Dr. Reinhard Voll, MD
In the late 1940’s, a German medical doctor and engineer, Dr. Reinhard Voll, began researching and proving an innovative testing method now known as EAV (Electro-Acupuncture according to Voll, also known as EDS, Electro-Dermal Screening). This method was documented and proven in over a decade of hospital studies in Germany and today EAV is widely used throughout Europe by over 25,000 medical practitioners. In the United States, EAV is currently growing in acceptance particularly by medical practitioners who specialize in “Alternative, Holistic and Biological Medicine” techniques and disciplines.
EAV offers a quick, non-invasive screening method for determining health imbalances. Practitioners typically use EAV as a compliment to those standard testing procedures in common use. EAV has great value in giving practitioners a “hands on” assessment tool. It should be clearly understood that EAV/EDS testing is not a “standard medical procedure”, and today it is not accepted as a standardized diagnostic test for determining any specific medical condition or disease. EAV is an “Energetic” assessment of the individual. And even though EAV is not accepted as a standard medical diagnostic tool, the information provided from an EAV screening is invaluable for the general assessment of a patient’s condition. Additionally, EAV practitioners have found tremendous success using EAV as a powerful tool for determining preventative and “Bio-Compatible” remedy therapies for their patients.
More and more health practitioners are now using EAV testing equipment and many patients are experiencing the benefits of this type of technology. But many patients and practitioners want to know more about EAV testing. The questions that are most commonly asked are:
• What is EAV Testing?
• How does an EAV testing device work?
• What does “Energetic” mean?
The objective of this article is to give you a practical and simple explanation of Electro-Acupuncture Testing (EAV). EAV Testing is an “Energetic” Testing procedure. So what is Energetic and what kind of “Energy” is this?
Everyone is familiar with the fact that we have many different organs and glands in the body. We are also familiar with the highly organized and complex Nervous System and the Circulatory System. Initially, we consider that all these organs, glands, and systems are physical and chemical in nature. We can touch, see and measure these aspects. We know that science has proven these attributes, and we take science’s accounts of such nature to be true. But there is also an unseen component of all these organs, glands, and systems called the Energetic System. This Energetic System is not physical or chemical in its nature. Instead, it is pure energy.
The Energetic System is virtually invisible. Many people believe that the Energetic System does not exist. Often, it is the nature of our strict analytical minds to deny the existence of that which cannot be seen. Medical science believes that the energetic System does not exist because the nature of science is to deny the existence of that which cannot be measured and it is difficult for scientific experts to validate this type of energy, because it is not measurable, at least not by current day technologies. Some individuals claim to be able to see “Auras”, and “Chakras” and some claim they can “Feel” different energies in the body. These types of phenomena are examples of the Energetic System. But generally we can’t feel this Energy, we can’t see it, and we can’t measure it. So how do we know that it exists?
It is best that we start our explanation of the Energetic system with a basic understanding of Acupuncture. For centuries, Chinese doctors have been practicing the art of “Acupuncture”. Acupuncture is based on a system of “Meridians”. The Meridians are explained as a network of “Energy” channels that are used for communication and for moving energy throughout the body. An acupuncture physician uses needles that are placed at specific “Points” to stimulate the flow of Energy to specific organs and glands. For example the needle may be placed near the base of the index (pointer) finger to stimulate the Large Intestine, or near the back of the temple and to the front and top of the ear, to stimulate the Hypothalamus Gland.
There are twenty-one (21), basic EAV Meridians (Chinese doctors typically use 12 Meridians), each corresponding to the major organs and glands of the body. Along each of these Meridians, there are found to be many Acupuncture“Points”. Each acupuncture point on a Meridian will correspond to either a specific glands, or to the various functional regions found within an organ. All totaled, there are hundreds of different points located along the basic twenty-one Meridians. This Energetic System is an intricate map that is consistently identical in every man and woman. Everyone has the same Meridians and the same Acupuncture Points. The Chinese have known about this map for over 3,000 years. They have had success in using this knowledge of the Energetic System of the body through the application of Acupuncture techniques for health improvement. Their empirical success alone offers substantiated proof of the Energetic System.
Additionally, there are other examples that verify proof of the Energetic System. Cameras equipped with special film can detect images of Energetic Aura’s found around living things. Science has just recently made successful displays of the existence of the Energetic System through the use of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging (NMRI) Systems.
Many dispute the real existence of Acupuncture and the Energetic System because it cannot be physically detected. Once again we have limited our ability to accept the newest scientific information as fact due to our analytical character. We are so prone to adhere to the familiar adage that we believe only that which we see, or “Seeing is believing’. But we must remember that the simplest things in nature are not always visible, such as the wind and sounds, yet we all know that they are there, and they are real. The facts are thus, that the Energetic System does exist. Consequently, having a good understanding of this remarkable system can give us access to a more complete understanding of the nature of health.
The Energetic System is a network of communication pathways. This System is aware of everything that is going on in even the smallest corner of your body. The Energetic System knows the presence of every organism living in your body including all viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. It also knows the functional condition and health level of every cell in your body. The Energetic System is also aware of every toxin and every other factor that influences your state of health. If we could find a way to directly tap into and measure the Energetic System, we could determine, at any moment, everything about your health condition. Just imagine the possibilities of this idea. This sounds like science fiction, something you would see on “Star Trek”. Someday, this type of medical technology may be a reality. But today, we have to remember that we have not created a technology that can directly measure and communicate with the Energetic System. This is disappointing, however, there is a bright side to this story. Using current technology we can indirectly measure the Energetic System.
An EAV Testing Device indirectly measures the Energetic System by using electricity.
In Germany in the late 1940’s, Dr. Reinhard Voll was experimenting with the effects of electricity on the human body. In his studies, Dr. Voll used a technique known as Electrical Conductivity Metering. We can explain this in simple terms. Electricity flows very easily through some materials making them very electrically conductive. Gold, silver and copper are all very electrically conductive. Other materials are not conductive, for example dry wood or rubber. We can use a “Conductivity Meter” to measure the electrical conductance of different materials.
Dr. Voll found that if he tested the electrical conductance on any general area of the human body, there was a fairly low level of electrical conductivity. This is a curious conclusion since we know that the body has a large volume of electrically conductive fluids within it. But, the skin, by its nature, is very resistant to electrical current. However, Dr. Voll also found that at certain specific locations on the anatomy, the electrical flow he measured was much more conductive than other locations. These points found by Voll to be higher in electrical flow correspond to the Acupuncture Points and Meridians.
An EAV device is a type of Electrical Conductivity Meter. Some of the newer generation devices are connected to computers with specialized software, but essentially, any EAV device is a Conductivity Meter. In using an EAV device, the practitioner tests each Meridian Point with a Point Probe [a positive electrode (+)]. This is a stylus with a metal tip, usually made of brass. The practitioner tests the conductivity of different Points by applying the Point Probe onto one Point at a time on a patient’s hands or feet, while the patient holds a brass cylinder called a Ground Electrode or “Hand Mass” [the negative electrode (-)] in the hand not being tested. Both the Point Probe and Hand Mass are connected with electrical cables to the EAV device. With the patient holding the Ground Electrode in one hand, the EAV practitioner will touch the Point Probe at a specific EAV point. In the instant when the Point Probe touches the skin the Ground Electrode passes a very slight amount of electrical current through the body. The electricity seeks the path of “least resistance” and courses through the corresponding Meridian, finding its way to the Point Probe. The amount of electricity is so slight that you cannot feel it (less than 1.5 volts and less than 10 micro amps), but it is enough to be accurately measured. If an EAV device uses more than 1.5 volts, such voltage disturbs the Meridians resulting in inaccurate measurements.
This is the nature of EAV testing. We use electrical current to measure the Meridians. We have to keep in mind that this is an indirect measurement of the Energetic System, and it is not the perfect solution. We also must keep in mind that Energetic Testing, EAV, is not the same thing as standard physiological, pathological and biochemical medical health measurements. When a practitioner tests the Liver Meridian with an EAV device he is not testing the actual Liver, he is testing the Energetic component of the Liver. Yet the technology works, in fact it works very well, and it opens the doorway to the vast possibilities of communicating with the Energetic System.
Using an EAV to measure electricity is the first step. The next question is; how to we go from electrical conductance measurement to a useful assessment of the Energetic System?
We know some useful points and from these we can make some viable conclusions:
• Electricity will flow through a Meridian
• The nature of how electricity flows through a specific Meridian is directly related to how Energy flows through the specific Meridian
• The flow of Energy is related to the Energetic health of a Meridian. Therefore, we know that the flow of electricity is also related, just as the Energy is, to the health of the Meridian.
The “Universal Baseline” makes EAV a viable testing method.
A Balanced Reading: The EAV Meter gives us conductance readings and there is intrinsic value in this; however the actual reason that we can use EAV to evaluate the meridians is because, as Dr. Voll discovered that there is a Universal Baseline. Regardless of who is tested, no matter what their age, weight, sex, or race, a reading of 50 with no change over time (no indicator drop), is an indication of an Energetically healthy or “Balanced” meridian.
Irritation and Inflammation: Readings at points that are significantly above 50 (65+) indicate “Irritation” of the Meridian. Readings above 75 exhibit “Inflammation” of a Meridian. This is easily understood. We all have observed or experienced that inflamed tissue is swollen. It holds more liquid than its normal state of being. We also know that the more liquid equates to more electrical conductivity. Therefore, we should have a higher conductivity reading if a tissue is inflamed.
Indicator Drops and Impaired Functionality: When a reading steadily drops in value from the high point down, this is known as an “Indicator Drop” (ID), and this can display a weakness or disturbance in the meridian. From a functional standpoint it can be said that the Meridian is “Functionally Impaired”.
Functionally Compromised Readings: When a reading is significantly lower than 50 (below 40) then it is believed that this meridian is displaying “low energy” properties. A chronically inflamed organ will eventually stop performing as it loses the fight. It may become hardened, as happens in liver cirrhosis. As organs harden, they lose their hydration, and thus cannot conduct electricity as they once did, therefore producing “low energy” readings. A practitioner can test all of the basic Meridians in a few minutes and by evaluating each reading, the general Energetic condition of all the organs and glands can be determined.
Remedy Testing expands the range of capability in EAV Testing.
In his studies, Dr. Voll discovered “Remedy Testing”. He found that different remedies might affect the readings on different Meridians. For example, if you are testing the Liver Meridian and the practitioner tests several different remedies on the “Test Plate” (a metal plate used for remedy Testing on an EAV device), some of these remedies may change the conductance readings on the Liver Meridian. If a particular remedy causes the Liver Meridian reading to become more “Balanced” (closer to 50, and less Indicator Drops), then the practitioner would consider this specific remedy to be “Bio-Compatible”. Biocompatible means; the remedy produces a favorable or “Positive Response” Energetically.
What makes Remedy Testing a remarkable tool is that the Remedy is being tested on an Energetic level. The patient does not have to ingest the remedy, smell the remedy, see the remedy or feel the remedy. Earlier we mentioned that the Energetic System is extremely sensitive and aware to everything going on in your body. It is also sensitive to everything outside of your body within a certain range. If you come within close proximity to anything, your body’s Energetic System will know the nature of that substance. Just as your body has an Energy field surrounding it so does every other creature and substance. Every remedy has its own specific Energy field and when your body senses this field it knows what the remedy is. This Energy field will pass through glass or plastic bottles with no interference, and your Energetic System knows what is inside a sealed bottle.
Much of EAV Remedy Testing is based on a specific type of remedy called Homeopathy. A Homeopathic Remedy is made by successively diluting a substance in water (alcohol or glycerin is added to stabilize the remedy). The dilution process is repeated many times to the point where there is very, very little, or even none of the original substance in the solution. The more diluted the Homeopathic the more powerful it becomes. This is difficult to fathom because we are use to chemical remedies, but Homeopathy is more of an Energetic or Informational Remedy.
A homeopathic remedy does not affect the body through chemistry; rather it stimulates the body’s own mechanisms through an Energetic Signal. For example, homeopathically prepared Mercury is not toxic and creates no side effect in the body, but it can stimulate the body’s own mechanisms to detoxify itself of Mercury. Using this information let’s say we take a Mercury homeopathic remedy and test this on the Liver Meridian with an EAV device. If we get a favorable balancing response, then we can assume that this remedy is Biocompatible to the Liver Meridian. And, on an Energetic level we can say that the body is toxic with Mercury.
Using this testing model, Dr. Voll and his researchers developed a well organized, methodology for EAV. To this day European EAV practitioners use hundreds of homeopathically prepared test samples (bottled in sealed 1 ml. ampoules), to determine what types of toxins, virus, bacteria, parasites, fungus, environmental effects and allergies Energetically affect the Meridians. Even emotional aspects can be tested in this manner. Recent technological advances in the United States have taken this method one step further with the addition of computers technology. The process of taking small test ampoules, one at a time and placing them on the Test Plate is slow and cumbersome. A computer can automate and expedite this procedure using some advanced techniques.
About twenty years ago, a group of researchers in the US were experimenting with the idea of creating a computer interfaced EAV device. At first they built a system that automatically switched homeopathic test ampoules arranged in an electronic circuit. The computer would display the name of the test ampoule on the monitor and the electronics would select the desired ampoule in the circuit. This method was similar to placing ampoules on the Test Plate, except the computer automated the tedious process. But in their studies these researchers also stumbled onto a remarkable dynamic. Often the computer interface to the circuit would function improperly, yet the test results would remain very effective. The researchers discovered that using the word for the remedy, on the screen of the computer would produce satisfactory results.
If you are a bit confused or disgruntled by this idea, that you can test remedies by just showing the name of the remedy on the screen of a computer, well it is completely understandable. Earlier we explained how you could test remedies while they are sealed in a bottle. This is a stretch in itself. Keep in mind that the Energetic System is ultra-sensitive, in ways that we cannot completely comprehend. We can’t explain how this Remedy Word testing works. We only know that it does work and it has been used for decades by hundreds of practitioners with remarkable results. And the results are far beyond the convenient explanation of coincidence. There truly is much that cannot be explained between heaven and earth. But, just because we cannot explain it does not imply that that it does not exist.
EAV Testing is the first technological application designed to measure the inexplicably illusive Energetic System of the human body. EAV is not intended to be a replacement to other patient health evaluation methods, rather EAV Testing functions best as a complimentary addition to standard testing methods. EAV Testing has certain aspects that are inherently subjective. But in the final analysis, EAV offers a source of valuable assessment information, unattainable in any other fashion. Individuals concerned about longevity, wellness, preventative care, natural healing methods and alternative therapies will find EAV to be an unparalleled source for answers. And for all of these reasons, the number of EAV practitioners and patients seeking this type of health assessment in the United States is on the rise.