German publisher: Zweitausendeins, Frankfurt. http://www.zweitausendeins.de/
Publication date: March 1995
Actual edition (May 1998): 9th printing
Total number of copies sold in German-language market: 27'000

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Structure of the Book

Acknowledgements

1. Elements of a physics of the living

• What are photons ? /
• What are biophotons ? /
• What is the origin of biophoton emission ? /
• The coherence of biophotons /
• Regulation by the biophoton field /
• The network of light metabolism /
• The present state of the discussion /
• Biophoton theory and alternative medicine /
• Biophoton theory as a basis for a scientific theory of life appropriate to nature /
• The new concept of the cell /
• The big network /
• From the molecular to the field perspective /
• Significance of the new concept /
• Will biology turn out to be more fundamental than physics ? /
• Possibilities of misuse /
• Which philosophy will prevail ?

PART I. Prehistory

2. The Aura

• The concept of nonmaterial „energy bodies“ /
• Subtle bodies of light /
• „Mana“ and „inner fire“ /
• Indian, Tibetan and Chinese concepts /
• Visionary concept of the „essential light“ of man /
• Paracelsus’ „archaeus“

3.Electrobiology and vitalism

• Bioelectricity /
• The vitalistic tradition /
• Romantic medicine: illness as a developmental crisis /
• Claude Bernard’s homeostasis: self-regulation of the organism

4. Scientific Medicine

• At the origin of modern electrophysiology: the injury current /
• The Berlin school of physiology: the „overcoming“ of vitalism /
• The „Bernstein hypothesis“ of the membrane potential: paradigm of the new „scientific medicine“  /
• The link between electricity and life energy is severed /
• „Scientific medicine“ conquers the US and the world /
• Ehrlich’s „receptor theory“

5. From Mesmer to Reich

• Mesmer’s „animal magnetism“ /
• Baron Reichenbach’s „odic force“ /
• Wilhelm Reich’s „orgone“

6. The inconquerable aura

• Kilner’s aura screens /
• Albert Hofmann: the aura is subjective /
• A contemporary description of the aura /
• The biophysical basis of the aura

7. Electromagnetic man

• Blondlot’s „N-rays“ /
• Hofmann finds „head and hand rays“ /
• An early Swiss pioneer of electrobiology / 
• The beginnings of modern electrobiology: Burr’s „electrodynamic field“ /
• Electromagnetic field structure at the beginning of embryonic development /
• Electrical determination of ovulation /
• The connection between electrodynamic field and the psyche /
• Electrical indications of illness / 
• Robert O.Becker rehabilitates Matteucci’s injury current /
• The body’s own electrical regeneration system /
• Successful electrical stimulation of bone repair /
• The discovery of  the „perineural DC system“ /
• Brain and nervous system: a combination of analog and digital information coding ?

PART II: Beginnings

8. Alexander Gurvich and mitogenetic radiation

• The onion root experiment of 1922 /
• Cells emit light at birth and at death /
• Cellular radiation and cancer /
• The theory of the biological field /
• The „unequilibrated molecular complexes“ /
• Gurvich as a pioneer of modern biophysical concepts /
• The fate of mitogenetic research  /
• The two schools of biophoton research /
• The reasons for the ending of Western mitogenetic research before World War II /
• After World War II

9. Fritz-Albert Popp: How a physicist came to the light

• The riddle of cancer genesis /
• Light in the organism ? /
• The Kaznacheev experiment / 
• The foundations  for biophoton theory are laid

10. ....and there was light !

• The first rigorous proof for the existence of the cell emission /
• Enormous enhancement of chemical reactivity /
• Experimental proof for Prigogine’s  theory

11. A stony way to knowledge

• The „imperfection theory“ /
• Lossless circulation of light in the cell /
• Is plant and animal tissue transparent for light ? /
• A challenge to laboratory physics /
• Recognition comes

12. From chaos to order : Prigogine’s „dissipative structures“ and Froehlich’s „Bose-condensate“

• The biochemical world picture /
• Dissipative structures /
• Coherent electromagnetic interactions

13. The bio-informatics of electromagnetic interactions

• Our radiation environment /
• Ionizing radiation /
• Non-ionizing radiation /
• UV radiation /
• UV light and the immune system /
• The visible light /
• The role of the pineal /
• ntagonistic effects of colored light /
• How light enters into  the body /
• Fundamental light sensitivity /
• High-frequency radiation /
• Electromagnetic pollution /
• Two opposite views on biological communication /
• ULF, ELF and VLF (low frequency) radiation  /
• Weather radiation /
• The correspondence between weather radiation and brainwaves /
• On the search for a new explanation of  radiation effects

14. A scientific revolution

• Meaningful event or blind mechanism ? /
• The Berlin and the Goettingen schools of thought /
• An antipode of molecular biology: Georges Lakhovsky /
• A pioneer of the new thinking: Vladimir Vernadsky /
• Presman’s revolutionary concept /
• New approaches come to prevail only very slowly /
• Non-equilibrium thermodynamics and the principle of least effort /
• The two currents in science: mechanists vs. vitalists / 
• Quantitative power thinking versus the wisdom of non-violence /
• The intelligence of nature

PART III . Fundamentals

15. The ecology and the physiology of light

• The radiation of the sun and  the self-regulation of „Gaia“. Photosynthesis /
• Skin and eyes as „light valves“ / 
• The role of melanin in the transduction  of light

16. Organisms as light stores

• Coherent sunlight /
• The cavity model /
• Hyperbolic decay /
• Organisms are biological lasers

17. DNA: Light storage in spiral molecules

• Replication /
• Repair /
• Transcription /
• Translation /
• DNA hyperstructures /
• The ethidium bromide experiment /
• DNA the most important source of biophoton emission  / 
• The exciplex model of DNA / 
• DNA as lasering matter /
• The origin of Schroedinger’s „order suction“ (?) : Bose-condensation in DNA /
• Photon-phonon-interaction /
• DNA as a pulsating „light pump“ / 
• A hierarchy of light-active molecule systems /
• Molecular and cellular pulsations /
• Melanins as collaborators of DNA ? /
• DNA predestined to be the central control of the biophoton field /
• The antenna geometry of DNA

18. Coherent states: Organisms at the threshold between Yin and Yang

• The bioplasma concept /
• The biological laser field: dynamic stability at the laser threshold /
• The peculiarity of biological coherence /
• The Dicke theory and „Cavity Quantum Electrodynamics“ /
• Actual and potential information /
• Biological consequences

19. The genesis and development of life in the biophoton field

• Matter consists of vibrations /
• Particles and fields originate from the „void“ /
• Quantum physics treats reality according to acustical laws /
• Jenny’s „cymatics“ as a model of morphogenesis /
• The basic mechanism of morphogenesis: Interference /
• The importance of frequency /
• Light as the organizing principle of matter /
• Material structures as antennae for radiation /
• Evolution in the radiation field /
• The communication experiments /
• The residual light amplifier makes biophotons visible for the first time /
• When blood cells communicate /
• Evolution as the expansion of coherent states

20. The biophoton field as morphogenetic field: The development of the embryo

• Field properties of organisms /
• The field description of the cleaving process shows harmonical laws / 
• Holographic properties /
• Further stages of embryonic development: The dialectics of internal and surface cellular fields /
• The transition from cleavage to gastrulation: From point symmetry to axial symmetry /
• The genesis of partial fields /
• The phase of the genesis of germinal layers: a sensitive stage

21. The three germinal layers

• Germinal layers as energy systems /
• Dissimilar degree of coherence of the three systems

22. The regulation of differentiation and growth by the biophoton field

• Properties of organisms that are not determined by genetic activity /
• junk genes ? /
• The „c value paradoxon“ /
• Non-genetic role of DNA ? /
• The exciplex model of DNA solves open problems in biology /
• The complementarity of growth and differentiation /
• The electromagnetic model of cell differentiation and growth confirmed experimentally

23. Biochemical regulation

• Coordinated and ordered biochemical activity through the biophoton field /
• The biochemistry of the cell in a new light /
• The role of photon frequencies and of the particle geometry  /
• Dynamical structuring of the regulating field /
• Are biological rhythms controlled by the biophoton field ? /
• Homeostasis through light-controlled entropy gradients /
• The entire metabolic work accomplished by biophotons ?

24. Harmonical structures

• Mitotic spindle ordered by cavity waves ? / 
• Microtubuli as optical waveguides ? /
• Cell skeleton built up by light ? /
• The role of water /
• Order and water metabolism in the cell are linked /
• Vibrating musculature /
• A complex resonance structure makes the organism react very sensitively /
• States of tension /
• Biophotons in the nervous system /
• Holographic biophoton fields in the brain /
• Altered states of consciousness /
• A coupling between the nervous system and other oscillators in the organism ?
• Our odorous aura

PART IV. Applications

25. Illness and health

• Health as a coherent state /
• Illness as a developmental crisis /
• Stages of illness /
• Immunological resistance and effectiveness of substances explainable through biophoton field

26. Regulation forms and types of illness

• Polar ordering of regulation systems /
• Reactive types and the proneness towards certain illnesses /
• Yin and Yang illnesses /
• Pischinger’s „Basic regulatory system“ as a basis for all regulations

27. Cancer: Loss of coherence and of the ability to store light

• Cancer tissue has different emission /
• The tumor is the symptom, not the illness /
• A fast and cheap tumor test

28. Homeopathic principles as a  „guiding line“ for modern medicine

• Holistic regulation through vibrations /
• High potencies improve the coherence of the organism and are effective on the causal level /
• Homeopathic effects not explainable biochemically /
• Electromagnetic fields can substiute substances /
• The memory of water /
• Coherence therapy

29. Urine, blood, and breath tests; smoking test

• The luminescence of urine indicates illnesses /
• Has blood radiation a diagnostic value ? /
• Blood and urine of smokers show stronger emission /
• Luminescent breath

30. A test for determining immunological resistance

• Radiant phagocytes /
• A Tibetan drug under test /
• Biophoton measurements on the flu remedy Echinacine

31. Food quality analysis

• In fact we eat sunlight /
• A concentration of the sunlight towards DNA /
• ATP as a light carrier /
• Not the caloric but the information content determines the quality of foodstuffs
• The light storage capacity of the „living macromolecules“ /
• Fats and sunlight /
• A test system for Popp’s hypothesis /
• Free range eggs clearly distinguishable from battery eggs /
• Is it possible to discriminate biological from conventional foodstuffs ? /
• Different production and fertilization methods as well as contamination by pesticides and heavy metals  engender different biophoton emissions /
• Bacterial contamination in beer can be detected at an early stage /
• Biophoton method is superior to biochemical analysis in some essential aspects
• The result in the controversy about biological products /
• Detection of oxidative degradation of organic substances

32. Agriculture

• Improvement of quality and yield through „resonance stimulation“ by laser light
• Bad quality and low resistance of glass-house products due to lack of  UV light
• Electromagnetic stimulation of growth (electroculture) /
• Acoustic stimulation of plant growth

33. Water research and „biological activity“

• Water - an enigmatic substance /
• Water structures - facts and speculations /
• The memory of water /
• Are biological experiments and biophoton measurements more adequate than other methods of investigation ? /
• Is the structural aspect of water overemphasized ? /
• Different types of water can be differentiated /
• The discrimination of natural and synthetic substances based on  their „biological activity“

34. Environmental pollution

• Gaseous pollutants /
• Biophoton emission as a measure of the Relative Biological Effectiveness (RBE) of ionizing radiation /
• Synergetic mechanisms of damage

35. Dying forests

• Water lentils as bio-indicators /
• Nuclear plants and dying forests: is there a connection ? /
• Electrochemical smog and dying forests

36. Methods of bioelectronic diagnosis

• 1. The Bioelectronic Test according to Vincent
  • Bioelectronic measurements of body fluids to assess Claude Bernard’s „terrain“
  • Cancer prognosis possible ?
• 2. Electroacupuncture
  • Electroacupuncture according to Voll (EAV) /
  • Electroacupuncture according to Croon („Electroneural diagnostics“) /
  • The „Ryodoraku method“ of Nakatani /
  • The AMI method of Motoyama
• 3. The bases of acupuncture
  • A possible participation of meridians in the formation of embryonic organs
  • Meridians may be not material channels but node lines of the biophoton field
  • Acupuncture points electrically distinguished /
  • A new method shows if someone is healthy or ill /
  • The stimulation of acupuncture points /
  • Biophoton research furnishes bases for electrodiagnostics
• 4. Kirlian photography
  • Between bioelectrical measurement and biophoton measurement /
  • Distribution of electrical charge on the skin is fundamental /
  • Diagnostic evaluation still in its beginnings /
  • New technical developments /
  • Use for quality analysis of foodstuffs and liquids
• 5. Whole body biophoton diagnostics
  • The biophysical basis of the aura /
  • The works of Gulyaev and Godik /
  • Thermoregulation diagnostics /
  • Biophoton measurements on humans /
  • „Hand radiation“ and healers /
  • The whole-body biophoton diagnostics project

37. Methods of bioelectronic therapy

• 1. MORA and radionics
• 2. Electrotherapy
• An old tradition /
• Electrotherapy in the 19th century /
• High-frequency AC therapy /
• ELF therapy
• 3. Chromotherapy (Therapy with colored light)
• Ghadiali’s chromotherapy /
• Beginnings of modern light therapy /
• The actual situation of chromotherapy
• 4. Laser therapy
• Soft-laser applications with weak light /
• The work of Inyushin /
• Laser stimulation of tissue regeneration /
• Laser stimulation of acupuncture points /
• The mechanism of soft laser therapy /
• Resonance stimulation of the biophoton field

PART V. Outlook

38. The biophoton field - mediator between body and soul ?

• Biophotons - to be analysed in the framework of current science /
• Is there an even more fundamental level of the organism „behind“ the biophoton field ? /
• The rebirth of the „ether“ /
• The zero-point energy of the vacuum /
• Bearden’s „scalar fields“ /
• Wheeler’s „quantum foam“ /
• Bohm’s „implicate order“ /
• Burkhard Heim’s six-dimensional world model /
• Photons as mediators between matter and spirit ? /
• The consciousness-like aspects of matter /
• Coherence as a bridge to the realm of consciousness /
• Biophoton theory and the vacuum field /
• Organisms may control their own space structure and flow of time: Dubrov’s theory of „biogravitation“ /
• Pulsation between space and „counter-space“: biological space and the ether in the anthroposophical doctrine /
• The polarity between levity and gravity /
• The pulse of life

Appendix. Concerning the state of the evidence in biophoton theory
Annotations/references
Bibliography
Glossary
Index

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