Abstract
This study was an investigation of the effects of physiologically-oriented mental imagery on immune functioning. College students with normal medical histories were randomly selected to one of three groups. Subjects in Group 1 participated in short educational training on the production of secretory immunoglobulin A. They were then tested on salivary IgA, skin temperature, and the Profile of Mood States (POMS) before and after listening to a 17-minute tape of imagery instructions with specially composed background “entrainment” music designed to enhance imagery. Subjects in Group 2 (placebo controls) listened to the same music but received nor formal training on the immune system. Group 3 acted as a control and subjects were tested before and after 17 minutes of no activity. Treatment groups listened to their tapes at home on a bi-daily basis for six weeks All groups were again tested at Weeks 3 and 6. Secretory IgA was analyzed using standard radial immunodiffusion techniques. Repeated measures analyses of variance with planned orthogonal contrasts were used to evaluate the data. Significant overall increases (p<0.05) were found between pre- and posttests for all three trials. Groups 1 and 2 combined (treatment groups) yielded significantly greater increases in sIgA over Group 3 (control) for all three trials. Group 1 (imagery) was significantly higher than Group 2 (music) in antibody production for Trials 2 and 3. Symptomatology, recorded by subjects at Weeks 3 and 6, was significantly lower for three symptoms (rapid heartbeat, breathing difficulty, and jaw clenching), favoring both treatment groups over the control group.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Achterberg, J., & Lawlis, G. F. (1980).Bridges of the bodymind. Champaigne, IL: I.P.A.T.
Achterberg, J., & Lawlis, G. F. (1984).Imagery and disease. Champaign, IL: I.P.A.T.
Altschuler, I. (1984). A psychiatrist's experience with music as a therapeutic agent. In D. Schullian & M. Schoen (eds.),Music and medicine (pp.250–275).New York:Books for Libraries Press.
Besedovsky, H. O., & Sorkin, E. (1981). Immunologic-neuroendocrine circuits: Physiological approaches. In R. Ader (ed.),Psychoneuroimmunology (pp. 545–574). New York: Academic Press.
Black, S., Humphrey, J. H., & Niven, J. S. (1963). Inhibition of Mantoux reaction by direct suggestion under hypnosis.British Medical Journal, 6, 1649–1652.
Brandtzaeg, P. (1971). Human secretory immunoglobulins — VII: Concentrations of parotid IgA and other secretory proteins in relation to the rate of flow and duration of secretory stimulus.Archives of Oral Biology, 16, 1295–1310.
Crawford, J. (1985). The effects of hypnosis and imagery on immunity in humans. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Texas Health Science Center at Dallas.
Dayton, C. M. (1970).The design of educational experiments. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Dillon, K. M., Minchoff, B., & Baker, K. H. (1985). Positive emotional states and enhancement of the immune system.International Journal of Psychiatry and Medicine, 15, 13–17.
Glaser, R., Kiecolt-Glaser, J. K., Speicher, C. E., & Holliday, J. E. (1985). Stress, loneliness, and changes in herpes virus latency.Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 8, 249–260.
Hall, H. R. (1982–1983) Hypnosis and the immune system: A review with implications for cancer and the psychology of healing.American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 25(2–3), 92–103.
Jemmott, J. B., Borysenko, J. Z., Borysenko, M., McClelland, D. C., Chapman, R., Meyer, D., & Benson, H. (1983, June 25). Academic stress, power motivation, and decrease in secretion rate of salivary secretory immunoglobulin A.The Lancet, 1400–1402.
Jemmott, J. B., & Magliore, K. (1988). Academic stress, social support and secretory immunoglobulin A.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 55, 803–810.
Jemmott, J. B., & McClelland, D. C., Secretory IgA as a measure of resistance to infectious disease: Comments on Stone, Cox, Valdimarsodottir, and Neale (1987).Behavioral Medicine, 15(2), 63–71.
Kibler, V. E., & Rider, M. S. (1983). The effect of progressive muscle relaxation and music on stress as measured by finger temperature response.Journal of Clinical Psychology, 39(2), 213–215.
Kiecolt-Glaser, J. K., Glaser, R., Williger, D., Stout, J., Messick, G., Sheppard, S., Ricker, D., Romisher, S. C., Briner, W., Bonnell, G., & Donnerberg, R. (1985). Psychosocial enhancement of immunocompetence in a geriatric population.Health Psychology, 4, 25–41.
Kiecolt-Glaser, J. K., Stephens, R. E., Lipetz, P. D., Speicher, C. E., & Glaser, R. (1985). Distress and DNA repair in human lymphocytes.Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 8, 311–320.
Korn, E. R., & Johnson, K. (1983).Visualization: The uses of imagery in the health professions. Homewood, IL: Dow Jones-Irwin.
Levine, J. D., Gordon, N. C., & Fields, H. (1978, September 23). The mechanism of placebo analgesia.The Lancet, 654–657.
Locke, S. E., Kraus, L., Lesserman, J., Hurst, M. W., Heisel, J. S., & Williams, R. M. (1984). Life change stress, psychiatric symptoms, and natural killer cell activity.Psychosomatic Medicine, 46, 441–453.
Luthe, B. (1969).Autogenic therapy, (Vols. 1–7). New York: Grune & Stratten.
MacLean, D., & Reichlin, S. (1981). Neuroendocrinology and the immune process. In R. Ader (ed.),Psychoneuroimmunology (pp. 475–520). New York: Academic Press.
McClelland, D. C., Alexander, C., & Marks, E. (1982). The need for power, stress, immune function, and illness among male prisoners.Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 91(1), 61–70.
McClelland, D. C., Floor, E., Davidson, R. J., & Saron, C. (1980). Stressed power motivation, sympathetic activation, immune function, and illness.Journal of Human Stress, 6, 11–19.
McClelland, D. C., Ross, G., & Patel, V. (1985, Summer). The effect of an academic examination on salivary norepinephrine and immunoglobulin levels.Journal of Human Stress, 52–59.
McNair, D. M., Lorr, M., & Droppleman, L. F. (1971).Profile of mood states. San Diego: Educational and Industrial Testing Service.
Myers, C. (1984). Relaxation imagery to facilitate endogenous control of lymphocytic function in humans. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, North Texas State University, Denton.
Nordoff, P., & Robbins, C. (1977).Creative music therapy. New York: John Day.
Peavey, B. S., Lawlis, G. F., & Goven, A. (1985). Biofeedback-assisted relaxation: Effects on phagocytic capacity.Biofeedback and Self Regulation, 10(1), 33–47.
Pennebaker, J., & O'Heeron, B. (1984). Confiding in others and illness rate among spouses of suicide and accidental death victims.Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 93, 473–476.
Pert, C. B., Ruff, M. R., Weber, R. J., & Herkenham, M. (1985). Neuropeptides and their receptors: A psychosomatic network.Journal of Immunology, 135(2), 820s-826s.
Rider, M. S. (1985). Entrainment mechanisms are involved in pain reduction, muscle relaxation, and music-mediated imagery.Journal of Music Therapy, 22(4), 183–192.
Rider, M. S., & Achterberg, J. (1989). The effect of music-mediated imagery on neutrophils and lymphocytes.Biofeedback and Self-Regulation, 14(3), 247–257.
Rider, M. S., Floyd, J., & Kirkpatrick, J. (1985). The effect of music, imagery, and relaxation on adrenal corticosteroids and the re-entrainment of circadian rhythms.Journal of Music Therapy, 22(1), 46–58.
Rider, M. S., & Kibler, V. E. (1990). Treating arthritis and lupus patients with music-mediated imagery and psychotherapy.Arts in Psychotherapy, 17(1), 29–33.
Roitt, I. M., Brostoff, J., & Male, D. K. (1985).Immunology. New York: Gower Medical.
Simonton, O. C., Mathews-Simonton, S., & Creighton, J. (1978).Getting well again. Los Angeles: Tarcher.
Smith, C. W., Schneider, J., Minning, C., & Whitcher, S. (1983). Imagery and neutrophil function studies: A preliminary report. Unpublished manuscript, Michigan State University, East Lansing.
Stone, A. A., Cox, D. S., Valdimarsodottir, H., Jandorf, L., & Neale, J. M. (1987). Evidence that secretory IgA antibody is associated with daily mood.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52(5), 988–993.
Wolpe, J. (1969).The practice of behavior therapy. New York: Pergamon Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rider, M.S., Achterberg, J., Lawlis, G.F. et al. Effect of immune system imagery on secretory IgA. Biofeedback and Self-Regulation 15, 317–333 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01000026
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01000026