Energy Healing classes start Spring 2024!

Energy Healing Scientific Evidence

Energy Healing Scientific Evidence page created 1-6-2022. By Lucrezia Mangione, MA, CHTP, CHTI, DCEP

Articles

The articles cited here were published in peer-reviewed journals. It is not a comprehensive list of studies.  More articles will be added and this page updated.

These articles were researched and written by academics and experts in their specific fields. You won’t find the full text copy of an article here. You’ll find the citation instead. With that you can search the web, find the abstract and read the essential details of the article.

“If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.” Issac Newton

Energy healing scientific evidence for Healing Touch

There are over 80+ studies on Healing Touch.  Here's a selection of peer-reviewed articles.

Examination of the use of Healing Touch by registered nurses in the acute care setting

Anderson JG, Friesen MA, Swengros D, Herbst A, Mangione L. (2017) Examination of the use of Healing Touch by registered nurses in the acute care setting. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 35(1):97-107. doi: 10.1177/0898010116644834. Epub 2016 Jul 8.

Examination of the Perceptions of Registered Nurses Regarding the Use of Healing Touch in the Acute Care Setting

Anderson, J. G., Friesen, M., Fabian, J., Swengros, D., Herbst, A., & Mangione, L. (2016). Examination of the perceptions of registered nurses regarding the use of Healing Touch in the acute care setting. Journal of Holistic Nursing: Official Journal of The American Holistic Nurses' Association, 34(2), 167-176. doi: 10.1177/0898010115592744

The Effects of Healing Touch on pain, Nausea and anxiety following Bariatric Surgery: A Pilot Study

Anderson, J. G., Suchicital, L., Lang, M., Kukic, A., Mangione, L., Swengros, D., Fabian, J., & Friesen, M. A. (2015). The effects of Healing Touch on pain, nausea, and anxiety following bariatric surgery: a pilot study. Explore.

Promoting Caring-Healing Relationships: Bringing Healing Touch to the bedside in a multi-hospital system

Swengros, D., Herbst, A. M., Friesen, M. A., Mangione, L., & Anderson, J. G. (2014). Promoting caring-healing relationships: bringing Healing Touch to the bedside in a multihospital health system. Holistic nursing practice, 28(6), 370-375. doi: 10.1097/HNP.0000000000000051

Energy healing scientific evidence for Healing Touch & Reiki

This article is a review of all articles between 2013-2016. It explores studies related to the effects of Healing Touch and Reiki on mental health wellness. The abstract can be found here.

Mental Health Wellness and Biofield Therapies: An Integrative Review
Lucrezia Mangione, Diane Swengros & Joel G. Anderson (2017) Mental Health Wellness and Biofield Therapies: An Integrative Review, Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 38:11, 930-944, DOI: 10.1080/01612840.2017.1364808

Energy healing scientific evidence for EFT

Emotional Freedom Technique or EFT is considered an energy healing method. It is also a part of the energy psychology techniques.  As of August 2021, it's been researched in over 12 countries by 200+ researchers with articles:

In English speaking peer reviewed journals:

  • 70 randomized control trials
  • 55 pre post outcome studies
  • 5 meta-analyses
  • 17 systematic reviews

In non-English journals

  • 80+ research studies

Here's a selection of peer-reviewed articles

Mental health and psychosocial support programmes for adults in humanitarian emergencies: A systematic review and meta-analysis in low and middle- income countries

Bangpan, M., Felix, L., & Dickson, K. (2019). Mental health and psychosocial support programmes for adults in humanitarian emergencies: A systematic review and meta-analysis in low and middle- income countries. BMJ Global Health, 4(5), e001484. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2019-001484

The effect of Emotional Freedom Techniques on nurses' stress, anxiety, and burnout levels during the COVID-19 pandemic: A randomized controlled trial

Dincer, B. & Inangil, D. (2021). The effect of Emotional Freedom Techniques on nurses' stress, anxiety, and burnout levels during the COVID-19 pandemic: A randomized controlled trial, EXPLORE, 17(2), 109-114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2020.11.012. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550830720303839)

The effectiveness of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) for improving
the physical, mental, and emotional health of people with chronic diseases and/or
mental health conditions: a systemic review protocol

Kalla, M. (2014). The effectiveness of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) for improving
the physical, mental, and emotional health of people with chronic diseases and/or
mental health conditions: a systemic review protocol. JBI Database of Systemic Reviews & Implementation Reports, 12(2). http://joannabriggslibrary.org/index.php/jbisrir/article/view/1153/1861

Chronic pain in refugees with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD): A systematic review on patients' characteristics and specific interventions

Rometsch-Ogioun El Sount, C., Windthorst, P., Denkinger, J., Ziser, K, Nikendei, C., Kindermann, D., Ringwald, J., Renner, V., Zipfel, S., Junne, F. (2019). Chronic pain in refugees with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD): A systematic review on patients' characteristics and specific interventions. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, (118), 83-97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2018.07.014

Reexamining the effect of emotional EP Hierarchy of Evidence 4 Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology

Stapleton, P., Crighton, G., Sabot, D., & O'Neill, H. M. (2020). Reexamining the effect of emotional
EP Hierarchy of Evidence 4 Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology | Energypsych.org
freedom techniques on stress biochemistry: A randomized controlled trial. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 12(8), 869–877. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0000563

A word about energy healing scientific evidence & research

I use peer-reviewed articles it to educate myself and to share with clients and colleagues.  Academic research helps me keep current.  I explore topics that help in my work as a wellness coach and consultant. Energy healing scientific evidence has been a passion of mine. I'm curious and love to explore what energy healing and energy healing work are.

I love research even more since I was a part of it. It started in graduate school where I studied sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) and highly sensitive people.  Then In 2012, I became a part of an inter-disciplinary team as a sub-investigator and content expert on Healing Touch. It continues to be very rewarding.

What I experienced and learned about the research process is this: simply seeking approval to do a study involves many steps like constructing a study proposal and passing a national training course about conducting research to submitting the final proposal to a group of people appointed to a what’s called an “Internal Review Board” or IRB.  Once a study proposal is reviewed and accepted, and sometimes they’re not which causes the researchers to go back and clarify, edit or amend their proposal, they, the researchers can begin their work.  This, of course, is a brief and not all-encompassing explanation of the process. It simply shares my birds eye view that to conduct research involves many, many steps and many people ensuring that the conduct of all involved are doing no harm and are operating in integrity, honesty and ethically.

The overall amount of energy healing scientific evidence born from quality research is fair amount.  The research I’ve been involved in was done collaboratively with others who work at universities and teaching hospitals. Often it is a team of people working together with a shared interest.

Even though I’ve been involved in research asn a part of a research team, this doesn’t make me a research scientist.  It does make me happy and exploring our human energy system and energy healing continues to be an incredible enriching experience. 

I hope this page about the energy healing scientific evidence that's available has been useful.

Explore,

Lucrezia Mangione

References

Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology. (n.d.). Overview Updated August 2021. Www.Energypsych.Org. Retrieved January 23, 2022, from https://www.energypsych.org/researchdb8c71b7#ResearchQuickFacts

Research - Healing Beyond Borders. (n.d.). Www.HealingBeyondBorders.Org. Retrieved January 23, 2022, from https://www.healingbeyondborders.org/index.php/research-healthcare/research

Our goal is to provide helpful information related to the topics you’ll find here at HelloEnergyHealing.com.  If you found errors or think something should be added to this page, drop us your feedback in an email.

The Sensitive Explorer's Guide to Energy Healing

Learn