Parapsychology

Angels in Space

by Leo Ruickbie

Paranormal, 56 (February 2011), pp. 54-57

Concerns the conceptualisation of unknown aerial phenomena, the role of rumour in modern media and the verification of... more Concerns the conceptualisation of unknown aerial phenomena, the role of rumour in modern media and the verification of sources.

Exploring the Extraordinary 4th Conference

by Hannah Gilbert

21st-23rd September, 2012, York UK

FRIDAY, 21st September

1.00-1.15    Introduction

1.15-1.45    ‘The... more FRIDAY, 21st September

1.00-1.15    Introduction

1.15-1.45    ‘The spectacular supernatural: Victoria Spiritualism and the rise of modern show business’ Simone Natale, University of Cologne
1.45-2.15    ‘Extraordinary claims, uncanny history: Testing historical
interpretations of Spiritualism and the First World War’ Ben McDonald, University of Melbourne
2.15-2.45    ‘Reconstructing Seaford: A historical methodology to trace the rise of the psychokinetic theory of the poltergeist phenomenon’ Christopher Laursen, University of British  Columbia

2.45-3.00    Break

3.00-3.30    ‘A qualitative study of anomalous telephonic experiences’ Callum Cooper, University of Northampton
3.30-4.00    ‘The nature and quality of child-parent relationships as predictors of adult paranormal and new age beliefs’ Dr Paul Rogers, University of Central Lancashire

4.00-4.15    Break

4.15-4.45    ‘Listening for vampiric and ‘other’ worldly voices: Navigating dark occultural cyberspace in search of the extraordinary’ Dr Sean O’Callaghan, University of Lancaster
4.45-5.15    ‘Revenant revolutions’ Jonathan Ferguson, Leeds Royal Armouries

6.30-8.00    Dinner

Evening Activity: Films
8.00          The Fortean tales of Lapis Lazu, Christopher Laursen, University of British Columbia
8.30          Science and spirit(s), Prof Charles Emmons, Gettysburg College 


SATURDAY, 22nd September

10.00-10.30    ‘Exploring extraordinary geographies: The overlapping spaces of the practical, the social and the otherworldly’, Dr Nadia Bartolini, Dr Sara MacKian & Dr Steve Pile, Open University
10.30-11.00    ‘Crystals, angels and a discourse of healing: Exploring extraordinary therapeutic landscapes,’ Dr Sara MacKian, Open University

11.00-11.15    Break

11.15-11.45    ‘GHosts, guests and hosts, and how to make them’ Sarah Sparkes, University of London
11.45-12.15    ‘English heretic:  An application of magical psychogeography and modern necromancy’ Andy Sharp
12.15-12.45    ‘Expressions of spirithood: Performance and the manifestation of spirits,’ Jack Hunter, University of Bristol

12.45-2.00    Lunch

2.00-2.30    ‘In the light and shadow: Turning the dead to keep the world alive,’ Dr Christel Mattheuws, University of Aberdeen
2.30-3.00    ‘The shamanic journey: Ordinary into extraordinary reality’, Dr Zoe Bran
3.00-3.30    ‘Magic, materialism and mushrooms: Psilocybin mushrooms user’s constructions of the reality of psychedelic entity encounters’ James Thompson, University of Bath

3.30-3.45    Break

3.45-4.15    ‘“Knock, knock… who’s there?” Orientating to spirits in the spatial and personal environment’ Rachael Hayward, University of York     
4.15-4.45    ‘Ghostly interventions: Revenant landscapes and para-places’ James Thurgill, Royal Holloway University of London
4.45-5.15    ‘The material remains of presence on an excavated hauntscape: A transductive ethnography of a spectral soundscape’ John Sabol
                               
Evening Activity: Dinner and Social Evening
7.00    Dinner venue tbc


SUNDAY, 23rd September

10.00-10.30    ‘Noise and the infinite’ Adam Potts, Newcastle University
10.30-11.00    ‘Paramusicology: The fusion of music and the paranormal’ Dr Melvyn Willin

11.00-11.15    Break

11.15-11.45    ‘Religion and the paranormal in pragmatist philosophy,’ Dr Guy Bennett-Hunter, University of Edinburgh
11.45-12.15    ‘It takes one to know one: Imaginal cognition and the question of spiritual reality’ Dr Angela Voss

12.15-12.30    Break

12.30-1.00    ‘Emotion, extraordinary experience and ethics’ Dr Madeleine Castro, Leeds Metropolitan University & Dr Hannah Gilbert, York St John University

1.00            Lunch

Psychic Sensitivity: Photographic Experiment

by Mike Rush

Published in Anomaly, Vol. 45, pp73-83.

Project Merlin is an ASSAP initiative consisting of a matrix of modules designed to throw light on the nature of... more Project Merlin is an ASSAP initiative consisting of a matrix of modules designed to throw light on the nature of various xenonormal and paranormal phenomena by carrying out appropriate research. The experiment reported here was designed and executed as part of Module 19 – Sensitives and Their Significance (Pincott, 2008), which is specifically concerned with the fundamental question ‘Can sensitives obtain veridical information without using recognised senses or normal modes of communication?’.

Gef the Talking Mongoose

by Christopher Josiffe

Published in Fortean Times, no.269 (December 2010)

In the early 1930s, an Isle of Man farmer and his family claimed that they held regular conversations with a small... more In the early 1930s, an Isle of Man farmer and his family claimed that they held regular conversations with a small weasel-like animal, an entity who became known as Gef the Talking Mongoose. He allegedly lived with the family for a number of years, by turns a threatening, mischievous, affectionate, and ultimately enigmatic presence.

The paranormal investigator Harry Price visited the farmhouse and, whilst believing the phenomena to have had a psychological origin, was unable to demonstrate it to be fraudulent.

A fellow investigator, Dr Nandor Fodor of the Society for Psychical Research, a trained psychoanalyist, remained convinced that Gef was genuine.

This article assesses the evidence both for and against.

Über Grenzen schreiben. Presseberichterstattung zu Themen aus dem Bereich der Anomalistik und der Grenzgebiete der Psychologie in den Printmedien Spiegel, Bild und Bild am Sonntag

by Gerhard Mayer

Published in 'Zeitschrift für Anomalistik', 2003, 3(1+2), pp. 8-46

English abstract:

BILD and SPIEGEL are probably the two most influential print media in the Federal... more English abstract:

BILD and SPIEGEL are probably the two most influential print media in the Federal Republic of Germany since the 1950ies. Analysed is the frequency, contents and style of 2422 reports in BILD and SPIEGEL on 46 different topics of anomalistics and the border areas of psychology (e.g. astrology, cults, hypnosis, parapsychology, poltergeists, UFOs etc) for a period of five decades. Both print media have a strong tendency to distort the facts: while BILD is eager to create ‘sensations’ of any kind, the SPIEGEL has an in-clination to ridicule all and everything which is not in accord with the stereotypes and prejudices of the ‘rationalist’ common disbeliever.

Keywords : media research – journalism – parapsychology

Uwe Schellinger: Kaum zu fassen: Die spezifische Problematik der historischen Überlieferung paranormaler Erfahrungen im 20. Jahrhundert, in: Zeitschrift für Anomalistik 11 (2011) Nr.1+2+3, S. 166-196.

by Uwe Schellinger

Forscherinnen und Forscher aus den Geschichts- und Kulturwissenschaften sehen sich bei historisch orientierten... more Forscherinnen und Forscher aus den Geschichts- und Kulturwissenschaften sehen sich bei historisch orientierten Forschungen zu paranormalen Erfahrungen im menschlichen Alltag spezifischen Problemen bei der Quellenrecherche gegenüber. Da entsprechende Berichte über außergewöhnliche Erfahrungen in der Vergangenheit in überwiegendem Maße an Personen und Institutionen vermittelt wurden, die aufgrund ihres wissenschaftlichen Standorts keine Anbindung an etablierte Strukturen des nationalen oder internationalen Archivwesens hatten, hat sich für diese Quellen eine spezifische, zumeist jedoch wenig transparente Überlieferungssituation entwickelt. Die Recherchen nach und vor allem der Zugang zu entsprechenden archivalischen Quellen zu paranormalen Erfahrungen erweisen sich deshalb noch immer als verhältnismäßig kompliziert. Für das 20. Jahrhundert kommt hinzu, dass größere Teile der vorhandenen Textquellen, die oft sehr persönliche und private Sachverhalte enthalten, besonderen Schutz etwa durch langfristige archivische Sperrfristen erfordern. Somit ist zu fragen, wie sich dennoch forschungsfördernde Lösungen finden lassen. Die Ausführungen dieses Aufsatzes verstehen sich folglich als Beitrag zur bislang noch kaum geführten Diskussion, wie im Forschungsfeld der Anomalistik und der Parapsychologie Fragen der Archivierung relevanter Quellenbestände professionell behandelt werden sollten.

Schlüsselbegriffe: Archiv – Archivwesen – Archivierung – Historische Anthropologie – Institut für Grenzgebiete der Psychologie und Psychohygiene e.V. – Spontanfälle –
Wissenschaftsgeschichte


Transmission of Paranormal Experiences in the 20th Century
Abstract – In history and cultural history, researchers are confronted with particular problems when they inquire about the historical sources needed for their research into spontaneous paranormal experiences. In the past, reports of exceptional experiences were entrusted predominantly to indi
viduals and institutions that, due to their locations, did not have any connections to the established structures of national or international archives. This created a peculiar and almost intransparent situation for those original sources and the researchers interested in them. Inquiries for, and especially access to these archival sources of paranormal experience reports still prove to be relatively difficult. And there is an additional problem concerning major parts of 20th-century sources: they often contain information on very private issues and therefore require particular protection such as long-term archival retention periods. Hence the question is how research-promoting solutions can be found nevertheless. This paper is intended as a contribution to the discussion on how to deal professionally with issues of archiving relevant original sources in the field of anomalistics and parapsychology.

Keywords: archive – archive studies – archiving – historical anthropology – Institut für Grenzgebiete der Psychologie und Psychohygiene e.V. – spontaneous cases – history of science

The Relational Theory of the Holy Trinity

by Marat Dakunin

noted circa 1996, first published on author's blog in 2008

Holy Trinity, theory of Holy Trinity, christianity, dogma, theology, literature, poetry, para-science, God the Father,... more Holy Trinity, theory of Holy Trinity, christianity, dogma, theology, literature, poetry, para-science, God the Father, Christ, Son of God, the Holy Spirit, perfect love, love, relation, ego

La Science antique

by Laura Knight-Jadczyk

Models of the Experiential Phase of Psi: Quantum Mechanical and Cognitive Approaches

by Theresa M. Kelly

Kelly, T. M. (2011). Telepathy: A Quantum Approach. Lulu Enterprises Inc. p. (34-57).

In this paper, the author addresses the psychological aspects of how and when human beings are able to utilize psi... more In this paper, the author addresses the psychological aspects of how and when human beings are able to utilize psi through promising models including models involving quantum mechanical approaches to cognition, and memory models. Such models of psi manifestation attempt to explain how extrasensory information enters the central nervous system or information processing center, and how the system deals with that information. In regards to psychokinesis, such models attempt to explain what manner of information processing is taking place, and what the requirements for the information to be transmitted into the environment are. In addition she addresses the biological utilization of non-local communication, the reverse direction problem, the binding problem, the human brain and neuro-quantum interactions, and rain stimulation via circumcerebral magnetic fields. In addition, she address the question whether a quantum-like approach is actually more advantageous over classical approaches, and address quantum mechanical principles, properties and features resulting cognitive effects related to content sensitivity, association, the human lexicon, and psychological function in general.The author also touches on quantum-like mental entanglement, how this new quantum mechanical approach is shedding light on an array of anomalous experimental results composed over the greater portion of a century, pseudo-sensory models, memory models involving memory theory and associated phenomenology, receptive psi processes, memory and psi processes, the first sight model, psi requirements, and the part played by the default mode network.

Key Words: psi phenomena, experiential phase of psi, memory models, central nervous system, extrasensory perception, psychokinesis, macroscopic quantum entanglement, biological non-local communication, photic stimulated experimentation, neuro-quantum interactions, qigong, friends vs. strangers, cognitive science, content sensitivity, human lexicon, psychological functions, Hilbert space, law of total probability, Bell’s theorem, background field, vacuum field, white noise, psi process, psi production, hallucinations, memorial images, psi level of engagement, assimilation, contrast, default mode network, medial parietal cortex, medial prefrontal cortex, transcendental meditation, depression, autism, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, emotional hypersensitivity.

Models of Extrasensory Perception: A Quantum Mechanical Approach to ESP Phenomenology

by Theresa M. Kelly

Kelly, T. M. (2011). Telepathy: A Quantum Approach. Lulu Enterprises Inc. p. (62-92).

In this paper, the author addresses the psychical influence of information via an experients influence over the... more In this paper, the author addresses the psychical influence of information via an experients influence over the biological basis of consciousness and the mental process by which we perceive, act, learn, and remember (Telepathy), and influence of our objective environment (Clairvoyance). She addresses the stages of sensory processing i.e. sensation and perception, sensory systems, and sensory modalities, and the four stages of extrasensory perception including the sensory anticipation of the event, subliminal registration of the sensation, experience of a collection of sensations that the brain attempts to construe, and the attributed understanding of the experience. In addition, the author presents a biophoton model in regards to ESP involving ultra weak biophoton (bio-light) emissions. She addresses biophotonic processes and effects, the measurement utilization for indicating cellular and overall health, emissions as a by-product of cellular metabolism and an overall regulating field, and the “master conductor” role of DNA as the most fundamental source of biophoton emissions capable of emitting a wide range of frequency-based communication at the quantum level internal and possibly external to the body. In addition, she addresses additive and subtractive extrasensory in-formation, changes in direction of orientation, or intention, requirement of uncertainty, metaphorical and fragmentation issues, our extension beyond space-time, the bimodal nature of psi, psi-unconducive states (e.g. disinterest, distraction, anxiety, and conscious work), and psi-conducive states (e.g. uncertainty, confusion, and disorientation). Also addressed are predispositions to psychical experiences including intention, extraversion, motivation, creativity, innovation, and experiential skills. Lastly, she touches on the phenomenological approach to extrasensory including telepathy vs. clairvoyance, temporal features, general extrasensory perception, realistic and unrealistic dreams, intuitive impressions, and hallucinations.

Key Words: extrasensory perception, ESP, telepathy, clairvoyance, sensation, perception, sensory receptors, neural pathways, receptive field, sensed relevance, apprehensive network, biophotons, biological rhythms, rapid directional switching, anxiety, extrasensorial content, multiple sclerosis, schizophrenia, brain and nervous system damage, cognitive closure, introspective examination, precognition, remote viewing, postcognition, retrocognition, symbolic dreams, contextual and conceptual information.

Exorcising All the Ghosts

by Taner Edis

Pre-publication draft version.

The Skeptical Inquirer, 28:2 35 (2004)

Should skepticism about the paranormal be extended to all supernatural beliefs? The examples of parapsychology and... more Should skepticism about the paranormal be extended to all supernatural beliefs? The examples of parapsychology and "intelligent design" creationism show that skeptical critiques often undermine religious claims of much broader significance.

Uwe Schellinger/Andreas Anton/Michael Schetsche: Zwischen Szientismus und Okkultismus. Grenzwissenschaftliche Experimente der deutschen Marine im Zweiten Weltkrieg, in: Zeitschrift für Anomalistik 10 (2010) 287-321.

by Uwe Schellinger

Schlüsselbegriffe: Kriegsmarine – Nationalsozialismus – Pendelforschung – Radiästhesie –
„Sonderaktion Heß“ – Wissenschaftlicher Okkultismus

Keywords: German Navy – national socialism – pendulum research – radiesthesia – Nazi “special action” response to Heß flight – scientific occultism

Zusammenfassung – Der Beitrag behandelt eine heute fast vergessene Episode der Militärgeschichte des Zweiten... more Zusammenfassung – Der Beitrag behandelt eine heute fast vergessene Episode der Militärgeschichte des Zweiten Weltkriegs, die aus grenzwissenschaftlicher Sicht von besonderem Interesse ist: Es geht um eine interdisziplinäre Experimentalgruppe innerhalb der Kriegsmarine des
Dritten Reiches, die im Jahr 1942 Versuche zur Ortung feindlicher U-Boote und Geleitzüge mit Hilfe des so genannten Siderischen Pendels und anderer grenzwissenschaftlicher Methoden durchführte. Diese militärisch geleitete Abteilung bestand nach unserem heutigen Wissen zwar nur knapp ein Jahr lang, führte jedoch einige der zur damaligen Zeit bekanntesten Okkultisten und Grenzwissenschaftler zusammen. Historisch besonders bemerkenswert sind die Aktivitäten dieser Gruppe im Kontext des Versuchs der NS-Führung, nur wenige Monate zuvor (im Juni 1941) im Rahmen der „Sonderaktion Heß“ jeden Einfluss von Okkultisten, Geheimwissenschaftlern, Astrologen usw. auf das öffentliche Leben radikal auszuschalten. Wie unsere Forschungen zeigen, war diese Aktion jedoch mitnichten das Ende aller okkultistischen bzw. grenzwissenschaftlichen Aktivitäten im Dritten Reich; diese setzten sich vielmehr auch nach dem Juni 1941 in ganz spezifischen Kontexten fort. Entscheidend dabei war, dass die eingesetzten Praktiken der offiziellen nationalsozialistischen Weltanschauung nicht allzu eklatant widersprachen – und dass sie sich den Zielen der nationalsozialistischen Kriegsführung unterordneten. Die mögliche technische Verwertbarkeit hatte Priorität vor eventuellen ideologischen Bedenken. Entsprechend muss auch die Rolle von Okkultisten, Grenzwissenschaftlern und selbstdeklarierten Sensitiven im Dritten Reich differenzierter beurteilt werden als dies bislang geschehen ist: Sie waren, je nach Zeitpunkt und individuellem Schicksal, einmal Verfolgte, ein anderes Mal opportunistische Mitläufer und ein drittes Mal überzeugte Unterstützer des nationalsozialistischen Herrschaftssystems. Mit dem hier geschilderten Fallbeispiel soll deshalb die Frage nach der
Rolle der Grenzwissenschaften und ihrer Vertreter im Dritten Reich neu in den Fokus gerückt werden.

Abstract – This article is about an almost forgotten episode of German marine history during the Second World War. It deals with an interdisciplinary experimental group in the German Navy
during the Third Reich. In 1942 this group tried to locate enemy submarines and convoys by means of the so-called “Siderisches Pendel” [sidereal pendulum] and other parascientific methods. According to our current knowledge this military-led department existed only for less than a year, but led to a get-together of some of the most famous occultists and parascientists of the time. Historically, this seems to be in conflict with the “Sonderaktion Heß”, the Nazi’s “special action” response to the infamous Heß flight, that, only a few months previously (June 1941), was to ban any influence that
occultists, parascientists and astrologers might conceivably have on German public life. According to our research that action was not the end of all occult and parascientific activities during the time of the Third Reich. Rather, these activities continued even after 1941 in a specific way. The prerequisite here was that these practices were performed in accordance with the Nazi ideology and could be exploited for warfare. However, the potential technical recoverability had priority over any ideological concerns. The role of occultists and parascientists during the time of the Third Reich must be judged in a more detailed way than has been done so far. Some of the protagonists were persecuted, others were followers of or believers in the Nazi system. In addition to its immediate documentary purpose, the present case study
serves to refocus the relationship between occultism and national socialism.

Evidence for Elevated Cortical Hyperexcitability and its Association with Out-of-Body Experiences in the non-clinical population: New Findings from a Pattern-Glare Task.

by Dr Jason J Braithwaite

New paper investigating degrees of corticial hyperexcitability in those who hallucinate out-of-body experiences.

Individuals with no history of neurological or psychiatric illness can report hallucinatory Out-of-Body Experiences... more Individuals with no history of neurological or psychiatric illness can report hallucinatory Out-of-Body Experiences (OBEs) and display elevated scores on measures of temporal-lobe dysfunction (Braithwaite et al., 2011). However, all previous investigations of such biases in non-clinical populations are based on indirect questionnaire measures. Here we present the first empirical investigation that a non-clinical OBE group is subject to pattern-glare, possibly as a result of cortical hyperexcitability (Wilkins et al., 1984). Fifty-nine students at the University of Birmingham viewed a series of square-wave gratings with spatial frequencies of approximately 0.7, 3 and 11 cycles/degree, both black/white and of contrasting colours. The illusions and discomfort reported when viewing gratings with mid-range spatial frequency have been hypothesized to reflect cortical hyperexcitability (Wilkins, 1995; Huang et al., 2003). Participants also completed the Cardiff Anomalous Perception Scale (CAPS: Bell et al., 2006) which included experiential measures of disruptions in ‘Temporal-lobe Experience’. Participants who reported OBEs also reported significantly more visual illusions / distortions and significantly greater discomfort as a result of viewing the mid-frequency gratings. There were no such differences with respect to gratings with relatively lower or higher spatial frequency. The OBE group also produced significantly elevated scores on the CAPS measures of Temporal-lobe Experience, relative to controls. Collectively, the results are consistent with there being a neural ‘vulnerability’ in the cortices of individuals pre-disposed to some hallucinations, even in the non-clinical population.

Good Vibrations: The Case for a Specific Effect of Infrasound in Instances of Anomalous Experience has Yet to be Empirically Demonstrated

by Dr Jason J Braithwaite

Paper published in 2006 in the Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, vol 70.4, Number 885, pages 211-224.

Discarnate Entities and Dimethyltryptamine (DMT): Psychopharmacology, phenomenology and ontology

by David Luke

Luke, D. (2011). Discarnate entities and dimethyltryptamine (DMT): Psychopharmacology, phenomenology and ontology. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, 75, 26-42.

The highly psychoactive molecule N,N -dimethyltryptamine (or simply DMT), is found naturally occurring in the brains... more The highly psychoactive molecule N,N -dimethyltryptamine (or simply DMT), is found naturally occurring in the brains of humans, mammals, and some other animals, as well as in a broad range of species of the plant kingdom. Although speculative, neurochemical research suggests that DMT may be made in the pineal gland, and it is hypothesised that, as much as melatonin helps activate sleep cycles, DMT activates dreaming, and may also be implicated in other natural visionary states such as mystical experience, near-death experience (NDE), spontaneous psi and psychosis. Amazonian shamans have made use of this chemical for its visionary properties for thousands of years, most likely, and take it as part of a decoction frequently called ayahuasca, which translates from Quechua as “vine of the spirits” or “vine of the dead”. The psychedelic brew is taken because it gives rise to extraordinary mental phenomena that have shamanic and supposed healing qualities, such as synaesthesia, ostensible extra-dimensional percepts, out-of-body experiences, psi experiences and perhaps most commonly, encounters with discarnate entities. When described by independent and seemingly naïve DMT participants the entities encountered tend to vary in detail but often belong to one of a very few similar types, with similar behavioural characteristics. For instance, mischievous shapeshifting elves, preying mantis alien brain surgeons and jewel-encrusted reptilian beings, who all seem to appear with baffling predictability. This opens up a wealth of questions as to the reality (i.e., the ontology) of these entities. The discussion of the phenomenology and ontology of these entities mixes research from parapsychology, ethnobotany and psychopharmacology – the fruits of science – with the foamy custard of folklore, anthropology, mythology, cultural studies and related disciplines. Hopefully however, given the varied readership of this journal, it won’t prove to be a trifle too interdisciplinary.

Models of Psi Mediation: A Classical and Quantum Approach

by Theresa M. Kelly

Kelly, T. M. (2011). Telepathy: A Quantum Approach. Lulu Enterprises Inc. p. (5-29).

In this paper I address both classical and quantum mechanical modeling approaches to psi phenomena including those... more In this paper I address both classical and quantum mechanical modeling approaches to psi phenomena including those pertaining to the role of psi phenomena such as the psi-mediated instrumental response (PMIR) and relative need-serving qualities of psi, psychokinesis as a primary psi process, and psi as a product of evolution via Darwinian theory. In addition, I address classical models including electromagnetic models, energy field models, and the zero-point field model. I address the associations of psi phenomena with quantum theory, and new approaches to such phenomena via quantum mechanical modeling. Also included is an overview of fundamental quantum mechanical laws, principles, and issues in regards to psi such as the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, superposition, quantum computation, decoherence, entropy, information processing, wave function collapse, and the measurement problem. I elaborate on the essential role of quantum information theory in regards to psi phenomena, the view of computational living systems, the macroscopic challenge for quantum computation and psychical re-search, the quantum efficiency of psi, and the non-local communicative nature of psi. In addition, I address the part played by Nature in regards to the mediation of psi via my own hypo-thesis addressing Nature as an experient accessible universal information processing and storage system with features of four dimensionalism. I address geomagnetic entanglement and permanent and seemingly macroscopic entanglement in regards to psi. Importantly, I briefly call for a redefinition of precognition, that does not defy the principle of causality (arrow of time), as a result of experient access to Nature’s probabilistic computations in real-time (i.e. once we start to view Nature as a quantum computational system, or similar to the human brain e.g. in regards to predictive coding, we will begin to see that it may not be the “future” experients of precognition receive, but rather probability based on past and real-time events calculated by the system).

Key Words: psi phenomena, role of psi, psi-mediated instrumental response, psychokinesis, evolution, Darwinian theory, electromagnetic models, energy field models, zero-point field, quantum theory, Heisenberg uncertainty principle, superposition, quantum computation, decoherence, entropy, information processing, wave function collapse, measurement problem, quantum information theory, non-local communication, mediation of psi, universal information, four dimensionalism, geomagnetic entanglement, macroscopic entanglement, precognition, principle of causality, arrow of time, predictive coding, probability.

The effects of ayahuasca on psi: A preliminary study in South America

by David Luke

Luke, D. (2010). The effects of ayahuasca on psi: A preliminary study in South America. In N. J. Holt (Ed.), Abstracts of presented papers, 53rd Parapsychological Association Annual Convention, Enclos Rey, Paris, France, July 22-25 (p.33). Columbus, OH: Parapsychological Association

A TRIBUTE TO ALBERT HOFMANN ON HIS 100 TH BIRTHDAY: THE MYSTERIOUS DISCOVERY OF LSD AND THE IMPACT OF PSYCHEDELICS ON …

by David Luke

Luke, D.P. (2006). A tribute to Albert Hofmann on his 100th birthday: The mysterious discovery of LSD and the impact of psychedelics on parapsychology. Paranormal Review, 37, 3-8.

Psi-chedelic science: An approach to understanding exceptional human experiences

by David Luke

Luke, D., & Krippner, S. (2011). Psi-chedelic science: An approach to understanding exceptional human experiences. Bulletin of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, 21 (1), 59-60.

ESP experiences are frequently reported today by people under the influenceof psychedelics. A trawl through the... more ESP experiences are frequently reported today by people under the influenceof psychedelics. A trawl through the pertinent literature reveals that occasional experiencesof PK or “psychokinesis” (the purported direct influence of mind on matter) and, more frequently, ESP – both of which come under the umbrella term “psi” – are reported by between 18% to 83% of people surveyed.

Die Geisterjäger kommen. Phänomenologie der Ghost Hunting Groups

by Gerhard Mayer

published in 'Zeitschrift für Anomalistik' (2010), 10 (1+2), pp. 17-48
See also comments on pp. 49-57

Zusammenfassung.  –  Im Laufe der letzten Jahre wurden vor allem in den USA eine Vielzahl von so genannten... more Zusammenfassung.  –  Im Laufe der letzten Jahre wurden vor allem in den USA eine Vielzahl von so genannten Ghost Hunting Groups (GHGs) neu gegründet, die sich der Untersuchung von mutmaßlichen Spukschauplätzen verschrieben haben. Der vorliegende Aufsatz ist der Analyse dieser Bewegung gewidmet, deren bemerkenswerte Entwicklung hauptsächlich auf drei Faktoren zurückzuführen ist: (1) auf entsprechende Medienangebote im Fernsehen und in Kinofilmen, die modellhaften Charakter bekamen, (2) auf die Popularisierung des Internets mit all seinen Möglichkeiten der Informationsgewinnung, des Austauschs und der Vernetzung sowie (3) auf die leichte Verfügbarkeit und Handhabbarkeit von Hightech-Geräten, die mit einer Vereinfachung der Datenverarbeitung durch deren Digitalisierung einhergeht. In diesem Aufsatz wird zunächst eine Dimensionierung des Feldes der GHGs nach verschiedenen Kriterien vorgenommen, bevor versucht wird, die Genese der Bewegung zu rekonstruieren. Danach werden die wichtigsten methodischen Ansätze (Equipment, Vorgehensweisen) skizziert. Der Hauptteil des Textes ist schließlich der Beschreibung der Situation in den USA gewidmet. Sie beruht auf den Selbstdarstellungen der Gruppen im Internet, der Analyse der für die Genese der Szene wichtigen Fernsehserie Ghost Hunters, die eng mit der GHG The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) verknüpft ist, sowie den wenigen existierenden wissenschaftlichen Untersuchungen zu der Bewegung. In einem weiteren Schritt wird ein Blick auf die GHGs in Deutschland geworfen, die sich einerseits stark an die amerikanischen Vorbilder anlehnen, andererseits aber in vielen Fällen eine kulturbedingt andere Rahmung vornehmen. In den abschließenden Überlegungen wird noch die Problematik, die diese Form der Laienforschung für die wissenschaftliche Anomalistik mit sich bringt, thematisiert.

Schlüsselbegriffe: Geisterjäger – Feldforschung – Spukuntersuchungen – Spukschauplätze – Medienanalyse – Laienforschung