Universities Conducting PSI research in 2022

Hi gang, first post. 

I am a TV producer working on a film about the nature of consciousness. One important aspect is the ongoing and historical research using empirical method to explore the various areas of parapsychology.  As I have been researching, one thing is clear, it's not a field of study that has surmounted the stigma and ridicule of the past to allow open inquiry with programs that are funded and well staffed. 

In fact, I've found many that have folded, lack funding, or are fearful for their survival. 

That said, I'd like to portray those that dare to continue on a personal mission to research these topics. NDE, OBE, PK, RV and other subjective and objective studies. But even finding, let alone having anyone dare to speak is a real problem as I have found.  It seems everyone is so worried about perception, credibility, and program protection that even talking in public is now forbaddin. 

So, what universities and academic institutions are still in existence with programs that students and researchers can go to to find programs today?

Dave Beaty
Senior Producer and UAP Researcher

[Laird]

Hi Dave, and welcome to the forums,

Drawing from the index that I put together for the Skeptiko forums some years back, here is an alphabetical list of institutions of the sort you seem to be seeking. Most of them are not associated with a university per se, but, as far as I know, most if not all of them do actively undertake academic research into parapsychology and related matters. This list very likely is incomplete, but hopefully it gives you something decent to go on, and others can fill in any gaps that it misses:

• Esalen
  
• Foundation for Research into Extraterrestrial Encounters (FREE)
  
• The American Society For Psychical Research (ASPR) (but be warned by the forum discussion here)
  
• The Farsight Institute
  
• Institute of Noetic Sciences
  
• The International Academy of Consciousness
  
• The Maimonides Dream Lab (no longer operational?)
  
• The Monroe Institute
  
• The Parapsychological Association (PA)
  
• The Rhine Research Center
  
• The Society for Psychical Research (SPR)
  
• Sofia University (formerly: The Institute of Transpersonal Psychology)
  
• The University of Virginia's Division of Perceptual Studies
  
• Windbridge Research Center
  

[Ninshub]

This website has the following list, that may include a few not in Laird's list.

Laird and Ninshub... doing us proud!

[Ninshub]

This website has the following list, that may include a few not in Laird's list.

In this list, these are the ones that stood out for me:

4. University of California, Santa Barbara Theoretical and Applied NeuroCasuality Laboratory (privately funded research laboratory at the University of California, Santa Barbara.) - Research focuses on the application of psychology and theoretical physics to the study of precognition.

7. Spirituality Mind-Body Institute at Teacher’s College Columbia University - first Ivy League graduate program dedicated to merging spirituality and evidence-based research within the context of clinical psychology.

[Ninshub]

@Dave_Beaty

Please differentiate and mind certain university programs/schools that attempt to "explain away" parapsychological research through a lens of materialistic, Skeptical worldview. It often goes under the label "anomalistic psychology".

Out of this list...

This website has the following list, that may include a few not in Laird's list.

9

... these fit that bill:

8. University of Edinburgh Koestler Parapsychology Unit - based in the Psychology Department at the University of Edinburgh, teaching and researching parapsychology.

10. University of London Goldsmith’s - Anomalistic Psychology attempts to explain paranormal and related beliefs.

Does the fact that the Edinburgh Koestler Parapsychology Unit receives funding say something about their approach to the subject matter?

In the UK, the University of Northampton would be a useful place to check. The psychology course is described thus:

You will have the opportunity to study areas as diverse as forensic psychology, social and organisational psychology, parapsychology, the human animal and neuroscience of the mind.

It is notable that  Professor Chris Roe of this institution is a previous (2018-2021) president of the Society for Psychical Research. Dr Callum Cooper of this university is also noteworthy.

Thanks for the information. I am especially interested in The Rhein at Duke. One of the people I filmed Ross Dunseath did undergraduate work there and mentioned it. We tried for over a month to get a comment from UVA including meeting in person to explain exactly what we are doing and could not get anyone to talk on camera. Obviously it’s a challenge to cover since we have to travel with a film crew.  So we have to be selective which places we contact. While initially I thought these programs would be eager to explain the work they are doing using the scientific method, I was surprised to learn it’s just the opposite. Film makers are viewed with suspicion. 

Maybe it’s just because I have not engaged with these other organizations, and I may be wrong. I’d like to feature a well known academic center so the viewers who have no clue of some of the esoteric names would think “oh Duke University has a PSI program, they must take it seriously and use empirical methods.” 

So one down, let’s see how the next one perceives - or preconceives someone wanting to tell a no-nonsense story about the state of the topic area of study. 

That said Ross Dunseath, PhD of MC2 and UVA was kind, informative and helped us recreate a scene of one of his PK experiments using a Muon detector with 3 variables, speed, angle and amplitude. He ran over 200 trials a few years back with significant statistics. He just didn’t want to mention UVA since his work is for MC2 at Monroe Institute. 

Dave

As I have been researching, one thing is clear, it's not a field of study that has surmounted the stigma and ridicule of the past to allow open inquiry with programs that are funded and well staffed. 

I think we would all agree with that. With relevance to the general subject, but not just specifically that (the lack of funding etc), I would point out that there is enormous intellectual dishonesty in academia surrounding parapsychology and the whole mind/brain problem, including IMHO, the 'elephant in the room' (for science-mainstream anyway) of near death experience. 

The sheer volume of data supports at the very least, some kind of adjustment to our paradigm. However, when you speak to some of these academics about this, it's as if the data is almost non existent, obviously flawed or simply explainable by ordinary means, brain pathology etc etc. But that is absolutely not the case.