Key Results from 25 Years of Basic Research into Homeopathic Potentisation

Over the past 25 years, our research group has developed and evaluated various laboratory models to investigate the effects of homeopathic preparations. To identify possible specific effects, homeopathic samples were generally compared with succussed or potentized negative controls in blinded and randomized experiments including multiple replicates and independent repetitions.

We introduced systematic negative control experiments in basic homeopathic research to monitor and statistically assess experimental model stability. Altogether these procedures, when allied with the use of state-of-the-art statistical techniques, enabled us to reach robust conclusions in our analyses.

In total we worked with 18 different laboratory models. In 15 out of these 18 assays, we observed statistically significant empirical evidence for specific effects of homeopathic preparations over placebo. For three of these assays, homeopathic preparations were investigated using more than 14 independent experiments, performed by two independent researchers, at multiple locations.

These experiments involved Arsenicum album in potency levels between 17x and 45x as well as Stannum metallicum 30x, the effects of which were reproducible over time.

We thus conclude that we observed solid, statistically significant empirical evidence in favor of the existence of specific effects of homeopathic preparations in potency levels where direct material effects of the potentised material would not be expected. With this in mind, in the coming years, our working group will therefore focus on exploring the mode of action of homeopathy, on the level of the homeopathic preparations, as well as on the level of the treated organisms. This approach will be based on characterizing homeopathic preparations on a physicochemical level, determining the effects of physical interventions on homeopathic preparations, developing experimentally testable theories, and assessing physiological effects of homeopathic preparations on organisms in vivo.

Keywords: Potentisation, reproducibility, mode of action, homeopathy

Publication History

Article published online:
30 January 2024