New Thinking Allowed with Jeffrey Mishlove

I thought it might be helpful to post links here to new interviews in this series.

Here are the latest two interviews.

The Global Consciousness Project with Roger D. Nelson

Roger D. Nelson, PhD, is the director of the Global Consciousness Project, an international, multi-laboratory collaboration founded in 1997 which aimed to study collective consciousness. From 1980 to 2002, he was Coordinator of Research at the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research laboratory at Princeton University. His website is http://noosphere.princeton.edu/

Here he describes, in detail, a variety of experimental protocols involving "true" random event generators (REGs). Early work involved having the experimental subjects (called "operators") intentionally try to influences the REGs in one of two directions. Statistically significant deviations from chance were recorded. Later work involved "field REGs" in which small devices were brought to various locations at which the researchers anticipated some form of coherent group consciousness -- such as a concert. This proved to be even more statistically significant. Eventually, the Global Consciousness Project was established. It collected continuous data from numerous REGs at different locations throughout the world. Over 500 different events were tested to see if deviations from chance expectation would occur. The overall results were highly significant.




The Ideogram Controversy in Remote Viewing with Paul H. Smith

Paul H. Smith, PhD, has served twice as president of the International Remote Viewing Association an organization of which he is a founder. A former Army intelligence officer, he served for seven years as part of the military’s top-secret remote viewing program. He is author of Reading the Enemy’s Mind and The Essential Guide to Remote Viewing. He currently serves as president and chief trainer for Remote Viewing Instructional Services. His website is https://rviewer.com/.

Here he describes the history of the use of the ideogram in remote viewing. The technique was developed by Ingo Swann and was based, in part, on the drawings of children. Subsequently some remote viewing trainers have expanded the technique in order to create something of a lexicon of ambience symbols. Smith discusses both the advantages and disadvantages of this revised approach.

Here are two more (the descriptions are by Jeffrey Mishlove).

The Power of the Near-Death Experience, Part 1 with Elizabeth Krohn

Elizabeth Krohn is coauthor, with professor Jeffrey Kripal, of Changed in a Flash: One Woman's Near-Death Experience and Why a Scholar Thinks It Empowers Us All. Here she describes how her life was changed dramatically in 1988 when she was struck by lightning. Prior to that time, she describes herself as a conventional Houston, TX, wife and mother of two young children. She had no interest whatsoever in the paranormal. Although she was unconscious only for a matter of minutes, for her it seemed as if she was in a heavenly garden for two weeks. Subsequently, she began experiencing precognitive dreams and other psi phenomena.




The Power of the Near-Death Experience, Part 2 with Jeffrey Kripal

Jeffrey J. Kripal is the J. Newton Rayzor Professor of Philosophy and Religious Thought and former chair of the Department of Religious Studies at Rice University in Houston, Texas. His books include Kali's Child, Esalen, Authors of the Impossible, The Serpent's Gift, Mutants and Mystics, The Super Natural (with Whitley Strieber), and Secret Body. He is coauthor, with Elizabeth Krohn, of Changed in a Flash: One Woman's Near-Death Experience and Why a Scholar Thinks It Empowers Us All. Here he explains the significance of Elizabeth Krohn's near-death experience. He points out that simply reading or talking about such matters helps to create a "safe space" for others who may be having similar experiences. He notes that her experience, like most NDEs, was colored by her family and religious background. He also describes Eric Wargo's concept of "time loops", and suggests that this model allows for a wide variety of phenomena otherwise thought to be "paranormal".

Here are three more (the descriptions are by Jeffrey Mishlove).

Remote Viewing the Capture of Saddam Hussein with Stephan Schwartz

Stephan A. Schwartz is a Distinguished Consulting Faculty of Saybrook University. He is the columnist for the journal Explore, and editor of the daily web publication Schwartzreport.net in both of which he covers trends that are affecting the future. His other academic and research appointments include: Senior Fellow for Brain, Mind and Healing of the Samueli Institute; founder and Research Director of the Mobius laboratory. Government appointments include Special Assistant for Research and Analysis to the Chief of Naval Operations. Schwartz was the principal researcher studying the use of Remote Viewing in archaeology. Using Remote Viewing he discovered Cleopatra's Palace, Marc Antony's Timonium, ruins of the Lighthouse of Pharos, and sunken ships along the California coast, and in the Bahamas. He is the author of more than 130 technical reports and papers. He has written The Secret Vaults of Time, The Alexandria Project, Mind Rover, Opening to the Infinite, and The 8 Laws of Change.

Here he describes a remote viewing experiment conducted in 2003, about six weeks prior to the capture of Saddam Hussein. A group of 47 remote viewers participating in a workshop at the Edgar Cayce Foundation endeavored to precognitively describe many details concerning the condition and situation of Saddam at the time of his capture. Many details were accurate in surprising ways, including the location and appearance of Saddam and the fact that, although he was armed, he did not resist capture.



Science and the Siddhis (or Powers of Yoga) with Dean Radin

Dean Radin, PhD, is chief scientist at the Institute of Noetic Science in Novato, California. He is author of The Conscious Universe, Entangled Minds, Supernormal, and Real Magic.

Here he reviews the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, especially with regard to the description of about 25 different "siddhis" or powers that are attained by advanced practitioners. Once one has achieved a measure of enlightenment, known as samadhi, one can begin the practice of samyama which then enables a variety of parapsychological skills. However, in yoga, these are generally considered to be distractions from the ultimate goal of spiritual enlightenment. Radin compares the claims of yoga with the findings of parapsychology.



Meditation Induced Near-Death Experience with William Van Gordon

William Van Gordon, PhD, is a Chartered Psychologist who lectures and conducts research in psychology at the University of Derby in the United Kingdom. He sits on the editorial board for various academic journals including Mindfulness and Mindfulness and Compassion. He is also co-editor of two academic anthologies: Mindfulness and Buddhist-derived Approaches in Mental Health and Addiction, and The Buddhist Foundations of Mindfulness. William has over 100 academic publications relating to the scientific study of meditation. Prior to joining academia, William was a Buddhist monk for ten years.

Here he describes a multi-year research project involving advanced Buddhist meditators who were able to enter into a particular state of consciousness very much akin to the classical near-death experience. An entire year was spent selecting and recruiting meditators who were skilled in this practice. Three additional years were spent in follow-up observations. Detailed descriptions were collected of this unusual state of consciousness. Follow-up studies are planned.

Here are three more (the descriptions are by Jeffrey Mishlove).

Remote Viewing the Capture of Saddam Hussein with Stephan Schwartz

Stephan A. Schwartz is a Distinguished Consulting Faculty of Saybrook University. He is the columnist for the journal Explore, and editor of the daily web publication Schwartzreport.net in both of which he covers trends that are affecting the future. His other academic and research appointments include: Senior Fellow for Brain, Mind and Healing of the Samueli Institute; founder and Research Director of the Mobius laboratory. Government appointments include Special Assistant for Research and Analysis to the Chief of Naval Operations. Schwartz was the principal researcher studying the use of Remote Viewing in archaeology. Using Remote Viewing he discovered Cleopatra's Palace, Marc Antony's Timonium, ruins of the Lighthouse of Pharos, and sunken ships along the California coast, and in the Bahamas. He is the author of more than 130 technical reports and papers. He has written The Secret Vaults of Time, The Alexandria Project, Mind Rover, Opening to the Infinite, and The 8 Laws of Change.

Here he describes a remote viewing experiment conducted in 2003, about six weeks prior to the capture of Saddam Hussein. A group of 47 remote viewers participating in a workshop at the Edgar Cayce Foundation endeavored to precognitively describe many details concerning the condition and situation of Saddam at the time of his capture. Many details were accurate in surprising ways, including the location and appearance of Saddam and the fact that, although he was armed, he did not resist capture.



Science and the Siddhis (or Powers of Yoga) with Dean Radin

Dean Radin, PhD, is chief scientist at the Institute of Noetic Science in Novato, California. He is author of The Conscious Universe, Entangled Minds, Supernormal, and Real Magic.

Here he reviews the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, especially with regard to the description of about 25 different "siddhis" or powers that are attained by advanced practitioners. Once one has achieved a measure of enlightenment, known as samadhi, one can begin the practice of samyama which then enables a variety of parapsychological skills. However, in yoga, these are generally considered to be distractions from the ultimate goal of spiritual enlightenment. Radin compares the claims of yoga with the findings of parapsychology.



Meditation Induced Near-Death Experience with William Van Gordon

William Van Gordon, PhD, is a Chartered Psychologist who lectures and conducts research in psychology at the University of Derby in the United Kingdom. He sits on the editorial board for various academic journals including Mindfulness and Mindfulness and Compassion. He is also co-editor of two academic anthologies: Mindfulness and Buddhist-derived Approaches in Mental Health and Addiction, and The Buddhist Foundations of Mindfulness. William has over 100 academic publications relating to the scientific study of meditation. Prior to joining academia, William was a Buddhist monk for ten years.

Here he describes a multi-year research project involving advanced Buddhist meditators who were able to enter into a particular state of consciousness very much akin to the classical near-death experience. An entire year was spent selecting and recruiting meditators who were skilled in this practice. Three additional years were spent in follow-up observations. Detailed descriptions were collected of this unusual state of consciousness. Follow-up studies are planned.

This one was interesting in that the people participating basically drew Buddhist insights for the most part from their NDE like experiences (given that was their orientation) - also the part about time collapsing seemed consistent with typical nde's. It would be interesting to hear more directly from the participants of the study.

Here are three more (the descriptions are by Jeffrey Mishlove).

What Can We Learn From Bizarre Phenomena? with Bernardo Kastrup

Bernardo Kastrup, PhD, is a computer scientist. He is author of Rationalist Spirituality, Why Materialism is Baloney, Dreamed Up Reality, Meaning in Absurdity, Brief Peeks Beyond, More Than Allegory, and The Idea of the World. He has published several papers in Scientific American arguing for metaphysical idealism. Here he reviews a number of nonsensical events ranging from bizarre UFO encounters to religious miracles to psychedelic visions and dreams. He suggests that there are certain common themes that run through dreams, fantasies, and reports of paranormal occurrences -- and that they all speak to us symbolically. He also proposes that the deep archetypes of the Jungian collective unconscious can manifest in what we think of as the physical world.





The Life and Ideas of Emanuel Swedenborg with Gary Lachman

Gary Lachman is the author of twenty-one books on topics ranging from the evolution of consciousness to literary suicides, popular culture and the history of the occult. He has written a rock and roll memoir of the 1970s, biographies of Aleister Crowley, Rudolf Steiner, C. G. Jung, Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, Emanuel Swedenborg, P. D. Ouspensky, and Colin Wilson, histories of Hermeticism and the Western Inner Tradition, studies in existentialism and the philosophy of consciousness, and about the influence of esotericism on politics and society. Here he describes life in the eighteenth century as a time of both enlightenment thought and biblical reverence. Swedenborg's father was a bishop who also attained a title of nobility. Swedenborg travelled widely and developed many scientific interests. From childhood he began developing breathing practices for purposes of concentration. He explored many nuances of the hypnogogic state. Later in life he published many books about his visionary experiences. He was widely recognized as a visionary and for his psychic skills. 





A New Vision of the Unexplained, Part One with Whitley Strieber

Whitley Strieber is author of more than 40 books, including many novels. Among his non-fiction works are Communion: A True Story, Confirmation: The Hard Evidence of Aliens Among Us, Solving The Communion Enigma: What Is To Come?, The Secret School: Preparation for Contact, and The Key: A True Encounter. He is coauthor, with his late wife Anne Strieber, of The Communion Letters. He is coauthor, with Professor Jeffrey Kripal, of The Super Natural: A New Vision of the Unexplained. His website is http://www.strieber.com/ . Here he review the history of his encounters, over more than three decades, with entities that he identifies as "the visitors". These encounters are of a wide variety and include elements that can be found elsewhere in both shamanic and ufological lore. He maintains that these strange events can best be studied, and hopefully understood, if we can let go of our preconceptions of what they might be. Some of his experiences were quite frightening and painful. Others were ecstatic. He describes his decision to accept these events in a loving manner.

A New Vision of the Unexplained, Part Two with Jeffrey Kripal

Jeffrey J. Kripal is the J. Newton Rayzor Professor of Philosophy and Religious Thought and former chair of the Department of Religious Studies at Rice University in Houston, Texas. His books include Kali's Child, Esalen, Authors of the Impossible, The Serpent's Gift, Mutants and Mystics, The Supernatural (with Whitley Strieber), and Secret Body. He is coauthor, with Elizabeth Krohn, of Changed in a Flash: One Woman's Near-Death Experience and Why a Scholar Thinks It Empowers Us All. Here he shares a scholarly perspective on the non-fiction books and claims of Whitley Strieber. He describes Strieber as a prophet or shaman in a culture that has no place for prophets and shamans. He acknowledges that he differs from Strieber regarding the physicality of the events he has described. He also doubts that these circumstances are amenable to scientific evaluation. He suggests that humanistic approaches, such as hermeneutics offer much promise in understanding the mystery of Strieber's life.





Psychokinetic Weather Influence with Dani Caputi

Dani Caputi is a doctoral candidate in atmospheric science at the University of California, Davis. She is conducting an experiment on psychokinetic influence of atmospheric turbulence. Here she maintains that shamanistic traditions suggest that psychokinetic weather influence is not a matter of "control" but more a question of gently merging psychologically with a weather system and gently guiding or inviting a new pattern. She reviews the history of research in this domain and then describes her own experimental approach. She describes the nature of atmospheric turbulence and how it can be measured.

Some more recent interviews, with Mishlove's descriptions. These are just the more parapsychology-oriented ones:

Remote Viewing in Nautical Archeology: The Caravel Project with Stephan A. Schwartz

Stephan A. Schwartz is a Distinguished Consulting Faculty of Saybrook University. He is the columnist for the journal Explore, and editor of the daily web publication Schwartzreport.net in both of which he covers trends that are affecting the future. His other academic and research appointments include: Senior Fellow for Brain, Mind and Healing of the Samueli Institute; founder and Research Director of the Mobius laboratory. Government appointments include Special Assistant for Research and Analysis to the Chief of Naval Operations. Schwartz was the principal researcher studying the use of Remote Viewing in archaeology. Using Remote Viewing he discovered Cleopatra's Palace, Marc Antony's Timonium, ruins of the Lighthouse of Pharos, and sunken ships along the California coast, and in the Bahamas. He is the author of more than 130 technical reports and papers. He has written The Secret Vaults of Time, The Alexandria Project, Mind Rover, Opening to the Infinite, and The 8 Laws of Change.

Here he describes how Christopher Columbus was forced to abandon two ships in St. Ann's Bay, Jamaica, during his fourth voyage to the western hemisphere. He and his crew were marooned for over a year. For decades, nautical archeologists have been searching for these shipwrecks. Eventually, one archeologist sought the assistance of remote viewers from Schwartz' Mobius Group. Stephan describes how he developed the Mobius consensus protocol and organized a project to locate the remnants of Columbus' ships. The accuracy of the descriptors provided by the remote viewers was remarkably high.



The Early Years of Parapsychology at Duke University with Sally Rhine Feather

Sally Rhine Feather, PhD, is on the board or directors of the Rhine Research Center. She is coauthor of The Gift: The Extraordinary Paranormal Experiences of Ordinary People. Here she describes her life, growing up as the eldest daughter of Joseph Banks Rhine, widely regarded as the father of modern parapsychology. As a teenager, and also as an adult, she worked at the parapsychology lab at Duke University. Research at the time focused on personality and mood variables associated with ESP, psychokinesis, and precognition. The existence of psi was accepted by the researchers. She describes the great care the researchers took to prevent errors or fraud.



Subjectivity, the Self, and the Soul with Dani Caputi

Dani Caputi is a doctoral candidate in atmospheric science at the University of California, Davis. She is conducting an experiment on psychokinetic influence of atmospheric turbulence. Here she maintains that shamanistic traditions suggest that psychokinetic weather influence is not a matter of "control" but more a question of gently merging psychologically with a weather system and gently guiding or inviting a new pattern. She reviews the history of research in this domain and then describes her own experimental approach. She describes the nature of atmospheric turbulence and how it can be measured.

The Early Years of Parapsychology at Duke University with Sally Rhine Feather

Sally Rhine Feather, PhD, is on the board or directors of the Rhine Research Center. She is coauthor of The Gift: The Extraordinary Paranormal Experiences of Ordinary People. Here she describes her life, growing up as the eldest daughter of Joseph Banks Rhine, widely regarded as the father of modern parapsychology. As a teenager, and also as an adult, she worked at the parapsychology lab at Duke University. Research at the time focused on personality and mood variables associated with ESP, psychokinesis, and precognition. The existence of psi was accepted by the researchers. She describes the great care the researchers took to prevent errors or fraud.

Just catching up on these. Part of the interview touches on the episode of fraud at the Institute of Parapsychology in the 1970s, involving Walter J. Levy. They refer to a previous interview with John Kruth, the current executive director of the Rhine Research Center, in which Rhine's response to the fraud was discussed. That interview, from January, can be seen here:

There's also a reference in the interview to some work done by Sally Rhine Feather which found a correlation between ESP scores and performance in memory tests. This was published in the Journal of Parapsychology in 1967.

There was a review by John Palmer of this and subsequent work on Memory and ESP, in a special issue of the European Journal of Parapsychology on the theme of Memory and Psi in 2006:
http://ejp.naturalresourceswellbeing.com...0v21-2.pdf

Two more recent interviews, with Mishlove's descriptions. Again, these are just the more parapsychology-oriented ones:

In Search Of The Afterlife with Raymond Moody

Raymond Moody, PhD, MD, is author of Life After Life, the classic book that inaugurated the scientific and academic study of near-death experiences. His other books include Glimpses of Eternity, Reunions, The Light Beyond, Life After Loss, Coming Back, and Paranormal. Here he reflects upon his lifelong quest to better understand the mystery of death. He acknowledges the existence of the afterlife, saying that he could no longer resist the evidential strength of certain cases. He also shares his passion for the philosophical exploration of near-death reports. He explains how he came to develop a classification scheme for levels and degrees of nonsense. He points out how the study of nonsense can lead to a shift in consciousness, required to fully understand the nature of the afterlife. 




A Skeptical Look At Parapsychology with James Alcock

James E. Alcock, PhD, is professor emeritus of psychology at York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is a fellow and member of the executive council of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. He is author of Parapsychology: Science or Magic, Science and Supernature: A Critical Appraisal of Parapsychology, and Belief: What It Means To Believe and Why Our Convictions Are So Compelling. He is also coauthor of An Introduction to Social Psychology. Here he describes the history of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (formerly known as CSICOP) as an effort to counter the perceived "rising tide of superstition" in modern culture. He distinguishes between scientific parapsychology and various occult claims -- while acknowledging that not all skeptics will do so. He voices his criticisms of various approaches to parapsychology research and offers his support for well-designed research in parapsychology.