This preliminary study investigated the psychoneuroimmunological effects of Korean Qi‐therapy (QT) on randomly divided placebo group (N = 10) and QT group (N = 10) via measuring the level of anxiety, mood, cortisol and melatonin, and the cellular function of neutrophil and NK cells. Although the basal levels of anxiety and mood were not different between the two groups, there were significant differences in group by time interaction in the anxiety level (5 min after intervention, Post I: changed by −23 per cent in QT group and −10 per cent in placebo; 1 hour after, Post II: −23 per cent, −8 per cent) and mood score (Post I: −34 per cent, −14 per cent; Post II: −55 per cent, −21 per cent). Melatonin levels also changed differently by intervention. In response to QT, melatonin levels increased after treatment but decreased in the control. For neutrophil response to intervention, superoxide generation was increased by QT but decreased by placebo (group by time interaction, p < 0.0001; changed by 36 per cent in the QT group and 8 per cent in the placebo group). There was a significant change in NK cell cytotoxicity in the QT group. The cytotoxicity increased (27 per cent compared to baseline) in the QT group but there were no changes in the placebo group (7 per cent). Our current observations suggest that Korean Qi‐therapy may induce psychological stabilization, increase melatonin level and enhance cellular function of neutrophil and NK cell. Therefore Qi‐therapy may be an effective complementary method for human health care and in the prevention of disease. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Qi therapy may be an effective complementary therapy for managing the symptoms of PMS.

The present study investigated the effects of Korean Qi-therapy, ChunSoo Energy Healing, on natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity in vitro depending on Qi-treatment time and the types of cells treated. NK cell cytotoxicity was assayed by measuring LDH release from tumor target cells (K562 cell lines). NK activity was significantly increased by emitted-Qi treatment of 30 sec duration. Three and 5 minutes of Qi projection created the greatest increase in NK cell activity when mixtures of NK cells and K562 cells were treated (1.81 and 2.12 fold for 4 hr culture; 1.54 and 1.36 for 16 hr culture, respectively). NK cell activity increased significantly in Qi-treated K562 cells alone (1.13 fold, p < 0.05) compared to control. These results are consistent with in vivo Qi-therapy on humans and suggests that emitted-Qi has an acute stimulatory effect on NK cell activity. This study provides direct scientific support that Qi as such may positively affect human cellular immunity.

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