The Telepathy Tapes

I get it: we don't want to be credulous. On the other hand, I'd have hoped that we could be enthusiastic and curious about really interesting and strong cases and projects.

I tend to feel this way about a lot of research that seems like it should seriously challenge the dominant pseudo-skeptic paradigm. For example even in the Skeptiko days I expressed some reservations about Bengson's healing research, and I still am very much unsure his techniques really work.

Also consider Farina's videos about ID which IIRC you posted here - I don't necessarily think he has the definitive right of it, but he makes a strong enough case that I as a layperson am wary of wholly accepting evolution has had interventions from a Designer. 

With Cosmic Fine Tuning, OTOH, the data is agreed upon by everyone and the Multiverse alternative is just silly so I am more willing to believe the universe as a whole is Designed even if evolution isn't. In contrast other paranormal/supernatural claims [where] it seems the data is constantly in dispute, even at the basic level of whether or not consciousness affects the quantum wave function. [Not to say these disputes are always honest, but it is IMO difficult for a layperson - even someone like me who did a lot of statistics in the past - to assess the data.]

As I mentioned I know someone who has a Biology Phd and works in the field, and he is very much interested in the Tapes. I suspect there are other scientists who are waiting to see what happens, and like many of us here hoping Powell's findings can be replicated. 

[Laird]

I get where you're coming from. I do think though that there's a difference between the fields you mentioned and the current case of telepathy in non-speakers in that those fields are technical and difficult for non-experts to assess, whereas this one is straightforward: a community is saying, "We can read minds", and that's been and being demonstrated in a variety of ways that, taken in full context, can't be dismissed.

I thought that by now we would recognise the skeptical playbook: focus on one small aspect of a broad phenomenon and its testing which, hypothetically, outside of the broader context could justify some degree of doubt - even though, in the broader context, it clearly has insufficient explanatory power - then move from an implausibly small degree of doubt, in a narrow context, to: "DEBUNKED!" - and lean hard into that ever after.

I get where you're coming from. I do think though that there's a difference between the fields you mentioned and the current case of telepathy in non-speakers in that those fields are technical and difficult for non-experts to assess, whereas this one is straightforward: a community is saying, "We can read minds", and that's been and being demonstrated in a variety of ways that, taken in full context, can't be dismissed.

I thought that by now we would recognise the skeptical playbook: focus on one small aspect of a broad phenomenon and its testing which, hypothetically, outside of the broader context could justify some degree of doubt - even though, in the broader context, it clearly has insufficient explanatory power - then move from an implausibly small degree of doubt, in a narrow context, to: "DEBUNKED!" - and lean hard into that ever after.

Well I think just as a particular medium can be a fraud even for someone who believes in mediumship, Powell's work could fail to show evidence of telepathy even when Psi exists.

There's also the challenge that even the Daily Grail noted that the research isn't [independently] replicated, nor is it - in Powell's own words if I read the article correctly - passing the kind of hard rigor to say the data is definitive:

On this point, even Diane Hennacy Powell recognizes that more stringent tests are needed, writing recently that “the conditions [of the tests in The Telepathy Tapes] were clearly not optimal for proving telepathy and we cannot definitively say that there was no cueing without more tests and a detailed analysis”.

Now it seems the link leads to a PDF where Powell and Williams are rebutting what looks like the usual pseudo-skeptic hit piece. That said, even if we believe in telepathy the skeptics can be right about this particular topic.

What we really need is an independent replication, or so it seems to me? I do realize that pseudo-skeptics can bury even strong evidence with false accusations and bogus research, as when Randi lied about actually doing an experiment that failed to replicate Sheldrake's animal telepathy results. But at the very least I'd want to see someone like Sheldrake, Alexander-Gomez, or even Kastrup try to replicate the results.

If we could get a [few] positive confirmations from the "psi-friendly" scientists out there I think that would move the needle more in getting scientists who are at least neutral to try and replicate?

[Laird]

This critique still ignores the full context shared in The Telepathy Tapes though, Sci. I'm not sure how many of them you've listened to, but the total evidence that they provide goes far beyond these (semi)formal tests. This narrow, hypothetical criticism ("cueing") of those tests is inadequate to explain away that broader context. It seems highly unlikely to me to be sound even in its narrow context in any case, but I'm still yet to pay up and study the raw videos, so I'll say no more on that for now.

Totally agreed, @Larry. On listening to The Telepathy Tapes, my reaction was, "Wow, this is the final nail in the coffin for skeptical materialism. Game over and game-changing. Now we can move on, and Ky is moving on, in such a thoughtful and inspiring way."

For the reactions in this thread on this forum of all places to be as skeptical as they are, or at least referencing of external skepticism, is disappointing. It's like Annika and Tristan all over again, about which I felt similarly.

There, again, was something utterly fascinating and - in my view - compelling, the nature and implications of which I would have thought we could have had an intriguing discussion about here on Psience Quest, but instead reactions were muted and wary (although, thankfully, not entirely so), even descending into digging up muckraking.

I get it: we don't want to be credulous. On the other hand, I'd have hoped that we could be enthusiastic and curious about really interesting and strong cases and projects.

I am believe fully in telepathy ~ but the cases claiming that non-verbal Autistic individuals are somehow especially telepathic? That's my point of contention. Everyone has the capability ~ but there is no reason for me to think that Autism or "neurodivergence" does anything to specifically increase those capabilities.

I guess I'd first like the experiments to be genuinely repeatable ~ using the general methods parapsychology has devised. Not some study out of nowhere claiming a certain thing that has apparently never been observed before by anyone else.

Maybe I have such caution because there has been enough of a reproducibility crisis in science in general. :/

[Laird]

there is no reason for me to think that Autism or "neurodivergence" does anything to specifically increase those capabilities.

The premise seems to be that these people are not fully embodied: the connection between mind and body is disrupted, which is why they struggle to control their bodies. Thus, they have more access to psychic and spiritual powers, which are more mental than bodily.

some study out of nowhere claiming a certain thing that has apparently never been observed before by anyone else.

I don't know whether you've listened to the Tapes, but on their account this very much has been observed for a long time by many people; they've just been sidelined and silenced for various reasons that are discussed.

The premise seems to be that these people are not fully embodied: the connection between mind and body is disrupted, which is why they struggle to control their bodies. Thus, they have more access to psychic and spiritual powers, which are more mental than bodily.

I believe that the premise may well be rather faulty. Given that they are non-verbal, it becomes easy for us to project our beliefs onto them ~ and given that there seems to be no independent confirmation by any unbiased psychics, I have my strong doubts. If anything, they seem more locked into their bodies ~ if the research into Autism being linked to severe brain inflammation has any merit.

I don't see the point in entertaining such ideas without independent confirmation from parapsychology researchers or psychics who don't have a horse in the race.

I don't know whether you've listened to the Tapes, but on their account this very much has been observed for a long time by many people; they've just been sidelined and silenced for various reasons that are discussed.

I have listened to the tapes ~ up to the part where they start glorifying Autism, anyways.

Another part of my caution has come from a recently increasing celebration of Autism and "neurodivergence" as a good thing. But that just reminds me too much of the new age crowd who take spirituality and distort it for their own ends ~ power, status and the like.

I know enough about Autism and have seen enough Autistic people to realize that none of them are telepathic.

For myself, I had no such capabilities initially ~ it took a few years of drinking Ayahuasca at the behest of the spirits. It was only when there were odd moments that then popped up where I heard a sentence in my mind just before it was said verbally, or unconsciously guessed someone's idea, with them asking me how I knew that, and I could only fumble in confusion, unsure myself.

For all we know, the carers of the Autistic people themselves may be the telepathic ones, projecting it onto their non-verbal Autistic charges. That would be some irony. If they're non-verbal, they can neither confirm nor deny, unfortunately ~ as I said, we would need an actual psychic with no biases towards an answer. Someone who can actually reach out and confirm. Preferably one that is telepathic themselves.

[Laird]

A sad and disappointing response, Valmar. I'll disengage at this point.

I'm more than willing to believe ~ if it is reproduced by parapsychologists and psychics. I'm just too wary to believe words blindly. There are enough bad studies out there, and I don't want this to just be accepted automatically, simply because there is a modern trend to glorify Autism and neurodivergence as being more than they are.

Yes, maybe there are some Autistic people who also happen to be telepathic or psychic ~ but I don't think it has anything to with the Autism itself nor enhanced by the Autism. Because, well, I am apparently an example of that ~ I don't believe my Autism / Asperger's to have any contributing power. Nor have the spirits made any focus on those attributes nor do they mention them at all, actually ~ I forget most days that I have that diagnosis, because I make efforts to just be myself, not a label.