Harald Walach

Followers

116

Following

Public Views

Interests

Uploads

Papers by Harald Walach

Review Meditation Based Therapies—A Systematic Review and Some Critical Observations

This article systematically reviews the evidence for Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) an... more This article systematically reviews the evidence for Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and analyses the conditions around their rising popularity. MBSR, MBCT and Mindfulness Meditation were used as key words. The inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials using the standard MBSR/MBCT program with a minimum of 33 participants. Twenty four studies were included. MBSR improved mental health in ten studies compared to waitlist control or treatment as usual. Moreover, MBSR was as efficacious as active control group in four studies, and showed a tendency over active control in one study. MBCT reduced the risk of depressive relapse in all five included studies. Evidence supports that MBSR improves mental health and MBCT prevents depressive relapse. It is interesting to observe that meditation based therapy programs are rapidly enjoying popularity. We discuss the cultural and theoretical implications.

Download

Ganzheitlichkeit

Deutsche Zeitschrift für Akupunktur, 2020

Innerhalb der Komplementärmedizin ist der Begriff Ganzheitlichkeit beliebt. Manche sehen in ihm e... more Innerhalb der Komplementärmedizin ist der Begriff Ganzheitlichkeit beliebt. Manche sehen in ihm einen vagen, unklaren und damit unwissenschaftlichen Begriff. Ich will hier ein bisschen zur Klärung des Begriffs beitragen. Dabei sollten wir nicht vergessen: Schon Aristoteles hat festgestellt, dass eine vollständige Erklärung eines Begriffs erst am Ende eines Erkenntnisprozesses stehen kann. Der Begriff Ganzheitlichkeit wird auf unterschiedliche Weise verwendet: paradigmatisch, als Chiffre für einen Denkansatz; pragmatisch, als Verweis auf einen Handlungsansatz. Beide Bedeutungsnuancen hängen voneinander ab und sie sind zu ihrem scheinbaren Gegenteil, der Kompartmentalisierung, komplementär.

Kommentar zum Beitrag von Norbert Schmacke: Homöopathie: Heilslehre „ohne Substanz“

Bundesgesundheitsblatt - Gesundheitsforschung - Gesundheitsschutz, 2020

Hahnemann nahm den Anstoß für sein Prinzip, Arzneimittel am Gesunden zu testen, aus seinemSelbstv... more Hahnemann nahm den Anstoß für sein Prinzip, Arzneimittel am Gesunden zu testen, aus seinemSelbstversuchmitChinarinde. Dabei erlebte er Symptome, das heißtsubjektiveEmpfindensveränderungen,diedenenvonWechselfieberglichen. Die von Schmacke erhobene Behauptung ist falsch, dass dieser Versuch nie wiederholt wurde. Hahnemann-Schüler haben die Symptome von Hahnemann immer wieder bestätigt [1], in jüngerer Zeit hat Barthel diesen Versuch an sich selbst repliziert [2]. Genauso falsch ist es zu behaupten, homöopathische Arzneimittelprüfungen würden „ein inkohärentes Sammelsurium“ an Symptomen ergeben. Dass es Unschärfen innerhalb derArzneimittelbildergibt, istunbenommen.Ganzabgesehendavongibtesempirische Belege dafür, dass es tatsächlich in tripelverblindeten experimentellen Studien möglich ist, homöopathische Arzneimittel voneinander und von Placebo zu trennen[3, 4].Das sind solcheStudien, bei denen ein Arzneimittel, dessen Name und Natur weder dem Prüfungsleiter

Achtsamkeit

Spiritual Care, 2017

Subtle cues transmit placebo effects

Nature Human Behaviour, 2019

Subtle cues transmit placebo effects We have known for a while that different doctors can produce... more Subtle cues transmit placebo effects We have known for a while that different doctors can produce different effects using the same substance, or even placebo, such that otherwise effective treatments might become ineffective or placebo becomes effective. Chang and colleagues now clarify that such differential effects are likely transmitted by subtle facial cues, using a placebo-pain model.

Download

Mindfulness in psychotherapy

Is the Network of World Economic Forum Young Global Leaders Associated With COVID-19 Non-Pharmaceutical Intervention Severity?

Cureus

Why do people consent to receiving SARS-CoV2 vaccinations? A Representative Survey in Germany

Objective: to answer the question: Why do people consent to being vaccinated with novel vaccines ... more Objective: to answer the question: Why do people consent to being vaccinated with novel vaccines against SARS-CoV2? Design: Representative survey Setting: Online panel Participants: 1032 respondents of the general German population Method: a representative survey among German citizens in November/December 2021 which resulted in 1032 complete responses on vaccination status, socio-demographic parameters and opinions about the COVID-19 situation. Results: Almost 83% of the respondents were vaccinated. The major motivation was fear of medical consequences of an infection and the wish to lead a normal life again. The major motivation to be not vaccinated was the fear of side effects and skepticism about long-term effectiveness and safety. Sixteen percent of vaccinated respondents reported some serious side effect, while more than 30% reported health improvements, mostly due to the relief of psychological stress and social reintegration. We also validated a "Corona Orthodoxy Score -COS" consisting of 7 items reflecting opinions on Covid-19. The scale is reliable (alpha = 0.76) and unidimensional. The COS was a highly significant predictor of vaccination status and readiness to be vaccinated in a multivariable logistic regression model. Those who were vaccinated were more likely to live in smaller households (OR = 0.82, p=0.024), had a higher income (OR = 1.27, p<0.001), a higher COS score (OR 1.4, p<0.0001) and utilized less alternative media (OR = 0.44, p=0.0024) and scientific publications (OR=0.42, p=0.011) as information sources. Conclusions: The major motives for being vaccinated are fear of medical symptoms and the wish to lead a normal life. Those not wanting to be vaccinated cite a lack of knowledge regarding long-term safety and side effects as reasons. This can likely only be overcome by careful and active long-term efficacy and safety monitoring.

Download

Parapsychological Phenomena Examples of Generalized Nonlocal Correlations – A Theoretical Framework

Journal of Scientific Exploration, 2014

Scientific facts are constituted as consensus about observable phenomena against the background o... more Scientific facts are constituted as consensus about observable phenomena against the background of an accepted, or at least plausible, theory. Empirical data without a theoretical framework are at best curiosities and anomalies, at worst they are neglected. The problem of parapsychological research since its inception with the foundation of the Society of Psychical Research in 1882 was that no sound theoretical basis existed. On the contrary, the proponents of the SPR often indulged in a theoretical model that ran contrary to the perceived materialism of mainstream science, and many tried to use the data of parapsychological research to bolster the case of "mind over matter," yet without producing a good model of how such effects could be conceptualized. In general, parapsychological (PSI) research has been rather devoid of theorizing and, if anything, assumed a tacit signal-theoretical, local-causal model of some sort of subtle energy that would be vindicated, once enough...

format_quoteMeta-analyses show that while experimental evidence for PSI is generally positive, some crucial replication studies have failed significantly.format_quote

Download

Update of empirical evidence: frame-work protocol for the systematic evaluation of homeopathic intervention studies (HOMIS) in humans

This framework protocol defines the research strategy for a stepwise evaluation of the evidence b... more This framework protocol defines the research strategy for a stepwise evaluation of the evidence body of homeopathic intervention studies (HOMIS) in human diseases. It is a further development of the research protocol previously registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) on 17/08/2015 (registration number CRD42015025399; available from: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPEROFILES/25399_PROTOCOL_20181201.pdf). The original project was discontinued and this protocol defines the adapted approach.

format_quoteA systematic evaluation framework for homeopathic interventions allows evidence-based assessment of clinical efficacy across specific ICD-10 categories.format_quote

Download