New Thinking Allowed with Jeffrey Mishlove

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.

I find it very frustrating to listen to Alcock, because he's very eager to say this or that parapsychology experiment is terrible and full of flaws, but on the rare occasion when he actually mentions a flaw it doesn't amount to much. Thus, in this interview he complains that the numbers assigned to the experiments in Daryl Bem's "Feeling the Future" paper didn't match the chronological order in which the experiments were done. And when talking about the PEAR micro-PK experiments he says the number of high-intention runs was different from the number of low-intention runs, and on that basis goes on to speculate about possible fraud. But in his own book he said those numbers were equal.

One claim I hadn't heard before was that the high-scoring participant responsible for nearly a quarter of the PEAR micro-PK trials - without whom the overall database would become non-significant - was "the researcher herself who ran, conducted, designed the experiment" (presumably meaning Brenda Dunne).

[Laird]

One claim I hadn't heard before was that the high-scoring participant responsible for nearly a quarter of the PEAR micro-PK trials - without whom the overall database would become non-significant - was "the researcher herself who ran, conducted, designed the experiment" (presumably meaning Brenda Dunne).

That's very interesting, Chris. I had heard the claim that one participant was responsible for most of the results, but not a claim as to who it was. I wonder how he came across that information (perhaps he says in the video, which I haven't watched).

That's very interesting, Chris. I had heard the claim that one participant was responsible for most of the results, but not a claim as to who it was. I wonder how he came across that information (perhaps he says in the video, which I haven't watched).

I don't think he does. As far as I can see the subject isn't identified in his book, or in Palmer's review that he refers to.

I suppose given the sheer number of trials contributed by this subject, it was always likely that they were a permanent member of the PEAR staff.

Alcock's comment in the interview is that this was "Absolutely unacceptable." But I think that depends on whether there were adequate safeguards in the experimental protocol.

Synchronicity and Serendipity with Bernard D. Beitman

Bernard D. Beitman, MD, is former chair of the psychiatry department at the University of Missouri, Columbia. He is author of Connecting with Coincidence: The New Science of Using Synchronicity and Serendipity in Your Life. Here he points out that parapsychological events involving ostensible psychokinesis, telepathy, and precognition can also be thought of in terms of coincidence or synchronicity. Serendipity, however, need not involve psychic talents at all. He notes that certain normal psychological functions enable people to notice and act upon useful coincidences when they occur. He also maintains that some coincidences and synchronicities can be harmful and even deadly.

Again, I'm just selecting the more parapsychologically oriented interviews. There are a lot more about consciousness, religion and so on.

This week there's:

Precognition, Retrocausation, and the Unconscious with Eric Wargo

Eric Wargo, PhD, is author of Time Loops: Precognition, Retrocognition, and the Unconscious. He is an anthropologist and science writer. His blog is http://thenightshirt.com/. Here he defines time loops as akin to self-fulfilling prophecies. He asserts that they could be the very basis of the creative process. He explains that retrocausation is to physics what precognition is to parapsychology. He explores the social and psychological dynamics associated with the notion of premonitions. He reviews the experiment in time of J. W. Dunne suggesting that dreams contain much information seemingly derived from the future. He applies Dunne's methology to dreams of Sigmund Freud.

Ghost Hunting with Loyd Auerbach

Loyd Auerbach, MS, received his masters' degree in parapsychology from John F. Kennedy University. He is author of Mind Over Matter; ESP, Hauntings, and Poltergeists: A Parapsychologist's Handbook; Reincarnation, Channeling, and Possession; Psychic Dreaming; A Paranormal Casebook; and Ghost Hunting: How to Investigate the Paranormal. He is co-author (with Ed May, Joseph McMoneagle, and Victor Rubel) of ESP Wars: East and West. He is the Director of the Office of Paranormal Investigations. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Rhine Research Center.

Here he reflects on his experiences over many decades as a psychical research case investigator -- describing some of the early influences on his career when he started working with the American Society for Psychical Research. He notes the burgeoning new generation of "ghost hunters" and compares their activities with those of scientific investigators. He describes his work with mediums and psychics, and his own openness to intuitive impressions while on an investigation.





Remote Viewing in Nautical Archeology: The Brig Leander 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 an extensive project involving a large team of researchers, including remote viewers, who engaged in a survey of shipwrecks in the Grand Bahama Banks. In particular, the discussion focuses on the discovery of a previously unknown wreck identified as the Brig Leander. Many fine details were accurately predicted and described by remote viewers. Schwartz explains many fine points concerning his Mobius consensus methodology.


 

Science of the Near-Death Experience with Pim van Lommel

Pim van Lommel, MD, is a cardiologist who has pioneered the prospective study of near-death experiences among cardiac arrest patients. He is the author of Conciousness Beyond Life.

Here he describes the essential details of his research -- which has now been replicated in three other studies. Approximately 10 - 20% of cardiac arrest patients studied reported elements of the classic near-death experience. No factors were discovered that could differentiate the survivors who had an NDE from those who did not. All brain activity ceases after cardiac arrest. So, researchers were surprised to learn of the vibrant experiences reported by many -- including experiences of clairvoyance or nonlocal consciousness.

Premonitions of Disaster with Eric Wargo

Eric Wargo, PhD, is author of Time Loops: Precognition, Retrocognition, and the Unconscious. He is an anthropologist and science writer. His blog is http://thenightshirt.com/. Here he examines notable instances in which disastrous events have been forecast through dreams, works of creative art, and premonitions. One notable example is a novel by Morgan Robertson that appears to have described in considerable detail, twelve years in advance of the event, the sinking of the Titanic. A sensitivity to dream interpretation methods helps one to observe the psychological dynamics of precognition.




UFOs, Psychic Spies, and Consciousness with Lance Mungia

Lance Mungia is a film and video maker based in southern California. He is director of the documentary, Third Eye Spies, produced with parapsychology researcher Russell Targ. In this wide-ranging interview, he describes a personal experience of ostensible teleportation. He indicates how experiences such as this helped him to develop the philosophy that "I'm another version of you." He also describes how he came to collaborate with Russell Targ to create the documentary, Third Eye Spies. He elaborates on the implications of remote viewing for the interconnectedness of consciousness throughout the cosmos.




Houdini and the Witch of Lime Street with David Jaher

David Jaher is author of The Witch of Lime Street: Seance, Seduction, and Houdini in the Spirit World. Here he describes an episode in American history in which Scientific American magazine held a contest that pitted the great escape artist, Harry Houdini, against the provocative Spiritualist medium and Boston socialite, Margery Crandon. These two individuals were among the most famous in the western world during the 1920s. A number of psychical researchers were involved in the investigation of Mrs. Crandon's mediumship. This case, in part, inspired J. B. Rhine to develop scientific parapsychology in a new direction.

Another recent parapsychology-related interview:

Psychokinesis (PK) with Loyd Auerbach

Loyd Auerbach, MS, received his masters' degree in parapsychology from John F. Kennedy University. He is author of Mind Over Matter; ESP, Hauntings, and Poltergeists: A Parapsychologist's Handbook; Reincarnation, Channeling, and Possession; Psychic Dreaming; A Paranormal Casebook; and Ghost Hunting: How to Investigate the Paranormal. He is co-author (with Ed May, Joseph McMoneagle, and Victor Rubel) of ESP Wars: East and West. He is the Director of the Office of Paranormal Investigations. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Rhine Research Center.

Here he suggests that the principles of sports psychology also apply to the cultivation of psychokinesis. He maintains that we ultimately use PK to control our own bodies. The wide-ranging discussion that follows covers spoon-bending, poltergeists, martial arts, magical illusions, seances, as well as apports and disappearances. Considerable emphasis is placed on overcoming the psychological resistance to either witnessing or practicing psychokinesis.

Fantastic interview. 

I had no idea that 'Bio-photons' were a thing and are detectable in Parapsychological experiments. I was always under the impression that nothing had been found regarding this mind/matter interaction in a physical sense. One Biophoton normally and then, when doing something with PK/TK, millions.

Fantastic interview. 

I had no idea that 'Bio-photons' were a thing and are detectable in Parapsychological experiments. I was always under the impression that nothing had been found regarding this mind/matter interaction in a physical sense. One Biophoton normally and then, when doing something with PK/TK, millions.

I haven't listened to the interview yet, but biophotons are evidently being researched at the Rhine Centre: