Therapeutic Touch as Energy Exchange: Replication and Extension

Abstract

This study replicated and extended previous published research which suggests that therapeutic touch involves an energy exchange. The theorem that eye and facial contact between therapeutic touch practitioners and subjects should not be necessary to produce the effect of anxiety reduction was deduced from the Rogerian conceptual system and tested. This theorem was not supported. Numerous explanations for the failure of the hypotheses to be supported are posited, among them the impact of the research design, effects related to the investigator as practitioner, and medication. The influence of medication in particular is so pervasive in the sample that it would seem to be the most reasonable explanation.