The tantalizing possibilities of technological telepathy, Tibetan psychic traditions, the mysteries of mediumship, and the universe as a giant brain, in this edition of Psi in The News.
- “We have been privileged to have the freedom to go where mainstream academia and religion can’t or don’t want to go.” – Esalen founder and consciousness pioneer Michael Murphy sits down with the LA Times to discuss 50 years of exploring the edges of human potential. (LA Times)
- Highlighting the importance of more comprehensive psi research, Chloe Diggins and Clint Arizmendi, writing for Wired, discuss the implications of 5th generation warfare, and bringing the battlefield to your brain. (Wired)
- Christopher James, a scientist in the UK, is proving how quickly technology is catching up with abilities associated with psi. His ‘brain-to-brain’ experiments with his daughter are showing some surprising results. (Extreme Tech)
- The question remains, however, once we can accurately read minds, what do we do about it? In a piece for Salon.com Kathleen Taylor digs into the messing ethical implications involved in telepathy via technology. (Salon)
- S.M. Roney-Dougal provides a fascinating overview of Tibetan psychic traditions in an article “(describing) the early stages of a research project in India with Tibetan meditation practitioners, looking at the relationship between meditation attainment and psychic awareness.” (Thoughts & Visions)
- Research into these connections is also being carried out by other notables in the field, as evidenced by Greg Bishop’s recent conversation with Dr. Dean Radin on Radio Misterioso, which includes discussion of Radin’s upcoming book, Super Normal: Science, Yoga, and the Evidence For Extraordinary Psychic Abilities. (Radio Misterioso)
- Quest Books has posted a round-up of recent reviews for Russell Targ’s latest book, The Reality of ESP, which presents a summation of his research into anomalous perception. The reviews include articles from the Journal of the Society for Psychical Research and Network Review. (Quest Books Blog)
- If you’d like to take part in a parapsychological research project that is currently in the works, complete a survey for a PhD study on dreams being conducted by Milan Valáek at the University of Edinburgh. (University of Edinburgh)
- Is the universe a giant brain? Nature’s Scientific Reports has published as study which reveals striking parallels between the development of complex systems, such as the brain, and the development of galaxies. (Huffington Post)
- In another example of theoretical analogy that is salient to psi, James Ellis, writing for NBC 5 Chicago, discusses the correspondence between the needs of small businesses and the skills of professional psychics. (NBC 5 Chicago)
- Fred ‘Skip’ Atwater, founder of the U.S. Army’s Remote Viewing program and former president of The Monroe Institute, and Joe McMoneagle, Remote Viewer #1, sit down to discuss their past achievements and the future of The Monroe Institute’s Remote Viewing Practicum. (The Monroe Institute)
- Eight Martinis Remote Viewing Magazine, founded by Daz Smith, is into its 8th issue. Available as a free PDF download, the magazine presents articles covering the current state of Remote Viewing, as well as historical pieces that examine the history of the field. (The Daily Grail)
- While channeling and mediumship have become popular in the media, Fiona Bowie, founder of the Afterlife Research Center, discusses the less visible practice of trance and physical mediumship in her essay: ‘Material and Immaterial Bodies: Ethnographic Reflections on a Trance State.’ (Academia.edu)
- Wondering what exactly the Afterlife Research Center is? Here’s a brief outline of the proceedings, and some pictures, from the most recent ARC seminar and networking meeting held earlier this month at the University of Bristol. (Afterlife Research Center)
- What is a poltergeist? Author and researcher, Geoff Holder attempts to answer the question in a series of interviews regarding his research into the phenomena for two recently released books. (GeoffHolder.com)
- It’s a good idea to get familiar with them too, because in the past the phenomena has lead to false arrest as detailed in this article on the “Lynwood stone throwing poltergeist.” (Suite 101)
- Carlos S. Alvarado, Ph.D., scholar in residence at Atlantic University, provides some insights into the latest fMRI studies of Brazilian mediums. (Atlantic University)
- Alvarado also brings us back to some of the original research into mediumship, with an article on a lesser known work from Theodore Flournoy, whose book From India to the Planet Mars: A Study of a Case of Somnambulism, published in 1900, provides one of the most thoroughly documented examinations of mediumship. (Atlantic University)
- Along with mediumship studies, Brazil is also host to a thriving research community focusing on Near Death and Out-of-Body experiences. With his own NDE to draw from, Brazilian Dr. Sergio de Oliveira discusses how this has affected his practice in clinics and hospitals. (NHNE Near Death Experience Network)
- C. McKenna gives us an overview of the 11th annual International Bioethics Forum, held in Madison, Wisconsin from April 26th to 27th, 2012. Final Passages: Research on Near-Death and the Experience of Dying was the theme for this year, and the meeting explored how advances in thanatology are presenting the need to readdress our approach to end of life care. (Entheology.com)
- Back at Reality Sandwich, Simon G. Powell gives us a more detailed look at the proceedings, and discusses some of the philosophical implications of our hazy grasp on the conditions of our mortality. (Reality Sandwich)
- Andrew Petro, author of Remembering the Light, discusses the Near Death Experience he had in 1955 which lead him to write the book. (Unexplained Mysteries)
- Dr. Erica Hyatt, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Bryn Athyn College, discusses her research into Near Death Experiences for an upcoming book on the subject. (Bryn Athyn College)
- Nancy Needhima interviews Dr. David Wiebers, a neurologist who agrees with Dr. Eben Alexander on the non-material nature of the NDE experience. (Med India)
- Dr. Eben Alexander’s NDE has brought the question of experience into wider circulation. In this article for Huffington Post, author Gary Gilfoy discusses how his own experiences have changed the way he approaches questions of consciousness. (Huffington Post)
- Oliver Sacks, professor of neurology at NYU School of Medicine, provides a critical appraisal of extraordinary experiences drawing on his research into the nature of hallucination. (The Atlantic)
- Jerry A. Coyne, Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Chicago, and author of Why Evolution is True, presents a critical examination of Dr. Eben Alexander’s recent book, Proof of Heaven. The critique draws on Oliver Sacks article for Slone discussing the nature of NDE’s, out of body experiences, and hallucination. (Why Evolution is True)
- Michael Tyman offers a concise overview outlining the development of contemporary skepticism in light of the critical response to Dr. Eben Alexander’s book, Proof of Heaven. (White Crow Books)
- With Near Death Experiences having become such a hot topic in the media, with strong voices on all sides, Greg Tally, a columnist for the Joplin Globe, writes on the necessity of keeping an open mind when dealing with something as emotionally powerful as death. (Joplin Globe)
- If folks get upset at the idea of NDE’s, what do they think of angels and spirit guides? In a brief blog post, Sara MacKian, Senior Lecturer in Health and Wellbeing at The Open University, UK, discusses the taboo against discussing the commonality of experiences with discarnate entities. (Everyday Spirituality)
- Popular psychic Irene Hughes, who passed away earlier this month, is remembered in an article for the NWI Times. A favorite guest of the Merv Griffith television show, Hughes became a household name during the 1960’s and 70’s, and her predictions (often relating to imminent death) took her all the way to the White House. (NWI Times)
- In another example of theoretical analogy, James Ellis, writing for NBC 5 Chicago, discusses the correspondence between the needs of small businesses and the skills of professional psychics. (NBC 5 Chicago)
- Craig Weiler presents a critical examination of Richard Wiseman, Chair in the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, and his role as a skeptic in the field of parapsychology. (Weiler Psi Blog)
- Did the publication of Extrasensory Perception and Quantum Models of Cognition in 2010 prove the existence of telepathy? Craig Weiler argues that this paper, authored by Patrizio E. Tressoldi, Lance Storm and Dean Radin, and published in the journal NeuroQuantology, provides the evidence needed to secure the existence of psi for the scientific community. (Weiler Psi Blog)
- Dr. Cameron Adams, of the Centre for Social Anthropology and Computing, presents a list of ‘key-readings’ in ‘Non-Ordinary Reality’. (University of Kent)
- What’s the difference between ‘Theoretical Spiritualism’ and ‘Spirit Texts’? While much of our historical understanding of Spiritualism comes from it’s critical reception in the field of scientific inquiry, Marc Demarest discusses the lack of focus from researchers and academics on the channeled material itself. (Chasing Down Emma)
- Scientific research into psi has always been hampered by the commercial activity of professional ‘psychics.’ Gordon Bonnet discusses some of the ethical issues raised when predictions don’t measure up to reality, citing the disappearance of Jennifer Riviera as an example. (Skeptophilia)
Note: Special thanks to Tom Ruffles, Soc. for Psychical Research and Jack Hunter, Paranthropology Journal, and Peter Rothman, Editor for h+ Magazine for a number of links included in this edition of Reality Sandwich’s Psi-in-the-News.