Psi Multimedia Resources Thread

[Laird]

I can't help feeling that if it were that easy, it could be done in the lab on demand, and the argument about psi would be over.

Perhaps we ought to try to organise that - to try to put these folk, especially Sean - and assuming that they were willing to participate - in contact with a prominent parapsychologist.

Perhaps we ought to try to organise that - to try to put these folk, especially Sean - and assuming that they were willing to participate - in contact with a prominent parapsychologist.

And then invite people to feel love and beauty in a laboratory?

[Laird]

And then invite people to feel love and beauty in a laboratory?

I'm not sure how a laboratory could prove feelings. I can see how it could prove telekinesis. That said, lack of proof isn't proof of lack.

And then invite people to feel love and beauty in a laboratory?

Love among the test tubes? 

I don't think a lab necessarily has to feel like a sterile, soulless environment, and I don't think controlled experiments necessarily have to be done in an offputtingly formal way. If I remember correctly the people at the PEAR lab attributed their success to the cultivation of an informal and welcoming atmosphere.

Measuring love and beauty might be a different matter, but funnily enough Julia Mossbridge seems to be specialising in love these days, including teaching AIs about love:
http://psiencequest.net/forums/thread-ps...6#pid11666

I'm not sure how a laboratory could prove feelings. I can see how it could prove telekinesis. That said, lack of proof isn't proof of lack.

I was talking about telekinesis too. Please see my previous post.

We know that in the real world all sorts of extremely powerful psi phenomena take place. A common factor in many (maybe not all) is an emotional involvement, for example in contact between two people at distant locations. Laboratory experiments don't usually get anywhere near that level of emotional involvement.

If we consider psi as a creative act, comparable for example to a musical performance, or perhaps more appropriately, the act of creating a new musical composition, a gifted musician might do reasonably well in a lab, but it is hard to imagine the results being anything like compositions done in the real world, where things may unfold naturally.

Measuring love and beauty might be a different matter, but funnily enough Julia Mossbridge seems to be specialising in love these days, including teaching AIs about love:
http://psiencequest.net/forums/thread-ps...6#pid11666

I wasn't referring to measuring love and beauty. Rather about measuring telekinesis.

I think I've come across that AI context before. I don't have any comment on the matter. Perhaps the AI might join the forum to explain it.

My impression is that Sean McNamara's focus is more experiential than experimental. However, he does reply to many of the comments beneath his videos, so you might post your questions/suggestions to his page.

I did ask in the YouTube comments:

Just a couple of thoughts: have you thought of recording the jars when nobody is there or thinking about moving the objects? Secondly, I wonder whether the telekinesis moves the air in the jar - a vacuum test would be interesting.

He answered:

Yes, it's been done, no movement overnight. Others have had the same result. My hope is that people get inspired to learn how to do this themselves so they can do their own experiments and research.

Courtesy of the SPR Facebook page, here are videos of presentations at the Australian Institute of Parapsychological Research's 2017 Mini-Conference.

Poltergeists and Ghosts - John Dixon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUwiJr4Loyo

Reincarnation Research - Terry Olesen 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o15s07yNJ3Q

A Doctor in Two Worlds - Dr John Diamond
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc4AZ2sCi7s

The Otherreal: Reality, ASC's, & Paranormal Experience - Dr. Tony Jinks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE_FoI7AJsc

The latest Skeptiko podcast is an interview with Dean Radin, entitled "Dr. Dean Radin Brings Real Magic to the Psi Lab":
http://skeptiko.com/dean-radin-brings-re...i-lab-377/

The latest Skeptiko podcast is an interview with Dean Radin, entitled "Dr. Dean Radin Brings Real Magic to the Psi Lab":
http://skeptiko.com/dean-radin-brings-re...i-lab-377/

I thought it was quite interesting, but I don't understand why Alex continues to be so fulsome in his praise of Dean Radin, because they don't really seem to be on the same page:
(1) Radin isn't keen on the idea of discarnate spirits playing a role in psi (though I don't understand why Alex is)
(2) Radin is sceptical of NDEs as evidence of post mortem survival, because of the possibility that events taking place while the brain isn't functioning may be perceived precognitively or retrocognitively
(3) Radin insists that although consciousness is fundamental, it can still obey "certain lawful regularities", and that it needs to be studied scientifically
(4) It may be that it will be too difficult for humans to figure it out, and we'll need "our artificial intelligence overlords" to do it!

The last bit about AI reminded me of a talk by Dean Radin last year, in which he speculated that when computers attained consciousness, they would also develop psychical powers. He also made it pretty clear that the "magic" theme was essentially a marketing strategy for his new book:
http://psiencequest.net/forums/thread-ps...8#pid11698