More Clinical Observations Suggesting an Immaterial Mode of Action in Potentized Remedies

Background: There is an ongoing debate about the mode of action in homeopathic remedies in both conventional and homeopathic medicine. Some clinical observations and laboratory basic research findings are not compatible with a presumed working mechanism of action in these potentized preparations.

Aim: This article contributes to the discovery of the mode of action of homeopathically potentized remedies.

Method: Patients’ experiences and observations in daily life outside of consultations in homeopathic doctors’ practice with or without physical contact of ultramolecular homeopathic remedies collected prospectively from 2014 to 2016 will be presented and discussed.

Result: Clinically observable reactions of humans to material or non-material application of potentized substances are grouped according to potency of the remedies, mode, duration, and conscientious control of application, and are analyzed in a qualitative approach. The findings are contradictory to the concept of a chemical or material mechanism of action in homeopathic remedies. Observations gathered without any physical contact to patients are compatible with an immaterial mode of action in these remedies.

Conclusion: Study or trial protocols to further investigate the efficacy of homeopathic remedies should consider these findings to avoid carry-over effects in a placebo setting or using inert preparations.

Keywords: Mode of action, remedy, immaterial, clinical observation, study protocol

No conflict of interest has been declared by the author(s).