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Transcript of Is Masaru Emoto for Real
Is Masaru Emoto For Real?!!Open minded critical analysis of Masaru Emoto
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Home Emoto Research Study
Are Dr. Masaru Emoto’s Fantastic Claims Actually Real?UPDATE February 26, 2014: After years of
receiving requests to perform a valid
scientific research study to test Emoto’s claims, I
am now receiving donations to fund the study.
Please click here to learn more.
When I first heard of Dr. Emoto’s amazing work
with water crystals through his book “The Hidden
Messages in Water” I was absolutely stunned. I
then saw the movie “What the Bleep do we Know”
and became thoroughly intrigued. I set off to
conduct a research project in the chemistry
department of Castleton College in Vermont to see
if I could find sufficient evidence and support for
Dr. Emoto’s claims to merit conducting a deeper
research project to try to reproduce his work. The
idea was to uncover as much information about his
methods and procedures as possible to determine if
is would actually be feasible to study the effect of
energy healing, such as Reiki, on the formation of
water crystals. I was so excited to think that I might
be the first person in the world to verify his work!
So what follows is my official research paper that
contains all of my findings and determinations after
months of exhaustive review of Dr. Emoto’s
published works. I hope that it will give you a
deeper understanding and appreciation for the
truth.
Sincerely,
Kristopher Setchfield, BA, Health Science
Natural Science Department
Castleton State College, Vermont
20 December, 2005
Review and analysis of Dr. Masaru Emoto’s
published work on the effects of external
stimuli
on the structural formation of ice crystals.
This paper surveys the wealth of information that
was uncovered during investigation of Dr. Masaru
Emoto’s claim that human thought has a direct
observable effect on the structural formation of ice
crystals. Upon initial review of Dr. Emoto’s
published findings, I became very interested in the
implications of his research and developed the
initial concept for this research project, which was
to review Mr. Emoto’s laboratory methodology to
learn if it would be possible to test his hypothesis
and reproduce his results at Castleton State
College. Since the human body is composed of
between 50% and 80% water, I could not help but
wonder, “If thought affects the molecular structure
of water, then what effect might thought have on
the human bodies?”
However, after many hours of investigation it
became increasingly clear that a superior purpose
for this project was to review Mr. Emoto’s
procedures and results for scientific validity. This
revision in the original intent for this project has
been very eye-opening and the findings have
grounded my opinion of Dr. Emoto’s work in a
concrete of scientific rigor and skepticism.
Dr. Emoto became a Doctor of Alternative Medicine
at the Open International University for Alternative
Medicine in India in 1992, and he has become
famous throughout the world in the alternative
medicine realm for his 1999 self-published book,
The messages of water. Since that time, his
narrative and collection of photos of ice crystals has
been picked up by independent publishing
companies and has grown into subsequent works,
such as The hidden messages in water (HMW).
Recently his work was featured in a highly
controversial movie titled What the bleep do we
know!? (Bleep) and published in an essay in The
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
(JACM). These thrust his work into the international
spotlight and portrayed his work as proven
scientific research. It was because of the notoriety
gained by his books and the Bleep movie that I first
learned of Emoto’s fantastic claim that he has found
evidence that human thought affects ice crystal
formation and that the structure and level of detail
of an ice crystal is an indicator of water quality.
An ice crystal is a crystal lattice of solid water
molecules that is often visible to the naked eye and
commonly experienced as a snowflake. The crystal
exhibits the hexagonal lattice structure that is
characteristic of solid water, as illustrated in the
picture on the left where two views are shown of
the same ice crystal molecule–where the red balls
represent the oxygen atoms, and the grey spokes
represent the hydrogen atoms.
Fig. 1. Ice crystal lattice scructure (Libbrecht)
Fig. 2. Ice crystal faces
According to Kenneth Lebbrecht, chairman of the
department of physics at Caltech and a leading ice
crystal researcher, ice crystals form arms on the
crystal faces (shown in the picture above on the
right). The two hexagonal faces are known as basal
faces, and the six rectangular faces are known as
prism faces, and the overall shape of a crystal is
determined by which faces grow arms. If the basal
faces grow, a columnar crystal develops, and if the
basal faces grow a plate shape will develop.
Lebbrecht’s morphology diagram below illustrates
that ice crystal shape is a factor of both humidity
and temperature. Temperature is the most
important factor, and plates tend to form in the 0°C
to -3°C and -10°C to -22°C ranges (red), while
columns tend to form from -3°C to -10°C and below
-22°C (green). Lower humidity tends to form
simpler crystal shapes, while higher humidity tends
to form more intricate crystals. It is currently not
known why ice crystals form different shapes at
different temperatures, as the physics of how the
water molecules bond to a growing ice crystal are
very complex and not well understood (Libbrecht).
Fig.3. Morphology Diagram of Ice Crystal
Formation (Libbrecht)
Emoto’s hypothesis has evolved over the years of
his research. Initially Dr. Emoto claimed that high-
quality water forms beautiful and intricate crystals,
while low-quality water has difficulty forming
crystals. According to Dr. Emoto, an ice crystal of
distilled water exhibits a basic hexagonal structure
with no intricate branching, as shown in the photo
below, taken from Dr. Emoto’s website
www.hado.net (Hado). This basic hexagonal crystal
is the simplest form of an ice crystal.
Fig. 4. Photo of Distilled Water Crystal (Emoto,
Messages)
The following images (Emoto, Messages 119) show
Emoto’s selected photos of ice crystal formation
from tap water sources from Paris, London, and
Tokyo, respectively in figure 5 and two spring water
sources from Japan on the right.
Fig.5. Photos of Tap Water Crystals (Emoto,
Messages)
Fig. 6. Photos of Spring Water Crystals (Emoto,
Messages)
While these first claims of Dr. Emoto may seem to
make common sense, his subsequent claims are
ever-increasingly more controversial. After studying
the variation in water crystals from samples taken
from different locations around the world, Emoto
decided to study what would happen to the
formation of ice crystals from distilled water after
the liquid was exposed to music.
Dr. Emoto reports that he found stunning
correlations between the types of music played and
the quality and beauty of the ice crystals that would
form upon freezing. For instance, the crystal below
on the left was observed in a sample of distilled
water that had been played Beethoven’s 5th
Symphony, and the crystal on the right was
observed in a sample of distilled water that had
been played so-called “heavy metal” music (Emoto,
Messages 17). It is interesting to note that this
claim closely mirrors the well-known
pseudoscientific and so-far unsubstantiated claim
that classical music has a beneficial effect on plant
growth, and rock music hinders plant growth.
Fig.7. Distilled Water Crystals after Music (Emoto,
Messages)
Following his study of the effects of music on ice
crystal formation in distilled water, Dr. Emoto
wondered if water crystal structure might be
affected by other seemingly illogical external
things, such as words written on paper. In the
HMW prologue, Dr. Emoto states, “It didn’t seem
logical for water to ‘read’ the writing, understand
the meaning, and change form accordingly. But I
knew from the experiments with music that strange
things could happen.”
He began by writing phrases like “thank you” and
“you fool” in various languages on paper and
placing the paper under the distilled water samples,
and his published photos below (Emoto, Messages
7) show a surprising result. Samples that had been
exposed to the words “thank you” exhibited
beautiful crystals, while samples that had been
exposed to the words “you fool” would not form
crystals at all.
Fig. 8. Distilled Water Crystals after Written Words
(Emoto, Messages)
Encouraged by his findings, Emoto began studying
the effects of prayer, blessings, and spoken words.
Not surprisingly, his results indicated that water
crystal formation was also sensitive to these things–
yielding his current hypothesis; “Molecules of water
are affected by our thoughts, words, and feelings.”
(Emoto, Messages cover)
Dr. Emoto’s published method of obtaining
photographs of crystals involves a relatively simple
and inexpensive process. 0.5 mL samples of liquid
water from a specific sample are placed on 100
petri dishes that are then frozen and stored at a
temperature of -25°C for three hours in a freezer. A
sample is removed from the freezer for observation
under a microscope with a camera in a room with a
constant temperature of -5°C. As the microscope’s
light melts the top of the sample, crystals are
observed and photos are taken (Emoto, Healing 2).
As quoted in an interview with Jon Woodhouse
published in the Maui News, Emoto stated, “I did
not start out with any modern scientific
background. I did not even know the limit of science
to stop me from giving this research a chance.” Not
having been educated in the scientific community,
Emoto has been happy to do his “research” without
accurately employing the scientific method. While
he does employ the spirit of the scientific method in
his research design, he makes critical mistakes in
its rigor. For example, Emoto’s research does
employ observation of a physical phenomenon,
formulation of a hypothesis to explain the
phenomenon, and testing and revising the
hypothesis, but he makes the critical mistake of
failing to minimize the influence of the
experimenter’s bias on the outcome of the research.
Dr. Emoto’s procedure for photographing crystals
has no controlled means of ensuring that
experimenter’s bias is prevented or minimized. For
example, his methodology does not ensure that the
obtained results are not selected consciously or
subconsciously by the photographer. In fact, in the
Maui News interview, Dr. Emoto specifically stated,
“I do not require any blind tests on any samples,”
but rather he believes that “the researcher’s
aesthetic sense and character is the most important
aspect when taking crystal photographs.” Emoto’s
belief that ice crystal formation is sensitive to
human thought lead him to select technicians who
would not affect crystal formation with negative
thoughts over technicians who had formal research
experience.
While it is possible that he did, in fact, discover that
water has an observable sensitivity to external
stimuli such as prayer and words, Dr. Emoto’s
experimental design and clinical procedures do not
prove the claim. A double blind procedure in which
a photographer would not know what water sample
he or she was photographing would make the claim
considerably more credible.
Emoto’s procedure, while simple and direct, does
not eliminate numerous possible sources of error.
Ice crystal structural formation is dependent on
numerous environmental factors, the most
important of which are temperature and humidity.
While Emoto minimized some possible sources of
error by conducting his studies in the same room
with the same sample sizes, the same freezer and
same microscope each time, other possible sources
of error were not addressed. For example the Petri
dishes were not sealed to prevent contamination or
disturbance by the operator or environment; A
simple thing such as the photographer’s breath
while using the microscope could affect the
warming rate of the frozen sample and temperature
of crystal formation, thus affecting the structure of
the resultant crystal.
As Dr. Emoto has not published the entirety of his
photographs, it is unknown if he ruled out or
ignored crystals that did not support his hypothesis.
HMW and the JACM article only contain selected
photos that support his claims, and we are left to
wonder what the rest of the pictures look like. His
procedures state that in any given test he will
photograph 100 petri dish samples, yet only one
picture per test is provided to the public. Emoto
also fails to publish any findings that contradict his
claim (or that were at least inconclusive). No errors
are currently published in the JACM article, his
websites, or his HMW book that my research has
been able to uncover.
It is also worth noting that Dr. Emoto’s procedures
indicate that his samples are frozen at -25°C, and
his ice crystals are formed at -5°C. According to
Figure 3, these temperatures should produce
mostly column crystals rather than plate crystals,
yet not one of Emoto’s published photos show a
column crystal. This makes Dr. Emoto’s data
suspect (as they appear to conflict with the findings
of well-respected researcher) and indicates the
possibility that Emoto excluded non-supportive data
from his publications.
While Emoto has published his claim in one peer
reviewed journal, it has neither been substantiated
nor disproved by research scientists. It is worth
noting that Emoto’s Journal article is not a scientific
report, but a three page long “photo essay.” Dr.
Emoto, himself, stated “Even though my book,
Message from Water, was first published in 1999
and has been translated in over 20 languages, I
have not heard of anybody else conducting similar
research” (Woodhouse). His claims resonate with
“Alternative therapists, religious leaders, spiritual
researchers, artists, and musicians” (Emoto,
Healing 3), but it appears that his work has widely
been disregarded by traditional scientists as
pseudoscience that does not merit further
inspection.
The only published reproduction of Emoto’s work
on record was conducted by Mr. Damian Nash’s AP
psychology class at Durango High School in
Colorado. Despite numerous difficulties
reproducing Emoto’s procedure and controlling the
temperature and sample freezing and melting rates,
at least the class employed a blind experimental
design to eliminate the possibility of experimenter’s
bias when photographing the water samples. As
published on the website of the Institute of Noetic
Sciences on May 25, 2004, Mr. Nash states that the
team “did not find sufficient evidence to refute or
accept Emoto’s hypothesis that thought influences
water crystal formation.”
There are innumerable companies today that make
their livelihoods selling information and products
that are supposed to be beneficial to human health.
Ranging from miracle cures to last-ditch efforts,
they are at best at least based substantiated ideas,
and are at worst complete falsehoods.
Unfortunately for his credibility with the scientific
community, Dr. Emoto sells products based on his
claims. For example, the products page of Emoto’s
Hado website is currently offering “geometrically
perfect” “Indigo water” that is “highly charged
hexagonally structured concentrate,” and
supposedly creates “structured water” that is “is
more easily assimilated at the cellular level” for $35
for an eight-ounce bottle. Without providing
scientific research references for the allegedly
amazing qualities of his Indigo Water, Emoto’s
commercial venture calls to mind ethical concerns
regarding his intent and motivation—questions that
would not be present if any scientist had published
research supporting his claims.
At the very least Dr. Emoto’s claims are interesting
thought stimulators. If they are true, then there are
far reaching implications for the world, and the
question that is posed in the Bleep movie becomes
extremely important; “If thoughts can do this to
water, what can they do to us?” Many people in our
modern age want desperately to believe that we can
affect our reality by our thoughts alone—a belief
that is bolstered by Emoto’s claims. But if they are
false, then he is misleading all of them and
manipulating their hopes and view of the world.
Since Dr. Emoto is going it alone he receives much
criticism for being a quack selling quackery. For
example, the James Randi Educational foundation,
an organization that offers a “one-million-dollar
prize to anyone who can show, under proper
observing conditions, evidence of any paranormal,
supernatural, or occult power or event” (Randi,
Challenge) has offered to give Dr. Emoto the prize if
he will agree “to perform his tests in a double-blind
fashion” (Randi, Water), yet Dr. Emoto has not
responded.
It is this crucial lack of scientific foundation that
prevents Dr. Emoto’s work from attracting interest
by widely accepted and respected scientists at long-
standing research institutions. This is unfortunate
for the world if there is, after all, truth to his
claims–as reproduction of his results by any
scientist would lend much credence to his work. A
little change in Emoto’s experimental design would
do great things for the credibility of his claims. I
recommend the following to ground his work in
sound scientific principle:
* Eliminate the possibility of the scientist’s bias
affecting the experiment’s results by implementing
double blind procedures.
* Publish the entire collection of photos for all
water sample tests that he has performed, not just
the ones that support his claim.
* Minimize the sources of possible error in his
procedures, such as variation in temperature and
humidity between sample.
* Pay more attention to the time-tested methods of
the scientific community rather than disregarding
them. Emoto’s research could go much farther if he
could interest scientists around the world in testing
his hypothesis.
After the lengthy review of Emoto’s research
methods and results, I have come to believe that Dr.
Emoto is offering pseudoscience to the masses in
the guise of defensible research. Only time and
review by others will tell if there is any truth at the
heart of Mr. Emoto’s claims, as Emoto himself
thoroughly believes in his findings but does not
value the scientific method or community. What is
truly fearsome is the great numbers of people that
accept his words as proven facts without looking
deeper to find out if his claims are truly justified.
While I respect Dr. Emoto’s desire to save the
Earth’s water from contamination and pollution,
unless he can produce a scientific paper and get it
published in a scientific journal, I believe that he
will continue to be ignored by the scientific
community, and his claims will never be soundly
proved or disproved.
Works Cited
Emoto, Masaru. “Healing with Water.” The Journal
of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.
Volume 10, Number 1, 2004, pp. 19-21
—. The Hidden Messages in Water. Oregon: Beyond
Words Publishing, 2004.
Libbrecht, Kenneth. “A Snow Crystal Primer: The
basic facts about snowflakes and snow crystals.”
Feb 1999. California Institute of Technology. Dec
2005.
http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/pri
mer/primer.htm
Nash, Damian. “Replicating the Water/Thought
Experiment of Dr. Masaru Emoto.” May 2004.
Institute of the Noetic Sciences. Dec. 2005.
http://66.201.42.16/viewitem.php3?
id=910&catid=510&kbid=ionsikc
Randi James. “Chiropractic Crackup, Talking to
Water, Sylvia Emerges, Bidlack’s Lumps, An MS
Miracle, and a Korean Magic Stone.” May 2003.
James Randi Educational Foundation. Nov. 2005.
—. “One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge.”
2005. James Randi Educational Foundation. Nov.
2005.
Woodhouse, Jon. “Crystal Clear.” Maui News 13
February 2005.
–
If you would like to comment, please “Leave a
Reply” at the very end of this page.
UPDATE February 26, 2014:Over the last eight
years I’ve received literally thousands of requests to
design & perform a scientifically sound double-blind
research project to try to prove or disprove Emoto’s
claims. I have a plan to create and perform the
research if I receive enough funding to fund the
study. If you would like to see Emoto’s claims tested
in a proper study, please donate to the it. All donors
will receive status updates as milestones are
achieved and will receive the final paper with rights
to quote and reproduce it per a creative commons
license.
For more information, click here.
110 Responses to Are Dr. Masaru Emoto’s Fantastic Claims Actually Real?
1. Dr. Steve Gardner says:
September 12, 2011 at 10:27 pm
Thank you Kristopher, for your investigation. I
wanted to see if I should include Emoto’s book on
my website. As a result of this article, I won’t, and
have pulled the book from my waiting area book
case. While I believe that thoughts and intentions
influence molecules, perhaps along the lines of
what Emoto suggests, it would help the stewardship
of this planet if the general public had a better
understanding of the scientific method. Your article
is an excellent example of the open minded thinking
that we need.
Reply
2. shaun page says:
September 14, 2011 at 7:25 pm
If something seems to be to good, it probably is!
Thanks for your paper and critique on this vary
important matter.
I hope that more of the science community will
spend some time on these statements to confirm
there validity.
I would love to find out more about this subject for
myself.
I am planning to run the test Dr Emoto did with the
rice grains in water as a starting point.
Reply
3. Paul Henry Woodward says:
September 14, 2011 at 8:47 pm
Thank you for your informed analysis of Dr Emoto’s
work. I would truly love to believe in the claims and
“research” into water crystals by him but also want
the the research to be completed thoroughly.
I can’t understand that if there are all these calls
for research into this fasinating subject why there
has not been a landslide of follow-up studies to back
up or disclaim?
Reply
o dielenator says:
September 18, 2011 at 4:23 am
“Many people in our modern age want desperately
to believe that we can affect our reality by our
thoughts alone.” Kristopher Setchfield, BA, Health
Science, Natural Science Department, Castleton
State College, Vermont.
I’ve been working on a non-fiction book called
“Seeking Self: Our Biological Imperative to Create
Narrative” since Mon 23 Nov, 2009. I will
eventually organize it and submit it for publishing.
One of the important findings of my research
confirms the above statement. For as long as we
have been conscious of ourselves, there is a
tendency to believe in the power of thought alone.
This has led to some interesting revelations,
showing that in fact we miss much that goes on in
our environment and our own brains. We fill in the
gaps with stories (unfortunately much of it lies).
This is not a negative indictment of the human
species; it’s simply a biological fact of our evolution.
Sometimes, we can get the right answer for entirely
the wrong reason. The truth about the brain is that
sometimes we get lucky (see Dawkins’ theory of
PETWAC). Most times, however, to effect real
change, we’ve got to do more than just believe or
think we can change or change things by thought
alone. The need to believe we can change the world
with thought alone is the product of a deep
insecurity about our future (both personal and
social) that it will become bad if we discovered that
all there is to life is physical matter. The strange
truth is that we do not yet know precisely what
physical matter is, so we slip around that ignorance
by believing we can influence matter with our
minds because matter may be something
intertwined with the deep mysteries of mind
through processes that we will never understand.
Then again, it may not.
My position as a scientist, is a skeptical one. This is
the best position to be in – by far, because at the
end of the day, nearly every event turns out to be
more than we can learn about it, and most often,
what appeared to be magical or special at the time
was not really the event itself, but our state of mind
towards it.
Photographers no doubt, are familiar with the
special moments that photos can sometimes bring
out. In the art of story telling, we call these micro-
moments. A frog hanging by one arm from a leaf
above a still pond about to fall in. This ability to
freeze time, gives us the illusion that what happens
in that moment is somehow iconographic of a
deeper meaning, that it tells a story. This is not bad,
it is just how we are wired up. If we could not place
things in context and weave a story around them,
we would not be able to make sense of the world.
But there is such a thing as over-reading the world.
Seeing more than actually appears. That over-
reading phenomenon is an artefact of how our
minds work, as gap fillers, as interpreters.
The pictures of Emoto water crystals are one such
example. Quoting Nash, Institute of Noetic Sciences
on May 25, 2004, we “did not find sufficient
evidence to refute or accept Emoto’s hypothesis
that thought influences water crystal formation.”
You’d be surprised what a rigorous scientific study
entails. When the common person says, “I
conducted an experiment”, there is a world of
difference compared to when a scientist says the
same thing. Take a very simple scientific step that a
common person would never take, but a scientist
would always take as a given: autoclaving vessels,
containers and transfer implements. Not to mention
fume hoods, negative air pressue, temperature
control, extremely accurate weighing of quantities,
control group, these are just some of the things that
scientists do that ordinary people never do. And
scientists do much more. So when a proper
scientific study has been conducted, it has to meet
all these requirements that ordinary people simply
cannot achieve in their own homes.
Thus, at the end of the day, what is more important
to our understanding is not whether Emoto may or
may not produce some interesting crystal patterns,
but why humans have the need to tell stories about
things that are not based on reality. Understanding
why humans do this, is a far more important
undertaking for the human species than Emoto
water will ever teach us. It will take us deep into
the structure of the human brain and human
behavior and reveal possibilities for accepting what
we are and changing those things that we can. No
doubt, what we will be able to change, in time will
change, so that in the future, it is highly likely that
people will manipulate the genes that express the
brain. In other words, designed humans.
I have a word of caution about that, but this is not
the place to go into it.
Reply
Paulo says:
October 29, 2011 at 8:08 pm
Nice comment, very well organized idea. Im
studying psichology and i cant say that i am
scientist at all. But i would like to ask you what do
you think of the of neuroplasticity of the neurons? A
book by scientist Norman Doidge, called The Brain
That Changes Itself, based on clinical research,
claims that our atitude can change the way the
brain works by slightly changing its phisiological
“determinants” …its like, parts of brains damaged
by strokes that are not capable to carry out its
functions anymore are replaced by other parts
through specific practices and these other parts
become able to perform tasks they werent supposed
to, according to the nature of the biology that
determines its functions(we have specific areas of
the brain associated to specific tasks like smelling,
seeing or tasting that are not supposed to be able to
do otherwise; we can only make a “tasting-neuron”
become a “seeing-neuron” by sending it information
to do so)). My point is, if what Norman Doidge’s
claims are true( and i believe that there is some
scientificity into its work), then isnt that proof that
atitude can change biology? And what about the
neuropsychoimunology, a phenomenon widely
studied? In this case, somehow, our perception of
the world, that results in a specific state of humor,
influences our imuno-activity; the better the humor,
the better our imunitary system works(i think this is
something widely accepted even without knowledge
of the research to it). There is an important control
group in the clinical research made about the
subject: the group is the group of the widows.
Widows live in constant grief and sorrow after the
departure of their loved ones and there is clinical
data showing that the rates of cancer and other
complicated diseases are more high in these group
than in the general population. And again my
question, isnt this some proof that our thought is
affecting our biology?
The problem about skepticism is that, besides just
being critic(wich is more easy than being creative)
and not taking risks, it also castrates people’s
attempts to be creative instead of encouraging the
test of all possibilities. And dont get me wrong, im
not being personal here, its just my perspective of
what skepticism is.
Cheers
Reply
ken says:
November 22, 2011 at 7:43 pm
I think we all have differen’t SKILLS.For exampel I
can relax my eyes and see a white line between the
earth and the sky.This only happends between
objects on earth that are natural mountains,Earth,
trees.Not man made objects buildings cars ect.I
have one picture I took of a mountain and the same
white line I can see is on this picture and only this
picture not on other pictures.I was told this is the
Earths magnetic field.My point is I’ve learned about
three levels in this life.Phyisical,mental and
sperituall .It’s up to you to learn how to connect
them.I know there’s more but life is to short for one
person to learn them all.If you relax,un focus you’re
eyes. Look with you’re eye lids slightly closed
because this cuts down the amount of sunlight that
enters the eyes.You will be superised.Read
Radionics by David V. Tansley D.C.With a forward
by Dr Ian C.B. Pearce.This book is hard to get. We
are not humans.We are just people.
Reply
Barbara Mackenzie says:
February 14, 2014 at 3:44 am
Curious, how’s the book coming?
Reply
Kim says:
February 14, 2014 at 4:38 pm
Please finish your book…I really want to read it! I
like the way you think.
Reply
4. Sean says:
September 19, 2011 at 2:59 pm
While plausible, it seems that there’s nothing even
close to definitive concerning Emoto’s
proffers.Furthermore he is a doctor of what? A Ph.D
from where?. That might be a good starting point.
While certainly there are all sorts of things that are
either poorly or nor at all understood in our
existential milieu but nonetheless do exist, Emoto’s
methodology and what appears to be his self
serving intransigence does this subject a very
serious disservice. A prima facie presentation
renders Emoto’s work interesting and even
fascinating. However, scratching a bit beneath the
surface seems to expose him as a self serving
charlatan. While I want with all my heart to believe
his findings (which means, of course, that I should
never be one analyzing data. It seems that Emoto
cares nothing for the maintenance of such
objectivity), until he opens up his findings to a
deeper scrutiny and a more broad analysis, I’ve no
logical choice but to regard his findings as fuzzy. It
strikes me that the exact same crystals may be
there to be found in any one of the samples exposed
to any one of the outside stimuli but it’s only the
ones which back up Emoto’s posits from the
different dishes which are displayed. Am I wrong
here? While I did believe the the hype for quite a
while, a very basic and not so through investigation
(one needn’t go far) on my part revealed some
serious trouble here. Dr. Emoto, this is a matter of
basic integrity. Perhaps your findings are legitimate
(and they very well may be). Perhaps not. Perhaps
they move in the direction of legitimacy but yield
nothing definitive. No one knows. Please open them
up to a broad based review and replicate your
analysis under rigorous conditions conducted by
independent and fully unbiased assessors. Until
then you appear to be selling snake oil to the
unwary and unsuspecting and are doing so in a
most shameful and unscrupulous manner. It does
seem that you’ve become wealthy as a result of your
“findings”. As m matter of basic decency, declare a
moratorium on your sales and allow the
engagement of deeper scrutiny. You may be right.
However, at this juncture I find that a difficult leap
to make. I ask you respectfully and even prayerfully
to prove me wrong.
Reply
5. Solange de Marignac says:
September 22, 2011 at 4:37 pm
I wonder if something could be done to change –
and improve – the quality of water which has
become radioactive? Thanks if Dr. Emoto can
answer this question…
With best wishes,
S. de M.
Reply
6. Gilad says:
September 22, 2011 at 5:47 pm
Hi,
I’m running a blog in Hebrew (Israel) on the subject
of critical thinking.
I was looking for some good stuff and found your
research work. I think it is great! I’ve seen this
“Bleep” thing a few years ago, and vaguely
remembered this strange, suspicious experiment.
do you have any problem if I translate parts of your
post to Hebrew, mentioning of course that you are
the source (+link to your blog)?
best regards,
Gilad
Reply
7. Steve says:
September 27, 2011 at 1:51 pm
As a Professional healer…those who require
demonstatable proof of thought focus energy…
Watch this utube video…
Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=3F3ovb2kZ9Q&feature=related
Steve
Reply
o Dave says:
October 10, 2011 at 6:21 am
That video isn’t proof, it’s a demonstration of talent.
Whether that talent is the manipulation of a
mystical energy or just carnival tricks is
undetermined.
Reply
8. Joss Price says:
September 29, 2011 at 10:19 am
Hi Kristopher,
It’s a really good piece and have you now gone on
to create rigorous, controlled experiments to
determine the genuine effects of prayer/sentiment
on water? Intention is being well studied in other
area with extraordinary results and this seems
worth further exploration done with the correct
scientific protocol. It’s a shame to dismiss
something and stop there rather than explore some
of the potential anomalies that Emoto may have
discovered.
Best
Joss Price
Reply
o Gilad says:
October 5, 2011 at 7:31 am
Hi Joss,
“Intention is being well studied in other area with
extraordinary results ” – can you please give
references? I’m interested.
thanks,
Gilad
Reply
9. Allen Browning says:
September 30, 2011 at 1:17 pm
As one who has witnessed bona fide miracles in the
Christian community, it upsets me that Emoto fuses
a basic Christian belief, that prayer changes things
for the better, with the New Age belief that positive
thoughts change things for the better, to sell a
product. I think it does damage to Christianity when
someone with a genuine Christian witness throws in
the water crystal story as further proof of the power
of prayer; it waters down their witness and people
will tune them out.
Reply
o Dave says:
October 10, 2011 at 6:24 am
Christian “witnessing” is bunk too….
Reply
o Sabrina says:
March 25, 2012 at 5:02 am
If a person isn’t going to listen to the Christian
message, they won’t no matter what. Remember
there were people who didn’t believe Christ when
he walked amongst us humans 2000 years ago.
Personally, I think Dr. Emoto’s experiment proves
much of what we as Christians teach regarding
prayer, and also demostrates the scripture that
reads as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. No,
it’s not just thoughts alone, but thought are very
powerful because they can lead to actions.
Reply
Charles Beare says:
March 14, 2014 at 1:59 pm
Clearly, Sabrina, you have failed to even vaguely
understand the point of this article. The power of
prayer does not stand up to scientific scrutiny, and
if you still believe that it does, then you should go
on and just believe any and all woo ever
propounded…
Reply
10. Rick says:
October 6, 2011 at 2:01 am
http://deanradin.blogspot.com/2009/01/water-
crystal-replication-study.html
Would seem to be relevant.
Radin, D., Lund, N., Emoto, M., Kizu, T. (2008).
Effects of distant intention on water crystal
formation: A triple-blind replication. Journal of
Scientific Exploration, 22(4), 481-493.
An experiment tested the hypothesis that water
exposed to distant intentions affects the aesthetic
rating of ice crystals formed from that water. Over
three days, 1,900 people in Austria and Germany
focused their intentions towards water samples
located inside an electromagnetically shielded room
in California. Water samples located near the target
water, but unknown to the people providing
intentions, acted as “proximal” controls. Other
samples located outside the shielded room acted as
distant controls.
Ice drops formed from samples of water in the
different treatment conditions were photographed
by a technician, each image was assessed for
aesthetic beauty by over 2,500 independent judges,
and the resulting data were analyzed, all by
individuals blind with respect to the underlying
treatment conditions.
Results suggested that crystal images in the
intentionally treated condition were rated as
aesthetically more beautiful than proximal control
crystals (p = 0.03, one-tailed). This outcome
replicates the results of an earlier (double blind)
pilot test.
.
Feel free to email me at the address above.
Reply
11. Ra'amayan says:
October 11, 2011 at 6:42 am
We are 70% water
Our brains are 70% Water
Water is the carrier of impulses through the
nervous system
Our embryo’s are 99% water, it is the medium for
all life.
It is an intelligence that is so much more powerful
than your average ‘scientist’ gives it credit for.
Emoto’s work does not meet the criteria for today’s
empirical scientific methodical analysis, granted.
But he has opened up the eyes of the word to the
powerful intelligence that is water
There are 5 ancient elements- Water is one of them.
It is powerful, and most ‘scientists’ have little clue
as to how and why it works the way it does.
Time for some deeper analysis
Reply
o Te Moli says:
February 29, 2012 at 11:15 am
I agree, there is much more to life than can be
explained within the parameters of rationalism and
empiricism. The scientific paradigm is but one of an
array of world views at our disposal.
Interesting analysis nonetheless of Emoto’s work to
show where it currently sits in terms of meeting the
requirements of scientific rigour, thanks.
Reply
o 11 says:
March 15, 2012 at 7:08 pm
I agree. Even if Mr. Emoto is a quack, people need
to realize intent is important. We can’t rely on the
scientific community, for much anyway, they have
careers to protect and little funding. I don’t think
there is anything paranormal about thoughts
altering reality to some degree. People only think
things are paranormal until its proven by science,
then it becomes nature. Things that seem magical
are just things that are too complex for scientists to
understand at the moment. Not to mention, there
may just be some things we can’t understand
because our brains have a limited way of taking in
information. There will always be hidden aspects of
reality I’m sure. I think it should be investigated
more, it’s foolish to scoff and move on.
Reply
12. W. M.Stelmachowicz says:
October 20, 2011 at 8:31 am
The truth is is that in the ‘scientific’ mode of
thought, skepticism and cynicism by the observer or
‘scientist’ as well as opptimism etc. therefore
subjectivity play a huge role in what one wants to
see and does not want to see… You choose not to
see so established conditions to refute. I wonder
why? I we analyze honestly, we must conclude that
there is not one single benefit ever produced for
humanity via western ideology within the ‘scientific
method’. All impacts either directly or indirectly to
the eventual destruction of some part of our
ecology… thus causing suffering. I must wonder at
why would any one choose skepticsim over deciding
to maintain loving thoughts??????? no matter what
the experimental rigours…. I would rather be
seated next to Emoto than you because at know that
he wishes me well. I wish you all scincerely well and
hope you choose the Light. We have too much
distraction from the original message and I am
weary of so much cultivation of only one part of our
intellect at the expense of the other – that of ‘gut
intuition’ or the ‘spirit’ or whatever way you desire
to define it. In the end, do you feel truly at peace
with your ‘findings’? Wake up, stop missing the
point!
Reply
o Alistair says:
March 3, 2014 at 8:26 am
“I we analyze honestly, we must conclude that there
is not one single benefit ever produced for humanity
via western ideology within the ‘scientific method”
Apparently, all forms of western medicine that has
prolonged so many human lives over the course of
the years is in no way beneficial. Makes sense.
And I guess having a calender to know when it’s
gonna snow doesn’t really help people much either
huh.
Oh, and that computer you’re typing on? Yeah, fuck
that.
You ask “why”? Maybe it’s time to shed this
infantile mentality. You might find that there’s more
to life than cozy pleasures.
But what do I know, right? I’m just a ‘cynical,
negative, scientist”. Lol.
Reply
13. Elizabeth says:
October 23, 2011 at 12:25 am
I think the Dr. has some fascinating points to
consider, and the counterpoints to his study are
worth considering as well. Regardless of studies
and counterpoints, I have no doubt that positive
thoughts and positive energy can manifest positive
things in the world. So studies and arguments
against them make no difference to me. I don’t need
anyone else to tell me what really matters in life.
Let’s face it, there is no such thing as unbiased
research. And that is because science explains very
little about the universe (contrary to what the Age
of Enlightenment would have us believe, which by
the way was an extremely recent and short period
in the history of mankind). A study that seemingly
answers one question will lead to numerous new
questions. I choose to trust myself. I am a scientist
at heart and a lover of chemistry and physics, but I
am also very spiritual, and I am well aware that
these two topics are much more intertwined than
post-Enlightenment society wants to admit or face.
People might not say it out loud, but many will
admit to me when prompted behind closed doors
that they have beliefs or experiences that would
seem “crazy” to others. It’s sad that humans have
so much knowledge of the spirit that lies within, but
a short period in history has caused us to turn away
from our own intuition–to put down eons of
knowledge of Native peoples of every continent and
nation–and instead depend on others to do the
thinking for us and tell us what is and what isn’t
and what we should believe and what we shouldn’t
based on “research”, and that it’s somehow
unacceptable to admit to having beliefs that many
others share behind closed doors! I hope I am
making sense.
I’ve enjoyed the comments I’ve read so far, whether
I’ve agreed or not.
Reply
o Lade says:
February 15, 2014 at 8:11 am
Wow, Elizabeth, so true. We know a lot more by our
Spirits if we allow ourselves. You put it so
succinctly! Well done.
Reply
o Charles Beare says:
March 14, 2014 at 2:18 pm
“So studies and arguments against them make little
difference to me” – and you claim to be a lover of
physics and chemistry? I believe what I believe
because I believe it, even if shown to be false. Nice
to know that you care about the truth.
Reply
14. lolipop says:
October 24, 2011 at 8:04 pm
Why don’t YOU conduct some experiments then
Kristopher?!It’s all very well to be disrespectful of
others findings when you have not actually told
anyone anything that suggests otherwise.You
clearly have no understanding of the universe or
the enigma of life.And maybe if you did bother to
find out a bit more you may become all the wiser.
I can’t believe there are scientists out there who are
so stupid! Of course our thoughts create our reality.
Good Lord what are we all made of?Everything is a
buzzing vibratory frequency and if more people
read Dr Emoto’s book on water what a better planet
earth this would be!
Reply
o Emoto Admin says:
October 30, 2011 at 4:08 pm
As I said in the paper, the reason why I decided not
to experiment was “After the lengthy review of
Emoto’s research methods and results, I have come
to believe that Dr. Emoto is offering pseudoscience
to the masses in the guise of defensible research. ” I
saw no tangible evidence to incline me to spend six
to 12 months of my life designing, conducting and
publishing a research experiment on the topic.
-Kristopher Setchfield
Reply
easychina says:
November 21, 2011 at 5:55 pm
TO Kristopher Setchfield:
I think that you had better spend 6 to 12 months of
your life to verify this experiment. Because that 6 to
12 months will change world!!!
Reply
The Truth is Apparent says:
December 23, 2011 at 12:21 am
Please see the following links and my comment
below. A much easier, quicker, and cheaper way to
do the same experiment…it will take you less time
than it took to create this website:
http://javeria.wordpress.com/2011/03/07/effects-of-
quran-vs-effects-of-music-on-an-apple
http://discomaulvi.wordpress.com/2011/08/20/
effect-music-vs-quran-on-apple-heart
Reply
Rubbish Really... says:
March 3, 2012 at 5:45 am
I.E. You were not willing to do the research and
experiments to back up your own ‘findings’. Classy.
Reply
Charles Beare says:
March 14, 2014 at 2:35 pm
I recently wrote a piece about the Paracas Skulls
hoax and received exactly this kind of criticism from
people who clearly have no idea how to determine
truth from falsehood. It is indeed scary that these
people have so much contempt for the very method
that has brought them every aspect of modern life,
whilst their methodology has brought society
exactly nothing
Reply
15. Adam says:
October 28, 2011 at 8:40 pm
I agree with W. M.Stelmachowicz.
Reply
16. simone says:
November 4, 2011 at 12:40 am
My friend’s family name in Hitler.
how can water understand if I’m talking about my
good inocent friend or about that Hitler who killed
many people. ?!!!!!!!!! hahaha.
this experiment is tested by scientists and proved to
be wrong.
you can check the Wikipedia to know why.
thanks
Reply
o Hendrik says:
March 2, 2012 at 11:43 am
Hi,
about the test with the name Hitler.
When the name Hitler was written down, the
thoughts of the scientist where with the intenttion
of the person Adolf Hitler, who have killed miljoens
of people.
So the writing was carrying the information of the
sence of the scientist.
Writing down the name Adolf Hitler, from a sence of
Love and Light would have change the information.
Writing down the name of Hitler, as the name of
your friend, willl bring the energy and information
of your friend(family) within the writing.
With Love and Light, Hendrik
Reply
o 11 says:
March 15, 2012 at 7:21 pm
I think someone in defense of the theory would say,
“when a person thinks of your good friend Hitler,
they project good vibes and thoughts because the
thought of him brings pleasant feelings. If someone
is referencing Hitler of Austria, then likely there is
a negative connotation attached to the name.” Plus,
a person is more subjective than a phrase like
“love” or “hate”. So I would imagine the results
would be somewhat neutral or inconclusive when
using an actual persons name. Which it’s
interesting to note Mr. Emoto never did the
experiment using subjective words or neutral
phrases. I’d like to see that.
Reply
17. nicolas kuske says:
November 27, 2011 at 11:26 pm
Hey Kristopher.
Thank you for your intelligent analysis, and of
course for sharing it with us.
The main problem seems to me that of 100 petry
dishes Dr. Emoto only shows one picture and does
not openly reveal the others.
If that is true, then it is ignorant and irresponsible
of him.
I am in search of the truth and always openminded,
because nothing exists that does not exist, but there
is a difference in physical truth for everybody else
to use, and
the truth in ones one head.
It seems to me, Dr. Emoto is someone who, at least
in this particular case, is not able to see the
difference.
I will not regard his findings as physical relevant
anymore.
Keep it up
Reply
18. Carl says:
December 15, 2011 at 5:41 pm
Kristopher,
I would suggest you to put the ad of that $35 eight-
ounce blessed water sold by Dr. Emoto at your
article’s heading. That will certainly save us a lot of
time to reach a conclusion.
Did Einstein try to sell an eight-ounce “Time Travel
Machine” when he published his essay on
Relativity?
Reply
19. Carlson says:
December 15, 2011 at 11:22 pm
Emoto’s work has intrigued me for years! Since we
are dealing with a physical and spiritual synthesis,
and attempting a scientific analysis, I would offer
Biblical analogies of blessing and cursing as
becoming pertinent. Indeed, Judeo-Christian
theology is rooted in that which is spoken, be it
“names” (above all names?) or blessing and cursing.
Ultimately, are we treading the thresholds of
“faith?” After all, thoughts manifesting themselves
into reality isn’t really new.
Reply
20. Andrea says:
December 19, 2011 at 12:40 am
Hello There:)
Thanks for the great work. I have one question
though…what keeps you from trying to reproduce
this yourself? It’s possible that he has something
here, and simply lacks the organizational skills, or
and alternate hypothesis: Perhaps a double blind
study will not work here, as the procedure, when
influenced by thoughts or words, requires energy
behind it to make the shift. Simply writing the
words on paper, with no one directly influencing the
water, will give false results. I think you could
easily reproduce the experiments such as tap water
vs spring water in the places he showed them, in a
double blind fashion. What stops you from
conducting this experiment (in fact, I would, if i had
lab access…). The scientific method, as we use it,
has many shortcomings. Certainly in the field of
subtle energy’s produced by humans, the act of
being observed itself, changes the results. I
personally believe his work, holes and all, but I do
believe that someone like you, who was interested
to begin with, might continue this work and see if
you can’t work out the bugs in his method. You say
you saw no reason to compel you to look further,
and there is your flaw. Your curiosity alone should
be enough. You cannot disprove it either if you
simply think yourself above it. Personally, I don’t
need any proof that energy can effect matter. As the
saying goes: “You don’t have to be a weatherman to
look around and see the weather.”
Reply
o Charles Beare says:
March 14, 2014 at 2:40 pm
And yet another who doesn’t need any evidence to
believe in whatever the heck they want – this is the
worst form of confirmation bias. It is a miracle that
you use reason in every area of your life except
when it comes to discovering whether a claim is
true or not. The burden of proof is on the claimant
(Dr. Emoto), although you wouldn’t understand or
care about that…
Reply
21. The Truth is Apparent says:
December 23, 2011 at 12:18 am
Why not use apples instead of water crystals?
Check it out…
http://javeria.wordpress.com/2011/03/07/effects-of-
quran-vs-effects-of-music-on-an-apple
http://discomaulvi.wordpress.com/2011/08/20/
effect-music-vs-quran-on-apple-heart
The above links are from similar grade school
experiments done for science fairs that studied the
results of playing music vs playing verses from the
Quran and the results are AMAZING.
Surely a real scientist could easily replicate such an
experiment with complete control on something
that is less volatile than water crystals. Why not
give it a shot?
Reply
22. Brilliant says:
December 28, 2011 at 11:16 pm
Ths is why i read your artical. “I set off to conduct a
research project in the chemistry department of
Castleton College in Vermont to see if I could find
sufficient evidence and support for Dr. Emoto’s
claims to merit conducting a deeper research
project to try to reproduce his work.” then you say
theres no point after you see some flaws in his
method. Correct the flaws in the method and do the
study!!!!! Please! Its kind of disrespectfull to do the
bait and switch.
Reply
o Charles Beare says:
March 14, 2014 at 2:42 pm
Have you got thousands of dollars and months of
time to perform an experiment when it is
abundantly clear that the original work shows clear
confirmation bias. There’s a good reason no one
else is doing this research, and it isn’t because
scientists are scared of him being correct
Reply
23. Alex says:
January 2, 2012 at 9:30 am
Here is an article from Wikipedia:
Quantum entanglement occurs when particles such
as photons, electrons, molecules as large as
“buckyballs”,[1][2] and even small diamonds[3] [4]
interact physically and then become separated; the
type of interaction is such that each resulting
member of a pair is properly described by the same
quantum mechanical description (state), which is
indefinite in terms of important factors such as
position,[5] momentum, spin, polarization, etc.
According to the Copenhagen interpretation of
quantum mechanics, their shared state is indefinite
until measured.[6] Quantum entanglement is a form
of quantum superposition. When a measurement is
made and it causes one member of such a pair to
take on a definite value (e.g., clockwise spin), the
other member of this entangled pair will at any
subsequent time[7] be found to have taken the
appropriately correlated value (e.g.,
counterclockwise spin). Thus, there is a correlation
between the results of measurements performed on
entangled pairs, and this correlation is observed
even though the entangled pair may have been
separated by arbitrarily large distances.[8]
This behavior is theoretically coherent and has been
demonstrated experimentally, and it is accepted by
the physics community. However there is some
debate[9] about a possible underlying mechanism
that enables this correlation to occur even when the
separation distance is large. The difference in
opinion derives from espousal of various
interpretations of quantum mechanics.
Research into quantum entanglement was initiated
by the EPR paradox paper of Albert Einstein, Boris
Podolsky and Nathan Rosen in 1935,[10] and
several papers by Erwin Schrödinger shortly
thereafter.[11][12] Although these first studies
focused on the counterintuitive properties of
entanglement, with the aim of criticizing quantum
mechanics, eventually entanglement was verified
experimentally[13], and recognized as a valid,
fundamental feature of quantum mechanics; the
focus of the research has now changed to its
utilization as a resource for communication and
computation.
Here is my take as to why the scientific community
is silent on the matter of coming up with methods to
test Dr Emoto’s hypothesis. To isolate what exactly
in the brain (or is it the brain) is acting at a distance
on the water molecules while it is changing states is
just way too complex to tackle. It is on the scale of
NIH medical research efforts. The million dollar
challenge is just not enough. Maybe a 100 billion
dollars might prick up some ears.
Reply
24. Dario says:
January 4, 2012 at 2:55 am
Your actual work does not actually prove that Mr.
Emoto’s work is true or not. I was expecting to read
something more substantial or even a true
“Scientific” research, but you have not done so,
what you only have done is trying to disprove the
published work by Emoto. Peer review is not
actually a real scientific method of proving
something or not as any incoming theory has to be
accepted by the common peers and again is subject
to bias. The peer review is just a terrible way for
the science to advance and it is the reason why
discoveries are being made by “outsiders” rather
than “scientists”. Peer review has just become a
sort of religion or dogma, and a way of getting
funded to do scientific research you have to go with
the accepterd theory however nonsensical it might
be. Again, it would have been interesting to see
your own research on this subject and that you
fixed all the problems in the research you found on
Mr. Emoto, but maybe you were not brave enough
to do it as it may have brought ridicule into your
research career. It is very sad that the scientists are
now becoming pseudoscientists and selling the
people a dogma rather than a true discovery, we
are seeing now that the discoveries are being made
by others, but yet this is what has happened before
and we have plenty of evidence of this in the past,
just remember Galileo and others.
Reply
o Dr. C. Parrott says:
March 23, 2012 at 5:57 pm
“The peer review is just a terrible way for the
science to advance and it is the reason why
discoveries are being made by “outsiders” rather
than “scientists”. ”
You need to learn how to play by the rules before
you can get more creative and change and or break
them credibly.
You can be an excellent soccer team, however if the
rules of soccer are disregarded any wins against
another team are void.
Reply
25. Lars says:
January 11, 2012 at 6:35 am
Thank you Kristopher for your article and shedding
more light on the methodology of Dr. Emoto’s work.
And thanks to all the others for sharing your
thoughts even though I am always amazed as to
how strong and even aggressive some people voice
their opinion. I think we should all be grateful for
tools like the Internet which allows us to share and
discuss information and things like Dr. Emoto’s
work.
I agree that it is a bit unfortunate that nobody has
yet tried to continue such research on water. It may
be true that Dr. Emoto has not applied basic
scientific procedures to conduct his experiments
and I agree that it would be absolutely beneficial if
he would revisit his work to support his claims. On
the other hand, just look at how many people he has
inspired to think beyond our science, no matter if
he is right or wrong. If it makes people think about
their relation to our basic resource water and its
relation to the water in our body, how feelings or
thoughts my influence both, that’s already a great
impact, I think. I am a Reiki Master with a Masters
Degree in Telecommunications which is on one
hand a clash but on the other hand I see amazing
similarities between the way our telecom world
functions and the way our energetic structure
works and how we interconnect with others and the
Earth’s magnetic field. And I am absolutely
fascinated and glad to see that for instance more
and more physicians are opening up and utilizing
the work and help of alternative practices like
energy work. I agree with Elizabeth that we or most
of us have lost the trust in what we can’t grasp with
our common senses, and those who have
experienced unusual things are often holding it
back because it seems crazy to them or the
scientific world (no offense!). Our human body is
undoubtedly a complex system (including the water
running through it), and so is the invisible part of us
and the world around us. It always amazes me that
it is so normal for people to use their phones for
talking and texting with others across the globe but
when it comes to other means of communication
between one another, without any technical tools
like phones, it is so hard for them to accept that it
works pretty much the same way and that our
thoughts and feelings are the driving force behind
it, instead of amplifiers and modulators in our
phones. Anyway, coming back to Dr. Emoto’s
controversial work, I salute to him for doing it and
for triggering others to think about it. I love his
book for children and it puts a smile on their face
and catches their interest too. Anyone who has kids
and has learned to listen very closely to what they
have to say, will agree that they can teach us a lot.
They are closer to the source, where we all came
from. Their natural interest and curiosity is not
(yet) impacted by an overwhelming urge of
rationalization and desire to prove or disprove
everything with our limited scientific tools and
knowledge (again, no offense!). To Elizabeth’s
point, we should listen closer and embrace what our
indigenous fellows have to say about our world, the
capabilities that lie within all of us and how we can
learn to trust ourselves again, unfold what we have
forgotten and share it with others without being
denounced. My apologies if I went above and
beyond here, but in the end it is all related to the
same desire – demystifying our environment,
ourselves and the hope for a happier, healthier and
more balanced life on this planet. Please be more
open, supportive, and ask your kids what they think
about all this – seriously!
Reply
o Kirsten says:
January 25, 2014 at 3:33 am
Thank you Lars for such balanced and introspective
commentary
Reply
26. Lars says:
January 11, 2012 at 7:21 am
Here is an interesting interview with a scientist who
became spiritual – Bruce Lipton.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=o1Tt0yGMm88&feature=related
There is much more stuff from him on youtube and I
find what he says resonates perfectly with my core
beliefs of how we (humans) function AND how we
can influence what surrounds us, including water.
Reply
o Charles Beare says:
March 14, 2014 at 2:46 pm
Believing things because they resonate with your
personal beliefs is EXACTLY confirmation bias. I
suggest you look into the concept of critical
thinking if you care about the truth.
Reply
27. Ana says:
January 11, 2012 at 2:09 pm
And how do you explain the results obtained with
the rice experiment? I found on youtube many
reports from several diferent people who repeated
this experiment and had really interesting results…
I also dont understand why do you dont try the
experiment on the water by yourself. If you have a
microscope and slides and a freezer you dont need
more than one day to try a simple experiment and
give more strenght to your text… I would rather try
it by myself and make my own conclusions than only
publish suggestions and critics of the other people
work for people to read. Anyway thanks for your
text, it made me more enthusiastic to try the
experiment by myself!
Reply
28. Charles says:
January 17, 2012 at 9:21 am
I am curious to hear your opinion on if you think his
finding are possible or not and if you think thoughts
can effect molecules.
Reply
29. Rita says:
January 18, 2012 at 7:07 am
Anyone reading this will no doubt consider they
have little free time [ although time is illusory ] so I
will endeavour to keep it brief and free from using
20 words when 2 will do.
A reply on this blog already details the % of water
we are – the tools of current science can’t really
explain why we are not a puddle on the floor. Water
is not held in our cells as cells are empty, nuceli,
protons quarks – all non solid – all energy. Quantum
physcis is only now just touching upon what the
ancients always knew – we are all energy and all
connected.
Matter does not, matter, as it is not solid and there
are no such things as solids, only our perception of
solidity, as we vibrate and resonante at frequencies
that allow us to interact in the perception of
solidity.
Matter is energy, we are energy, thoughts and
feelings are energy, thoughts and feelings affect all
energy as everything is connected. Thoughts and
feelings affect our being, our health, each other and
matter [ as of course matter is only energy !].
This is not religious or new age it is a science fact
even within the scientific limitations of the current
measuring tools.
And as Shakespeare would say – “there’s the rub ”
The main stream world of science is critised [ and in
my view often rightly so] as it often displays limited
thinking. The premise is if it can’t be measured
within the limiting confines of either current
technology or learning then it is not provable so
therefore not right.
A whole area of physics exists that blows the
Newtonian physics thinking out of the water.
Instead of being excited and clamouring to discover
the great things this may mean main stream science
huddles together in that well known river DE NILE
– Denial and fear unforunatley abound.
There are endless good possibilities [ except maybe
from those making billions from drugs for illness
and arms] in understanding our own energy and the
effects of our thoughts and feelings on ourselves
and the world.
It is ARROGANT although possibly expected, to say
” These are the measuring tools we use, it can’t be
measured with them so it’s not proper, real or
right”
20 years ago main stream science did not have the
technology to measure the energy in space. Now it
accepts that what was thought ” nothing ‘ is more
full of ” something ” than what was thought
“something “.
DARK MATTER has always existed, whether we had
the tools or protocols to measure it or not.
Don’t take his books from the shelves – let people
make up their own minds about things.
A lot more GOOD will come from people saying
feeling and thinking loving things than not .
And let’s embrace that available technology is
usually way behind. So invent some new tools to
measure new things, now there’s an idea.
Anyone who thinks their thoughts and feelings don’t
have an affect on their physiology should seriously
think again.
With love and very lovely blessing Rita
Reply
30. Darby says:
January 21, 2012 at 4:21 am
The hypothesis was the impact of the mind and its
intention on the world around it. You took a
skeptical look at the outcome and found exactly
what you were looking for. Are you sure the
hypothesis wasn’t confirmed?
Reply
31. Stephanie says:
January 22, 2012 at 4:33 pm
Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them
that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but
even their mind and conscience is defiled. Titus
1:15
Reply
o Stephanie says:
January 22, 2012 at 4:40 pm
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth
nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are
spirit, and they are life. John 6:63
I call heaven and earth to record this day against
you, that I have set before you life and death,
blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that
both thou and thy seed may live: Deuteronomy
30:19
Reply
Luis Reyes says:
July 10, 2013 at 12:46 pm
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen,
disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no
wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an
angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants,
also, disguise themselves as servants of
righteousness. Their end will correspond to their
deeds. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15
There has to be a better way to defend your point of
view than to use quotes attributed to men who
themselves attribute them to a deity. Everyone is
entitled to believe whatever nonsense they find
more palatable. But if you do choose to voice said
nonsense as if it was a recorded, verifiable fact, at
least make some attempt to disguise it as an
intelligent argument.
Reply
Charles Beare says:
March 14, 2014 at 2:49 pm
Bravo, Luis
Reply
32. brian says:
February 7, 2012 at 8:12 am
I like Elizabeth’s comments. When we are searching
for answers to our mystical world we are held back
by the limitation of Science that is slow to
acknowledge the power of thought. Thought is a
vibration, Matter is a combination of vibrations
‘stuck’. I think in the book psycho cybernetics it was
stated ‘the nervous system cannot tell the
difference between a real event and an imagined
event’. Surely we must acknowledge the power of
our indigenous people who are more at ‘one with
nature’. ‘Consciousness changes physics’. I guess it
is waving a red flag to a ‘scientific’ bull but
wouldn’t it be great for more scientists to suspend
judgment and open up more to quantum physics to
support such important studies such as Emoto. i
agree his methods need to be more robust but it
does not matter to the many people who know the
power of positive and loving thought. We just want
to share it with more and more and one year we
may get world peace.
Reply
33. Elaria says:
February 22, 2012 at 1:19 am
Thanks for this interesting paper. I do actually
believe that positive thinking can influence our lives
positively, just because it influences our emotions
and our behaviour and encourages and inspires us
to achieve our dreams. I don’t believe sitting
aournd and thinking poisitive things will actually
effect our lives physicially except to reduce stress
and make ourselves feel better.
I would like to believe the work given by Emoto but
I cannot believe something unless I know that there
is no bias in the results. It would be great to see a
study which replicates it with scientific rigour.
There is a reason protocols are developed. I believe
if Emoto was a real researcher and really wanted to
make a difference he would not only be willing, but
desire to have his work scientifically proven.
Reply
34. CrazyGata says:
February 25, 2012 at 2:21 pm
Water has no adverse secondary effects that will
hinder or impair bodily functions.
Neither does peace or the use of vibrations as a tool
for peace.
The energy wasted in this article could’ve served a
more noble purpose investigating the
pseudoscience of, say, pharmaceuticals and their
multi-trillion industry.
I don’t nobody calling Pfizer or Bristol Myers a
quack. Then again Dr. Emoto is not paying
kickbacks for “plausible” studies. So there you are.
You might spruce up your point and make it sound
as serious as you want, yet anybody can run this
simple experiment, music to ease the soul. No need
for pills, instead of buying into fear and skepticism,
just hum.
Reply
35. Gretchen says:
February 27, 2012 at 4:19 am
please do the research– that would be fabulous!
And I loved reading all of the comments— so many
wonderful critcal (in the good sense) thinkers out
there!
All this reading has made me thirsty-
gretchen
Reply
36. Jeremy Pfeiffer says:
March 5, 2012 at 1:05 am
I feel Emoto’s work is an amazing representation of
sympathetic vibratory physics phenomenon at play.
Possibly a vibrational imprint truly of the creator.
Look around…the geometrical archetypes are
permeating the very nature of all that is. We are
vibrating water, living on a vibrating water planet
and in a vibrating universe.
Reply
37. mandy says:
March 7, 2012 at 9:51 pm
Dr Emoto did have double-blind and tripled blind
experiments with Dean Radin, both scientific
experiments showed that water treated with
positive intentions DO produce more beautiful
crystals.
If you are interested in reading the academic
research papers, kindly visit:
Double blind experiment:
http://www.internationalwaterforlifefoundation.org/
IWLF.Radin_EXPLORE%20(2).pdf
Triple blind experiment:
http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/jse_22_
4_radin.pdf
Reply
38. Joe says:
March 15, 2012 at 12:58 am
I actually did an experiment about 2 years ago. I
wrote up a lab, after developing a hypothesis based;
on Emotos work and the what I have learned about
quantum physics, chemistry, and the human energy
field over the years. I hypothesized that I could use
structured water to cause a massive difference in
root growth and growth in the grass between the
two groups.
I had a clump of grass for the control group and exp
group. I used structured water on one(exp) and
regular tap water on the other(control). The exp
group got bigger shortly after the experiment
started. After a couple more days, I swapped the
two, and continued the experiment. Not only did the
[new] control group catch up and grow bigger, it
got more than three times taller than the cntl group
within the next week. The roots were shockingly
thicker, longer and whiter than the control group.
Then, I didn’t water the groups for four days. I
began normal watering after that. The control
group was brown/black and somewhat crispy. The
exp group was not doing good at all, but still had
life in it. After three days, the exp group was in full
health again. The cntl group never came back. I still
have the lab. I also made markings on the wall as
documentation of where the grass grew throughout
the three weeks of the experiment. Everyone of my
friends saw the difference between the control
group and the exp group while the grasses were
growing, and the lab with the results.
Reply
o Alistair says:
March 3, 2014 at 8:48 am
As it states on the website, the “structured” water
is basically distilled water. It goes on about a bunch
of mumbo-jumbo and I’m yet to come across any
statement even briefly explaining how he produces
such an expensive magical product.
Reply
o Charles Beare says:
March 14, 2014 at 2:50 pm
Wow, Joe, you really know what science is about
then, don’t you? Pfft.
Reply
39. David says:
March 18, 2012 at 11:28 pm
Well, the opening paragraph certainly grabbed me;
I was intrigued as I started reading through this
paper only to realise a mild sense of disappointment
settle in.
Kristopher Setchfield, BA, Health Science says:-
“After the lengthy review of Emoto’s research
methods and results, I have come to believe that Dr.
Emoto is offering pseudoscience to the masses in
the guise of defensible research. ” I saw no tangible
evidence to incline me to spend six to 12 months of
my life designing, conducting and publishing a
research experiment on the topic.
I therefore assume that a primary reason for not
scientifically exploring this reported ‘phenomena’
any further is the principle lack of any tangible
evidence.
Presumably the question then arises that in
accepting this published critique of Masaru Emoto’s
methods used, and the attending uncertainties, then
surely this topic is ripe for thorough ‘scientific’
investigation “for its own sake in the pursuit of
knowledge” ?
Therefore the following questions come to mind for
me:-
Q1 – why is the existence of any tangible evidence
necessary ?
Q2 – what direction would have been followed had
any tangible evidence been ‘found’ ?
Q3 – after all the talking has been done surely the
following remains as the main ‘challenge’ for
someone who has the inclination, the resources and
the time:-
“While it is possible that he did, in fact, discover
that water has an observable sensitivity to external
stimuli such as prayer and words, Dr. Emoto’s
experimental design and clinical procedures do not
prove the claim. A double blind procedure in which
a photographer would not know what water sample
he or she was photographing would make the claim
considerably more credible.”
As for me, I believe we embody that which is the
boundary between the physical and the mystical, we
make of it what we will.
Thank you for a thoroughly interesting yet
‘incomplete’ half hour.
Reply
40. pisimohk ka nipawit says:
March 19, 2012 at 12:40 am
This article is very disheartening and I don’t know
why someone would go to great lengths to disprove
that thoughts and prayers do not affect things. So
what if Emoto is making tons of money from his
book, if he makes people change how they think
regarding the world around them, then I would say
he’s made a valuable contribution to the world.
many cultures pray over their food and water
before they take it into their bodies and they whole
heartedly believe their thoughts and prayers will
help heal them. leave it to science and to self
proclaimed open minded critics to prove them
wrong again.
Reply
41. Dr. C. Parrott says:
March 23, 2012 at 5:54 pm
Lets stay open minded people and give eachother
the credit we deserve, we all come from different
backrounds and beliefs and require different levels
of evidence to be convinced. Most of us are closed
minded to anthing that doesn’t agree with our idea
of the world and how it should be looked at and
tested. Others are closed minded to the scientific
method and that spirituality is not always what we
think it is, preferring to live in ignorant bliss not
questioning or exploring our beliefs.
I am an open minded skeptic, I am open to both
“supernatural” phenomena being real and the
possibility that it is “hocum” if properly disproved
or proved. Double blind studies are extremely
important to negate experimenter bias, the power
of expectation alone shows that our intention
creates our reality and can do very powerful things
such as heal cancer etc. A much more pleasant
alternative to chemotherapy and radiation which
kill you and your cancer cells.
I found these from another site discussing the
emoto work.
http://download.journals.elsevierhealth.com/pdfs/
journals/1550-8307/PIIS1550830706003272.pdf
http://www.deanradin.com/papers/emotoIIproof.pdf
and here is an interesting video that quotes
scientific research outlining how intention can
affect our DNA and that DNA can influence the
particles around it. Then gives a demonstration of
energetic healing of a large cancerous tumor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfTjlfLGBv0
If someone knows where to find the research
articles that Gregg Braden talks about can be read I
would love to read them.
Reply
42. Dr. C. Parrott says:
March 23, 2012 at 6:55 pm
Another good video, on being open minded. His
dialogue indicates that “scientific” persons are open
minded and spiritual persons are not, I have found
both types to be more close minded than not.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T69TOuqaqXI
Reply
43. Tim Krueger says:
April 3, 2012 at 3:13 pm
I echo the sentiments above. I’m left wondering
how many hours of “effort” it took to discredit the
scientific methodology used and what value that
brings? I had the same thoughts on the lack of hard
scientific methodology used after spending 2 hours
reading the book. It doesn’t take extensive research
to figure that out. It’s pretty apparent.
Doing your own research in this space seems like it
would have been a better use of your time and
energy. I’d be interested in that.
Reply
44. johnny haeberlin says:
July 3, 2013 at 8:34 pm
A) Emoto’s claims have great significance and
significant implications.
B) There is no debate that there is skepticism,
especially among the scientific community.
C)There is no irrefutable science that quenches my
thirst for this truth. If you have irrefutable evidence
that will vanquish any skepticism, SHARE IT NOW,
because it’s not widely available.
D)The movement that Emoto has created has
substantial energy. Creating an experiment to
demonstrate this principle would be simple.
E)If I were Emoto and knew this to be the truth, I
would invest some of my ample energy into creating
an intensely rigorous scientific demonstration of the
famous claim. Then, with irrefutable evidence that
no one can deny, we can all celebrate. I mean, why
wouldn’t you want to be remembered historically as
the man showed everyone the truth?
The real importance of this claim is that it has the
possibility to greatly evolve our worldview. If it’s
true, we need to help the skeptics see. If it’s not,
we’ll be sad, but at least we won’t be thinking
inconsequential thoughts.
Reply
45. Terri Peterson says:
July 9, 2013 at 4:32 am
There is some research out there now that is
showing us that water has memory. Check out the
following links.
http://noetic.org/library/publication-scholarly-
papers/double-blind-test-effects-distant-intention-
water/
http://media.noetic.org/uploads/files/Double-
blind_water.pdf
http://odewire.com/170441/scientists-investigate-
water-memory.html
Reply
o Charles Beare says:
March 14, 2014 at 2:54 pm
Sure, water has memory. So where do you suggest
that it stores the memory of Napoleon’s bladder, or
of Gandhi’s stool samples or any of the other
billions of events that have happened to any water
molecule?
Reply
46. Steve Rogers says:
July 10, 2013 at 3:02 pm
I find it disappointing that Dr Emoto would sell
expensive products without going through scientific
testing. At best he is not a scientist, at worst a con
artist. If there is truth in his theory it desperately
needs real experimental data to avoid the death of
the theory.
Reply
o Alistair says:
March 3, 2014 at 8:56 am
Straight to the point, well put.
Reply
47. Steve Rogers says:
July 10, 2013 at 3:08 pm
I forgot to say, what a reasonable and fair article
this is! It would be mean and unscientific to write
off Dr Emoto just because his theory is as yet
untested. He may have something and he may be
sincere. It’s just that it’s too early to tell.
Reply
48. surbhi says:
July 14, 2013 at 12:40 pm
my mother never sips a drop of water without
saying ‘thank you’ .all thanks to sir masaru emoto.
Reply
49. rex aeterna says:
July 14, 2013 at 6:03 pm
Thing I like to mention that people tend to forget is
science is Latin derived word meaning “knowledge”
or “to know”. knowledge is nothing without
practiced wisdom self-experience. Thing as well,
while we call what we don’t understand yet
pseudoscience is still science. I mean all the things
we know and experience now was some form of
pseudoscience and irrational thinking. Without
imagination and dreaming of endless possibilities
we wouldn’t have the things we do in this
materialistic world. I mean if everything is basically
made of water and all living things require good
water to survive, and realizing how stress itself puts
the body in a state of unpleasantness not just
emotionally but physically as well, you would think
this study can be very possible. Use your doubt as a
tool. Don’t be used by it. Everything was once a
thought in the universe. Mystery is what makes life
and learning beautiful.
Reply
50. Mumbaki Ak says:
July 17, 2013 at 5:19 am
this is the double-blind study at Science Direct from
the ISI-journal EXPLORE-THE JOURNAL OF
SCIENCE AND HEALING:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1
550830706003272
“The hypothesis that water “treated” with intention
can affect ice crystals formed from that water was
pilot tested under double-blind conditions. A group
of approximately 2,000 people in Tokyo focused
positive intentions toward water samples located
inside an electromagnetically shielded room in
California. That group was unaware of similar water
samples set aside in a different location as controls.
Ice crystals formed from both sets of water samples
were blindly identified and photographed by an
analyst, and the resulting images were blindly
assessed for aesthetic appeal by 100 independent
judges. Results indicated that crystals from the
treated water were given higher scores for
aesthetic appeal than those from the control water
(P = .001, one-tailed), lending support to the
hypothesis.”
Reply
51. elan star says:
September 9, 2013 at 10:03 pm
Dr Emoto has proven himself to be a rude and quite
offensive person to both fans and staff memebers of
his own. He is not “Blessing” nor “thankful” and is
quite haughty.
We dont sayt aht blessing does not have an effect
on biological ssytems we say that his work is nto
reproducable and that it has some very disturbing
elements that one cannot ignore. I have spent
enough time around him and known others who
found out that he actually htoographs long chains of
time periods of the disintegration of the crustal and
cherry picks what he wants to match it as far as the
so called influence element.
Basically he does nto resonate with wht he says…
his ego is thorugh the ceiling. Yes by all means
bless everything but dont look to Emoto for
anything substantial.
Reply
52. Folly Darling says:
January 3, 2014 at 12:46 pm
While I like your article and analysis, I believe there
is also the intangible –that which we cannot touch
or understand but must have faith in. Before I
became severely ill with an Inborn Error Of
Metabolism that has bsically destroyed my career, I
also had the strength is seems to lay hands, absorb
negative energies and cast them out for people.
Upon becoming ill I could capture but then could
not cast out so I had to stop because I was
becoming ill.
I saw Dr. Masaru Emoto in film and have read all of
his books. What I chose to purchase then was his
deck of Water Crystal Oracle cards. I cannot tell
when I started using them. The first time was on an
ill relative that had multiple issues –I took
applicable cards and intermingled with a picture of
said person and then said many many prayers.The
person’s cancer disappeared. Since then all my
stories are anecdotal. I work with people in critical
condition and do the same with each depending on
their disease. Each I have been involved in has had
a reversal of ill healh. Would it of happened any
way..maybe. But some have had quick critical turn
arounds.
I believe it is strong faith, offering of prayers to the
universe, having other pray also on say subjects —-
concentrated efforts. Again as I say, all is
annecdotal and many that doctors said no hope left
—well we had faith we could change the world, and
the is happy.
I have a new person that has gone into a coma with
a deadly genetic disorder (I have it also). I am
starting the process this morning and hopefully the
prayer group and healing cards on the person will
help. I have blind healing faith.
We are also going to use the cards on an ailing dog
to see if the faith and prayers may work.
Faith and prayer can be powerful.I have been near
death several times and the groups have worked a
constant vigil on me. I have been in a coma and
family was told I was shutting down and did a 180;
my liver only works 5% –I have been told based on
that I should be dead; Have had several
hyperthermic tonic-clonic seizures where my brain
overheats (they do not know what triggers)
I am here, doing medical research, the oldest
helping others in the US that have my genetic
diseases and related disorders. Behind me, my
husband believes also. We bot believe in Dr.
Emoto’s concepts and use the healing cards. If
someone lives, I take no credit. I figure it was the
universe and God.
Reply
53. Dan says:
January 5, 2014 at 12:16 am
I spoke to Dr. Emoto many years ago (through his
interpreter) when he was doing a book tour in St.
Peterburg, Florida. He seemed to be a very sincere,
friendly person who deeply believes in what he is
promoting. He is for real.
The problem is not in Dr. Emoto or his research, but
in the false idea that the scientific method reveals
anything other than a circularity. Human
experience is the only reality we can experience,
there is nothing else, no “real world” of physics out
there, quantum or otherwise. We are here with our
lives, our loves, our stories. God put us here to do
good, and Dr. Emoto is a force for good. His
research may never be replicated because it is a
work of art that reflects his soul. Modern medicine,
like medieval medicine, like Stone Age medicine,
works only because of the placebo (I believe) effect.
Our beliefs are what create the world we live in. Dr.
Emoto demonstrated in his artwork that
thoughts/emotions/music can change water….some
of still believe in the man who once turned it into
wine.
Reply
54. Sam Chiodo says:
January 14, 2014 at 7:23 pm
Sometime people need to be told a story to inspire
them whether it is true or not does it really matter.
Were you inspired by the story before you read this
article? If one is willing to change the way the
world is for the better of human kind, does it matter
if the story may not be verified? when you were a
child and you heard about the tooth fairy, or father
Christmas, or the Easter bunny, does a child need
scientific research to believe? To Dr. Steve Gardner
what if someone in your waiting area had picked
the book up and read it and then it helped to
changes their lives. I make the assumption that you
don’t tell your children that the tooth fairy and
father Christmas etc are not real. How did you feel
when you first heard the story i know i was
amazed…and intrigued. Be inspired there are
enough critics in the world. Sam
Reply
55. k says:
January 19, 2014 at 9:40 pm
science cannot refute OR verify it?
and yet you conclude it is pseudoscience?
ok. sure.
Reply
56. Camillo Benso says:
January 21, 2014 at 2:29 pm
I am not surprised at all. Japanese have a long
experience about KI-QI and energy related words
that reflect the way you feel and the way you are.
That said, here is the thing: why are scientists
discovering stuff by accident? So, don’t make a fuss
about it.
For centuries there is a “blessed water” in Christian
Churches. Bottled water is sold at places like
Lourdes (France), Fatima (Portugal) and it is
supposed to have “miracle” effects. In those who
believe it, and guess what: it is all based on
prayers! So, I am not
denying anything and I am not accusing Emoto of
false claims. If he says so he takes responsability for
it. The fact that water has negative ions that
neutralize positive ones (pollution) is a long known
fact, in any culture (read waterfalls). We
understand now that plant roots are intelligent
beings and if so, you bet they look for good water.
As to music: it is the “miracle” universal language,
it has the ability to create emotions. Keep
going…..Masaru.
Reply
57. Pedro Crotto says:
January 24, 2014 at 6:21 pm
Double-blind test of the effects of distant intention
on water crystal formation, in
PubMed: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1697
9104
Reply
58. Sam says:
January 26, 2014 at 7:47 am
Why do you refer to him as “Dr.” when he only has
a international relations degree from a municipal
school in Yokohama?? It’s deceiving to refer to this
guy as a Dr. when he does not have a PHD.
Reply
59. Alexandra says:
January 26, 2014 at 12:20 pm
Hallo,
I found Dr. Emoto through my brother. Unlike my
brother, though, I tend to be more sceptical of such
“esoteric” matters.
Scientific methode or no, in my opinion there should
be research happening on this, as research has
alredy prooven that prair is able to affect healing,
which I find very interesting.
The scientiffic community shouldn´t wait for Dr.
Emoto to climb down from his ivory tower and just
do a double blind study of the matter.
Looking out for something like that to happen…
To the author of this page: Brilliant work, thanks a
million!
Best regards
Alex
Reply
60. Kathleen Milner says:
January 29, 2014 at 6:36 pm
I have done my own research to prove or to
disprove Masaru Emoto’s study and research. We
have found that not only is Masaru Emoto’s
research correct, but wood also holds positive or
negative energies of thoughts.
I believe what may have strongly influenced
Kristopher Setchfield’s study was his skepticism
and pedantic research. Please note that he does not
include any scientific experiments, which is an
essential component of scientific research.
Kathleen
Reply
o Charles Beare says:
March 14, 2014 at 2:59 pm
Come now, Kathleen, no need to lie to prop up your
unsubstantiated beliefs. Just accept that you don’t
care about whether what you believe is true or not,
because you believe that belief itself makes truth
Reply
61. Rachael says:
January 31, 2014 at 1:03 am
I think words matter, but the frequency and tone
they are said in causes an affect. My son is doing
his science fair project based on the rice
experiment, but with music,not words. He saw that
the one that was exposed to a higher decibel
molded first. I am definetly not a scientice by any
means, but this is what he saw. He wants to see if
music can change the levels in blood sugars next.
We will see.
Reply
62. Danica says:
January 31, 2014 at 4:01 pm
While I realize this comment is made 3 years later,
and don’t know if anyone will stumble upon this
blog as I have. I’m not going to lie, I was ecstatic
when I found Dr. Emoto’s video, and in my research
to find further proof, found this blog.
My experiences in life have led me to believe that
we create our reality through our thoughts and
feelings, that our world reacts to us depending on
how we feel. When I have a negative attitude, the
world can not help but reflect it back to me, I will
have a bad day, attracting similar like people into
my experience. It is as if I am effecting them with
my negativity.
While yes, your article is very substantial in
providing scientific “proof”, you did not provide any
photos of your research, showing the crystals
forming and being affected at different
temperatures. If you are going to repeat a scientific
experiment in a controlled environment, you should
try to repeat it as closely as possible to the original,
playing similar music, words, and images. While
Emoto’s studies were replicated in a controlled
environment, it still was not done in the same
fashion as the original –
(
http://www.deanradin.com/papers/emotoIIproof.pdf)
But hey, At least this guy provided photos.
One can argue that we are not vibratory beings, and
that our thoughts, emotions and words have no
impact on our physical reality – but when you hook
up your brain or heart to machines that can read
the “waves” that they are sending out, the
argument a person has ceases to be based on
knowledge, and just turns into plain ignorance.
Waves of energy. We are emitting an energetic
force that can be scientifically measured. I don’t
know about you, but I think that in itself is pretty
incredible. The fact that I can take an idea from my
brain, type it just like so, and have words appear for
you to read in the future is mind blowing.
The mere fact that I am even here, living,
breathing, and AWARE, unlike this chair that I am
sitting on, that is made up of the same molecules as
me, (only configured a wee bit different) makes me
think twice about the nature of my reality. But who
I am to say that this chair does not have some sort
of consciousness. I Really don’t know… .
“Those who don’t believe in magic will never find
it”. You are the creator of your reality, until you
recognize this, you will always be at the mercy at
“external” reality.
Reply
63. Hansel Krause says:
February 3, 2014 at 7:22 pm
Just wanted to mention that while Dr Emoto’s
“research” is very far from perfect and deserves the
critique from the author as well as commenters,
there is a much deeper scientific research done by
the Russians.
For example, here is a 2-hour lecture of prof.
Slesarev in
Russian:http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=r2SH7mofoZ8
Americans, please learn other languages! Otherwise
you always will be left without 75% of the puzzle’s
pieces!
Reply
64. Tamati Ihaka says:
February 5, 2014 at 3:39 am
I hate these review papers. When I read the
introduction I was excited to see someone give
Masaru’s research a try however when I saw
“However, after many hours of investigation it
became increasingly clear that a superior purpose
for this project was to review Mr. Emoto’s
procedures” I instantly saw a lazy critique about
what we already know. Shame on you. Don’t be lazy
and do what you set out to do not just read a bunch
of crap and give your opinion.
Reply
o Charles Beare says:
March 14, 2014 at 3:01 pm
It isn’t merely an opinion, it is FACTUALLY
ACCURATE to state that the methodology is
nowhere near the standard needed to justify these
claims
Reply
65. Xavier J Rodriguez says:
February 8, 2014 at 4:29 am
So you didnt actually attempt the experiments
yourself but attempted to discredit his character
overall, throwing in the one liner of the fact that he
ay have discovered a new branch of science. Still
skepticism is a valued tool to an extent.
The Fact that you Did Not attempt these
experiments yourself yet attempted to word this
article in such a way as to shy people away from
exploring this possible new field “once again which
you did not attempt” seems more or less as a form
of
Disinformation in its own right.
Reply
66. Richard Martini says:
February 13, 2014 at 10:38 pm
I appreciate science when it is used to prove or
disprove theories. I’d seen Dr. Emoto’s book, and to
find that he had never properly studied the effects,
and sells the water, pretty much tells the tale. That
being said, there are studies that show prayer can
cure people. The studies were done by Richard
Davidson at the U of Wisc over 10 years – and he
showed that a particular Tibetan meditation can
cure or alleviate depression. His study reveals that
a single session can affect the amygdala, the
repository of depression in the brain. Note that I
said prayer cures an illness – it turns out this
Tibetan meditation (which he told me is “Tonglen” –
“give and take” in Tibetan) is a form of health
meditation where a person “prays” or imagines in
their mind healing another person of their illness.
They do this by “taking and giving” the energy of
the illness (imagined as smoke or a color) into
themselves, calling upon the “healing light of the
universe” to change the illness into healthy energy
and breathe it (in their minds) back into the patient.
Literally curing yourself of your illness by imagining
that you’re curing someone else of theres. There’s
no evidence that the prayer helps the other person –
but it immediately alters the amygdala in the
person doing the prayer or meditation, and can cure
depression completely. This is probably why the
lecture Davidson gave at UCLA was filled with
psychiatrists trying to get teenagers off SSRI drugs
(prozac, etc) and their ill side effects (columbine,
and every school shooting since has SSRI drugs
involved). My point is – don’t throw the baby out
with the bathwater. Dr. Emoto’s work may not
prove to be effective in altering water – but by
saying a prayer, or doing some kind of work that is
selfless and for other humans, can actually cure the
person doing the act or prayer of their own mental
afflictions. And that’s worth examining (or putting
into a pill and selling by big pharma). My two cents.
Reply
67. Al Liu says:
February 14, 2014 at 7:57 pm
Emoto’s experiment has been replicated by the
Institute of Noetic Sciences who had 2500
independent judges rate the water crystals without
knowing what intention they had been subject to.
The ones that were intentionally treated were rated
as more aesthetically
pleasing. http://noetic.org/research/project/effects-
distant-intention-water-crystal-formation/
Reply
68. Monica says:
February 16, 2014 at 4:29 am
Dear Kristopher,
This is a thorough investigation of Mr. Emoto’s
work. I was wondering how he got his images too.
Yes, you are right that between -25 and -5 deg. C
you start seeing columns of ice.
Great job and thank you from all of us!
Reply
69. Dee says:
February 19, 2014 at 12:47 am
Hi,
Could you email me about using your article in a
non-profit textbook in India?
Dee Broughton
Reply
70. Queen says:
March 4, 2014 at 3:51 pm
I don’t put any merit in anyone who cannot edit
their words properly and deliver with proper
grammar and punctuation.
Reply
71. C says:
March 9, 2014 at 11:54 pm
Aren’t you asking for donations so you can test
Emoto’s claims, rather than to disprove them..?
Reply
o Emoto Admin says:
March 14, 2014 at 3:35 pm
Hi C, That’s basically right. If enough people want
me to test Emoto’s claims scientifically by funding
the research to be done properly, then I will do it. I
have the flexibility and resources to be able to put
together the lab and do it right, but I won’t do it
without being properly funded, and I won’t do it out
of pocket. I myself did not find evidence in Emoto’s
published work to convince me that he did anything
other than just write what he wanted people to
believe. However, I do believe that thoughts and
intentions have power, and I would like to test that
using Emoto’s example “work” with water as the
platform, but do it in a double blind, full
transparency way.
Kristopher
Reply
Sherri Gibson says:
March 15, 2014 at 5:47 am
Can I ask, how much have you raised? And what is
your goal?
Reply
Emoto Admin says:
March 18, 2014 at 5:41 pm
$65 raised so far. Goal: $50,000.
Reply