Do you guys want interviews?

I am definitely in favour of us doing some interviews if possible. I mean, let's be honest, Alex often didn't get the most out of the people he interviewed, because he always seemed to be trying to get them to agree with him - which isn't the ideal way to do things!

I mean, ideally we should be trying to take over the SKEPTIKO mantel without the politics, and probably the Climate Change (and probably a few other things). I say that even though I more or less agree with Alex's views on such subjects - the problem is that it those topics create too much friction, and aren't very closely related to what we are really about.

David

I'm definitely up for working with someone on a podcast. I don't want to be the voice of it which is why I haven't done it already but I have PR and web dev skills to bring to the table if anyone wants to give it a go.

I think we can rotate hosts? I don't see this as a whole new podcast but rather a fun way to engage the larger body of consciousness research and spiritual/magickal practice. For example I'd be willing to interview Kripal as I've talked to him over email and read enough of his work as it relates to our interests here.

Same for Raymond Tallis, possibly Marcus Arvan and Chris Fuchs. Bernardo if we want him on again, or Don Salmon who wrote Yoga Psychology.

Beyond that though, especially when we get into questions of data and quality controls of experiments, I'm just too far from STEM now and so it's out of my league and would be a disservice. Similarly I'm not enough of a historian to talk to Gordon White about Star. Ships or Hancock about his work.

A more up-to-date interview with Rupert Sheldrake would be nice. As would one with J.E. Kennedy, if he's still about and willing.

I pestered Alex for months about interviewing Tom Campbell about the experiments that he proposed in December, he seemed open to it early on but a month or so ago said that he had no interviews on VR scheduled (an early warning that Skeptiko was going to focus on conspiracy and anti-Christianity for the foreseeable future, I suppose) and then someone mentioned that a previous interview had been scrapped for technical reasons. I still think that interview has merits and probably more teeth to it than most, since he is positing something that can be tested in a lab.

If people are suggesting interviewees, Peter Bancel might be interesting. He has done a lot of analysis of the Global Consciousness Project in the past, and I believe he is now working on a novel experimental protocol using an immersive environment.

Just a quick post of support for the notion of interviews. I think they will be critical to this forum's ability to grow and thrive. The community here seems to have a diverse and deep talent set so it would seem possible.

I agree... Besides Alex's obvious shift during the last year or so, one of the main reasons why Skeptiko took the turn it took is that the forum came to a halt after the podcast stopped providing updates on consciousness studies (and this happened a while ago, even in the heyday of Skeptiko he used to practice the "once and done" mantra, only a few guests were fortunate enough to receive attention beyond a single podcast). The void led to tedium and people began trying to liven things by discussing volatile stuff. As long as we have follow-up interviews, we will have something to talk about and to attract lurkers.

I have just sent an e-mail to Titus Rivas (sorry, couldn't do it earler due to some technical problems). He once wanted to have a written, distant interview with Alex, but Alex refused.

So... if the interview would take a form of a written exchange, with questions formulated by us and Titus providing answers - possibly, with our further replies and Titus' responses to them - will it be acceptable?

I am definitely in favour of us doing some interviews if possible. I mean, let's be honest, Alex often didn't get the most out of the people he interviewed, because he always seemed to be trying to get them to agree with him - which isn't the ideal way to do things!

I mean, ideally we should be trying to take over the SKEPTIKO mantel without the politics, and probably the Climate Change (and probably a few other things). I say that even though I more or less agree with Alex's views on such subjects - the problem is that it those topics create too much friction, and aren't very closely related to what we are really about.

David

If anthropogenic climate change / global warming is not about to be discussed, then why do we have Alternative Views on Science subsection? If we are about to explore "fringe" scientific topics - and parapsychology is one of them - we cannot avoid examination of scientific controversies in general. And limiting non-consciousness-related "fringe" science topics to the single specific subsection will help avoid undsirable mixture.

I'm definitely up for working with someone on a podcast. I don't want to be the voice of it which is why I haven't done it already but I have PR and web dev skills to bring to the table if anyone wants to give it a go.

I think we can rotate hosts? I don't see this as a whole new podcast but rather a fun way to engage the larger body of consciousness research and spiritual/magickal practice. For example I'd be willing to interview Kripal as I've talked to him over email and read enough of his work as it relates to our interests here.

Same for Raymond Tallis, possibly Marcus Arvan and Chris Fuchs. Bernardo if we want him on again, or Don Salmon who wrote Yoga Psychology.

Beyond that though, especially when we get into questions of data and quality controls of experiments, I'm just too far from STEM now and so it's out of my league and would be a disservice. Similarly I'm not enough of a historian to talk to Gordon White about Star. Ships or Hancock about his work.

Raymond Tallis is the only researcher who never replied to my repeated attempts to establish a contact... All other beside him were eager to respond. So, good luck reaching him - probably he will be intersted in you more than in me?