Guided Imagery within Rogers' Science of Unitary Human Beings: An Experimental Study

Abstract

A pre-test/post-test control group design with 60 participants was used to examine the subjective feelings of timelessness, motion, boundary lessness, transcendence, and increased imagination experienced during pleasant guided imagery within Martha Rogers' science of unitary human beings. Two hypotheses were derived from Rogers' principle of reso nancy, which describes "the continuous change from lower to higher wave frequency patterns in the human and environmental fields." Pleas ant guided imagery was postulated to pattern the human energy field from a lower toward a higher wave frequency pattern. The hypotheses tested in this study were (a) participants experiencing an 11-minute pleasant guided imagery tape will have significantly lower time metaphor test scores than participants experiencing an 11-minute educational tape and, (b) participants experiencing pleasant guided imagery will have significantly higher human field motion tool scores than participants experiencing the educational tape. Lower time metaphor test scores and higher human field motion tool scores reflect a higher wave frequency pattern of the human energy field. A significant treatment by trials interaction effect (F = 4.358; df = 1/118; p < 0.05) provided support for the first hypothesis. The second hypothesis was not supported. On the basis of a factor analysis, the validity of the human field motion tool is questioned. The findings suggest that Rogers' principle of resonancy may provide an explanation of the subjective feelings experienced during pleasant guided imagery.