Development of frameworks and methods that bridge first person experience with objective measures to advance a science of consciousness and energy grounded in lived experience
Examination of how energy is experienced, described, and involved in healing across diverse practices.
Modalities of Interest
Theme 2. First Person Experience and Whole-Person Healing
Meditation, yoga, energy healing, breathwork, hypnosis, Qigong, shamanic practices, etc.
Research Priorities Include
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Map energy related experiences and how they relate to non-ordinary states of consciousness within psychedelic assisted therapy.
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Study experiential reports of energy and their relationship to transformation following psychedelic experiences.
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Compare the role of energy across psychedelic substances and therapeutic models.
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Investigate physiological and neural correlates of energy like experiences during psychedelic assisted therapy.
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Map experiential patterns of energy and non-ordinary states of consciousness within and across modalities.
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Study phenomenological reports of energy, release, and transformation.
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Develop and validate survey instruments measuring experiential energy and healing.
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Compare the experience and role of energy across practices.
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Investigate physiological and neural correlates of energy-like experiences.
Research Priorities
Investigation of how energy-like experiences contribute to healing processes and outcomes in psychedelic assisted therapy.
Theme 3. Energy Experiences in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
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Categorize first person experiential reports alongside physiological and biofield related measures.
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Examine how factors such as set, setting, intention, expectation, and therapeutic relationship influence energy and healing outcomes.
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Quantify phenomenological aspects of energy and transformation and examine why some modalities are effective for certain individuals compared to others
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Develop frameworks for assessing whole-person outcomes across mind body and spirit
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Create and/or fine-tune novel methods for tracking individual longitudinal changes in experience and healing.
Research Priorities Include
Development of frameworks and methods that bridge first person experience with objective measures to advance a science of consciousness and energy grounded in lived experience
-
Categorize first person experiential reports alongside physiological and biofield related measures.
-
Examine how factors such as set, setting, intention, expectation, and therapeutic relationship influence energy and healing outcomes.
-
Quantify phenomenological aspects of energy and transformation and examine why some modalities are effective for certain individuals compared to others
-
Develop frameworks for assessing whole-person outcomes across mind, body and spirit
-
Create and/or fine-tune novel methods for tracking individual longitudinal changes in experience and healing.
Theme 2. First Person Experience and Whole-Person Healing
Research Priorities Include
Development of frameworks and methods that bridge first person experience with objective measures to advance a science of consciousness and energy grounded in lived experience
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Map energy related experiences and how they relate to non-ordinary states of consciousness within psychedelic assisted therapy.
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Study experiential reports of energy and their relationship to transformation following psychedelic experiences.
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Compare the role of energy across psychedelic substances and therapeutic models.
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Investigate physiological and neural correlates of energy like experiences during psychedelic assisted therapy.
Theme 2. First Person Experience and Whole-Person Healing
Research Priorities
Theme 3. Energy Experiences in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
Investigation of how energy-like experiences may contribute to healing processes and outcomes in psychedelic assisted therapy.
Investigation of how energy-like experiences contribute to healing processes and outcomes in psychedelic assisted therapy.
Research Priorities
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Map energy related experiences and how they may relate to non-ordinary states of consciousness and outcomes within psychedelic assisted therapy.
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Study experiential reports of energy and their relationship to transformation (fundamental psychological shifts) following psychedelic experiences.
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Compare the role of energy across psychedelic substances and therapeutic models.
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Investigate physiological and neural correlates of energy like experiences during psychedelic assisted therapy.
Theme 3. Energy Experiences in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
Subarea 2. First Person Experience and Whole-Person Healing
Development of frameworks and methods that bridge first person experience with objective measures to advance a science of consciousness and energy grounded in lived experience
Research Priorities Include
Categorize first person experiential reports alongside physiological and biofield related measures.
Examine how factors such as set, setting, intention, expectation, and therapeutic relationship influence energy and healing outcomes.
Quantify phenomenological aspects of energy and transformation and examine why some modalities are effective for certain individuals compared to others
Develop frameworks for assessing whole-person outcomes across mind body and spirit
Create and/or fine-tune novel methods for tracking individual longitudinal changes in experience and healing.
Subarea 3. Energy Experiences in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
Investigation of how energy-like experiences contribute to healing processes and outcomes in psychedelic assisted therapy.
Research Priorities
Map energy related experiences and how they relate to non-ordinary states of consciousness within psychedelic assisted therapy.
Study experiential reports of energy and their relationship to transformation following psychedelic experiences.
Compare the role of energy across psychedelic substances and therapeutic models.
Investigate physiological and neural correlates of energy like experiences during psychedelic assisted therapy.
1. Clinical Research
To better understand the impact of subtle energy and biofield healing modalities to address physical and mental health using mixed methods to capture their multidimensional impact.
Particular areas of current interest include:
Representative conditions of interest include:
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Impact on mental health (trauma, depression, anxiety, etc.)
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Clinical efficacy for chronic or acute pain
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Relationships between psychological and physical outcomes
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Biological mechanisms associated with improvement
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Pain threshold theory and phenomenological markers of consciousness
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Mediating variables: compassion, empathy, love, belief, expectation
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Changes in phenomenological markers of self‑transcendence
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Chronic Pain
- Trauma / PTSD
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Osteoarthritis
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Cancer and cancer‑related pain
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Depression
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Anxiety
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Addiction
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Palliative Care
2. Qualitative Research
To better understand subtle energy and biofield healing practitioner perspectives on how they heal and what the practitioner community needs to increase their impact and accessibility to the broader community.
Areas of investigation of interest include:
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How healers explain healing across traditions
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Conditions most successfully treated
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Role of the participant in the effect of healing
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Perspectives of medical leadership on integration
3. Fundamental Science & Mechanism Research
To better understand the mechanisms by which subtle energy and biofield healing influences living and nonliving systems.
Areas of investigation of interest include:
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Physics of subtle energy
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Nature of the informational carrier wave
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Influence on gene expression
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Neural correlates in practitioners and receivers
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Effects on seed germination and plant growth
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Detection with novel instrumentation
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Effects on biophoton emission
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Influence on water/biological fluid properties
Representative Biofield Modalities of Interest
External Qi Gong
Light and/or sound healing
Others: spiritual healing, shamanic energy medicine, Bengston method, etc.
Healing Touch
Reiki
Therapeutic Touch
Brennan Healing Science
Representative Biofield Modalities of Interest
Others, including spiritual healing/shamanic energy medicine, Bengston method, etc.
Healing Touch
Reiki
Therapeutic Touch
External Qi Gong
Light and/or sound healing
Brennan Healing Science
Representative Biofield Modalities of Interest
Others, including spiritual healing/shamanic energy medicine, Bengston method, etc.
Healing Touch
Reiki
Therapeutic Touch
External Qi Gong
Light and/or sound healing
Brennan Healing Science
Representative Biofield Modalities of Interest
External Qi Gong
Light and/or sound healing
Others: spiritual healing, shamanic energy medicine, Bengston method, etc.
Healing Touch
Reiki
Therapeutic Touch
Brennan Healing Science
Requirements
Complete the project within 1–2 years.
Submit progress reports and a final report.
Publish findings in a peer‑reviewed journal (expected).
Present research at the Annual Research Conference.
Participate in regular curated online gatherings with cohort and mentors.
Community‑Building
Fellows join a wider community of emerging and established biofield researchers, engaging via online forums, small virtual meetings and events, workshops, regular communications, and in‑person sessions (e.g., at the Annual Research Conference).
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Meet Our Featured Researcher
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Dr. George Mekler
Exploring New Frontiers in Biofield Research
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Research
The Fellowship’s research priorities are designed to grow our understanding of the efficacy, effectiveness, and mechanisms of subtle energy and biofield practices to help address physical and mental health conditions. We are currently seeking applications that advance our understanding of subtle energy and biofield healing including clinical, qualitative, fundamental science & mechanism research.
Community
The Fellowship’s research priorities are designed to grow our understanding of the efficacy, effectiveness, and mechanisms of subtle energy and biofield practices to help address physical and mental health conditions. We are currently seeking applications that advance our understanding of subtle energy and biofield healing including clinical, qualitative, fundamental science & mechanism research.
Fellowship
The Fellowship’s research priorities are designed to grow our understanding of the efficacy, effectiveness, and mechanisms of subtle energy and biofield practices to help address physical and mental health conditions. We are currently seeking applications that advance our understanding of subtle energy and biofield healing including clinical, qualitative, fundamental science & mechanism research.
Featured Researcher
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Dr. George Mekler
Exploring New Frontiers in Biofield Research
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