Effects of Distant Intention on Water Crystal Formation: A Triple-Blind Replication
📄 Original study ↗📌 Appears in:
Plain English Summary
You know those gorgeous ice crystal photos by Masaru Emoto, where thinking loving thoughts at water supposedly makes prettier crystals? This is the most rigorous test of that idea yet. About 1,900 people in Austria and Germany focused gratitude toward water in an electromagnetically shielded room in California — 5,700 miles away. The triple-blind setup meant nobody handling or photographing the water knew which bottles got the good vibes. Then 2,579 online judges rated crystal beauty. The treated crystals were rated significantly prettier (p=0.03), and combined with an earlier pilot, the evidence looks strong (p=0.0004). But here's the twist: control water stored far away actually scored slightly higher than treated water in some comparisons, and the researchers honestly flag uncontrolled variables. The headline result is eyebrow-raising, but the fine print keeps debate alive.
Actual Paper Abstract
An experiment tested the hypothesis that water exposed to distant intentions affects the aesthetic rating of ice crystals formed from that water. Over three days, 1,900 people in Austria and Germany focused their intentions towards water samples located inside an electromagnetically shielded room in California. Water samples located near the target water, but unknown to the people providing intentions, acted as ''proximal'' controls. Other samples located outside the shielded room acted as distant controls. Ice drops formed from samples of water in the different treatment conditions were photographed by a technician, each image was assessed for aesthetic beauty by over 2,500 independent judges, and the resulting data were analyzed, all by individuals blind with respect to the underlying treatment conditions. Results suggested that crystal images in the intentionally treated condition were rated as aesthetically more beautiful than proximal control crystals (p ¼ 0.03, one-tailed). This outcome replicates the results of an earlier pilot test.
Research Notes
Most controlled test of Emoto's water crystal hypothesis. Triple-blind design with EM-shielded chamber, proximal controls (unknown to intenders), large judging panel (2,579 online raters), and objective image contrast analysis. Marginal p-values and anomalous distant control result temper the positive interpretation. Replicates the 2006 pilot (radin_2006_doubleblind) with stronger blinding. Part of the IONS intention-on-physical-systems research program alongside Schwartz water IR studies.
Triple-blind replication of the 2006 pilot study testing whether water exposed to distant intentions produces more aesthetically beautiful ice crystals. Over three days, ~1,900 people in Austria and Germany directed gratitude intentions toward water samples in an EM-shielded room at IONS, California (~5,700 miles away). 6 bottles randomly assigned to treated (2), proximal control (2, same room, unknown to intenders), and distant control (2). 50 water drops per bottle frozen; 300 crystal photographs rated by 2,579 blind independent judges on 7-point beauty scale online. Nested ANOVA: treated crystals rated significantly more beautiful (p=0.03); planned treated vs proximal comparison p=0.05 one-tailed (beauty>1.0 subset p=0.01). Combined with 2006 pilot: Stouffer Z=3.34, p=0.0004. However, distant controls were slightly (NS) more beautiful than treated for all trials, and many uncontrolled degrees of freedom acknowledged.
Related Papers
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- Water, Wine and the Sacred, An Anthropological View of Substances Altered by Intentioned Awareness, Including Objective and Aesthetic Effects — Schwartz, Stephan A (2019)
- Effects of Intentionally-Treated Water on Cell Migration of Human Glioblastoma Cells — Yu, Chang-Tze Ricky (2024)
- Transcriptional Changes in Cancer Cells Induced by Exposure to a Healing Method — Beseme, S (2018)
- Infrared Spectra Alteration in Water Proximate to the Palms of Therapeutic Practitioners — Schwartz, Stephan A (2015)
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📋 Cite this paper
Radin, Dean, Lund, Nancy, Emoto, Masaru, Kizu, Takashige (2008). Effects of Distant Intention on Water Crystal Formation: A Triple-Blind Replication. Journal of Scientific Exploration.
@article{radin_2008_effects,
title = {Effects of Distant Intention on Water Crystal Formation: A Triple-Blind Replication},
author = {Radin, Dean and Lund, Nancy and Emoto, Masaru and Kizu, Takashige},
year = {2008},
journal = {Journal of Scientific Exploration},
}