Instructor: Rainsong
Date: April 21, 2018 (Saturday)
Rainsong
@everyone Is anyone outside my physical household likely to take part in the “Journal Club” seminar this evening?
Turbo
C’et quoi?
rowinha
I always read it, even if I’m busy during the actual discussion.
rowinha
Fun articles.
Rainsong
Rowinha: Cool
Rainsong
Turbo: Discussion of a peer-reviewed article. This one’s a fairly old one (1999) about gamma radiation and Polarity Therapy.
Rainsong
I’m re-introducing Journal Club into the seminar series because I’m a pedantic nerd, so I want folks to know a) that peer-reviewed scientific articles about psionics-related stuff exists, and b) how to go about actually reading the stuff.
Rainsong
Sure, most of the “old school” folks already know that stuff, but it’s new to many of the noobs, unsurprisingly.
rowinha
Well, keeping up with various peer-reviewed publications is part of my job, so not sure how much those reasons apply to me.
rowinha
is also a a pedantic nerd ^5
Turbo
Oh awesome. If I’m around, I’ll definitely be here
Rainsong
:thumbsup:
Rainsong
For those of us for whom neither reason applies, Journal Club is more like what Journal Clubs are at universities: pedantic nerds sitting around discussing nifty research
rowinha
I am fine with that.
Rainsong
I need to make sure the next one is easier to get hands on.
Kate Embers
@Rainsong If I’m not asleep until 00:30 I’ll be here
Rainsong
Cool, Kate.
Rainsong
@everyone Seminar starts in #lecture in a little less than an hour. Text format. Journal Club
Tempest
ok
Rainsong
😀 My usual one-hour-or-so warning, so folks who don’t want to miss it get the right time-zone. Our community is scattered all over the world.
ceahhettan
yeah, useful. I will actually make it for once!
ceahhettan
I’m on a 34 hour reset while I wait for safety Monday morning.
Rainsong
Resting is good.
ceahhettan
yeah. safety less so but that’s probably not a conversation for this chatroom lol.
Rainsong
Feel free to rant in the other room
ceahhettan
mm, yeah.
Scelana
I’ll see if I can get the paper and participate, I’ve been a bit busy the past few day. i was rather busy yesterday which seems to have worn me a bit out. I pretty much woke up tired.
Rainsong
Been there, for sure
Scelana
I’m not sure what the response time is, it’s having me fill out a request full text form. But I’ll give it a shot.
Rainsong
And you can be in the discussion even if you haven’t read the thing. At least read the easily-available abstract.
Scelana
Ahh, I can easily do that
Scelana
Just not sure if my still tired mind can keep up, though I am more awake and alert than I was this morning. I can try my best though
Rainsong
Seminar: Topic: research paper – https://www.researchgate.net/publication/12903943_Gamma_radiation_fluctuations_during_alternative_healing_therapy – Saturday, April 21, 2018 at 6:30pm/1830hr New York Time – text format in the PSC #lecture room (Discord) – Instructor: Rainsong – Search LECTURE20
Rainsong
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen
Rainsong
Welcome to another psionics seminar here at the social club
Rainsong
Tonight we have another Journal Club type of seminar
Rainsong
As you’ll notice in the announcements section, we’ll be discussing a paper from 1999: “Gamma radiation fluctuation during alternative healing therapy”
Rainsong
The alternative therapy in question is “Polarity Therapy”. It’s not nearly as common now, as it “evolved”/developed (sort of) into Quantum Touch
Rainsong
The field of energy medicine has been changing somewhat rapidly over the past thirty years or so, at least in terms of its connection to so-called “conventional” medicine.
Rainsong
Any questions or commentary before we start?
Rainsong
(And yes, I will make an effort to choose a paper that’s easier to get your hands on, next time….)
Rainsong
looks around
Rainsong
Alright, I’ll take that as a “no”
Scelana
I’m here hehe
Kate Embers
No, sorry, no questions 😀
Jael
No questions from me either. the study sounds interesting.
Rainsong
I realise that some of you have only been able to take a look at the abstract.
Rainsong
Part of my reason for re-introducing Journal Club in the seminar series is to advance the cause of nerdliness in psionics communities.
Rainsong
Or, at least, in our community.
Rainsong
So, the abstract is basically a summary of the paper. The nutshell version of what was done and what the results were
Rainsong
If you were able to read the whole paper, you’d have found some interesting cross-referencing to a Japanese study in conventional oncology
Rainsong
In the paper, the authors go into considerable detail about exactly what equipment they used: make and model of each machine, the testing materials, and so on
Rainsong
(sorry for delay… something came up here)
Rainsong
They also make references to other studies in which various related therapies have been investigated. They group all the “hand-mediated” therapies together, sort of: Polarity, Reiki, Therapeutic Touch, etc
Rainsong
In doing this, they are demonstrating that they’ve at least read the other literature on the topic. (not doing so makes researchers look foolish…. and it can also mean that their piece won’t be published, because academic journals try to avoid publishing obviously stupid stuff)
Rainsong
Questions so far? Commentary?
Jael
None here.
Scelana
None here either
Kate Embers
Nope
Rainsong
Something I immediately noticed – and some of you might have, also – is that gamma radiation is something picked up by Geiger Counters. and you might recall that Peebs and JoeT discovered their Geiger Counter spiked when they were doing PK that involved burst of emotion (usually frustration). We duplicated Peebs’ and JoeT’s results here
Kate Embers
So, emotion is a direct cause of gamma waves?
Rainsong
Insufficient data so far. There is correlation. We do not know the causation.
Kate Embers
That would essentially make it a form of light, physically speaking :thinking:
Rainsong
The spike corresponds to turning a psiwheel here by another member of the household. We’d done a baseline for a few days, all in a 20-34 range
Scelana
Wow that is quite the spike
Rainsong
Yep, non-trivial.
Rainsong
Likewise, the decrease in the study in the paper was non-trivial. None of this “uh, we need statistical analysis to notice something” stuff.
Scelana
How interesting
Rainsong
Interestingly, there was also a decrease – but not as much – when the untrained person “faked” the therapy.
Jael
I’ve wondered if the gamma spike was directly related to the PK event, with the burst of emotion releasing whatever internal / psychological block the individual had to doing PK (referencing Peebs and JoeT).
Rainsong
The researchers speculated that the therapy might not need as much precision or skill as originally believed.
Rainsong
Like us, they also took baseline tests before and after, of course.
Rainsong
From Peebs’ description at the time, it sounded as though there was emotion involved.
Rainsong
And that the counter didn’t do much different when they were both calm
Rainsong
The person who caused the spike illustrated above is saying that there was no particular emotion involved in that one, as far as he recalls
Rainsong
Strong focus, however
Rainsong
I’m being asked about Peebs and JoeT and their PK stuff. They both regularly also did PK without emotion being involved.
Rainsong
And their original Geiger Counter discovery was accidental (It was set up on a desk for a different purpose)
Jael
I’d forgotten about some of those details.
Rainsong
I’ve got them all tucked away in notes, to avoid losing track.
Rainsong
So, yea, the fact that it was a readily observable gamma ray thing here in the 1999 paper stood out to me.
Rainsong
(I hadn’t actually read this paper before this week in preparation for this seminar)
Rainsong
“Readily observable” in the sense of “really big difference recorded on the measuring devices”…
Jael
And the difference in readings, both in the sample posted here and in the study, are dramatic.
Rainsong
The devices they were using were complicated specialist things, operated by highly skilled specialists
Rainsong
(Oh dear… Autocorrect wanted to turn “highly” to “bigly”….)
Scelana
Lol
Jael
lol
Scelana
Dramatic differences in results are nice to have
Rainsong
Yes, they are.
Rainsong
Very low level radiation to the torso was used in the Japanese study for treating non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, with reasonably good success. Even when the lesions weren’t in the torso.
Rainsong
The researchers speculate that the possible “absorption” of gamma rays by the Polarity patients might also be of a quantity to assist health, on its own.
Rainsong
It’s unknown at this time what the optimal amount of gamma radiation would be, seeing as it’s well known that too much causes all sorts of bad stuff: cancer, radiation sickness, etc
Rainsong
Also, they are clear that they don’t actually know where the gamma rays are going. The equipment only recorded a decrease. Not a direction. They only assume it’s going into the patient.
Rainsong
A good report will indicate what they don’t know, and further questions that arise from the results.
Jael
I’m reviewing the article now, and it’s interesting that the “results demonstrate a more statistically significant fluctuation in the abdomen and pelvic regions, with significance diminishing in the heart region and at the crown.” It’s also interesting that the Japanese study noted the same type of difference.
Rainsong
nods
Kate Embers
Interesting :thinking: The furthest I ever got myself is using my mobile’s magnetometer. No matter what magick I put through there, there were no fluctations. Was measuring that with a presicion of 0,6 µT.
Azarea
Measures a very different thing though
Azarea
Question, as I’m not able to open paper atm: Did they measure gamma ray absoption while shining some from something, or generated from body?
Rainsong
They measured it in the areas around the body, both when someone was actually there – there was a body lying there – and when there was not.
Azarea
but without a dedicated source?
Rainsong
So they measured both the background gamma radiation, and the radiation that appears to be radiated or mediated by the body… and also the changes caused by folks doing real and faked Polarity stuff.
Azarea
Ok
Azarea
Hm
Rainsong
The other “control” was having the unskilled person just standing and observing, at the same distance from the “subject” person
Azarea
thanks
Rainsong
From this study, there’s insufficient data to say where all the gamma rays were coming from or going to.
Rainsong
You’re welcome. 😀
Jael
One of the speculations was that “the crystal-like formations in the body, from mitochondrial DNA to connective tissues, may act as organic scintillators.”
Jael
They go on to describe a scintillator.
Rainsong
More recent research into connective tissue appears to agree with that (but that’s still in progress, and also, I haven’t yet read the actual paper… only the media summaries. And you all know how distorted those can be)
Jael
They mention something about elevation and how gamma radiation is higher in higher elevations and lower in lower elevations. It’d be interesting to see if anyone followed up on their suggestion for research into the amount of gamma radiation required for an effect.
Rainsong
Ah, yes, I’d forgotten about that point. They speculated that more noticeable “miraculous” effects might be noted in the lowest elevations, as a possible result
Rainsong
Any further commentary? Questions?
Jael
It’s interesting and makes me want to have a Geiger counter sitting around.
Scelana
It is quite interesting indeed. I wonder why certain areas had a better effect than others?
Rainsong
That’s a good question. We don’t have an answer… yet.
Rainsong
Jael: We do have a Geiger counter… you could have it set up
Jael
I might do that…
Rainsong
Specifically, it’s the same make and model Peebs and JoeT were using. Deliberately, because we were trying to duplicate their stuff. 😀
Jael
It’d be interesting to see if concentration when writing and concentration when practicing have any differences. Assuming it shows a difference at all, heh.
Jael
I vaguely recall that it was pretty steady most of the time.
Rainsong
It was, yes. But that would make an interesting data point.
Rainsong
The effects of pushing too hard with psionics is like a sudden and intense version of the “hangover” effect from an all-night cramming session… and a certain percentage of potassium ions in food such as bananas is radioactive… Potentially, it could all be connected.
Jael
Hmmm
Scelana
What exactly are the symptoms of that?
Rainsong
The standard cramming hang-over: headache, lethargy, difficulty concentrating, nausea
Scelana
Other than the headache and nausea that kinda sounds like how I’ve been recently
Rainsong
The more intense version adds difficulty breathing, “galloping” heart / arrhythmia, the feeling of the skin being too tight around the fingers (gradually spreading to more than the fingers), blacking out around the field of vision, inability to stand… going to cardiac arrest, unconsciousness, and other inconveniences
Scelana
Oh dear
Scelana
That does not sound good at all
Rainsong
Um, no. It can be pretty serious. CPR isn’t fun for either party, for example.
Rainsong
Death is bad, too
Scelana
It is quite bad
Rose
can “the feeling of skin being too tight around the fingers” also feel like your fingers are dried out?
Rainsong
Maybe? I do not know.
Rainsong
I haven’t ever heard it described as anything other than “too tight”, nor have I myself felt it as anything else.
Rose
okay
Rainsong
Any other questions or commentary or concerns?
Jael
None here
Scelana
I have none that I can think of so far right now
Rainsong
Thanks for participating, everyone.
Scelana
Thxies for the lecture
Jael
Yes, thank you.
Rainsong
😀
Kate Embers
Thanks ^^
Azarea
[1:36 AM] Rainsong: Specifically, it’s the same make and model Peebs and JoeT were using. Deliberately, because we were trying to duplicate their stuff. 😀
Azarea
@Rainsong were you successful?
Rainsong
@Azarea Yes, as far as it goes. We had the same spikes. Sometimes. In my case, it only spiked with emotional stuff. Other family member says he wasn’t noticing any particular emotion at the time of the spike shown during the seminar… that one was from his records of his own attempts.
Rainsong
We chose to start with the same make and model to lower the number of variables. Baseline radiation is higher here than where Peebs was, for example, but by recording baseline for a couple days, that variable is pretty easy to account for. Especially because there were no spikes during baseline recordings.
Rainsong
With emotion stuff it spiked into the 80s
Rainsong
We still don’t know why, and we haven’t yet tried another kind of Geiger Counter to check if it’s just an artefact of this particular kind. Maybe it’s not gamma or x-rays that this specific kind is picking up? Would be weird, though, seeing as they are typically tested with cobalt and such.
Rainsong
Still in the “slow accumulation of data” stage.
Rainsong
I considered (and got Peebs’ permission for) attempting to publish a paper on it, but I think I want to rack up some more and wider data before spending that kind of cash. Submission fees for most of the applicable journals run $3000USD and more
Rainsong
Of course, this is sort of skipping the usual first phase, because Peebs’ unofficial “publication” of their observations, equipment, and results were what we were duplicating to see if it was just a one-off or more substantial.
Azarea
ok
Rainsong
I’ll be afk for half an hour or so, but if you have any specific questions or a direction you’d like a follow-up on, let me know