Ultra-High Dilutions and Homeopathy: Can They Be Explained without Non-Local Theory?

Yannis Almirantis; Konstantinos Tsitinidis

doi:10.1055/s-0038-1656513

Homeopathy, Table of Contents

Homeopathy 2018; 107(03): 189-195
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1656513

Review Article

The Faculty of Homeopathy

Ultra-High Dilutions and Homeopathy: Can They Be Explained without Non-Local Theory?

Yannis Almirantis

¹Institute of Biosciences and Applications, National Centre for Scientific Research ‘Demokritos’, Athens, Greece

,

Konstantinos Tsitinidis

²‘Homeopathie’, Homeopathy Centre, Athens, Greece

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

We discuss questions related to the ‘Benveniste Affair’, its consequences and broader issues in an attempt to understand homeopathy. Specifically, we address the following points:

1. The relationship between the experiments conducted by Benveniste, Montagnier, their collaborators and groups that independently tested their results, and ‘traditional’ homeopathy.

2. Possible non-local components such as ‘generalised entanglement’ as the basis of the homeopathic phenomenon and experimental evidence for them.

3. The capability of highly diluted homeopathic remedies to provoke tangible biological changes in whole organisms and cellular experimental systems.

4. Aspects of the similia principle related to the above.

5. Suggestions that can lead to experimental verifications of the non-local hypothesis in homeopathy.

Keywords

homeopathy - memory of water - potentised ultra-diluted remedies - Benveniste's experiment - non-locality - generalised entanglement - causality - similia principle

Full Text

References

References
1 Thomas Y. From high dilutions to digital biology: the physical nature of the biological signal. Homeopathy 2015; 104: 295-300
2 Thomas Y. The history of the memory of water. Homeopathy 2007; 96: 151-157
3 Poitevin B. The continuing mystery of the memory of water. Homeopathy 2008; 97: 39-41
4 Poitevin B. Mémoire de l'eau ou présence de la matière?. La Revue d'Homéopathie 2011; 2: 4-11
5 Schiff M. The Memory of Water: Homoeopathy and the Battle of Ideas in the New Science. Harper Thorsons; 1998
6 Beauvais F. Ghosts of Molecules – The Case of the “memory of water”. Lulu Press, Collection Mille-Mondes; 2016
7 Walach H. Magic of signs: a non-local interpretation of homeopathy. Br Homeopath J 2000; 89: 127-140
8 Walach H. Entanglement model of homeopathy as an example of generalized entanglement predicted by weak quantum theory. Forsch Komplementarmed Klass Naturheilkd 2003; 10: 192-200
9 Walach H. Entangled--and tied in knots! Practical consequences of an entanglement model for homeopathic research and practice. Homeopathy 2005; 94: 96-99
10 Milgrom LR. Patient-practitioner-remedy (PPR) entanglement. Part 1: a qualitative, non-local metaphor for homeopathy based on quantum theory. Homeopathy 2002; 91: 239-248
11 Milgrom LR. The sound of two hands clapping: could homeopathy work locally and non-locally?. Homeopathy 2005; 94: 100-104
12 Milgrom LR. Conspicuous by its absence: the memory of water, macro-entanglement, and the possibility of homeopathy. Homeopathy 2007; 96: 209-219
13 Weingärtner O. What is the therapeutically active ingredient of homeopathic potencies?. Homeopathy 2003; 92: 145-151
14 Weingärtner O. The nature of the active ingredient in ultramolecular dilutions. Homeopathy 2007; 96: 220-226
15 Weingärtner O. A formal approach to the problem of reproducing experimental effects with homeopathic potencies. J Altern Complement Med 2009; 15: 287-291
16 Beauvais F. Emergence of a signal from background noise in the “memory of water” experiments: how to explain it?. Explore (NY) 2012; 8: 185-196
17 Beauvais F. A quantum-like model of homeopathy clinical trials: importance of in situ randomization and unblinding. Homeopathy 2013; 102: 106-113
18 Beauvais F. ‘Unconventional’ experiments in biology and medicine with optimized design based on quantum-like correlations. Homeopathy 2017; 106: 55-66
19 Davenas E, Beauvais F, Amara J. , et al. Human basophil degranulation triggered by very dilute antiserum against IgE. Nature 1988; 333: 816-818
20 Vithoulkas G. The controversy over the “Memory of Water”. Medical Science Hypotheses 2017; 4: 1-6
21 Belon P, Cumps J, Ennis M. , et al. Inhibition of human basophil degranulation by successive histamine dilutions: results of a European multi-centre trial. Inflamm Res 1999; 48 (Suppl. 01) S17-S18
22 Belon P, Cumps J, Ennis M. , et al. Histamine dilutions modulate basophil activation. Inflamm Res 2004; 53: 181-188
23 Maddox J, Randi J, Stewart WW. “High-dilution” experiments a delusion. Nature 1988; 334: 287-291
24 Sainte-Laudy J, Belon P. Inhibition of basophil activation by histamine: a sensitive and reproducible model for the study of the biological activity of high dilutions. Homeopathy 2009; 98: 186-197
25 Atmanspacher H, Römer H, Walach H. Weak quantum theory: complementarity and entanglement in physics and beyond. Found Phys 2002; 32: 379-406
26 Walach H, Jonas WB, Ives J, van Wijk R, Weingärtner O. Research on homeopathy: state of the art. J Altern Complement Med 2005; 11: 813-829
27 Kuhn TS. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press; 1996
28 Walach H, Sherr J, Schneider R, Shabi R, Bond A, Rieberer G. Homeopathic proving symptoms: result of a local, non-local, or placebo process? A blinded, placebo-controlled pilot study. Homeopathy 2004; 93: 179-185
29 Möllinger H, Schneider R, Löffel M, Walach H. A double-blind, randomized, homeopathic pathogenetic trial with healthy persons: comparing two high potencies. Forsch Komplementarmed Klass Naturheilkd 2004; 11: 274-280
30 Walach H, Teut M. Scientific proving of ultra high dilutions on humans. Homeopathy 2015; 104: 322-327
31 Bayr G. A model for homœopathic drug tests including statistical analysis. Br Homeopath J 1986; 75: 80-88
32 Almirantis Y. Homeopathy--between tradition and modern science: remedies as carriers of significance. Homeopathy 2013; 102: 114-122
33 Beauvais F. Description of Benveniste's experiments using quantum-like probabilities. J Sci Explor 2013; 27: 43-71
34 Thieves K, Gleiss A, Kratky KW, Frass M. First evidence of Beauvais' hypothesis in a plant model. Homeopathy 2016; 105: 270-279
35 Jonas WB, Ives JA, Rollwagen F. , et al. Can specific biological signals be digitized?. FASEB J 2006; 20: 23-28
36 Mermin ND. Is the moon there when nobody looks? Reality and the quantum theory. Phys Today 1985; 38: 38-47
37 Poitevin B. Orientations récentes de la recherche clinique en homéopathie. La Revue d'Homéopathie 2014; 5: 47-53
38 Fisher P. Entangled, or tied in knots?. Homeopathy 2004; 93 (04) 171-172
39 Lacan J. Écrits: A Selection. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Co; 2002
40 Hyland ME, Lewith GT. Oscillatory effects in a homeopathic clinical trial: an explanation using complexity theory, and implications for clinical practice. Homeopathy 2002; 91: 145-149
41 Olioso D, Marzotto M, Bonafini C, Brizzi M, Bellavite P. Arnica montana effects on gene expression in a human macrophage cell line. Evaluation by quantitative Real-Time PCR. Homeopathy 2016; 105: 131-147
42 Tsitinidis K. Homeopathic Topology. Hellenic Homeopathic Medical Society (HHMS); 2016. Lon-linearity and Hormesis-like features in homeopathy are discussed throughout the book, and particularly in the appended article “Homeopathy – Therapeutic and Diagnostic Means of Diseases and Bioscience” that firstly appeared in Greek in the Journal of the HHMS “HomeoNews”; Athens, Greece; issue April 2006
43 Montagnier L, Aïssa J, Ferris S, Montagnier JL, Lavallée C. Electromagnetic signals are produced by aqueous nanostructures derived from bacterial DNA sequences. Interdiscip Sci 2009; 1: 81-90
44 Montagnier L, Aïssa J, Del Giudice E, Lavallee C, Tedeschi A, Vitiello G. DNA waves and water. J Phys Conf Ser 2011; 306: 012007
45 Montagnier L, Del Giudice E, Aïssa J. , et al. Transduction of DNA information through water and electromagnetic waves. Electromagn Biol Med 2015; 34: 106-112
46 Milgrom LR. Gold standards, golden calves, and random reproducibility: why homeopaths at last have something to smile about. J Altern Complement Med 2009; 15: 205-207
47 Ennis M. Basophil models of homeopathy: a sceptical view. Homeopathy 2010; 99: 51-56
48 Ennis M. Reply to D. Mastrangelo. Homeopathy 2010; 99: 289
49 Fisher P. Local, entangled or both?. Homeopathy 2013; 102: 85-86
50 Anagnostatos GS. Small water clusters (clathrates) in the preparation process of homoeopathy. In: Endler PC, Schulte J. , eds. Ultra High Dilution. Springer: Dordrecht; 1994: 121-8
51 Anick DJ, Ives JA. The silica hypothesis for homeopathy: physical chemistry. Homeopathy 2007; 96: 189-195
52 Voeikov VL. The possible role of active oxygen in the memory of water. Homeopathy 2007; 96: 196-201
53 Bono I, Del Giudice E, Gamberale L, Henry M. Emergence of the coherent structure of liquid water. Water 2012; 4: 510-532
54 Endler PC, Thieves K, Reich C. , et al. Repetitions of fundamental research models for homeopathically prepared dilutions beyond 10⁻²³: a bibliometric study. Homeopathy 2010; 99: 25-36
55 Poitevin B. Survey of immuno-allergological ultra high dilution research. Homeopathy 2015; 104: 269-276
56 Poitevin B, Davenas E, Benveniste J. In vitro immunological degranulation of human basophils is modulated by lung histamine and Apis mellifica. Br J Clin Pharmacol 1988; 25: 439-444
57 Davenas E, Poitevin B, Benveniste J. Effect of mouse peritoneal macrophages of orally administered very high dilutions of silica. Eur J Pharmacol 1987; 135: 313-319
58 Rey L. Thermoluminescence of ultra-high dilutions of lithium chloride and sodium chloride. Physica A 2003; 323: 67-74
59 Cartwright SJ. Solvatochromic dyes detect the presence of homeopathic potencies. Homeopathy 2016; 105: 55-65