Water, Wine and the Sacred, An Anthropological View of Substances Altered by Intentioned Awareness, Including Objective and Aesthetic Effects
📄 Original study ↗📌 Appears in:
Plain English Summary
Can focused meditation actually change how wine tastes? This study put that bold claim to the test across twelve tasting sessions. Researchers took single bottles of wine, split each into two identical carafes, then had groups of 6-10 meditators direct their intention toward one carafe for 20-30 minutes while the other sat untouched as a control. Then seven blinded tasters (people who did not know which was which) picked their favorite. The results were striking: in 11 out of 12 sessions, tasters preferred the 'treated' wine. Statistically, the odds of that happening by chance are about 1 in 2,000. The effect held up no matter who the meditators were or who was hosting the party. This builds on earlier research showing intention can influence water's physical properties and even crystal formation, pushing the question from laboratory curiosity into something as relatable as choosing a glass of wine.
Research Notes
Addresses anthropological question of whether sacramental wine/water alteration is measurable beyond belief. Wine already bottled — intention directed at finished product, not production water. Single-blind design (researcher unblinded) is limitation. Connects to biofield healing literature and Radin's chocolate/tea intention studies. Part of Schwartz's broader research program on nonlocal consciousness and cultural/substance interactions.
Twelve blind wine-tasting experiments tested whether group meditation intention could alter aesthetic preference for wine. Each session used a single 750ml bottle decanted into two 375ml carafes; one received 20-30 min intention from 6-10 meditators (93 total intenders), the other served as control. Seven blinded tasters per session (84 total) voted preference. Eleven of 12 sessions showed majority preference for treated wine (binomial p=0.00049); 95% CI [0.76, 1.0]. Effect consistent across different intender groups, party hosts, and session compositions. Extends water spectroscopy (Schwartz 2015) and crystal formation (Radin 2006) findings to consumer-relevant aesthetic judgment. Statistical analysis by Prof. Jessica Utts.
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📋 Cite this paper
Schwartz, Stephan A (2019). Water, Wine and the Sacred, An Anthropological View of Substances Altered by Intentioned Awareness, Including Objective and Aesthetic Effects. Explore. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2018.03.010
@article{schwartz_2019_water,
title = {Water, Wine and the Sacred, An Anthropological View of Substances Altered by Intentioned Awareness, Including Objective and Aesthetic Effects},
author = {Schwartz, Stephan A},
year = {2019},
journal = {Explore},
doi = {10.1016/j.explore.2018.03.010},
}