(Preliminary Study)

Abstract

This report presents the findings of a survey of 355 cultivators of Falun Gong in Beijing regarding improvement in their physical condition after practicing Falun Gong.

Of 355 cultivators, 211 people took up cultivating Falun Gong in 1996, making up 59.4 % of the total, 1.46 times the total of cultivators who began to practice previously, that is, in 1992 to 1995.

355 cultivators were distributed in age groups from 10 to 79. 289 people were in the three age groups of 40 to 69, making up 81.4% of the sample.

The cultivators in the sample were from all walks of life: 284 of them were office cadre, teachers, scientific and technical research personnel, medical doctors and staff or retired people, accounting for 80% of the total.

They varied in level of education: 247 people, 69.6%, were senior high school or university graduates.

Of the six illiterates included in the sample, two became able to read the book series of Zhuan Falun and to write a simple self-introduction through learning the Great Law.

All the cultivators persisted in studying the Great Law as well as practicing exercises every day, with the time spent on the two activities ranging from 0.5 to 4 hour(s). Among them, 290 people, 81.7%, practiced exercises for one to two hours every day; 237 people, 66.8%, learning the Great Law for one to two hours every day.

After taking up cultivating Falun Gong, 52.3% of the practitioners who formerly slept badly have changed for better; 71.6% of those whose time used to fall asleep was too long before practicing could fall asleep quickly after practicing Falun Gong; 86.7% of those who suffered constipation and 94.1 % of those who suffered diarrhea had normal stool after practicing Falun Gong, and 88.2% of those whose urination was formerly abnormal had normal urination after practicing Falun Gong; 77.4% of those who were physically weak before became stronger after practicing Falun Gong.

The B.M.I. of 81.7% of the practitioners is within the normal range of 20 to 24. After practicing Falun Gong, 46 practitioners gained 5 kgs of weight, and 25 practitioners (7% of the total), who had been thin or on the thin side, became normal in weight thanks to their practicing Falun Gong. Only 21 people’s B.M. I. exceeded 24 (accounting for 5.9% of the total), and 19 people, 5.3%, lost 5 kgs of weight.

Of 355 cultivators, 318 people (89.9%) improved their physical condition: they had had 14 kinds of common diseases in the past and 79.4% of the diseases disappeared after their practicing Falun Gong. 261 people, 73.5%, had had 113 kinds of clearly diagnosed diseases previously, such as high blood pressure, protrusion of the intervertebral disc, aplastic anemia, cervical spondylosis. After they began practicing Falun Gong, the average recovery ratio from the diseases is 70.2%.

The recovery time varied from practitioner to practitioner from one day to three years: 4 practitioners, 1.26%, recovered one day after practicing Falun Gong. The practitioners who recovered from their diseases added up to 208(65.4% of the total) and 274(86.2% of the total) three months and six months respectively after practicing Falun Gong.

After practicing Falun Gong, 318 out of 355 cultivators stopped taking medicine; 22 people cut the dose; the other 15 people never took medicine before and after their practice. The reduction in medical costs added up to 816,680yuan and the average reduction per person is 2,300yuan.

Key Words : Falun Gong, Cultivation, Survey of Health Status

QiGong science is one component of the traditional culture of the Chinese nation, and it has extensive and profound knowledge and a long history. The orthodox QiGong at the elementary level has been effective of self-health-care, with no need of financial costs. Today, QiGong has been recognized for its effect on curing diseases and keeping fit. Falun Gong, which was first transmitted to the public in 1992, has been quickly spread throughout China, and since 1995 it has been introduced to more than 20 countries and regions overseas across four continents. Falun Gong has attracted worldwide attention for its notable effect only by samples on curing diseases and keeping fit. Observing the principle of being responsible to the people and to science, from September to November 1996, we conducted a survey of improvement of physical condition of 355 cultivators of Falun Gong at certain sites in Beijing after their cultivation.

1.1 Contents

The survey covers the background information of the responders, their physical condition before and after cultivating Falun Gong, the indisposition and diseases that they formerly had (please see the tables). The tables are designed according to the last two reference books listed at the end of the report. The researchers visited the Disease Statistics Office of the First Hospital, attached to Beijing Medical University, Institute of Food and Nutrition and Institute of Environmental Sanitation and Sanitation Engineering of Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, and obtained the help and acknowledgment of some experts in the relevant fields. The 355 cultivators in the sample were chosen from 4 practice sites in Beijing, including 200 people from Ditan, 75 from Asian Games Village, 55 from Liu Pukang and 25 from Nanguan.

1.2 Methodology

The survey was conducted on the principles of regional and general survey as well as voluntary basis. On a voluntary basis, the sample was asked to complete the questionnaires in person. The survey was carried out in four stages. First, the members of a survey service team were trained to complete the questionnaire, and they tried completing it item by item before the authors checked the questionnaires. Next, the second-round training was carried out in the same way; the trainees were group leaders of practice sites. Thirdly, cultivators in every practice group were asked to complete the questionnaires and the group leaders checked them before handing them in. Last, the authors checked the questionnaires; the data were processed and statistical analyses done by computer.

2.1 General information

Of 355 responders, 100 were male and 255 female.

2.1.1 Age

355 responders were distributed in seven age groups. The youngest was 16 years old, and the oldest was 79. Those aged between 40 and 59 made up 57.5% of the total. Please refer to table 1.

Table 1 The Age Distribution Status of 355 Falun Gong Cultivators

2.1.2 Occupations

355 cultivators were engaged in 8 occupations: 67 people were office cadre, 72 were scientific and technical research personnel and medical workers; 145 retired people (88 of them used to be office cadre, scientific and technical personnel, medical workers and teachers, making up 60.7 % of the retired group). The number of people in the above three groups amounted to 284, 80% of the total. Detailed information shown in table 2.

Table 2 Distribution of Occupations of 355 Falun Gong Cultivators

*SM&T: Scientific Medical Worker & Teacher

** JVE&SE: Joint-venture Employee & Self-employed

2.1.3. Level of Education

The responders varied in level of education. 106 people graduated from high school or vocational high school; 141 people graduated from university or college. These two kinds of people amounted to 247, accounting for 69.6% of the total.

Table 3 The Distribution of Educational Level of 355 Falun Gong Cultivators

2.1.4. Duration of Practicing Falun Gong

The cultivators in the sample differed in length of practicing Falun Gong. Up to the day when the questionnaire was completed, the longest duration was 4 years and six months; the shortest one was only 10 days. Please see table 4.

Table 4 Duration of Practicing Falun Gong of 355 Cultivators

2.1.5. Daily Hours for Learning the Great Law and Practicing Exercises

Every day, 355 cultivators spent 0.5 to 4 hour(s) in learning the Great Law and practicing exercises. 290 people spent 1~2 hour(s) in practicing the exercises, making up 81.7% of the total. 237 people, or 66.8%, spent 1~2 hour(s) in learning the Great Law. Please see table 5.

2.2 The Comparison of the Cultivator’s Health Status Before and After Practicing Falun Gong

2.2.1. Dietary Habits

According to the responders, after they’re practicing Falun Gong, the change (increase or reduction) in the amount of food taken for each meal was about 50 grams. 139 people (39.1%) ate more than before, 46(13%) ate less, and 170 people reported no change.

2.2.2. Sleep

Of 355 cultivators, 235 people formerly slept less than 5 hours or could not sleep well with too many dreams. After cultivating Falun Gong, 123 people (52.3%) slept 5 hours or more than 5 hours every day. As for 134 people, it previously took them 0.5 hour or more to fall asleep; after practicing Falun Gong, 96 of them (71.6%) could fall asleep within less than 0.5 hour.

2.2.3. Urination and Stool

Before cultivating, 98 out of 355 cultivators had had constipation. After they began practicing Falun Gong, the illness of 85 people out of 98(86.7%) took a favorable turn. As to 34 people who formerly had diarrhea, 32 (94.1%) reported favorable turn of the illness. As to 67 people who previously had polyuria, 58(86.6%) reported a favorable turn. As to 60 people who formerly had nocturia, 54(90%) reported a favorable turn.

2.2.4. Improvement in Physical Strength

Among the practitioners who had been physically weak formerly, 77.4% of them reported improvement in their physical power as a result of practice. Please see table 6.

2.2.5. Energy

Of 355 cultivators, 45 people could only work for half day before their cultivation. After practicing Falun Gong, 27(60%) could work for a whole day. Of 27 people who could not work at all before their cultivation, 9 could work for half day, and 6 could work for a whole day as a result of practice. This means that 55.6% of the 27 responders improved their energy after their practicing Falun Gong.

2.2.6. Weight

The formula for measuring the cultivator’s weight (B.M.I.) is:

weight (kg)/height² (m)=20-24

Counting on normal basis: before and after cultivation of Falun Gong, B.M.I. of 81.7% of these responders was within the range of 20~24. 46 people gained weight more than 5 kg. The original B.M.I. of 21 people was more than 24. 25 people (7%) who were formerly thin or on the thin side gained 5kg and their B.M.I. reached the range of 20-24 after their practicing Falun Gong. There were 19 people (5.3%) who lost 5 kg after practice; among them only one person (0.28%) lost 5kg with B.M.I. 19.2.

2.2.7. Menstruation

There were 255 female among 355 responders; 24 of them formerly had had menstrual disorder; 134 of them had entered menopause. After practicing Falun Gong, of 24 women who has menstrual disorder, 15 women’s menstruation became regular. As to those who had lost menstruation, 4 women regained menses and their menstrual cycle was normal and menstruation normal; 26 women had a bit menstrual flow which was bright red and they usually had more whites without a peculiar smell. Although such women did not have regular menstrual cycle, every month they felt headache, distending pain in the lower abdomen and other physical reactions that one has before and during the menstruation period. However, they did not have menses except for more whites without a peculiar smell.

2.3. Recovery from Physical Indisposition after Cultivation of Falun Gong

Of 355 responders, 340(95.8%) formerly had had various common indisposition to different extent. After they’re practicing Falun Gong, 318 practitioners (93.5%) reported the disappearance of most of or all of their indisposition. It is found that the recovery rate from anorexia (93.1%) is the highest whole that of tinnitus (66.2%) seems comparatively low. The average recovery rate is 79.4%. Please see table 7. 

Table 7 Recovery from Indisposition

2.4. Recovery from Disease Before and After Cultivating Falun Gong

Of 355 responders, 15 people had had no disease at all before their cultivation; 59 people formerly had had diseases not clearly diagnoses; 261 people (73.5%) had had 113 kinds of diseases which were clearly diagnosed, and some of them had had many diseases individually. Table 8 shows their recovery from their diseases.

Table 8 Cultivator’s Recovery from Disease of the Sample After Practicing Falun Gong (Continued)

Table 8 Cultivator’s Recovery from Disease of the Sample After Practicing Falun Gong (Continued)

2.5. Recovery Duration of the Cultivators after Practicing Falun Gong

Of 355 cultivators, 318 had had diseases before cultivating Falun Gong. 4 Out of 318 people (1.26%) felt that their symptoms and diseases were gone the first day when they began to practice Falun Gong; 208(64.5%) felt the same effect within the first three months; 278(86.9%) reported that their former diseases and symptoms disappeared within the first six months of their practicing. The cultivators who recovered within the first year of their practicing added up to 305, 95.9% of the total.

2.6 Reduction in Medical Costs

Of 355 cultivators in the sample, 15 people never took medicine before and after cultivating Falun Gong; 22 people reduced the dose of medicine after cultivating Falun Gong; the other 318 people stopped taking medicine and became healthy. The reduction in medical costs amounts to 816,680 yuan; the annual reduction per person is 2,300yuan.

3.1 The findings in 2.1 indicate that since the introduction of Falun Gong in China in May 1992, The number of cultivators has been increasing, with a tendency of doubling (in number). The number of practitioners in 1996 is 1.46 times the total of 1992 to 1996. Moreover, Falun Gong has attracted people from all walks of life.

The data shown in the report only refers to the cultivators who come to the practice sites. It does not include those who do not go to the sites. It is said, more people are practicing Falun Gong, but do not go to the practice sites. Therefore, it is very difficult to have an accurate account of the increasing cultivators.

3.2. The findings in 2.2 show that cultivators of Falun Gong have improved their health to a great extent after their practicing. This suggests the outstanding effect on bodybuilding.

3.3 The findings in 2.3 indicate complete or partial disappearance of diseases of Falun Gong practitioners after their practicing. The average rate of disappearance of diseases is 79.4%. Therefore, it proves that Falun Gong is remarkably effective in curing diseases and keeping fit.

3.4. The findings in 2.4 show that the cultivators of Falun Gong have recovered from some of or all of their respective diseases; the average rate of recovery is 74.5%. This effect cannot be matched by any kind of treatment.

3.5. The findings in 2.5 show that after praising Falun Gong, the medical costs of the cultivators reduced greatly. Annual reduction of medical costs per person is 2,300yuan. Therefore, both social effect and economic benefits have been achieved.

Reference

Bai, Jin et al, Survey of Blood Pressure and Some Nutritive Factors among the Middle-aged and the Old in Dongchen District, Beijing , Health Research, 1994(4), 225-227

Liu, Zungyong, Wang Kean, and Li Tianlin, A guide to Survey Operation of Epidemiology of Diabetes , a research project group of The Characteristics of Spreading of Diabetes in China, Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, 1995

Yang, Shuqin, Statistics of Health (2^nd edition), Beijing People’s Publishing House, 1986.