Can Humans Sense an Invisible Energy Field? – What Does the Research Show?
For centuries, people have described experiencing an invisible energy within and around the human body. In traditions such as Reiki, Therapeutic Touch, and pranic healing, practitioners describe energy fields that people may be able to sense and sometimes influence with their hands.
But what happens when researchers investigate these experiences scientifically? Can people actually sense an energy field, and can this ability be developed through training? Seven scientific studies offer insight into a field of research where some findings raise intriguing questions, while others highlight what remains to be explored.
What Is a Biofield?
The term biofield is used to describe different types of energy fields associated with living organisms. The human body produces electrical and magnetic fields through processes involving the heart and nervous system. These can be measured using scientific instruments. Healing traditions also describe more subtle energy fields believed to surround the body and potentially be perceived through touch or focused attention.
Several of the studies primarily investigate whether people can perceive these proposed subtle energy fields.
Can We Feel Sensations Between Our Own Hands?
Two studies by Vijayakumar and colleagues, published in 2024 and 2026, investigated what people experience when holding their hands close together and focusing their attention on the space between them. In the 2024 study, all 44 participants in the intervention group reported sensations between their hands, compared with 13 of the 44 participants in the control group.
In the later randomized study from 2026, involving 107 young adults, the researchers also found that a structured attention exercise could intensify these experiences. They additionally recorded a small temperature change.
These findings are interesting because they show that bodily sensations can be influenced by focused attention and investigated under controlled conditions. It has not yet been established whether these experiences arise from a distinct energy field or from ordinary sensory processes, temperature regulation, and the nervous system.
Can the Ability to Detect Biofields Be Trained?
Two studies involving Schwartz and colleagues investigated whether people could detect proposed biofields or intentions more accurately than would be expected by chance. In the 2004 study, 27 healthcare professionals completed a five-day training program in biofield awareness. Following the training, their average accuracy increased from 50.8% to 55.5%. The researchers reported that the improvement was statistically significant.
In another study from 2005, conducted by Nelson and Schwartz, a total of 165 participants completed six different experimental tasks. Their average accuracy was 57.7%, compared with the 50% expected by chance.
These findings are particularly noteworthy because they suggest that individual differences and training may influence participants' performance. However, further independent studies with rigorous controls are needed to determine what participants were actually detecting and whether the findings can be replicated.
Can Healing Practitioners Sense Energy Fields from Other People?
Two studies investigated whether experienced healing practitioners could detect the location of another person's hand without seeing it. In a 1998 study, conducted by Rosa and colleagues, 21 Therapeutic Touch practitioners completed a total of 280 blinded trials. They correctly identified the hand in 44% of trials, compared with the 50% expected by chance.
A later study from 2022, conducted by Moss and colleagues, examined 67 Reiki practitioners and 25 control participants. The Reiki practitioners achieved an accuracy of 25.4%, close to the 25% chance level.
The studies therefore did not demonstrate that healing practitioners could reliably detect the proposed energy fields under the experimental conditions. This is an important finding, but it does not mean that all experiences associated with healing lack an explanation or significance. The studies tested a specific ability rather than every possible effect of healing practices.
Can Reiki Produce Measurable Electromagnetic Fields?
A study published in 2012, conducted by Baldwin and colleagues, investigated whether Reiki practitioners produced unusually strong electromagnetic fields from their hands or hearts during treatment. The researchers used a highly sensitive measurement technique called SQUID, which can detect extremely weak magnetic fields. Three experienced Reiki practitioners and four individuals without Reiki training were examined in a magnetically shielded environment to reduce interference from external sources.
The study did not find evidence that Reiki practice routinely generates strong magnetic fields detectable using this measurement method.
However, it is important to understand the limitations of the measurements. The study involved only seven people and was conducted under specific laboratory conditions. SQUID technology measures magnetic fields, not every conceivable form of energy described in healing traditions. The results therefore do not rule out other types of experiences or phenomena, but they show that the specific hypothesis concerning strong magnetic fields was not confirmed.
What do the findings show?
Together, the studies present an interesting and varied picture. The studies by Vijayakumar and colleagues show that people can experience distinct sensations between their own hands and that focused attention can intensify these experiences.
The studies by Schwartz and Nelson reported above-chance results in experiments investigating biofield perception, intention, and training. At the same time, the blinded studies by Rosa and Moss did not confirm that Reiki and Therapeutic Touch practitioners could reliably sense energy fields from other people.
Baldwin's study also found no evidence that Reiki practice routinely produces unusually strong magnetic fields. The findings therefore reveal both possibilities and limitations. They provide reasons for continued investigation but do not establish the existence of a distinct invisible energy field.
What remains uncertain?
A central question is whether the reported sensations can be explained by known bodily processes or whether additional mechanisms remain to be discovered. Future research could investigate whether training produces lasting improvements, whether independent research groups can replicate the findings, and whether the experiences are associated with objectively measurable changes.
Larger studies with rigorous blinding and clearly defined control groups could help researchers reach more reliable conclusions.
Overall assessment
The seven studies show that human experiences associated with biofields remain an interesting subject for further scientific investigation. Particularly noteworthy are the findings showing how focused attention can intensify bodily sensations and how certain experiments have reported accuracy above chance levels.
Studies that have not confirmed the ability to sense energy fields also contribute valuable knowledge by testing and refining different hypotheses. There is currently insufficient scientific evidence to establish that humans can perceive a distinct invisible energy field. However, research demonstrates that these experiences can be investigated systematically and that several questions remain unanswered.