The claim that Dr. Masaru Emoto conducted experiments showing that human thoughts, words, or intentions affect water's crystalline structure when frozen is controversial and widely regarded as pseudoscience by the mainstream scientific community. Here’s a breakdown of the facts:
1. The Claim
Dr. Emoto asserted that:
Water exposed to positive words (e.g., "love," "gratitude") formed beautiful, symmetrical ice crystals.
Water exposed to negative words (e.g., "hate," "you fool") produced distorted, asymmetrical crystals.
Similar effects were claimed for music, prayers, and environmental influences .
2. Scientific Criticism
Emoto’s experiments have been heavily criticized for:
Lack of proper controls (e.g., temperature, freezing rate, sample selection).
No peer-reviewed validation in reputable scientific journals .
Failed replication under controlled conditions (e.g., a double-blind study showed no significant effect) .
3. Emoto’s Background
He held a Doctor of Alternative Medicine from a now-defunct institution accused of selling degrees .
His work was popularized in books (The Hidden Messages in Water) and films (What the Bleep Do We Know!?), but scientists dismissed it as "pathological science" .
4. Conclusion
The claim is false in the sense that it lacks rigorous scientific support. While Emoto’s ideas inspired New Age and holistic movements, they do not meet scientific standards. Critics argue his results were likely due to bias, selective reporting, or methodological flaws .
I agree that there were no peer-reviewed studies, but I distrust these critics, also. They are likely the same ones who criticize Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine.
Our emotions definitely affect our own health and the health of those interacting with us. This occurs by many physiological mechanisms, no doubt. Maybe water structure is one of them. Maybe not.
Correction: As an example of why I do not trust the opinion of mainstream scientists, I mentioned their opinions of Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine. I agree that these are not even in the same category with Dr Emoto's claims.
I wouldn't put this in even remotely in the same category as ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine because both of those drugs had a long history of use and ivermectin even won awards. They've been used for decades with very measurable results.
His claims on the other hand have none of that objectively true history.
It was also quite a bit of positive stuff about ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine even after it was being attacked but that stuff was simply suppressed.
Basically I'm saying you're making an over generalization fallacy and a category error.
Yes. I was overgeneralizing, but not meaning to categorize them together. I just don't trust their opinion, so I chose another example of why they cannot be trusted to tell us the truth. They are in no way equal examples. You are correct.
I guess the question is, do you also believe the type of music we listen to doesn't affect us?
Because Indigenous Australians have known the power of healing through tone for years.
It seems the western world fobs off the east / ancient too easily.
We haven't been in touch for over ten years. I realize I should have a link to his work, but I don't. Sorry. But he said he did the same studies as Emoto and got the same results. He was a big believer that, since we are made largely of water, we need to take it seriously... that our emotions effect our health. He believed in living in gratefulness, with abundant expectations, yet, he also cared about seeing reality for what it is. (He just thought we could reshape it with thought, emotions, and intention.)
I know a scientist who continued the work of Dr Emoto. He was able to reproduce the same results.
Here is a link to Dr Emoto's work.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/masaru-emotos-water-experiment-fascinating-insight-chakraborty--gh47c#:~:text=Masaru%20Emoto%20was%20a%20Japanese%20researcher%20and,how%20human%20consciousness%2C%20words%2C%20and%20emotions%20can
The claim that Dr. Masaru Emoto conducted experiments showing that human thoughts, words, or intentions affect water's crystalline structure when frozen is controversial and widely regarded as pseudoscience by the mainstream scientific community. Here’s a breakdown of the facts:
1. The Claim
Dr. Emoto asserted that:
2. Scientific Criticism
Emoto’s experiments have been heavily criticized for:
3. Emoto’s Background
4. Conclusion
The claim is false in the sense that it lacks rigorous scientific support. While Emoto’s ideas inspired New Age and holistic movements, they do not meet scientific standards. Critics argue his results were likely due to bias, selective reporting, or methodological flaws .
For further details, see critiques from The Irish Times or NeuroLogica Blog .
I agree that there were no peer-reviewed studies, but I distrust these critics, also. They are likely the same ones who criticize Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine.
Our emotions definitely affect our own health and the health of those interacting with us. This occurs by many physiological mechanisms, no doubt. Maybe water structure is one of them. Maybe not.
Correction: As an example of why I do not trust the opinion of mainstream scientists, I mentioned their opinions of Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine. I agree that these are not even in the same category with Dr Emoto's claims.
I wouldn't put this in even remotely in the same category as ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine because both of those drugs had a long history of use and ivermectin even won awards. They've been used for decades with very measurable results.
His claims on the other hand have none of that objectively true history.
It was also quite a bit of positive stuff about ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine even after it was being attacked but that stuff was simply suppressed.
Basically I'm saying you're making an over generalization fallacy and a category error.
Yes. I was overgeneralizing, but not meaning to categorize them together. I just don't trust their opinion, so I chose another example of why they cannot be trusted to tell us the truth. They are in no way equal examples. You are correct.
I guess the question is, do you also believe the type of music we listen to doesn't affect us? Because Indigenous Australians have known the power of healing through tone for years. It seems the western world fobs off the east / ancient too easily.
That would be a different conversation entirely.
This guy was an attention seaking hack of the variety that you can find at any metaphysical convention.
Very interesting.
Thank you fren!
Wow I have followed Dr Emoto’s work for years can you expand on the other scientist?
We haven't been in touch for over ten years. I realize I should have a link to his work, but I don't. Sorry. But he said he did the same studies as Emoto and got the same results. He was a big believer that, since we are made largely of water, we need to take it seriously... that our emotions effect our health. He believed in living in gratefulness, with abundant expectations, yet, he also cared about seeing reality for what it is. (He just thought we could reshape it with thought, emotions, and intention.)