Royal Rife

Royal Raymond Rife

File:Rife.jpg

Royal Rife in his laboratory

Birth date	1888-05-16
Birth place	Elkhorn, Nebraska, USA
Died	August 5, 1971(1971-08-05) (aged 83)
Place of death	San Diego, California, USA
Nationality	American
Known for	Rife machine, Rife microscope

Royal Raymond Rife (May 16, 1888 – August 5, 1971) was an American inventor and early exponent of high-magnification time-lapse cine-micrography. He is best known for his claims that he could observe live microorganisms using a specially designed optical microscope, which he called the "Rife microscope," and for his development of the "Rife machine," a device he claimed could treat various diseases by using electromagnetic frequencies.

Early Life and Education

Rife was born in Elkhorn, Nebraska, and later moved to San Diego, California. He studied at Johns Hopkins University, where he developed an interest in microbiology and optics. His early work involved the design and construction of optical instruments, which laid the foundation for his later inventions.

The Rife Microscope

Rife claimed to have developed a microscope capable of magnifying objects up to 60,000 times, far beyond the capabilities of conventional optical microscopes of his time. He asserted that this allowed him to observe live viruses, which were otherwise invisible under standard microscopes. The Rife microscope was said to use a combination of prisms and monochromatic light to achieve its high magnification and resolution.

The Rife Machine

The "Rife machine" was an electronic device that Rife claimed could cure cancer and other diseases by using radiofrequency energy to "resonate" with the pathogens causing the disease. Rife believed that each microorganism had a specific "mortal oscillatory rate" and that exposing them to this frequency would destroy them without harming the surrounding tissue.

Controversy and Criticism

Rife's work was met with skepticism by the scientific community. Critics pointed out the lack of rigorous scientific evidence supporting his claims. The American Medical Association and other medical authorities dismissed his methods as unproven and potentially dangerous. Despite this, Rife's ideas have persisted in alternative medicine circles, where some practitioners continue to use devices based on his concepts.

Legacy

Royal Rife's legacy is controversial. While he is celebrated by some as a pioneer in alternative medicine, mainstream science regards his work as pseudoscience. His story is often cited in discussions about the challenges faced by unconventional inventors and the importance of scientific validation.

Also see

• Alternative medicine
• Microscopy
• Electromagnetic therapy
• Pseudoscience