A Double Blind Study of the "Biocircuit", a Putative Subtle-Energy-Based Relaxation Device

Abstract

Biocircuits are passive devices which are reported to cause relaxation in users, supposedly by facilitation of bodily subtle energy flow. A repeated-measures, within-subjects control, doubleblind study was performed to test whether a "relaxation" biocircuit would produce more relaxation than a placebo-control biocircuit. The study design controlled for expectation, order first-time effects and ultradian rhythms. Dependent measures included four physiological variables relating to arousal and relaxation (frontalis muscle tension, one monopolar channel of EEG monitored for theta episodes, finger temperature, finger skin conductance) and a tenitem comparative questionnaire used to rank subjective experiences relating to relaxation in session. Twelve subjects completed four sessions each. The first session for all subjects was used only for familiarization and its data were not analyzed. Subjects then completed three more sessions each, treatment order being counterbalanced and randomly assigned across subjects. The three sessions exposed subjects to a "relaxation" biocircuit, a placebo-control "dummy" biocircuit and a "tension" biocircuit. The EEG theta measure showed significantly more theta episodes associated with the relaxation device than with the placebo control (Wilcoxon signed ranks test: p .025 one-tailed). The frontalis muscle tension measure showed significantly lower tension levels associated with the relaxation device than with the placebo control (Wilcoxon signed ranks test: p .01 one tailed). The skin conductivity and temperature measures did not reach significance in any direction across any pair of treatments. Five of the ten questionnaire items comparing the relaxation device with the placebo-control significantly favored the relaxation device (all by Sign test with a priori probability of .5): subjective estimate of relaxation (p .0002), sensations of warmth (p .03), non-ordinariness of experience (p .02), perceived effectiveness (p .02), perceived benefit (p S; .02). No questionnaire items at the .05 significance level favored the placebo control over the relaxation device. The findings of the study demonstrate the superiority of the relaxation biocircuit over a placebo control for producing relaxation under fully controlled double-blind conditions. KEYWORDS: "Biocircuit," psychophysiology, brainwaves, experiential, relaxation, physiology, placebo, polarit