Healing Touch (HT), a nurse-initiated biofield modality developed in the early 1980s by Janet Mentgen, aims at balancing energy systems in the body to initiate or accelerate the self-healing process (Hardwick, Pulido, & Adelson, 2012; Hover-Kramer, 2002; MacIntyre, 2008). During her 43-year emergency and home nursing career, Janet Mentgen (1938–2005) noticed the powerful therapeutic effects a compassionate presence can have on critically ill patients. Through the development of the HT program, Mentgen sought to deepen the connection between nurses and patients, acknowledging the ability of a caring presence to prompt another body’s capacity to heal itself.
Background
This web resource serves as a selective literature review, highlighting the subtle energies and energy healing modalities that have been evaluated experimentally. This overview presents a brief description of a particular therapeutic modality, including background on the origins of the modality for readers completely unfamiliar with them. The overview also includes a summary of the theories that have been put forth to explain the mechanism of action underlying the purported efficacy of the modality. Additionally, a description of the procedures that healers undergo when administering the treatments are presented in layperson’s language. Finally, results of published scientific reports on the modality are summarized such that readers can get a sense of the current state of the research.
This paper is part of the Mapping the Field of Subtle Energy Healing project sponsored by IONS in 2015. It is intended that this resource will assist patients and health professionals to navigate the vast field of subtle energies and energy healing modalities for use in their personal and professional endeavors. Additionally, the hope is that the collection of overviews will stimulate organization and cooperation among investigators doing research in this field.
