Japanese researcher Masaru Emoto is known for his fascinating pictures of water crystals before and after being exposed to certain words.

	Masaru Emoto

What he found was water that was labeled with harsh and negative words resulted in deformed crystals (if they could form at all). The most perfect crystals developed when the words "love and gratitude" were pasted onto the bottle. He also found water reacted in a similar way to music. Harsh heavy metal was not an aqua favorite.

His book "The Hidden Messages in Water" is a New York Times best seller. He has also written "The True Power of Water." He will be in Cranberry 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday for a talk, "The True Power of Water," at the Regional Learning Alliance. Visit www.regionallearning-alliance.com for directions. For tickets, $35, go to www.epiphanyworks.org or call 724-452-1131.

Q: Did you ever expose water to the word "fire"? How did it react?

A: We didn't do that testing yet. I think it would depend on fire from wood or fire from plastic or fire from something else. Yes, the crystal of water might change.

Is there a difference between a frozen water crystal and a snowflake?

Yes, there is a big difference. Frozen water crystals are much bigger than snowflakes, maybe 100 times or so. But the shape is very, very similar, a hexagon.

Do you believe water has intelligence?

Fundamentally no. I believe water is a mirror of our human mind. So if a human being is good, the water is also good.

So, if a person talks to water before he drinks it and asks the water to heal him, it will work?

It does work. Yes, I tested such a thing many times.

In your books, you talk about vibrations and say that everything emits a vibration. Does water only receive vibrations? Does it give off its own?

I believe water is the only medium that carries vibrations. But every material includes water, even diamonds. So everything has a vibration. Vibration is energy and, without energy, we have to die.

What about ocean water? Does it react the same as fresh water?

In the case of seawater, we cannot take crystal pictures directly. But if we dilute seawater with pure water, we can take a picture.

I was intrigued to see that the tap water from New York City and Washington, D.C., formed perfect crystals, yet it is treated water.

I took only one picture of tap water in New York, and that was seven or eight years ago. Manhattan has a very good system -- a water tank made of cedar. That was only one testing, so I don't know the answer.

Do you believe chemically treated water can be changed by thoughts or words?

Even tap water crystals can be changed if we apply pure energy and good emotion. So that means we can decrease the toxins inside water, I believe.

How can water heal?

Only with these words: I love you, water; I thank you, water; I respect you, water.

Does that explain why holy water, such as that from Lourdes in France, works only on some people?

If people believe in the Maria [Lourdes is a shrine to Mary, the mother of Christ] of the water, then they will be saved because water is a mirror of the mind. It's the same thing for Hindus. They have the water of the Ganges River. I hear often when Japanese tourists go to the Ganges and take water, they are sure to be sick. But it won't harm Hindus at all.

So is the basic message here positive thinking?

Yes, everything comes from human beings. If we have positive thinking, the water surely will be good.

Are you saying we can use water to change the world?

Yes!

What kind of water do you drink?

Beer [laughs]. That's my case.

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