We 
do not know the answer but, as we have seen, the design of the 
human nervous system permits incredibly-complex permutations 
and combinations, and it is activated by ideas, external and in­
ternal, which induce a great variety of responses. Consider, for instance, the different neural responses to a 
beautiful piece of silver in a jeweller's window by two men, 
equally impoverished and in need of cash. One will wistfully 
admire its beauty and walk on; the other will smash the window, 
grab it and run to the nearest 'fence' to have it melted down. Their nervous systems have responded differently to the same 
stimulus. Perhaps, as we learn more about the relationships between the 
L-field and the mind we may gain some insight into why people 
respond so differently to the same idea or impulse. Meanwhile, 
We can at least be certain that what we call 'good' and 'evil' are 
an inherent part of the design of the Universe-for what purpose 
we do not know-because there can be nothing outside that 
design. 131 THE CONTINUING ADVENTURE 
10 
Let us look over the log of our voyage of discovery and see 
what its results mean to you and to me: 
Since you and I are components of the field of the Universe, 
we are all tied together in the same bundle of field properties. None of us can ever be independent of the universal field or of 
our own individual fields. We are part of a designed whole which is not chaos but organ­
ized in law and order and which, over untold centuries, has 
slowly evolved the design and differentiation of the human nerv­
ous system. There is no reason to suppose that this is not also 
true of the Universe itself. It is extremely doubtful that it was 
created with one big bang and highly probable that it is still in 
the process of growth and development. This is a slow process and we cannot hope to convert the 
Universe to our hopes or desires by tomorrow morning. We our­
selves are the products of this slow process of growth and de­
velopment and neither the great religious leaders, nor the great 
authors of pragmatic law nor any other factors that we know of 
can change or hasten it. Though neither you nor I know the ultimate goal of the Uni­
verse in general or of man in particular, we can at least be certain 
that growth and differentiation are going on everywhere and all 
the time and that this process is not chaotic but has direction and 
an ultimate goal. This gives meaning to our existence because we are a part of 
this process and because the process must have some purpose, 
even though we cannot discern what it is or see the end result. Perhaps the purpose of the Designer is to observe, by experi­
ment, the results of the reactions between field forces and material 
things, just as human organisms have to learn by experience and 
experiment. If this is so there is probably no such thing as an 
absolute set of values. The Universe is developing and so are 
we; and man's sense of values is likely to change as the Universe 
changes. What is true to the man of today will not necessarily 
be true to the man of tomorrow. 132 THE CONTINUING ADVE NTU RE 
This seems the more likely when we remember that man's 
sense of values, of right and wrong, has always changed from 
generation to generation and from place to place. It is exciting to reflect that life and the Universe are not static 
but active-evolving and searching for better ways to do things. And it is fortunate for mankind that there are no hard and fast 
answers to the problems of humanity. On the contrary, man has 
infinite scope to learn more about Nature's laws and to apply 
them to a better understanding of human behaviour. * * * 
The experimental findings recorded in these pages are the 
first stepping-stones on a long journey into the unknown­
guide-posts for further adventures in science. They indicate that the Universe is an ordered system, the 
human organism an ordered component. Law and order prevail 
from the biggest to the smallest; and to suggest that there is any 
chaos is merely to display our lack of information. In short, the Universe has meaning and so have we. Though 
we do not understand it, the meaning is there. The continuing 
adventure of science and of ourselves is to seek, through the 
Field Concept, an ever-grea ter understanding of the changing, 
growing meaning of life. 133 PART II 
Selected Papers 
The Implications of the Electro-metric Test in Cancer of the 
Female Genital Tract ... Louis Langman, M.D., F.A.C.S. Electro-m agnetic Field Monitoring of Changing State-Function 
Including Hypnotic States ... Leonard J. Ravitz, M.S., M.D. Tree Potentials and External Factors ... Ralph Markson, M.A. The author wishes to express his thanks to the authors listed 
above for their kind permission to publish their important papers 
in this book. Appendix 
Bibliography of H. S. Burr. THE IM PLICA TIONS OF THE 
ELECTRO-MET RIC TES T IN CANCER OF 
THE FEMA LE GEN ITAL TRACT * 
Louis Langman, M.D., F.A.C.S . (An investigation made in the Department of Obstetrics and 
Gynaecology, New York University, College of Medicine; 
Obstetrical and Gynaecological Service of the Third (N.Y.U.) Surgical Division, Bellevue Hospital) 
In a former publication a tec hnique (1) was described for measur­
ing field forces in the intact human being. The hypothesis that 
cancer is fundamentally the result of an alteration of the organ­
izational field forces in the living system was advanced. It was 
demonstrated that when measures of these field forces are 
properly made, obvious differences in the field properties of 
patients, with and without malignancy, can be determined. A 
polar reversal of the field forces between the cervix and the ven­
tral abdominal wall was shown to exist in most patients with 
malignancy involving the female generative tract. Atypical 
growth in this system is accessible, it occurs all too frequently, 
and the diagnostic procedures while not perfect are reasonably 
adequate for recognition of cell morphology. The technique as reported in an earlier paper made it possible 
to record the changes in voltage gradient which exists between 
the human cervix uteri and some indifferent point on the sur­
face of the body, such as the skin of the lower abdomen. Thus, 
electrical changes in the intact organism with minimal disturb­
ance in normal physiologic processes could be recorded. * The gratitude of the author is hereby expressed to Professor 
Sebastian B. Littaue r, Department of Industrial Engineering, Colum­
bia University, New York, who was responsible for the statistical 
analysis of the findings presented in this paper. 137 SELEC TED PA PERS 
The technique in brief consisted of a micro-voltmeter (a 
vacuum tube Wheatstone Bridge) connected through silver-silver 
chloride electrodes in physiological salt solution, on the one hand 
to the patient and on the other leading to a General Electric 
photoelectric recorder. * The reference or 'cold' electrode is held 
by a suitable bandage on the lower abdominal wall; the active 
or 'hot' electrode is introduced into the vagina until the tip comes 
to rest in the posterior fornix. The standing potential between 
these two leads appears on the recorder as a movement of the 
pen, either to the right or to the left of an arbitrary selected zero 
point. To the right indicates that the active electrode is positive 
to the reference electrode, movement to the left that it is nega­
tive to the reference electrode. In a preliminary report (2) approxima tely half of the 30 cases 
reported were women with clinical evidence of malignancy, con­
firmed by pathological examination, and in whom a characteris­
tic negativity of the cervix with respect to the lower abdominal 
wall was recorded. The remainder of the cases consisted of non­
malignant conditions of the female generative tract including 
fibromyomata uteri, ovarian cysts, pelvic inflamma tory disease, 
chronic cervicitis, and uterine bleeding due to a variety of causes. In contrast to the malignancies, all but three of this latter group 
showed a significant positivity of the cervix with respect to the 
lower abdominal walL 
In the more recent paper (1) the electro-metric observations in 
428 women were reported. In 75 patients with known cancer 
of the female generative tract, 98'7% showed the cervix to be 
consistentl y electro-negative to the ventral abdominal wall. In 
353 patients suffering from non-malignant conditions, 289 
showed the cervix to be positive with respect to the abdomen 
(81'9%)· 
It was suggested that the electro-neg ativity of the cervix 
observed in the 64 patients with non-malignant conditions may 
represent an organizational weakness in the controls of growth 
* Since this investigation was made more modern instrume nts 
have become available as described elsewh ere in this book. These 
will make it easier to apply the electro-metric techniques described in 
this paper, as an aid in understanding cancer. 138 SEL ECTED PAPERS 
and differentiation in the organism in whom anyone of a wide 
variety of stimuli may be sufficient to initiate atypical growth. The correlation of nega tivity with ovulation has been previously 
reported (3) so that if eight cases believed to be influenced by this 
process are excluded, this latter group can be reduced to 56. SOURCE OF MATERIAL IN PRESENT STUDY : 
The results of a continuation of this study extended to a 
larger group of women (860) have continued to show the same 
electro-metric difference between patients suffering from benign 
and malignant pelvic disease and suggests the possibility that 
this technique may be of value as a screening method in the 
detection of early malignancy in the pelvic organs of the female. A considera tion of this possibility forms the basis of this com­
munication. The observations were made on women admitted to the 
Gynaecological Service in Bellevue Hospital and comprise suc­
cessive admissions to the wards over a period of one and a half 
years. Some were admitted for diagnostic reasons, in others the 
diagnosis was clinically obvious. Nearly all had some gynaeco­
logical complaint. An attempt was made to study the electro­
metric pattern in all women admitted with malignancy or 
suspected of having malignancy. Cases for study in the non-mal­
ignant group were selected at random. Normal women summar­
ized in Table IV, represents a group of individuals comparable to 
those in a non-hospital population with no gynaecological ab­
normality. Medical technicians and a few of their friends com­
prise approxima tely 15 % of this group. Table I shows the observations on patients with pelvic malig­
nancy according to age groups. In an these cases the diagnosis of cancer was made after care­
ful histological studies. During the period reported, electro­
metric studies were made on nearly all patients admitted with a 
diagnosis of cancer or suspected of having cancer, regardless of 
the stage of the disease and in many instances, prior to the 
pathological diagnosis. As is readily seen in Table I, a nega tive potential was recorded 
in all patients with malignancy except in five, for which no 
139 SE LEC TED PAPER S 
TABLE I 
ELECTRO-METRIC OBSE RVATIONS IN PELVIC MA LIGNANCY 
DIAGl'iOSIS AGE AGE AGE AGE AGE TOTALS 
21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 (i 1 and over 
POS NEG pas NEG POS NEG pas NEG POS NEG 
Intra-cpi thel ial* 0 2 0 2 0 1 0 1 0 1 7 
Stage I 0 0 0 3 0 1 0 3 0 1 8 
Stage II I 0 1 2 0 3 I 5 0 6 19 
Stage III 0 0 0 9 0 5 0 4 0 8 26 
Stage IV 0 0 0 3 0 8 0 4 0 7 22 
Adenoca rcinoma 0 I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 I 2 
Carcinoma of Fundus 0 0 0 2 0 3 0 7 0 6 18 
Carcinoma of Ovary 0 I 0 2 I 2 1 3 0 3 13 
Carcinoma of Vagina 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 I 
Carcinoma of Vulva 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 
Sarcoma of Uterus 0 0 0 1 0 I 0 0 0 0 
Metastatic Carcinoma 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 
* Two additional cases of intra-epit heliaI carcinoma of the cervix have 
been studied electro-met rically subsequent to the cases recorded in this table. A positive potential was observed in one, and a negative potential in the 
other, so that in eight out of nine instances of intra-epithel ial cancer a 
negative potential was recorded. explanation is offered . Unusual malignant neoplasms are present 
in this group including one case of carcinoma of the bladder 
thought to be primary, one granu10sa cell tumour of ovary, one 
dysgerminoma and a squamous cell carcinoma arising in a der­
moid cyst, in all of whom a negative potential was observed. Of 
the five patients in whom a positive potential was observed, three 
were in women with epithelioma of the cervix, stage I and II, 
and two with ovarian carcinoma, one of which was recurrent, 
the other, involving both ovaries with marked ascites. The diag­
nosis of malignancy was clinically apparent in all five of these 
patients. The fact that a negative potential was found in all of 
the cases diagnosed as intra-epithelial or preclinical cancer of the 
cervix except one, would seem to be of real significance. Disregarding the exceptions noted above, the results suggest 
that the technique may be of value as an aid in the early detec­
tion of malignancy in the cervix uteri, or in selecting those 
patients in whom further study to exclude the presence of malig­
nancy seems indicated. 140 1 
2 
2 SE LECTED PAPERS 
TABLE II 
T ABLE SHOWING ELECTRO-METRIC FlNDINGS IN BENIGN CONDITIONS 
WITH AGE DlSTlU 13UTION 
D1AGNOSIS AGE AGE AGE AGE AGE AGE 
10-20 21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 61 :lI,d over 
POS NEG POS NEG POS NEG POS NEG POS NEG POS NEG 
Fi[noids 0 0 17 3 59 6 35 6 2 4 1 2 
Pid 17 1 58 2 28 2 3 0 0 0 0 
Nogyn Pathology 5 0 4 3 0 14 0 7 I 3 2 2 1 
Pregnancy 7 1 38 7 18 4 2 I 0 0 0 0 
Cervicit is 2. 0 22. 3 2.9 5 33 7 7 5 0 2 
Ilcnign Ovarian Cysts 3 1 8 2 6 I 2 1 0 I 0 I 
Proliferative or Sec-
retory Endometrium 2 I 20 1 22 2 17 1 I 2 0 0 
Hype rplasia of 
Endometr ium 2 0 4 1 3 0 7 2 3 1 0 0 
Endomet ritis 0 I 8 0 5 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 
Post Menopausal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 10 0 1 
Cervical Polyps 0 0 2 2 I 0 3 0 0 1 0 3 
Lnd ometrial Polyps 2 0 3 0 4 2 2 1 2 2 0 0 
Omlat ion 0 0 0 3 0 5 0 I 0 0 0 0 
lndo mctriosis 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 
Gr,IlHllolUil of External 
Genitalia 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Fistulae 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 
Granuloma of Cervix 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Atrophic Vaginitis 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 
: iematrometria 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Leu(oplakia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 
In considering the findings in patients with benign conditions, 
Table II, it should be understood that the diagnosis in all cases 
was based on histological examination of tissue. Attention has 
been called to the findings of negative potentials similar to the 
observations in cancer, which have been observed in women with 
post-menopausal bleeding in whom no morphological evidence of 
cancer was found. The next most frequent finding of negative 
potentials occurred in patients with chronic cervicitis where 
squamous metaplasia, marked in some, was reported. It is signi­
ficant that in this group of patients, as in post-menopausal bleed­
ing cases, the recording of neg] tive potentials was more frequent 
in the older age groups where the incidence of cancer is greater. Increasing knowledge of the behaviour of various types of 
tissue indicates that invasive cancer does not result from a sudden 
141 TABLE III 
ELECTR O-METRIC OBSERV ATIONS AFTER OPERATION OR TREATMENT 
PATI ENTS WITH FOLLOW-UP 
ORIGINAL 
No. EMF FINDING 
FW 1. '2/5/48 Neg. 41 
ES '2. 7/'23 /47 Neg. 34 
HH 3. 1/'28/47 Pos. 36 
AH 4. 10/'20/4 7 Neg. 48 
BM 5. 10/16/47 Neg. 43 
KC 6. 10/'27/47 Neg. 46 
MG 7. 3/4 /47 Neg. 34 
LT 8. 1l/ 19/47 Neg. 51 DIAGNOSIS TREATMENT 
Chr. cystie eery. with '2/16/48 Vag. Hyster. squamous metap. Chr. eery. with squamous 
metap. Chr. endocerv. with squa­
mous metap. Chr. endoce rv. Carcinom a of Cervix 7/15/47 Total Hyster. Bilat. Salpingo-oophor. 1131 /47 Total Hyster. Bilat. Salpingo-oophor. 10/ '2'2/4 7 D&C Removal of 
Stump 
10/ 17/4 7 Radical Hyster. Bilat. Salpingo-oophor. Wer theim 
Radium 67'20 hr. EMF FOLLOW-UP 
6/'2'2/4 8 Pos. 1'2/16/4 7 Pas. n/ 11/47 Pos. 5/'2'2/4 7 Neg. 6/23/47 Neg. Squamous cell carcinoma. Stage III 11/ 1'2/4 7 1800 Units 1'2/4 7 6/'23/4 8 Neg. Radium 3360 mg. hr. Carcinom a of cervix Stage 
II-III 
Squamous cell carcinoma. Stage II Wertheim 5/'26/47 X-ray 1800 
Units. Radium colpostals and 
cork. 4320 ng. hr. Total Hyster. Post radiation . Atrophy of cervix. 1/'2 '2/47 5/1 /47 Neg. 7/714 7 Neg. 9/1'2/47 Neg. 2/ '26/48 Neg. '214/47 Neg. (12 days after compo 
hyster.) MT 9· 1/20/48 Neg. 50 
BM 10. 10/8/48 Neg. 48 
AT II. 8/'1.1/48 Neg. 28 
AS n. n/22./4 7 Pos. 33 
RP 13. 5/6/48 Neg. 50 
MW 14. 4/19/47 Neg. BL 15. 4/8/48 Neg. CA of Fundus 
Sarcoma of Uterus Total Hyster. Bilat. Salpingo- 5/13/48 Neg. oophor· 4/2/48 
Supra-cerv. Hyster. Bilat. Sal-12/10/48 
pingo-oophor 10/15/48 
Intra·epithelial CA of X·ray 8/18/47 6900 R. units. 9/29/47 Pas. Cerv. Stump following Radium '1.760 mg. 
Supra-cerv. Hyst. Bilat. Salpingo-oophor 6/28/47 
Fibroids 
Intra-epithelial CA 
Intra-epithelial CA 
Intra·epithelial CA Total Hyster. Left Salpingo­
oophor. 5/l'l./48 
Total Hyster. Bilat. Salpingo­
oophor. 5/14/48 
Total Hyster. 4/25/4 7 5/18/47 Pas. 6/16/47 Pos. 5/26/48 Pas. Total Hyster. Left Salpingo- 2/10/49 Pas. oophor. SEL ECTED PAPERS 
metamorphosis, but is the result of a developmental process. The 
relationship squamous metaplasia has to carcinoma of the cervix 
uteri is currently controversia l, so that the evaluation of the 
electro-metric findings with this condition cannot be definitive at 
the present time. Recent evidence (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 
ancl14) indicates a localized phase of several years duration before 
cancer of the cervix becomes invasive. The observation of 
negative electro-metric findings in patients with squamous meta­
plasia of the cervix suggest the need for extended follow-up 
studies. Since the evidence suggests a significant correlation be­
tween negativity and malignancy, then all patients with nega­
tive polarity should be suspect and followed with great care. For experimental purposes a correspondingly large group of 
cases with positive polarity should be observed over the same 
period in order to ascertain whether there is a significant differ­
ence between the two groups in the developmental rate of malig­
nancy. Correlation of potential findings with morphological 
studies for a period of at least five years where no treatment has 
been instituted may determine the value of the electro-m etric 
technique in anticipating those cases which will develop cancer. The findings in patients who have had follow-up electro­
metric studies (Table III) indicate that a reversal in polarity 
from negative to positive occurs after total hysterectomy for 
intra-epithelial carcinoma of the cervix. This reversal is not found 
in cases with more advanced stages of cervical carcinoma (Stages 
II and III), who have had either a radical operation or radium and 
X-ray therapy. Following a total hysterectom y, women in whom 
a diagnosis of squamous metaplasia of the cervix had been made 
pre-operatively, show a similar reversal in polarity. These findings suggest that the electro-metric correlates result 
from causes inherent in the tissue involved and if the involved 
tissue can be removed in its entirety rever sal in potential occurs. Conversely reversal does not occur when all the tissue involved 
is not removed by operation. This finding may be of more than academic interest and may 
prove useful as one of the criteria for estimation of a cure. How­
ever, it is felt that sufficient follow-up studies have not been made 
both in number of cases followed and length of follow-up to 
144 SELEC TED PAPERS 
TABLE IV 
SI-IOWING ELECTRO-METRIC FINDINGS IN WOMEN WITH NO GYNAE­
COLOGlCAL CONDITION AND AGE DISTRIBUT ION 
AGE 
1(}-20 
21-30 
31-40 
41-50 
51-60 
61 plus 
Totals POSlTIVE NEGATIVE 
5 0 
43 0 
14 0 
7 1 
3 2 
2 
74 4 
TABLE V 
MALIGNANT CONDITI ONS TOTAL 
5 
43 
14 
8 
5 
3 
78 
AGE DISTRIBUTION : ELECTRO-METRIC FINDINGS 
AGE 
10-20 
21-30 
31-40 
41-50 
51-60 
61 plus 
Totals POSITIVE NEGATIVE 
0 0 
I 4 
24 
25 
2 29 
0 36 
5 118 
TABLE VI 
BENIGN CONDITIONS TOTAL 
0 
5 
25 
26 
31 
36 
123 
AGE DISTRIBUTI ON: ELECTRO-M ETRIC FINDINGS 
AGE POSlTIVE NEGATIVE TOTAL 
10-20 40 6 46 
21-30 229 27 256 
31-40 194 29 223 
41-50 116 24 140 
51-60 29 29 58 
61 plus 3 11 14 
Totals 611 126 737 
establish final conclusions. The problems inherent in follow-up 
studies on patients cared for in Bellevue Hospital necessarily 
limited the number that could be observed after discharge. The significance of electro-metric recordings as a screening 
method in large groups of normal women-better defined as 
145 SE LEC TED PAPERS 
women presenting no gynaecological symptoms-becomes more 
apparent when we analyse the findings in women with no gynae­
cological condition, Table IV. In this group, 94.8% positive 
potentials were observed in striking contrast to women with 
malignancies in whom 95·91'0 negative potentials were recorded. (Table V.) 
These observations indicate the necessity for further study 
with the identical technique for a large-scale type of experiment 
wherein electro-metric observations would be recorded on large 
groups of apparently healthy women-comparable to the women 
presenting themselves for examination in a cancer prevention 
clinic. The statistical analysis contained in this report substan­
tiates the validity of such an experiment, in an attempt to estab­
lish the screening-value the technique may offer in women 
distributed in the general population. While no definitive explanation for the findings presented in 
this paper can be offered at this time the fact remains that elec­
trical correlations in malignant and benign conditions have been 
discovered. The application of this discovery as a screening 
technique in women with cancer of the generative tract is indi­
cated from an analysis of the other observations made thus far. The results of preliminary studies on cancer of the breast have 
shown similar electro-metric correlations and warrant further 
investigation. Similar studies in gastric malignancy (15), may 
prove of inestimable value in differentiating benign and malig­
nant lesions in the stomach. The technique should also be applied in an investigation of the 
prostate gland. Should such an investigation give 1 to 1 correla­
tions in malignancy of the prostate similar to the findings in the 
female generative tract, a potentially valuable diagnostic aid in 
detecting early cancer of the prostate gland would be available. No other way of accomplishing this exists at the present time. STATIS TICAL DIS CUSSION AND ANA LYS IS OF FINDI NGS : 
An ideal medical test-procedure consists of a definitely specified 
sequence of acts such that the observations resulting can be un­
ambiguously classified into a small number of distinct groups. A unique relationship between paired observations as exists, for 
146 TABLE VII 
COMPARING ELECTRO-METRIC FINDINGS WITH CYTOLOGICAL STUDIES 
IN IDENTICAL PATIENTS WITH MALIGNANCY 
PTS. CELL STUDI ES ELECTRO- DIAGNOSIS 
METRIC 
POTENTIAL 
1. Y.A. Normal cells Negative Carcinoma of Cervical stump. stage III 
2.0.H. Cancer cells Positive Carcinoma of Cervix, stage II 
3. L.M. Cancer cells Negative Intra-epithelial Carcinoma of Cervix 
4. V.O. Normal cells Negative Carcinoma of Cervix. treated. stage II 
5. R.W. Cancer cells Negative Carcinoma of Cervix, stage II 
6. R.P. Cancer cells Negative Intra-epithelial Carcinoma of Cervix 
7. E.D. Normal ceUs Negative Carcinoma of Cervix. stage IV 
8. B.L. Cancer cells Negative Carcinoma of Cervix. stage I 
9. Q.G. Cancer cells Negative Carcinoma of Cervix. stage I 
10. F.W. Cancer cells Negative Carcinoma of Cervix. stage III 
11. P.S. Cancer cells Positive Carcinoma of Cervix. stage II 
12. M.E. Normal cells Negative Carcinoma of Cervix. stage II 
13. AH. Cancer cells Negative Carcinoma of Cervix, stage III 
14. AD. Cancer cells Negative Intra-epithelial Cancer of Cervix 
15. B.M. Normal cells Negative Carcinoma of Cervix. treated 
16. R.T. Cancer cells Positive Carcinoma of Cervix, stage II 
17. G.c. Normal cells Negative Carcinoma of Cervix. treated 
18. W.E. Cancer cells Negative Carcinoma of Cervix. stage IV 
19. AF. Normal cells Negative Carcinoma of Cervical Stump 
20. AF. Cancer cells Negative Carcinoma of Cervix. stage IV 
21. C.S. Normal cells Negative Carcinoma of Cervix. stage II 
22. E.M. Normal cells Negative Carcinoma of Cervix. stage III 
23. M.R. Cancer cells Negative Carcinoma of Cervix. stage III 
14. A.J. Normal cells Positive Carcinoma of Ovary 
2). L.V. Ca ncer cells Negative Carcinoma of Ovary with extension 
to vagina 
26. AP. Normal cells Negative Squamous cell carcinoma in dermoid 
Normal cells cyst of Ovary 
27. S.G. Negative Granulosa cell tumour of Ovary 
28. Y.F. Cancer cells Negative Adenocarcinoma of Corpus Uteri 
29. M.D. Cancer cells Negative Adenocarcinoma of Corpus Uteri 
30. C.B. Normal cells Negative Adenocarcinoma of Corpus Uteri 
31. B.D. Normal cells Negative Adenocarcinoma of Corpus Uteri 
32. D.L. Normal cells Negative Adenocarcinoma of Corpus Uteri 
33-S.S. Normal cells Negative Adenocarcinoma of Corpus Uteri 
34. M.Mc. Can cer ce Us Negative Carcinoma of Vagina 
35. M.S. Normal cells Negative Carcinoma of Bartholin's Gland 
36. M.L. Atypical Negative Endocerv icitis 
37 A.P. Atypical Negative Chronic Cervicitis 
147 SELE CTED PAPER S 
example, in the presence of Koplick spots in the mucous mem­
brane of the mouth prior to the skin eruption in measles is only 
too rare. Again the relationship from the Ascheim-Zondek test 
as an aid in the determination of pregnancy is so consistent 
(although not unique), that for all practical purposes, diagnosis 
can be made as though test results and the state of pregnancy 
were unique. It is suggested that, similarly, a highly-consistent relationship 
exists between the state of tissue in the female generative tract, 
and the polarity revealed in the electro-metric test described 
above. The state of tissue as determined by morphological study 
of biopsy material is admittedly accurate. Were there a reason­
able doubt in the interpretation of a sizeable percentage of such 
biopsies, then diagnosis could not be said to be reliable and the 
search for an adjuvant test would be meaningless. Hence infer­
ence about the reliability of the electro-metric test as an indicator 
of the presence of neoplastic tissue in the female generative tract 
is concerned only with the correlation between the polarity deter­
mined and the clinical and morphological diagnosis. Electro-metric findings have been compared with cytology 
studies of smears from the cervix in the same patients, Table VII. This group is comprised of cases diagnosed morphologically as 
cancer, and consists of twenty-three cervical cancers; three of 
which were intra-epithelial or pre-invasive; four ovarian cancers, 
and six adenocarcinomas of the corpus uteri. Electro-metric ob­
servations and cell studies are consistent with the expected find­
ings in malignancy in eleven cervical cancers, one ovarian car­
cinoma with extension to the vagina, two fundal carcinom a, and 
one primary cancer of the vagina. In three instances of cancer of 
the cervix a positive potential was recorded and cancer cells found 
on cytology study, while in nine cervical cancers a negative 
potential was observed and normal cells reported after cytology 
study. Negative potentials were recorded in four adenocarcin­
omas of the fundus in which normal cells were reported after 
cytology studies. The evidence from this small group of cases indicates that 
electro-metric findings compare favourably with cytology studies 
as a means of detecting the presence of cancer in the cervix 
148 SE LEC TED PAPERS 
uteri and may offer a more sensitive technique in uncovering 
cancer of the corpus uteri and ovaries. Interpretation of the paired test results-clinical and electro­
metric-is statistical. All measurement s of human characteristics 
vary from person to person, although an examination of many 
observations shows that the 'thing' measured has a characteristic 
form, size, colour, or the like. That is, the 'thing' is identifiable, in 
spite of the fact tha t it varies from person to person. Some human attributes are almost invariable, as for example 
the number of fingers on the hand, while yet the ratios of 
lengths of corresponding digits of the hand vary considerably. Height to weight ratios seems to show some consistency within 
a well established pattern of variation. Were, however, routine 
diagnosis decision-making are necessary if diagnosis is to be 
then a definite criterion statistically arrived at would be required. For it is obvious, indeed, that convincingly-verifiable criteria for 
diagnosis decision-making are necessary if diagnosis is to be 
made from the results of simple tests. It must be borne in mind 
also, that no matter how many people are subjected to a given 
test, they remain but a sample of the total population. Some 
assurance must be provided for the validity of the use of the test 
on the remainder of the popula tion. In order to infer a working principle from experimental evi­
dence we require an accepted criterion of action. Suppose we 
state one of the results given above in the form of a working 
principle as follows: 
Under conditions of the electro-metric test described above, 
negative potential is recorded in cases of malignancy involving 
the uterus or ovaries. The statistical procedure followed in confirming such prin­
ciples takes account of the sampling fluctuations of the observa­
tions. A provision is made for calculating the probability that, if 
the working principle be true, the observed results would be 
obtained, where the differences in the results are accounted for 
only by the random selection of persons to be tested. For example, in the present case patients selected from a hos­
pital population were chosen for electro-metric test. To be sure 
many of these patients possessed ailments of the generative tract, 
149 SELEC TED PAPER S 
Extended data (All these tables have 1 D.F. and Ya tes corr. was applied) 
TABLE VIII 
MALIGNAN T-BENIGN AGAINST POLARITY FOR ALL AGE GROUPS 
MALIGNANT BENIGN TOTAL 
Positive 
Observed 5 (a) 611 (b) 616 (a+b) 
(Expected) (88_1) (527-9) 
Negative 
Observed 118 (c) 126 (d) 244 (c+d) 
(Expected) (34-9) (209-1) 
TOTAL 123 (a+c) 737 (b+d ) 860 (n) 
Chi-Square ; 318-5115 
TABLE IX 
MAL IGNANT-BENIGN AGAINST POLARITY FOR AGE GROUPS 21-60 
MALIGNANT BENIGN TOTAL 
Positive 
Observe d 5 568 573 
Expected 65-25 507-25 
Negative 
Observed 82 109 191 
Expected 21.75 169-25 
TOTAL 87 677 764 
Chi-Square ; 171.2 262 
TABLE X 
MA LIGNAN T-BENIGN AGAINST POLARITY FOR AGE GROUPS 21-40 
MALIGNANT BENIGN TOTAL 
Positive 
Observed 2 423 425 
Expected 25 400 
Negative 
Observed 28 56 84 
Expected 5 79 
TOTAL 30 479 509 
Chi-Sq uare ; 13 I.l986 
15° SELE CTED PAPERS 
TABLE XI 
MALIGNANT-BENIGN AGAINST POLARITY FOR AGE GROUPS 41-60 
MALIGNANT BENIGN TOTAL 
Positive 
Observed 3 145 148 
Expected 33 115 
Negative 
Observed 54 53 :07 
Expected 24 83 
TOTAL 57 198 255 
Chi-Square : 80.6839 
but there was no way of knowing in advance what the recorded 
potential might be. Furthermore, the clinical examination and 
findings were made by physicians unaware of the results of the 
test so that no unconscious biasing of results was possible. What 
the statist ical criterion does is to rule on whether the correlation 
between malignancy and negative potential is real and not the 
result of chance variations in the sign of the potential recorded. The analysis of the results in Tables V and VI is made as fol­
lows: first they are transferred to Table VIII. In this table which 
contains the results of 860 tests on patients in all age groups, 
comparison is made of the dist ribution of polarity between malig­
nant and benign groups and that in the total group. That is, the 
total group of 860 patients consists of 123 cases diagnosed as 
malignant and 737 found to be benign. We can also look upon 
this group of data as consisting of 616 positive potential record­
ings and 244 negative recordings. The question to be answered is, 'is the potential recorded re­
lated to the condition of the patient, or is it distributed by 
chance?' If the potential recorded from electro-metric test had nothing 
to do with malignancy of the fundus, cervix, or ovaries, then the 
expected number of negatives observed in the total group would 
depend upon the ratio of the number of negatives observed in the 
total group of 860 patients. According to Table VIII the ex­
pected values of malignancy showing positive should be 88·1 
while those showing negative l.hould be 34'9. On the other hand 
151 SELEC TED PA PER S 
the observed results show that 118 of the malignanc ies recorded 
negative potentials. Similar observations can be made on the 
benign cases. We can look upon these results another way: The population 
of 860 cases can be grouped in two ways: according to the 
existence of malignancy or not and according to the polarity re­
corded from the electro-metric test. Then the question is raised, 
are the two groupings independent of one another? If the 
assertion that the two groupings are independent is shown to be 
highly improbable, the conclusion can be safely reached that 
there is a significant correlation between negativity and malig­
nancy. The criterion for this is the chi-square statistic calculated from 
Table VIII as follows: 
(I ad-bc I -n/2)2n 
chi-square = 
(a + b)(c+d)(a+ c)(b+d) 
If the two groupings were independent then the ratio a: c= b: d 
and ad -bc = 0, and under these circumstances chi-square for a 
given set of observations could take on different positive values as 
the result of chance. The value 318'5, however, could occur by 
chance less than once in a million trials, whence it is argued that 
potential polarity and morphology of tissues are correlated. The importance of these results lies in their use as a screening 
test. It is admittedly a time consuming and expensive task to 
make clinical examinations which include microscopic examina­
tion of biopsy material. The electro-metric test can be recorded 
routinely by quali�ed. technicians, at the rate of �ve per hour per 
instrument. Large scale testing can be planned at a low unit cost. The present results strongly indicate that the presence of neo­
plastic tissue can be discovered in a large proportion of patients. Many of the negative potentials recorded will not mean malig­
nancy, but 95% of the malignancies should be uncovered as the 
result of finding negative potentials. Hence we have this situation, which we can conclude from the 
results: in testing the general female population, most cases of 
malignancy of the generative tract will be discovered, while a 
152 SE LEC TED PAPERS 
large fraction of the cases recording negative potential will be be­
nign. If the coverage of the general population is the ideal desired 
the present test promises to reduce the requirement of highly 
specialized examinations to a small fraction of the total popula­
tion. Let us now consider the strength of the correlations. This ques­
tion is not answered in a definitive way in current statistical 
methodology but in the present case the correlation is so marked 
that simple statistical tests can be applied to indicate the degree of 
correlation quite accurately. In the present study, * unless we are the victims of a rare event, 
in nine out of ten cases of malignancy, negative potential has 
been recorded. This is not the place to go deeply into the consideration of 
statistical tests. We do, however, offer Tables IX, X, XI and the 
chi-square values calculated therefrom which show conclusively 
that whatever age groups we chose, the correlation is definitely 
significant. Use of the electro-m etric test on a large scale should be made 
only after a careful statistical design. It is necessary that such 
an investigation permit quantitative evaluation of the results. Such a statistical design is currently being planned. REFERENCES 
1. Langman, Louis, and Burr, H. S. Amer. J. Obst. and Gyn., 
1949, 57: 274 · 
2. Langman, Louis, and Burr, H. S. Science, 1947, 105 : 209. 3. Langman, Louis, and Burr, H. S. Amer. J. Obst. and Gyn., 
1942,44: 23· 
4· Graves, Wm. Surg., Gyn. and Obst., 1933, 56: 317. 5. Pund, E. R., and Auerbach, S. H. J. A. M. A., 1946, 131 : 960. 6. Studdiford, Wm. E. Personal Communication. 7. Taylor, H. c., Jr., and Guyer, H. B. Amer. J. Obst. and Gyn., 
1946,52: 45l. * The assistance of Miss Hannah Oren and Dr. Leon N. Greene 
is acknowl edged with thanks. 153 SE LECTED PAPERS 
8. Goldberger, M. A., and Mintz, N. J. Mt. Sinai Hasp., 1947, 
14: 784. 9. Te Linde, R. W., and Galvin, G. Amer. J. Obst. and Gyn., 
1947,48: 784. 10. Knight, R. van Dyck. Amer. J. Obst. and Gyn., 1943, 46: 
333· 
II. Rubin, I. C. J. Mt. Sinai Hosp., 1945, 12: 607. 12. Smith, G. van S., and Pemberton, F A. Surg., Gyn. and 
Obst. 1934, 59: 1. 13. Stevenson, C. S., and Scipiades, E., Jr. Surg., Gyn. and Obst., 
1938, 66: 822. 14. Younge, P. A. Arch. Path., 1939, 27: 804. 15. Goodman, E. N. Personal Communication. 15'4 ELECTRO- MAGNE TIC FIELD MON ITORI NG 
OF CHA NG ING STATE- FUNCTION, 
INCLU DING HYPNO TIC STAT ES· 
Leonard J. Ravitz, M.S., M.D., F.R.S.H. t 
1 
The abysmal lack of growth, particularly in the United States, 
of true scientific breakthroughs in the social sciences may perhaps 
be related to a neglected historic fact: no basic scientific ad­
vances have stemmed from any pragmatic emphasis either on 
directly sensed natural history data or on directly sensed opera­
tional procedures. Yet if one is to gain any glimmer of under­
standing of man, it would seem proper first to ask fundamental 
questions of Old Mother Nature. Contrary to basic assumptions 
implicit in most of the currently fashionable approaches, man 
is part and parcel of nature, a meticulously designed product 
exhibiting the same inorganic constituents found in nature. The 
glob of protoplasm that develops into the optic nerve, for 
instance, seldom loses its way to end up at the big toe. To 
* Condensed from a paper presented at Vth International Congress 
for Hypnosis and Psychosomatic Medicine, Johannes Gutenberg 
University, D6soo Mainz/ Germany, May 22, 1970. Published in 
Journal of Amer ican Society of Psychosomatic Dentis try and 
Medici ne, Vol. 17, NO.4, 1970. 
t Diplom ate, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology; 
Special Medical Consul tant, Frederick Military Academy; Con­
sultant, Virginia Department of Health; Fellow, New York 
Academy of Sciences; Fellow, American Psychiatric Association; 
Charter Fellow, American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, President, 
Virginia Section; Fellow, American Association for the Advance­
ment of Science. Fellow, Royal Society of Health. Graduate of 
Western Reserve, Wayne, and Yale Universities; formerly on 
faculties of Yale, Duke, and University of Pennsylvania Schools of 
Medicine. Member, Sigma Xi; President' s Commit tee for Handi­
capped. SE LEC TED PAPERS 
be sure we have facile explanations in terms of conventional 
mechanic al and chemical tropisms. And did not Bergson and 
Driesch coin Clans vitals and entelechies- supernatural agents 
defying scientific analyses which could sit on top of cells and tell 
them what to do? Cells belonging to special creations, in this 
universe but not of it, obeying their own special man·made laws, 
expanded by Freud into complex pluralistic interactions of 
mystical mental parts and mental forces. Yet true knowledge of any subject matter cannot progress 
either by shifting terminology or creating supernatural factors 
whose very existence is guaranteed only by sheer acts of faith. As Dr. Burr has described in the preceding pages, instruments 
have found what he and Dr. Northrop postulated over thirty 
years ago. Countless experiments have demonstrated that the 
electric fields they discovered serve basic functions, controlling 
growth and morphogenesis, maintenance and repair of living 
things. Naturally, these differ from the alternating-current elec­
tric output of the brain and heart, as well as from the epiphenom­
enal skin-resis tance, serving rather as an electronic matrix to keep 
the corporal form in shape. Obviously such studies throw a wet blanket on scientific dogma 
currently in vogue. which still asserts that the special human 
body is principally a chemical product deriving from mystical 
activities of the DNA molecule. However disquieting, chemistry 
represents a scalar property-the downhill flow of energy-re­
quiring some vector force to give it direction. According to Dr. 
Henry Margenau, Eugene Higgins Professor of Physics and 
Natural Philosophy at Yale University. of all the known forces 
it is only electro-magnetic, or electro-dynamic, fields which can 
act as signposts to direct such continuous chemical, metabolic, or 
molecular transformations in the system-fields which. in fact, 
appear to underwrite the development of structure even prior 
to any known chemical reactions. That such field measurements 
can be related to energy seems obvious, natural energy which 
directs and/or misdirects the behaviour of living systems in a 
continuous stream of flux and reflux. * * * SEL ECTED PAPERS 
As an objective, reproducible, quantifiable, measurable clue to 
basic biologic processes seemed to be at hand, operating independ­
ently of current flow or resistance changes, it was logical to 
extend such experiments to longitudinal studies of human sub­
jects in health and disease, experiments which through use of 
this new amplifier could also possibly shed light on the heretofore 
inexplicable phenomena of 'hypnosis'. Despite the profound 
physiologic changes in the system that can obtain from hypnotic 
states, hypnosis had continued to elude any objective, quanti­
fiable, reproducible measure, even with the EEG and with 
secondary skin-resistance changes, notorious for their general 
irreproducibility and unreliability. 2. On April 24, 1948, at Yale University School of Medicine, 
hypnosis was electro-me trically recorded for the �rst time and 
compared with �eld shifts during other state changes. As hyp­
notic states themselves involve electro-m agnetic flux and reflux, 
Maxwell's equations can be blamed for inadvertently resurrect­
ing that much maligned ghost, Mesmer's 'animal magnetism', 
now more suitably based on the laws of modern field physics. Soon afterwards another noteworthy discovery was made. De­
spite the numerous variables indigenous to living things in 
general and human beings in particular, long-range studies on 
human subjects showed electr o-cyclic phenomena identical to 
those of trees and other forms of Ufe, but introducing a fort­
nightly rhythm. From over 50,000 field determinations on some 500 human 
subjects at several locations, including Yale, Duke, and the 
University of Pennsylvania schools of medicine, it has been evid­
ent since 1948 that such periodic movements provide objective 
profiles of variations in feeling and behaviour states which often 
transcend observable criteria. Despite the naIvete of applying 
linear-dim ensional statistical analyses to non-linear organisms 
operating on multidime nsional continua of uniquely determin­
able, continuously unfolding states, the highest known correlates 
157 SE LECTED PAPERS 
have been obtained between any physiologic measuring tech­
nique and estimates of symptoms. Ranging from states of excita­
tion to states of exhaustion, electro-cyclic phenomena also open 
the door to both long-and short-range predictions. With regard to human experimental studies in which sub­
jects serve as their own controls, one of the initial approaches 
compared shifts in individual states before and after hypnosis 
along with effects of hypnosis as recorded and studied. Hypnotic 
and posthypnotic changes were then compared with correspond­
ing field alterations. Disquietudes of all sorts induced in so doing 
have been studied electro-metrically and compared with those 
arising spontaneously both in waking and in hypnotic states. Fur­
ther, changes have been measured before, during, and after vari­
ous drugs and placebos, and proper dosages to achieve effects 
correlated with field intensities and polarities at given times. Similar experiments have likewise been conducted on effects of 
subjecting controls and patients to several therapeutic pro­
cedures. In brief, subjects in trance states, induced or spontaneous, 
show a smoothing of the field recording and usually a slow de­
crease, although sometimes an increase, in intensity. At trance 
termination dramatic voltage shifts occur, the time before the 
record returns to that of the waking state depending on the 
rapidity with which the subject returns to the waking state. Sub­
jects who have been aroused from trance states, but who actually 
are only partially aroused or return to the trance state though 
superficially appearing 'awake', show field correlates with such 
state changes, either by using pen-writing photo-electric re­
corders or cathode-ray oscillographs attached to the millivolt­
meters, now commercially manufactured. (This was first publicly 
demonstrated at the Second Annual Scientific Assembly of the 
American Society of Clinical Hypnosis in 1959.) Waking states 
show almost continuous, slow variations, usually at higher in­
tensities than during hypnosis. It follows that hypnotic depth can now be de�ned electro­
metrically, the 'depth', however, having nothing whatever to do 
with abilities to develop various complex hypnotic phenomena. SEL EC TED PAPERS 
3 
It is important to note carefully the neuromusc ular and other 
changes in subject s characteristic of trance states, which Dr. Mil­
ton Erickson has emphasized and to which few have paid any 
attention. Ocular fixation, pupillary changes, sclerae alterations, 
altered eye-blink reflexes, muscular rigidity, including set facial 
expressions, have been noted to occur spontaneou sly in numer­
ous individuals at certain times, persons who disclaimed ever hav­
ing been 'hypnotized'. The measurement of such persons after such physiologic al­
terations have been noted has without fail produced field records 
indistinguishable from trance states induced by a so-called 'hyp­
notist'. Almost invariably such individuals, when questioned, in­
dicated that they were thinking about something at the time. This suggests, at the very least, that individuals go into trance 
states spontaneously and automatically during certain stages of 
intense concentration without necessarily recognizing them as 
such. Also, as Erickson long has claimed, carrying out post­
hypnotic suggestions re-establishes the trance state as electro­
metrically measured. Such findings are of crucial importance in experimental work 
claiming to study ostensibly erudite groupings of 'scientifically 
observed' subjects supposedly hypnotized versus those who, be­
cause they have not been subjected to some ritualistic induction 
procedure, are thought to be in waking states. The spuriousness 
of such 'scientific' experiments is further evidenced when the 
experimenters are not really conversant with all the observable 
nuances of trance states, including the previously noted neuro­
muscular changes. Recognition of such state changes is especially 
important to those interested in obtaining waking-state field 
records, as the voltage changes accompanying hypnosis may be 
most profound. This suggests a need to revise empiric definitions of hypnosis 
to include state changes that are not necessarily dependent on 
any 'hypnotis t'-a fact with intrip;uing legal implications. When they decrease in voltage, field records during sleep are 
159 SE LEC TED PAPERS 
indistinguishable from those during hypnosis. However, EEG 
changes are notorious for their absence during hypnosis, a pre­
dictable fact if one considers that higher discriminatory function­
ing can occur during hypnosis, whereas EEG alterations occur 
during sleep. In 1958 the field basis of hypnosis was proposed by this writer, 
a derivative construct based on knowledge of various states which 
do and do not produce field variations, with or without con­
comitant EEG changes. This knowledge suggests that hypnosis 
represents a natural change in state function involving shifts in 
the balance of the phylogenetically ancient basal ganglia with 
respect to the phylogenetically recent cortex, in which field prop­
erties of the entire body participate. Electro-magnetic field correlates of somatic and emotional dis­
turbances in both waking and trance states are identical. What 
happens is in part a function of the state of the subject at any 
given time. If the initial energy or voltage level is low, changes 
may not be sufficient to be reflected to any great degree on the 
body surface. Yet field correlates of difficulties in producing 
hetero-or autohypnotic states at those periods when the variable 
baseline states are at high intensities suggest why acutely dis­
turbed persons in relative states of excitation are difficult to 
hypnotize. To summarize some of the other findings: 
1. Barbiturate narcosis evokes minimal field changes and maxi­
mal EEG alterations, as do certain stimulants and depressants, 
e.g., caffeine, alcohol, etc. 2. Somatic symptoms show correlates especially with the pol­
arity quantity, the 'high-minus' field configurations notable also 
in preadolescent and ageing adult groups. Certain periodic clini­
cal conditions, e.g., peptic ulcer and allergies, show 1 : 1 correla­
tions with the seasonal electro-cyclic shifts. 3. In clinically diagnosed schizophrenic patients voltage pat­
terns range from the highest to the lowest intensities found. The 
160 SEL ECTED PAPERS 
greatest field strengths, states of excitation, occur, regardless of 
apparent duration of malfunctioning, until about middle age in 
the forties. Improvement is preceded by, or correlated with, sus­
tained voltage drops of greater stability, and polarity may also be 
reversed. The lowest field strengths, states of exhaustion, are 
usually observed in chronic inert patients. The most dramatic 
voltage rises have preceded those rare occasions when torpid 
schizophrenic behaviour shifts into animated, spontaneous func­
tioning. Since exaggerated or inhibited behaviour is found with 
high field intensifications and as exhausted behaviour may re­
semble inhibited behaviour, the field profile is necessary to indi­
cate objectively what is going on. In 1956, at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric 
Association, the phylogenetic basis of behaviour disorders was 
presented, a construct deriving from considerations of basic be­
haviour changes paralleling the evolution of the nervous system. Space will not permit even a statement of this theory here. Suffice 
it to say, all behaviour disorders not perverted by culturally false 
notions of 'normal' reflect, by this construct, an imbalance in the 
harmonious integration of the old and new parts of the brain. 4. Adult human subjects, as well as other forms of life, run 
downhill electrically with age, undergoing polar reversals into 
minus polarity, depending on the electrode placement, an en­
tirely relative matter. Field profiles of infants and preadolescent 
children likewise have shown predominantly minus polarity. Typical Caucasian men during adolescence and early adulthood 
tend to show moderately high intensities of almost uniformly 
plus polarity. Caucasian women, on the other hand, dip minus 
much earlier than men. Pilot studies suggest that, aside from the 
unique design of each individual, inherent racial differences may 
be of prime significance in determining intensity, variability, and 
polarity at various ages. Orientals showing more minus readings 
than Caucasians of the same age, Negroes exhibiting far greater 
field intensification of plus polarity. SE LEC TED PAPERS 
5 
In summary, electro-dynamic field constructs add fuel to the 
assumption unifying living matter harmoniously with the opera­
tions of nature, postulating that each biologic thing is organized 
by a total dynamic pattern, the expression of an electro-m agnetic 
field no less than non-living systems; and that as points on spec­
trums, these two entities may at last take their positions in the 
organization of the universe in a way both explicable and 
rationaL Light has been shed on several heretofore elusive facts in 
many realms of knowledge. A tenable theory has been provided 
for emergence of the nervous system, developing no t from func­
tional demands, but instead deriving as a result of dynamic forces 
imposed on cell groups by the total field pattern. Living matter now has a definition of state based on relativity 
field physics, through which it has been possible to detect a 
measurable property of total state function. Since 1948 this for 
the first time has included an objective, reproducible, quantita­
tive measure of hypnotic states which can and do arise spontane­
ously, the depth of which can be objectively measured. This has nothing to do with conventional depth scales. Hyp­
nosis emerges as a natural field phenomenon which can be 
independent of any 'hypnotist', occurring when anyone is con­
centrating, thus discarding many experim ents on hypnotized 
versus non-hypnotized subjects that do not first ascertain 
whether non-hypnotized subjects were in spontaneous hypnotic 
states. Irreducible factors in the causation of behaviour and somatic 
disorders have been discovered, the behaviour perturbations 
favouring the intensity factor, the somatic disorders emphasiz­
ing the polarity vector. Hypnosis as well as health and disease 
and ageing have thus been measured in terms of changing in­
tensities and directions of natural energy, an approach fusing the 
time-factor, or electro-cyclic phenomena, to the assessment of all 
living things pervading the entire phylogenetic tree. Thus, a significant wedge has been driven into the problem 
of known periodicities in certain clinical conditions, as well as 
162 SE LECTED PAPERS 
the obvious energy of youth, the profound and protracted dis­
orders frequently arising in older-age groups, and the natural 
essence of 'hypnosis' itself-
During longit udinal studies of patients and controls several 
infectious diseases have been monitored inadverten tly, reinforc­
ing the importance of the field quantity as a unique property for 
each individual at any given time, continuously changing in 
accord with specific electro-cyclic periods. It appears, therefore, as 
though an objective measure of those properties of protoplasmic 
organization which establish the essential attributes of feel­
ing, behaviour, and thinking has emerged, based on non-mech­
anistic causality principles. As F. 1. Kunz, Editor of Main Currents in Modern Thought, 
pointed out in his preface to a commemo rative issue on the 
Electro-dynamic Theory of Life in 1962: 
The moment is propitious : we may be close upon the kind 
of breakthrough in biologic science which has brought the 
physical sciences to their present degree of control and refine­
ment. If so, the implications for education, and indeed for all 
socio-cultural aspects of human life, are without precedent. BIBLIOGRAPHY 
I. A complete bibliography of the papers of H. S. Burr will 
be found in the Appendix. 2. Erickson, M. H. Advanced techniques of hypnosis and 
therapy: selected papers of, J. Haley, Ed. New York and 
London: Grune & Stratton, 1967. 3. King, C. D. Electro-metric studies of sleep. J. Gen. Psychol., 
1946,25: 131-159. 4. Lund, E. J. Bioelectric �elds and growth (with a bibliography 
of continuous bioelectric currents and bioelectric fields in 
animals and plants by H. F. Rosene). Austin, Texas: Uni­
versity of Texas Press, 1947. 5. Main currents in modern thought. Vol 19. No. I Sept.-Oct. 
1962. Special commemorative issue on certain works of H. S. 
Burr, F. S. C. Northrop, and L. J. Ravitz. The reality of the 
non-material cosmos and its relation to the sensed world of 
ordinary experience. 6. Margenau, H. Particle and field concepts in biology. Sc. Monthly, 1947,64: 225-231. 7. Margenau, H. Causality; 19'9, causation in biology, 415-41B. In The nature of physical reality. New York: McGraw Hill, 
1950. B. Nelson, O. E., Jr., and Burr, H. S. Growth correlates of 
electro-m otive forces in maize seeds. Proc. Nat!' Acad. Sc., 
U.S., 1946, 32: 73-84. 9. Northrop, F. S. C. The living organism. In Science and �rst 
principles, ch. 4. New York: Macmillan, 1931. 10. Northrop, F. S. C. The method and theories of physical 
science in their bearing upon biological organization. In The 
logic of the sciences and the humanities, 133-168. New 
York: Macmillan, 1947. 11. Ravitz, L. J. Electro-metric correlates of the hypnotic state. Science, 1950, 112: 341-342. 12. Ravitz, L. J. Standing potential correlates of hypnosis and 
narcosis. A.M.A. Arch. Neurol. Psychiat., 1951,65: 413-
436. 164 SELEC TED PAPER S 
13. Ravitz, L. J. Daily variations of standing potential difference s 
in human subjects : preliminary report. Yale J. BioI. Med., 
1951, 24: 22-25· 
14. Ravitz, L. J. Fenomenos electrociclicos y estados emocionales. Arch. Med. Intern. Antibiot. Quimiot., 1952, 2: 217-253. 15. Ravitz, J. J. Electro-dynamic field theory in psychiatry. S. 
Med. J., 1953,46: 650-660. 16. Ravitz, L. J. Compara tive clinical and electro-cyclic observa­
tions on twin brothers concordant as to schizophrenia, with 
periodic manifestations of folie a deux phenomena. J. Nerv. Ment. Dis., 1955, 121 : 72-87. 17. Ravitz, L. J. Correlation between DC voltage gradients and 
clinical changes in a chronic schizophrenic patient, project 
M-223 (film). Abstracted in The Scientifrc Papers of the 
112th Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Associa­
tion in Summary Form: 28-C-4. American Psychiatric As­
sociation, Washington, D.C., 1956. Selected frames and com­
mentary to be published. 18. Ravitz, L. J., and Cuadra, C. A. Phylogenetic and electro­
cyclic implications of schizophrenic states. Ibid .• 53. Com­
plete text to be published. 19. Ravitz, L. J. Application of the electro-dynamic field theory 
in biology, psychiatry, medicine. and hypnosis. 1. General 
survey. Am. J. Gin. Hyp., 1959. 1: 135-150. 20. Ravitz, L. J. History, measurement, and applicability of 
periodic changes in the electro-magnetic field in health and 
disease. In Rhythmic functions in tIle living system. Annals 
N.Y. Acad. Scs., 1962, 98: 1144-1201. 21. Ravitz, L. J. The danger of scientific prejudice. Am. J. Gin. Hyp., 1968 . 10: 282-303. 22. Russell, E. W. The discoveries of Burr and Ravitz: A new 
way to test personnel. The Pentagon Seminar 'Techniques of 
Personnel Assessment', L. Meriden Ehrmann, Ed., 1968, 121-
125. Washington, D.C.: Office of the Secretary of Defense. 23. Russell, E. W. Design for Destiny. London: Neville Spear­
man Ltd., 1971. TREE PO TENTIAL S AND EXTERNA L 
FACTORS 
Ralph Markson, M.A . Following is a shortened version of the original work which 
was the author's Master's Thesis in the Meteorology De­
partment at Pennsylvania State University in 1967. 1 
In 1966-1967 the writer undertook a study of whether the geo­
physical environment is correlated with the electric potential in 
one form of living system, a tree. Burr had shown that the electric field of living systems is re­
lated to their biological activity and presented evidence that 
indicated bioelectric fields to be a fundamental property of such 
systems. With over 20 years of electrical potential measurements 
made in trees, however, he was unable to associate specific en­
vironmental factors with tree potentials. Systematic variations 
related to temperature, humidity, pressure, rainfall, and illumin­
ation were not evident in his record, although diurnal, seasonal, 
and possibly monthly cycles could be seen. It was suggested by Burr that the moon's synodic period as 
well as the II-year sun-spot cycle could be detected. But more 
rigorous analysis of the data was needed in order to determine if 
the geophysical environment was in fact influencing tree poten­
tials. Burr supplied his complete records for this purpose. They were 
in the form of tabulated hourly values for two trees during the 
period 1953 through 1961. Subsequent data have not been re­
duced but are available in the form of charts from a graphical re­
corder. These records are continuous up to date and contain air 
166 SEL ECTED PAPER S 
and earth electrical potentials as well as those of two trees on the 
same time scale. Future research should utilize these later data. 2 
There are two possible sources of variation in the relatively 
steady electric potential in a living system; internal and external. Some of the endogenous forces are well known. Brain waves, 
heart waves, and the electrical correlates of nerve-muscle prepara­
tions all show changes in electric potential associated with bio­
logical activity of the system. In general, such measurements 
can be made under essentially standardized conditions to pre­
clude the influence of relatively slow changing environmental 
factors. Since variations in continuous recordings of the endo­
genous parameters are of short duration relative to the rate of en­
vironmental changes, adequate control of the experiment is 
possible. It is known that factors such as barometric pressure, heat, 
humidity, and light will influence these measurements. Prob­
ably electro-m agnetic radiation, cosmic rays, geomagnetism, and 
the electrical characteristics of the atmosphere will do this also 
to varying degrees. Control of all possible exogenous factors 
would be extremely complicated, if not impossible. In lieu of rigorously controlled laboratory experiments, Burr 
took another approach. He chose a living system from which con­
tinuous records could he obtained for many years. A large old 
tree was ideal for this, in that the application of electrodes would 
cause a minimum of disturbance of its normal functioning. * Also 
it was expected that the tree would continue to live for a long 
time, providing the same source for the measurement of an elec­
tric potential difference. Simultaneous records of temperature, humidity, barometric 
* Two electrodes were placed in the tree trunk at heights of 1 and 
4 feet from the ground. The upper one was connected to the positive 
terminal of the voltmeter and the lower one to the negative terminal 
and grounded. The electrodes wpre inserted through holes in the 
bark in contact with the undistu rbed cambium. SELEC TED PAPERS 
pressure, sunlight, weather conditions, atmospheric potential 
gradient, earth potential gradient, and cosmic rays were expected 
to provide a basis for correlations with tree potentials. Over a 
long period of time, it was reasoned, the external factor or 
factors, that caused changes in the tree potential, would become 
evident. Burr thus instrumented two trees, a maple and an elm, on his 
estate in Old Lyme, Connecticut, starting in 1943. These pro­
vided continuous records (except for brief equipment malfunc­
tions). However, one of the trees died in 1966. In addition, during 
the early phases of this work, a maple tree was simultaneously 
measured in New Haven, Connecticut, and provided a basis for 
comparison between trees 40 miles apart. Besides the tree potentials, Burr measured temperature, hum­
idity, barometric pressure, and estimated cloudiness and weather. He could find no relationship between the common meteoro­
logical factors and tree potentials. The one exception was the 
passage of some thunderstorms, when tree potentials exhibited 
anomalous behaviour. * Simultaneous measurements between two 
electrodes in the earth showed parallel anomalies, except the 
earth potential graphical trace is 'noisy' for several hours before 
passage of a squall line and quiet afterwards. If more commonly considered meteorological variables did not 
correlate with fluctuations in tree potential, Burr reasoned, one 
should look at other environmental factors such as atmospheric 
electricity and possibly cosmic influences such as gravitational 
tides, solar activity, and cosmic radiation. Accordingly, he in­
stalled equipment to measure the potential between electrodes 
in the earth (about 10 metres apart) and the potential gradient 
of the air (using the standard electrometer-polonium probe instru­
ment). It was found that the air and earth potentials fluctuated 
exactly in phase with the tree potentials. However, sometimes 
only one (either one) of the trees would fluctuate. No explanation 
* This may have been due to the tree going into corona and a 
voltage drop occurring betw een the electrodes. Such an effect was 
demonstrated by the author working at the Langmuir Labora tory, 
Socorro, New Mexico, during the summer of 1965. 168 1I 19 20 2.1 20 MAY 66 
22 Z3 00 I 2. 3 4 5 6 7 B 9 10 \I 12. 13 14 IS \10 17 IS 19 20 21 22 23 
Figure 1. A typical days record of electrical potential difference 
in the air, earth, maple tree, and elm tree. SEL ECTED PAPER S 
is available for this behaviour which remains one of the intrigu­
ing questions emerging from Burr's data.
333048200-Harold-Saxton-Burr-Blueprint-for-Immortality-Electric-Patterns-of-Life-OCR-pdf.txt
Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        We 
do not know the answer but, as we have seen, the design of the 
human nervous system permits incredibly-complex permutations 
and combinations, and it is activated by ideas, external and in­
ternal, which induce a great variety of responses. Consider, for instance, the different neural responses to a 
beautiful piece of silver in a jeweller's window by two men, 
equally impoverished and in need of cash. One will wistfully 
admire its beauty and walk on; the other will smash the window, 
grab it and run to the nearest 'fence' to have it melted down. Their nervous systems have responded differently to the same 
stimulus. Perhaps, as we learn more about the relationships between the 
L-field and the mind we may gain some insight into why people 
respond so differently to the same idea or impulse. Meanwhile, 
We can at least be certain that what we call 'good' and 'evil' are 
an inherent part of the design of the Universe-for what purpose 
we do not know-because there can be nothing outside that 
design. 131 THE CONTINUING ADVENTURE 
10 
Let us look over the log of our voyage of discovery and see 
what its results mean to you and to me: 
Since you and I are components of the field of the Universe, 
we are all tied together in the same bundle of field properties. None of us can ever be independent of the universal field or of 
our own individual fields. We are part of a designed whole which is not chaos but organ­
ized in law and order and which, over untold centuries, has 
slowly evolved the design and differentiation of the human nerv­
ous system. There is no reason to suppose that this is not also 
true of the Universe itself. It is extremely doubtful that it was 
created with one big bang and highly probable that it is still in 
the process of growth and development. This is a slow process and we cannot hope to convert the 
Universe to our hopes or desires by tomorrow morning. We our­
selves are the products of this slow process of growth and de­
velopment and neither the great religious leaders, nor the great 
authors of pragmatic law nor any other factors that we know of 
can change or hasten it. Though neither you nor I know the ultimate goal of the Uni­
verse in general or of man in particular, we can at least be certain 
that growth and differentiation are going on everywhere and all 
the time and that this process is not chaotic but has direction and 
an ultimate goal. This gives meaning to our existence because we are a part of 
this process and because the process must have some purpose, 
even though we cannot discern what it is or see the end result. Perhaps the purpose of the Designer is to observe, by experi­
ment, the results of the reactions between field forces and material 
things, just as human organisms have to learn by experience and 
experiment. If this is so there is probably no such thing as an 
absolute set of values. The Universe is developing and so are 
we; and man's sense of values is likely to change as the Universe 
changes. What is true to the man of today will not necessarily 
be true to the man of tomorrow. 132 THE CONTINUING ADVE NTU RE 
This seems the more likely when we remember that man's 
sense of values, of right and wrong, has always changed from 
generation to generation and from place to place. It is exciting to reflect that life and the Universe are not static 
but active-evolving and searching for better ways to do things. And it is fortunate for mankind that there are no hard and fast 
answers to the problems of humanity. On the contrary, man has 
infinite scope to learn more about Nature's laws and to apply 
them to a better understanding of human behaviour. * * * 
The experimental findings recorded in these pages are the 
first stepping-stones on a long journey into the unknown­
guide-posts for further adventures in science. They indicate that the Universe is an ordered system, the 
human organism an ordered component. Law and order prevail 
from the biggest to the smallest; and to suggest that there is any 
chaos is merely to display our lack of information. In short, the Universe has meaning and so have we. Though 
we do not understand it, the meaning is there. The continuing 
adventure of science and of ourselves is to seek, through the 
Field Concept, an ever-grea ter understanding of the changing, 
growing meaning of life. 133 PART II 
Selected Papers 
The Implications of the Electro-metric Test in Cancer of the 
Female Genital Tract. Louis Langman, M. D. , F. A. C. S. Electro-m agnetic Field Monitoring of Changing State-Function 
Including Hypnotic States. Leonard J. Ravitz, M.
The author suggests that the purpose of the Designer might be to observe the results of the reactions between field forces and material things, similar to how human organisms learn by experience and experiment.
What is the author's suggestion for the purpose of the Designer, according to the text?
The electro-metric test has been shown to be a valuable tool in the early detection of cancer, particularly in the female reproductive tract. The test has been found to be more effective in detecting malignant conditions than benign conditions.
What is the significance of the electro-metric test in the diagnosis of cancer?
The study of the electro-metric test is significant because it provides a new understanding of the human nervous system and its relation to the universe. The test has the potential to revolutionize the field of medicine and provide a new approach to the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases.
What is the significance of the study of the electro-metric test in the context of the human nervous system?
The author suggests that there is no such thing as an absolute set of values, as the universe is constantly evolving and so are human values. This means that what is considered "good" or "evil" today may not be the same in the future.
What is the author's stance on the concept of absolute values?
The author suggests that there is a relationship between the L-field and the human mind, and that this relationship is crucial to understanding human behavior and the universe.
What is the author's opinion on the relationship between the L-field and the human mind?