Therapeutic Touch cures Feline Hypocentrosis

[Piggy]

Feline hypocentrosis is a condition common in housecats, characterized by excessive vocalization, obsessive rubbing, twitching, uncontrolled rolling or spasms, erratic movements of the head, and seeking contact with warm bodies or (for reasons poorly understood by veterinary science) a pathological desire for contact with today's newspaper.

Here is a photograph of an otherwise normal housecat in the throes of acute hypocentrosis (http://www.personal.psu.edu/staff/m/h/mhl100/images/minby-on-back.jpg).

I have discovered that a precise administration of Therapeutic Touch (TT) actually CURES FHC!

First, keep in mind that feline meridians are not analogous to human meridians. TT must be administered manually, or with the aid of a special tool (http://www.petsolutions.com/Images/200/45600340.jpg), along the entire body from head to tail, repeatedly, with special attention being paid to the specially sensitive meridians on the chin and cheeks and behind the ears.

I have rigorously compared the results of this therapy with those of EFT (http://www.emofree.com/), placebo-TT, and a control group, and TT is the ONLY cure currently known!

EFT did not cure any case of FHC. In fact, the tapping and the requests for the cat to think about her current situation only made symptoms worse, and sometimes even escalated the symptoms to include hissing and clawing.

Placebo-TT was administered by applying the methods of TT, but to non-meridian sites such as legs, paws, and belly, or running from tail to head. In these cases, subjects sometimes experienced limited relief, but usually worsened, or abandoned therapy altogether.

The control group, who received no therapy, likewise experienced an increase in symptoms, although they did not escalate to include injury of the test administrator as in some EFT and placebo cases.

Only the TT group experienced, in every case, an eventual cessation of symptoms. Here is our sample subject after a TT session (http://z.about.com/d/cats/1/0/Y/t/clover250.jpg).

You can doubt the human studies all you want, but the animal studies are conclusive!!!

[Lisa Simpson]

It's nice to know that all my years of performing TT on my cats has been proven correct. Except my cats prefer this (http://a1272.g.akamai.net/7/1272/1121/20051110213330/www.drsfostersmith.com/images/Categoryimages/larger/lg_10229_10662.jpg) for their TT.

[Flange Desire]

Very nice test design Piggy.

I find that gaffa tape also cures FHC.
But of course that is an entirely different field of enquiry.

[BlackCat]

OMG! I just tried out TT on my cat right now, and it totally worked!! She was cured instantly!! I had no idea that cats could get sick like this, but she totally had the symptoms you described and now they're gone!!!! Thank you!!! What a lifesaver! Bless you and all your descendants!!

BlackCat (professional endorser)

[Zep]

It would seem this modality can be extended to horses... (http://www.mittenbay.org/PICS/Brushing%20Horse.jpg)

[Piggy]

Zep, I think studies of the application of TT to cases of equine hypocentrosis could be quite productive!!! All one would need to do would be to identify the meridians. In fact, we are currently working to identify canine meridians, which seem to be concentrated on the belly and tailbone and behind the ears.

The fact that different species, who have different body structures of course, have different TT meridians is a strong indication that TT is valid and definitely NOT RANDOM!!!

[Dark Jaguar]

Oh sure, a well constructed test why don't you! Except, there's that idea of meridians. I see no evidence of them, just the special spots on a cat that work which may or may not have meridians on them. I think a more likely explanation is that such TT is a form of excersism, eliminating demons and evil spirits from the cat's fur that force it into these behaviors.

[Piggy]

I think a more likely explanation is that such TT is a form of excersism, eliminating demons and evil spirits from the cat's fur that force it into these behaviors.
TT does not speculate on the mechanism, on why the therapy works. I think your point is quite valid. FHC may well be caused by demons. What's important is that we've identified the energy meridians by which these demons can be released, as well as the process to do so!

Keep in mind that our method was rigorously tested against other methods, and included a placebo group and a control! Also, be aware that our preliminary findings indicate that these merdians are measurably (and repeatably) distinct for other species with different body types!

So your input is very much appreciated, Dark Jaguar! I think it deserves more investigation, with the kind of rigor we are applying to TT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ruach1]

Wait a second here...

Is this a joke?

C'mon now, stop kidding around. Is Piggy really serious with this stuff? :confused:

[Aepervius]

Wait a second here...

Is this a joke?

C'mon now, stop kidding around. Is Piggy really serious with this stuff? :confused:

Yeah, for those which are a bit slow : this is a joke.

[Zep]

A JOKE!! SAY NOT SO!!! :faint:

[rjh01]

If this is a joke can we put this in the humour thread where it belongs please?

[Piggy]

Of course, the mods are free to relegate this thread to the humor forum if they choose. But I think it may serve to educate potential applicants about how to conduct a proper preliminary test.

You see that I have included a control group, an alternate therapy, and a placebo group. I have done this on many animals and the results are consistent.

Also, BlackCat has done this independently and has positive results!

In addition, I have carefully defined my terms. The syndrome is well defined, and people can verify independently that many cats are afflicted by it.

Our studies with canines, and Zep's work with horses, demonstrate that the meridians are real, in that they vary measurably from one species to the other. If they were just "made up", the same ones could work for any species. Also, the placebo group would have been cured by TT, which they were not!

Furthermore, Lisa Simpson's post is very important. She has shown that the instrument may be varied and the same results obtained. Therefore, clearly the cure does not reside in the instrument, but rather in the process of TT on the appropriate meridians.

This is especially important because we are starting to conduct experiments on curing feline hypoplaysia, which invariably requires instruments of some kind, which TT does not (although an appropriate tool may be used). The fact that TT does not cure FHP but does cure FHC is evidence that it is specific, in the same way that aspirin will cure a headache but not a cough.

So if this thread is shuffled off to the "humor" forum, I won't complain. I do think it's an opportunity lost, however, as there is so much to learn from this study!

[Jimbo07]

Also, BlackCat has done this independently and has positive results!

Our studies with canines, and Zep's work with horses, demonstrate that the meridians are real, in that they vary measurably from one species to the other.

In fact, we've established a structural framework, or theory, within which context we can place further discussion. I'm not debating the underlying theory, real science lies in the debate over particulars:

In studying numerous canine subjects, while the theory predicts particular meridians, it can be shown that, instead, canines have a field within which TT can be effective. TT applied to any part of a canine, save the teeth, appears to cause an immediate cessation to tail-wagging and other expressions of agitation, in the majority of cases resulting in inability to maintain posture and (as my team has dubbed it) 'flopping down.' This effect over multiple subjects has appeared to increase geometrically with age.

Future studies intend to determine whether a light year's worth of TT implements, stacked end-to-end, can stop a particular infantile canine subject, or whether it is merely a probabilistic chance.

Data can be found in peer-reviewed journals (http://www.dogchannel.com/dog/magazines/dogfancy/toc_df200604.aspx)

:D

[Piggy]

Thank you Jimbo07. Your point about describing the meridians as fields is well noted. Just as no 2 person's teeth are identical, so we should not expect individual animals' meridians to be identically located.

You wouldn't want a dentist to decide where to drill your teeth by looking at a textbook diagram. You want him looking at YOUR teeth! You want the flebotomist looking at YOUR arm, because your veins are not in the exact same location as someone else's.

Dogs do seem to have stronger and broader meridian fields, and less sensitivity to directionality.

But Jimbo07, I think you need to be careful in your tests to rigorously distinguish canine hypocentrosis from canine hypoplaysia. Also, hypocentrosis in dogs has a slightly different symptomology from hypocentrosis in cats. Dogs, for example, often exhibit "head fatigue" and will rest their heads heavily on your leg. They can lose balance, causing them to lean against people. Like cats, they can seek warmth, but this too can manifest differently in canines -- smaller ones do seek laps to curl up in, but we also see the urge to place their heads under your hand in an effort to better retain heat, which cats rarely do.

Thanks for the contribution!

[Jimbo07]

But Jimbo07, I think you need to be careful in your tests to rigorously distinguish canine hypocentrosis from canine hypoplaysia.

gngngn... that's what I get for not double-checking the work that I get my grad students to d... err... I mean, my mistake.

(you're one linguistically clever sumnumbish :D)

[Mercutio]

But...Therapeutic Touch does not involve actual touching! (nor therapy, for that matter)

Quite obviously, you are doing Kitty Reiki!

(I am not saying TT does not work with cats--the energy field from my cats will actually attract the cat to a hand held an inch or two above the meridian. I am simply saying that your protocol is misnamed.)


(ok, come to think of it, it is Therapeutic Touch that is misnamed. Carry on.)

[Piggy]

But...Therapeutic Touch does not involve actual touching!
Goood point, Mercutio. That's why the claims about so-called "Therapeutic Touch" on humans are hogwash.

It stands to reason. All you have to do is look at their methodology, compare it to their claim to be "touch", and you need look no farther into it.

WE represent the AUTHENTIC TT movement!

I'm really excited to find that other folks out there are doing their own veterinary TT work, which we didn't even know about. I think what we're seeing here is a kind of 100th Monkey effect, so there's more proof of that, too (as if we needed any).

[LostAngeles]

But...Therapeutic Touch does not involve actual touching! (nor therapy, for that matter)

Quite obviously, you are doing Kitty Reiki!

(I am not saying TT does not work with cats--the energy field from my cats will actually attract the cat to a hand held an inch or two above the meridian. I am simply saying that your protocol is misnamed.)


(ok, come to think of it, it is Therapeutic Touch that is misnamed. Carry on.)

Hey now, I was under the impression from a Reiki practioner I had the misfortune of meeting several years ago that Reiki is the one that does not involve actual touching!

[Mercutio]

Hey now, I was under the impression from a Reiki practioner I had the misfortune of meeting several years ago that Reiki is the one that does not involve actual touching!
Not according to the article "What Are the Distinctions Between Reiki and Therapeutic Touch?" (Potter, 2003, Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing)

But then, who needs to actually know the basics about the thing they practice?

[Dark Jaguar]

But my point is that while you may have established the places you can apply this therapy, you have no idea as to whether or not those places have meridians. It might be, and this may seem a bit extreme but bear with me, nerves and perhaps a mental programming relating to what "feels best" rather than some sort of energy flow, other than nerve impulses. It is a little silly of course, because it's just too simple and all things like this are actually super convoluted, but I'm just trying to illustrate the point.

[Piggy]

It might be, and this may seem a bit extreme but bear with me, nerves and perhaps a mental programming relating to what "feels best" rather than some sort of energy flow, other than nerve impulses.
I think that talking about what "feels best" isn't very rigorous, whereas the existence of meridians is attested to by numerous very successful healers such as Depak Chopra. We have evidence going back thousands of years -- that's no exaggeration! -- for meridians on the human body, so since mammals all have skin, circulatory systems, bones, hair, etc., it would be very odd indeed if they did not also all have energy meridians.

Accupuncture is based on these meridians, and we have numerous studies showing accupuncture to be effective. In fact, lots of insurance plans are recognizing accupuncture, and insurance companies are totally objective. They run by the numbers. If it doesn't work, they don't cover it!

Besides, you can't ask an animal how it feels, so your claims are not only unproven, but actually unprovable, even untestable.

What you're proposing is -- no offense intended here -- sloppy science, I'm afraid. And that's exactly what we're trying to avoid here.

[Mendeli]

Besides, you can't ask an animal how it feels.


I can. And she meaouws differently depending on how it was :)

[Piggy]

I can. And she meaouws differently depending on how it was
OK, well, now we're talking about a new avenue of research!

This also shows that what we're dealing with here is a genuine scientific theory. You see how it poses new questions that can be tested, how it sparks new areas of inquiry.

Very exciting stuff! Y'all are in on the ground floor here!!!!

[BlackCat]

I have observed, while giving my cat TT, that she makes an unusual vibration vocalization. I think this might have something to do with the effectiveness of TT. Perhaps it could be used as an accurate measurement of her emotional state.

BlackCat

[Piggy]

I have observed, while giving my cat TT, that she makes an unusual vibration vocalization. I think this might have something to do with the effectiveness of TT. Perhaps it could be used as an accurate measurement of her emotional state.
Wow. That's gonna be a toughie. But I think we're up to it.

I've been so excited by all these wonderful responses that the wife and I have decided to start up our own not-for-profit organization, Benevolent Animal-oriented Therapeutic Touch Studies, or BATTS. (Our motto: "We're BATTS -- join us!")

[Jimbo07]

the wife and I have decided to start up our own not-for-profit organization, Benevolent Animal-oriented Therapeutic Touch Studies, or BATTS.

Of course, generous donations will always be accepted to continue BATTS's good work.

:D

[aggle-rithm]

Feline hypocentrosis is a condition common in housecats, characterized by excessive vocalization, obsessive rubbing, twitching, uncontrolled rolling or spasms, erratic movements of the head, and seeking contact with warm bodies or (for reasons poorly understood by veterinary science) a pathological desire for contact with today's newspaper.

Here is a photograph of an otherwise normal housecat in the throes of acute hypocentrosis (http://www.personal.psu.edu/staff/m/h/mhl100/images/minby-on-back.jpg).

I have discovered that a precise administration of Therapeutic Touch (TT) actually CURES FHC!

First, keep in mind that feline meridians are not analogous to human meridians. TT must be administered manually, or with the aid of a special tool (http://www.petsolutions.com/Images/200/45600340.jpg), along the entire body from head to tail, repeatedly, with special attention being paid to the specially sensitive meridians on the chin and cheeks and behind the ears.

I have rigorously compared the results of this therapy with those of EFT (http://www.emofree.com/), placebo-TT, and a control group, and TT is the ONLY cure currently known!

EFT did not cure any case of FHC. In fact, the tapping and the requests for the cat to think about her current situation only made symptoms worse, and sometimes even escalated the symptoms to include hissing and clawing.

Placebo-TT was administered by applying the methods of TT, but to non-meridian sites such as legs, paws, and belly, or running from tail to head. In these cases, subjects sometimes experienced limited relief, but usually worsened, or abandoned therapy altogether.

The control group, who received no therapy, likewise experienced an increase in symptoms, although they did not escalate to include injury of the test administrator as in some EFT and placebo cases.

Only the TT group experienced, in every case, an eventual cessation of symptoms. Here is our sample subject after a TT session (http://z.about.com/d/cats/1/0/Y/t/clover250.jpg).

You can doubt the human studies all you want, but the animal studies are conclusive!!!

My cat bit me. Did I do it wrong?

[Piggy]

My cat bit me. Did I do it wrong?
Not necessarily, although it's possible.

Remember what was said above about individual differences in meridian location. It may have been that your cat's meridians are atypical, so the reaction you got was similar to the "ouch!" reaction we have when we're giving blood and the nurse doesn't hit the vein!

Also, are you certain that your cat was experiencing FHC when you applied the therapy? This is very important. Otherwise, it's like administering a drug when a patient doesn't have the disease -- the results can be bad, Bad, BAD!

Finally, it's possible that your cat was suffering from another condition in addition to FHC. Because TT works like any other science-based therapy, there can be interactions. So, just as people with high blood pressure can be taken off their Rx if they develop another condition that will cause these meds to harm them, a cat with several ailments might react negatively to TT.

Once you get into science, it gets complicated pretty quick! That's why we have to be so rigorous about all this!

I recommend having a qualified and experienced pet psychic (don't trust just any johnnie-come-lately who hangs out a shingle!) come in and do a reading on your cat to determine if there are any other conditions at play. Then do some experiments to scientifically determine your cat's meridian fields, and then only administer TT when you're sure your cat is experiencing hypocentrosis.

I hope that helps.

[Piggy]

Of course, generous donations will always be accepted to continue BATTS's good work.
You betcha! In fact, we're so excited about the potential of BATTS that we'd like to be able to pursue our research and education full-time. But it takes a lot of capital to get something like this off the ground.

Don't you think it's worth it, though? Right now, there is no cure for FHC. Don't you think we owe it to our feline friends, who give us so much love and joy, to at least promote a proven therapy that can ease their distress?

We sure do. That's why...

"We're BATTS -- won't you join us?"

[aggle-rithm]

I hope that helps.

Not really. My thumb still hurts.

[jj]

Wow, I BELEEEEVE! It works on my neighbor's dog, too.

[rjh01]

Piggy
Have you put your application in for Jref prize? I mean when they get themselves organised I do not see how they can refuse to test. You can get documentation to show it works, and it will work on command. You can use the money to further your research in the matter. Buying and looking after 1000 cats would be expensive.

[rjh01]

My cat bit me. Did I do it wrong?

The cat did not understand you were trying to give treatment for the condition it had. It thought you were launching an unprovoked attack and responded.

This is very important point. When a cat is given treatment it will start making noises. If these noises stop, you need to stop fast. The cat may be about to attack.

[Piggy]

Have you put your application in for Jref prize? I mean when they get themselves organised I do not see how they can refuse to test. You can get documentation to show it works, and it will work on command. You can use the money to further your research in the matter. Buying and looking after 1000 cats would be expensive.
The test will be expensive, which is why we're seeking donations. We guarantee that when we do win the prize we will reimburse everyone who donated!!!

You're really not going to run across a better offer than that, or a more worthy cause.

[rjh01]

If you take pay-pal I will consider making a generous donation. But only after you have the claim accepted by Kramer's replacement.

[Piggy]

Well, of course, we're going to have to get things set up to be able to take the challenge. No sense applying if we can't actually pull it off.

So we're accepting donations now, and it may take some time to get things up and running. (I'm not soliciting money from folks on this forum, btw. Of course, that doesn't mean we would turn down a donation just because it came from someone who posted here -- that would be bigoted -- we just want to be clear that we're not soliciting.)

After talking it over, we've figured we'll probably need about $250k, so in appreciation to all our supporters, and to spread good karma, we've decided that we'll actually return DOUBLE their donations to everyone who helps us reach the quarter-mil mark once we win the prize.

I mean, really, where else can you do good work, get a tax deduction, and eventually get double your money back? It's a tremendous opportunity!!!

"We're BATTS -- join us!"

[aggle-rithm]

Wow, I BELEEEEVE! It works on my neighbor's dog, too.

I tried it on my dog, and she bit the cat!

I give up. Science is just too hard. :(

[Piggy]

I tried it on my dog, and she bit the cat!

I give up. Science is just too hard. :(
In your case, it may be better if you have a trained professional perform the service for you. Once we get BATTS rolling, we plan to set up therapy centers around the country!

[DrMatt]

Emily Rosa's experiment can be tightened for security... and applied to cats. Nu?

[Piggy]

Emily Rosa's experiment can be tightened for security... and applied to cats. Nu?
Veterinary TT is different from that bogus TT which was, thankfully, exposed by Emily.

We would be happy to have Emily run these tests herself.

All she would have to do would be to, say, hang out at an animal boarding facility where cats are given some room to move about, and apply VTT-F on subjects who begin to exhibit clear signs of FHC in some cases, a placebo VTT-F in other cases (rubbing from tail to head, rather than head to tail, for instance, or rubbing on paws or inside the legs), and no therapy in others. An independent observer who did not know which therapy was being applied could note the cats' behavior immediately afterward.

We are certain that there will be a statistically significant reduction in symptoms in the VTT-F group compared with the placebo and control groups.

We'd be happy to compensate Emily and the facility for their time. Of course, in order to do this, we'll need to ramp up our donor base.

"We're BATTS -- join us!"

[rjh01]

Piggy,
Have you applied for the challenge yet? Do you think you will be able to get three people to say they cannot explain what is happening? If so you will be the first to do so. Mind you several people have claimed they will, but none have actualy produced them.

And do not forget to see a doctor. So many people apply for the challenge who are mentally sick. It would be good if JREF knew they were dealing with a sane person from day 1.

[Mendeli]

Piggy,
Do you think you will be able to get three people to say they cannot explain what is happening? If so you will be the first to do so. Mind you several people have claimed they will, but none have actualy produced them.


I think there have been at least one, actually IIRC two cases where affidavits were produced. They weren't by professional lawyers, doctors, or any other credible source like that though. I think one applicant even included himself as an affidavit :)

[TheBoyPaj]

Placebo-TT was administered by applying the methods of TT, but to non-meridian sites such as legs, paws, and belly, or running from tail to head.

But you were administering the placebo, so you knew that it was placebo and may have transferred this information to the patient. Also, you judged the results.

It's not double blind. Shame on you. Go to your basket!

[MRC_Hans]

Sorry to come in this late, but I have a serious objection to this report. I have years of experience with domestic felines of various (mostly dubious) lineage, and I can confirm your description of FH, except perhaps for the point about the desire for contact with today's newspaper. In my experience, it should be extended to desire for contact with, preferably reposing ON, any written material that a human member of the household is currently desiring to read.

However, my concern with your report is that you are claiming to be able to CURE. In my dealings with various alternative modalities, especially homeoapthy, I have learned to distinguish sharply between cure and suppression. A cure is characterized by the disease manifestation being removed permanently.

It is my claim that, currently, FH is incurable. I am willing to believe that your TT procedure is capable of suppressing the condition, but I will maintain that the relief is of a temporary character. If you were to withold treatment for even a few days, I predict that the disease will return, with renewed vigor.

Of course, lacking a cure, a good suppressive treatment is certianly an excellent option, but it should, for the sake of honesty, be advertized as such, and not as a cure.

Thank you for your attention,
Hans

[MRC_Hans]

But you were administering the placebo, so you knew that it was placebo and may have transferred this information to the patient. Also, you judged the results.

It's not double blind. Shame on you. Go to your basket!I would like, in defence of the report author, to point out that this kind of intervention is not among those that lend themselves readily to blinding. Even if independent persons were to perform the administration, the knowledge, albeit perhaps not consciously, about the proper placement of median points on household felines, is so widespread among the general polulace that members of the control group might easily deduce that they were administering placebo. Add to this the problem of assessing the well-being of a feline with which you are not well acqainted (felines are notoriously non-cooperative in such settings), and blinding of the assessment phase is also arguably problematic.

Instead, I would suggest that the non-blinded procedure is accepted, with due conservatism in evaluating the result. After all, the symptoms of FH are so easily discernible that, barring deliberate fraud, the non-blinded assessment should be reasonably reliable. It is much like evaluating bone fractures; there is generally no need for blinding to get a trustworthy evaluation of whether a bone is broken or not.

Hans

[Piggy]

Have you applied for the challenge yet?
Oh, we fully intend to. Right now we're working on our funding base, though, to ensure that we can actually perform the tests. Don't want to apply and then be a no-show.

Do you think you will be able to get three people to say they cannot explain what is happening?
Posta, please! Haven't you read the thread? We can explain what's happening! Through VTT we are stimulating the energy meridian zones unique to a particular species and, more specifically, to an individual of that species. This results in a cessation of symptoms.

The fact that JREF seems to consider these energy meridians (which we've objectively demonstrated) to be paranormal b/c of some narrow adherence to scientism... well, that's their loss and our gain. :)

And do not forget to see a doctor. So many people apply for the challenge who are mentally sick. It would be good if JREF knew they were dealing with a sane person from day 1.
I don't see how my mental state affects the test. I mean, if Randi went crazy tomorrow, we could still apply and be tested, no? Sure! I could be nutty as a fruitcake, but hey, if it works, it works!

[Piggy]

But you were administering the placebo, so you knew that it was placebo and may have transferred this information to the patient. Also, you judged the results.
Well, you have to start somewhere.

As for the results, we have clear criteria regarding specific symptoms of FHC, which are either present before/after therapy or aren't.

However, the point you raise about transferring information regarding the placebo to the subject via TT... that's a toughie!

There's a lot of subtle energy being transferred there.

Thanks for the tip. Hopefully BATTS will be able to get some more donations to fine-tune this preliminary work!

[Piggy]

Sorry to come in this late, but I have a serious objection to this report. I have years of experience with domestic felines of various (mostly dubious) lineage, and I can confirm your description of FH, except perhaps for the point about the desire for contact with today's newspaper. In my experience, it should be extended to desire for contact with, preferably reposing ON, any written material that a human member of the household is currently desiring to read.
Very clever, Hans! Point taken. We'll be sure to work this into our improved protocol!

However, my concern with your report is that you are claiming to be able to CURE. In my dealings with various alternative modalities, especially homeoapthy, I have learned to distinguish sharply between cure and suppression. A cure is characterized by the disease manifestation being removed permanently.

It is my claim that, currently, FH is incurable. I am willing to believe that your TT procedure is capable of suppressing the condition, but I will maintain that the relief is of a temporary character. If you were to withold treatment for even a few days, I predict that the disease will return, with renewed vigor.

Of course, lacking a cure, a good suppressive treatment is certianly an excellent option, but it should, for the sake of honesty, be advertized as such, and not as a cure.
You're right. We were being too informal in our terminology.

But you see, this is all the more reason why BATTS's work is so necessary, and why we need to start enrolling students in our therapy training courses and opening up centers around the country.

Until there's a cure... there's BATTS!