The Nishino Breathing Method and Ki‐energy (Life‐energy): A Challenge to Traditional Scientific Thinking

Summary & key facts

Researchers studied the Nishino Breathing Method, a slow breathing and movement practice taught by Kozo Nishino, and tested the "Ki-energy" his school claims to produce. In lab tests, Nishino's Ki slowed growth of cultured human liver cancer cells, and it helped protect isolated rat liver mitochondria from heat damage and from chemical signs of oxidation. The authors also measured at least one component of Ki as near-infrared light (0.8–2.7 µm). The paper reports unusual classroom effects in paired practice (Taiki), where students sometimes moved without touch, and the authors say these findings raise questions about mind–body separation and need more study and careful testing.

Key facts:

• The Nishino Breathing Method uses slow deep breaths (about one cycle every 1–2 minutes) combined with relaxing, stretching and twisting movements.
• Kozo Nishino has taught the method to more than 10,000 students over about 20 years, according to the authors.
• In laboratory cell-culture tests, Nishino's Ki-energy inhibited division of human liver carcinoma (HepG2) cells after short exposures.
• One of the study authors (STO) could also inhibit HepG2 cell growth by emitting Ki, but his effect was weaker than Nishino's and was blocked when another person placed their hands over the culture dish.
• The researchers found that Ki-energy protected isolated rat liver mitochondria from heat-induced deterioration and reduced lipid peroxidation (a chemical sign of oxidative damage) in heat-treated mitochondria.
• The authors report that at least one detectable component of Ki-energy was near-infrared radiation in the wavelength range 0.8–2.7 micrometers.
• In Taiki (paired Ki-practice), many students showed movements (running, jumping, rolling) when Nishino directed Ki without physical contact; the authors propose that some form of "information" may travel through the air between people.
• The paper states that the Nishino method is not presented as a therapy or healing technique, that results are preliminary, and that these findings raise questions about reproducibility and about the traditional separation of mind and body r

Abstract

The breathing method, which was developed and is being taught by Kozo Nishino, a Japanese Ki-expert, is for raising the levels of Ki-energy (life-energy or the vitality) of an individual. It is neither a therapy nor a healing technique. However, many of his students have experienced an improvement in their health, and in some cases, they were able to overcome health problems by themselves. Since this is an interesting subject from the standpoint of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), we have been collaborating with Nishino to conduct a scientific investigation of his Ki-energy. We found that Nishino's Ki-energy can inhibit cell division of cancer cells, protect isolated mitochondria from heat deterioration and reduce lipid peroxidation in heat-treated mitochondria. Although Ki-energy may consist of several different energy forms, we found that at least one of them is near-infrared radiation between the wavelength range of 0.8 and 2.7 microm. Another interesting observation at his school is the Taiki-practice (paired Ki-practice). During this practice, Nishino can 'move' his students without any physical contact. Many of them run, jump or roll on the floor when they receive his Ki-energy. We studied this and propose that 'information' is conveyed through the air between two individuals by Ki-energy. This may be called a five sense-independent, life-to-life communication by Ki. All of our results suggest that we should re-evaluate the Cartesian dualism (separation of mind and body) which has been a fundamental principle of modern science for the past three centuries.

Topics

Biofield Effects and Biophysics Complementary and Alternative Medicine Studies Diet and metabolism studies

Categories

Health Sciences Medicine Physiology

Tags

Biology Dualism Energy (signal processing) Epistemology Philosophy Physics Quantum mechanics