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DOME - Development of Mental Energy (tm)
USER REFERENCE GUIDE
Please read the information contained in this guide to learn
how to operate the program to your best advantage. Included here
are theories behind its design and strategies to obtain the best
possible scores. It is especially important that you refrain
from selecting User Start on the program menu until you fully
understand its significance. (Use Demo Start to evaluate DOME.)
If you haven't done so already, please read the file DOME.PRE
before using the program. You can print the file by typing
TYPE DOME.PRE >LPT1 at the DOS prompt. Do not in any way edit the
file DOME.TXT as doing so may result in program failure when
viewing the User Guide or Psi Reference.
Program documentation (info contained in DOME.TXT and DOME.PRE)
is copyright (C) 1991-92 by Project Dome. All rights are reserved.
Table of Contents
Section ViewPage
I Introduction 3
II The Menu Functions 9
III Running the Exercise 18
IV Strategies for Using DOME 21
V Everyday Aspects of Psi 25
INTRODUCTION
Psi testing has traditionally been performed in a laboratory
setting where subjects have been selected to participate in an
experiment designed to allow for the demonstration of a subject's
presumed clairvoyance, telepathy, psychokinesis, etc. Over the
last few decades, large numbers of test results which are claimed
to undeniably prove the existence of psi phenomena now comprise a
great deal of the published literature on the subject. Although
some of the test results seem to suggest, due to their extreme
chance improbability, the workings of paranormal interaction, it
has been later found that many of the experiments yielding these
impressive results did not hold up to careful scientific
scrutiny. Critics of the field have found most of the experiments
to be seriously methodologically flawed, lacking adequate
controls in many cases and thereby introducing the possibility of
results obtained by trickery on the part of the subject. Because
researcher bias can often also be an issue, other results were
suspect in that they might have been faked. In essence, when
deliberate researcher fraud or subject trickery could not be
directly attributed to the reported results, neither could
otherwise be totally ruled out.
Furthermore, when subjects producing extraordinary results in
a number of cases were subject to testing repeated by critical
investigators using necessary, more stringent controls, the
results were seemingly and oddly never repeatable. While
parapsychologists have felt that some of the better-designed
experiments have more than demonstrated actual psi abilities,
critics of the field remain steadfast to this day in saying that
better techniques and proof are required before science will be
ready to open itself up to the acceptance of psi.
The more traditional of the psi testing techniques has been
with a widely used pack of 25 ESP cards. One of five symbols
(circle, square, cross, star, or three wavy lines) appears on the
faces of each of the cards and there are 5 cards bearing each
symbol. A subject undergoing testing would exercise his/her
presumed clairvoyance by guessing the symbol (or target)
appearing face down on each card. So, there would be 25 guesses
(or trials) in each pass (or run) through the ESP deck. In one
run of the deck, 5 cards guessed correctly (hits) would
correspond exactly to chance. The more cards guessed correctly
over 5, the more likely to be due to something other than chance,
presumably ESP. Not unexpectedly, skeptics have condemned tests
of this type as being fraught with error, a major one dealing
with the result of manufacturing inconsistencies in the design
quality of the cards themselves. This may reportedly allow cards
to be identified by visual cues, registering subconsciously or
otherwise, which may exert a scoring bias after several runs of
the ESP deck.
Over the years, one of the more promising concepts in the area
of psi testing has been the creation of automatic recording
mechanisms to eliminate the possibility of recording errors,
especially those arising out of an inherent bias on the part of
the experimenter. These mechanisms, when used in conjunction with
an automated (self-sustained, random, and controlled) testing
procedure, not subject to flaws and therefore biases inherent in
a human-administered system, may perhaps be the only chance
parapsychology has to prove itself as far as psi testing is
concerned.
The workings of the DOME program are based on the
aforementioned concept. DOME is a completely automated system in
which the user guesses the nature of the target (one color out of
a possible four, in this case) as pre-determined by the computer.
Scores are saved automatically if you choose to save them before
you begin the user run, not after. This way there can be no
recording bias by choosing not to save the scores of lesser
significance (closer to chance). Once a user run is started, the
resulting score will be saved whether significant or not. The
length of the run is user selectable (20, 30, 40 trials). Hence,
exactly chance scoring varies with the trials selected (5 hits/20
trials, 7.5/30, 10/40, on average).
DOME brings the practice of psi testing home to you. Anyone
can participate in using the exercise. Whether you do or do not
believe in the existence of psychic abilities, DOME is infinitely
worth trying to see if your beliefs have an effect on your
ability to achieve significant scores. Parapsychologists
generally feel that it helps to believe in order to score
significantly above chance on an ESP exercise.
Some researchers using automated testing systems, enhanced by
feedback signaling to the user, have reported positive results
with their continued use on subjects. Feedback lets the user know
right away whether or not a trial has been guessed correctly.
DOME employs an audio-visual feedback system, thereby providing
the user with dual instant knowledge of the correctness of each
impression received on a psychic (or intuitive) level as each
trial is guessed. Here, if psi is in fact responsible for any
extra-chance scoring, the possibility arises that this feedback
system might be used to help an individual learn to recognize
immediately which feelings were associated with the correct
impressions, hits resulting. If, through this recognition
enhancement aspect, these abilities can be developed to the point
where they can be relied upon, they may prove invaluable for
countless situations in everyday life.
THE MENU FUNCTIONS
DOME's menuing system makes it easy to get around and use the
program's features. Menu items may be selected in a couple of
different ways. You may use the left/right and up/down arrow keys
or press the key corresponding to the first letter of an item on
the menu bar to move the menu highlight to the desired choice.
Then to execute, either press <Enter> when at the highlighted
selection or just simply press the displayed function key of your
selection.
| DOME |
The psi exercise is initiated via this menu selection. The
computer will run the exercise according to the settings you have
chosen from the other menus. Demo Start and User Start function
in exactly the same manner except for one important difference:
Demo Start will not permit the saving of scores whereas User
Start will save them automatically at the end of a run. The
following note will explain the reason for this distinction.
IMPORTANT: Since scores will automatically be saved, select User
when you are genuinely attempting the exercise. Yet, good reasons
exist why you might choose the Demo over the User function.
Select Demo Start when:
>> You are new at using the program and would first like
to familiarize yourself with the feel and layout of the exercise
>> You are demonstrating to others how the program works
>> You are not really serious about trying to do your best
or you are not in the necessary frame of mind to interact properly
In addition, please keep in mind that should you choose User
Start, be prepared to complete the entire exercise, as there is
no way to cancel a User run. And since every score is destined to
be saved at the outset of the User run, you should be somewhat
prepared to try your best at the exercise. The section on
strategies will provide some guidelines on how to do this.
| Mode |
The manner in which the computer generates the target colors
for the trials of each run is decided by which mode has been set
beforehand. In ESP mode, the computer has randomly chosen a
target color which it holds in memory until a trial is guessed,
immediately after which point the true target color is displayed.
ESP, namely that of clairvoyance, would then presumably be
responsible if significantly scoring runs were attained in this
mode.
In PK mode, the computer randomly and very rapidly cycles the
four target colors in memory while it awaits your choice. When
you interrupt the cycle by making your choice, the target color
held in memory at the interruption point is displayed. PK
(specifically micro-PK, or small-scale psychokinesis) would be
responsible if the user (agent) was in some way exerting a mental
influence as to cause minor shifts in the processing speed of the
computer and therefore in the speed at which the computer cycles
the target colors. The net result would presumably be a
coinciding of the color chosen by the user with the target color
held in memory at the exact moment in time.
Then there is a problem of multiple interpretation. In PK mode
the possibility exists that ESP is really responsible and not PK,
or a combination of both. ESP could be at cause if the user is
clairvoyantly or, better yet, precognitively picking up the
target color in computer memory (or the target that will be in
memory, in the case of precognition) at the exact moment a color
is chosen and thus the cycle is interrupted. You may find that
you receive psychic impressions of the correct color (due
exclusively to ESP, by definition) in either mode.
In PK mode, whether you are successful at willing your choice
of the correct color (due to micro-PK) or whether you receive
impressions in a similar manner to that of the ESP mode (due to
precognition or clairvoyance), neither is the important issue.
What is important is to utilize any method whatsoever which works
best for you. In fact, you may want to stick with whichever mode
produces your highest scoring, as the emphasis is on psi
utilization in general. It may be best to think of the mode (PK
or ESP) as referring more to the method of target color
generation than to the actual underlying psi process which allows
you to score a hit.
Please note that a definitive test of effects due to micro-PK
can only be accomplished through a system which utilizes a method
of true random target generation, where the user tries to affect
the outcome of the randomized process by "causing" certain
targets to be generated over others. In computer systems (like
the one you are using) the random process is algorithmically
generated (i.e., according to a formula), which is to say the
process is not truly random, but rather simulated, or pseudo-
random. In other words, no way exists to mentally influence a
change in the generation of targets since their outcome is
predetermined for any point in the cycle.
| Trials |
The number of guess attempts in one run, i.e. the length, of
the exercise is set by selecting this item on the menu. You are
encouraged to stay with the Trials setting(s) of your preference.
If you feel that 30 or 40 trials is too lengthy, stick with 20
trials per run, especially if you feel that your scoring rate has
exhibited a tendency to decline over the course of a lengthy run.
| Options |
Color 1 and Color 2 set the screen environment inside the
target area and outside, respectively. Scroll through the
available colors by using the up/down arrow keys, then set by
pressing <Enter> or cancel by pressing <Esc>. You may find that
certain screen colors, when suited to your tastes, appear to
enhance your performance at the exercise. Incidentally, they will
probably be the colors that make you the most comfortable and
allow you to focus by putting your mind at ease. The sound
feedback setting (on/off) may be also chosen under Options.
| Scores |
Choosing View on the menu will display the highest scores,
categorized by trials, that have been achieved throughout your
use of the program. The window is divided into an upper portion,
which shows the top ten highest individual runs on record, and a
lower part, displaying the top nine high score frequencies (number
of times each score has been achieved) and run total (T) for the
mode on which you are currently set (PK or ESP). Only record high
scores are displayed, as these are the ones you want to beat.
In order to know whether you have demonstrated actual psi
abilities, you need to have your complete sample of scores
evaluated by us. Use Mail on the Scores menu when you are ready
to send us the scores. Since the program does not limit the
number of scores it will accept as your sample, you must
arbitrarily decide when to send them in. As a general rule, the
more times you have used the exercise (and therefore the more
scores you have saved), the better. At the very least, you should
have run the exercise at least 20 to 30 times under at least one
set number of trials. Lesser numbers of scores can still be
evaluated, but may not give as good a picture of your true
performance.
After you have entered (or reviewed) in the registrant
information window your name and full return address (with zip
code, please), press F1 to print the scores. Do not worry about
understanding what's on the printout, as the data is printed in a
format which allows us to best analyze it. Additional information
appearing on the printed sheet is also helpful to us by providing
info about user preferences. No timed deadline exists by which we
must receive the score printout, so there is no need to rush
through the exercises. In fact, you may find that you achieve
higher scores if you take your time and not attempt too many runs
over too short a period of time. Scores can only be saved and
later printed from within a registered copy of DOME.
| Info |
In addition to providing you with the ability to view the
entire User Guide and Psi Reference from within the program, the
Info menu allows you to print the registration form and Project
DOME questionnaire by choosing Registration. Type your name and
full return address including zip code in the appropriate input
fields in the registrant information window, then press F1 to
print. The registrant information is saved and utilized again
when you select Mail on the Scores menu.
RUNNING THE EXERCISE
Once the exercise has been initiated via the selection of
either Demo Start or User Start on the program menu, you may
begin to use the key controls to select the target color of your
choice. The target colors, and their associated key controls, are
as follows: red, up arrow; yellow, down arrow; blue, left arrow;
green, right arrow. The Num Lock may be in either setting. For
ease of use, you can simulate the arrow key configuration of the
AT-style, 101 keyboard with the Num Lock in the on setting and
the center numeric key (number 5) doubling as the down arrow key
(yellow). This configuration permits the resting of three fingers
in a row on the controls, with the middle one controlling up and
down.
For each trial, you will notice that the color box
corresponding to your key press becomes highlighted. At the same
moment, the true target color is displayed in the appropriate
box, remaining on screen for a predetermined amount of time
(between one and two seconds) before it clears. Through this
visual feedback, you will know instantly if your choice for the
trial is correct (hit) or incorrect (miss). It is not necessary
to wait for the screen to clear to move on to the next trial;
choose targets at your own pace. The computer has already
generated the next successive target while revealing the current
target on screen, in ESP mode. In PK mode, the rapid-generation
cycling of targets is ongoing at all times during the run. In
addition to the visual feedback, a tone is sounded, having a high
pitch for a hit or a low pitch for a miss. This auditory feedback
can be enabled/disabled by selecting on the Options menu.
You may view your status during a run by pressing <Ctrl-S>
when in between trials, i.e., when boxes are empty. The status
will inform you of the number of trials remaining, as well as how
many hits have been achieved and the current settings. When a run
ends, the proportion of hits in comparison to the outcome for each
color is displayed by way of a hit scale. With the hit scale,
you can visually tell which color targets you may have been
inclined to guess correctly over any others. The upper graphic
depicts (approx.) the actual number of correct guesses for each
color (bar) over the actual outcome of each color (line), with the
highest outcome number (the measure) displayed on the axis of the
scale. These hits can also be viewed, in the lower graphic, as a
percentage of outcome for each color (approx.).
In terms of significant scoring, you should try to achieve
high scores as far from chance as possible. Chance scoring is as
follows: for 20 trials, 5 hits; for 30 trials, 7 or 8 hits; for
40 trials, 10 hits. In order to determine actual significance due
to psi (as opposed to chance) a complete set of user scores must
be statistically analyzed. Project DOME will do this for you when
you mail us your scores.
STRATEGIES FOR USING DOME
Before you begin an exercise, you should be in a mentally
relaxed state, while remaining both alert and receptive at the
same time. You should also be comfortably situated with no one
around to disturb you, without distraction and under no time
restrictions. Clear your mind completely. Remove all worry and
doubt, otherwise you will restrain or completely suppress your
mental powers. For honest skeptics, at least for the duration of
the exercise, you must be willing to believe that you can rely on
your psi faculties in order to score significantly. Faith in your
abilities is fundamental to scoring well.
Once this proper frame of mind is attained, begin the exercise
by focusing your attention on the color boxes in the target area.
You may now confidently await impressions of the correct target
color. Do this with eyes either open or closed, whichever works
best for you. Impressions will register as transient mental
images and sudden feelings which impart a distinct, positive
sensation about the correctness of the target. For example, you
may perceive the target color as a mental flash and then score a
hit by pressing the associated key for that target. An impression
may also be felt in terms of the direction of the target, if not
by color alone. Oftentimes, the first impression received
intuitively is the correct one. In PK mode, when trying to
influence target outcome, along with maintaining a firm
conviction, your visualization of your selected target is helpful
just before pressing the proper key.
Psychically derived information registers at a specific level
within the subconscious in a mentally unprocessed or elemental
form. This registering occurs independantly of the conscious mind
and its associated use of the five senses. When receiving psi
impressions, you must take precaution against conscious
interference (reasoning, imagination) which can lead you to
incorrectly second guess your true intuitive impression of the
correct color. Any guesses you make on the basis of conscious
reasoning will generally not produce significant scoring. An
example of this occurs when you try to figure out, on any
successive trial, which target is most likely the correct one
based on previous trial outcomes. Searching for a pattern or
method by which to deduce your choices will not work as the
target generation is random anyway. To aid you in suppressing
conscious interference, keep your attention focused on the target
area.
It is not necessary to rush through the trials of a run; you
determine your own pace. Take as long as you need to guess each
trial. If you fail to perceive a target, avoid forcing your
selection. Rather, while maintaining a relaxed and focused state
of mind, try directing to your subconscious, for example, the
following suggestion: "Reveal to me what is the true color of the
target." With confidence, anticipate an impression of the correct
color to then arise.
Practice is essential in order to become skilled at using your
psi ability. However, do not attempt too many runs in one
sitting, especially if you notice a decline in your scoring. Take
breaks, as many and as often as required to restore your ability
to perform well. Concern yourself with the trial at hand only; to
consciously dwell on past scores may interfere with your psi
abilities in the current run. Stay motivated and keep a positive
outlook, even if your scoring is falling short of expectation. It
is unreasonable to expect high scores all the time, and it is
expected that you will achieve chance and even below-chance
scores occasionally. In fact, psi significance is determined by
analyzing the achieved frequencies of all scores. Even if despite
your best efforts you feel that you have failed to produce your
desired scores, do not be discouraged. Psi effects are often
subtle, and will perhaps show up only after the analysis of your
complete set of scores has been performed.
EVERYDAY ASPECTS OF PSI
People who attune themselves to their psi abilities have
reported advantages which enable them to live more secure, well-
informed lives. The intuitive level of the subconscious is
believed to protect the self by constantly monitoring the
environment (through psi) for knowledge of events or
circumstances of essential importance to the individual.
Conscious awareness of this psi-derived information can be of
assistance by guiding the individual to make the correct
decisions in life.
By relaxing and inwardly focusing the attention of the
conscious mind, clairvoyant or precognitive information may be
obtained in the form of impressions, i.e., images or feelings,
which register abruptly and then quickly vanish. Impressions,
when accepted at face value, should provide an individual with
the required knowledge to take the proper course of action when
faced with many decisions. However, imagination and reasoning may
interfere and incorrectly modify the impression, thereby reducing
its effectiveness in decision-making, so you must be careful when
interpreting your impressions.
In telepathy, another reported psi function, thought messages
are communicated by one individual, the sender, into the mind of
another individual, the receiver. Telepathically received
impressions register in a similar manner as clairvoyance above,
with the addition of the receiver concentrating on the sender as
well as the impending thought impression. When sending thoughts
to someone else, visualization of what you want to communicate is
important. Reinforced by strong feelings, images or thoughts
should be projected into the mind of the individual on whom you
are concentrating (the receiver). As a general rule, always
remember, whenever using psi abilities, the importance of faith
and conviction cannot be overstressed. The importance of practice
should not be forgotten either.
The aforementioned summary is provided mainly as a preface to
psi's everyday uses. Much has been written about the potential
applications of psi and how to make full use of such abilities to
work to one's advantage in everyday living. When you register,
the titles of some good reference works on the subject will be
provided. These will offer much more detail on the subject and
can be used to enhance your study and to further your psi
development.
DOME - Development of Mental Energy (tm)
PSI REFERENCE
Some of the ideas presented in DOME are part of a larger field
of study known collectively as parapsychology, or psiology, the
study of psi. Though only some types of phenomena in this field
are directly relevant to the DOME program, others are of added
interest to Project DOME from a standpoint of human experience as
reported by individuals on occasion. What follows is a summary,
by no means complete, of some of the major phenomena reported, as
well as a mention of some of the surrounding issues of the field.
Please be aware that Project DOME does not intend to endorse any
particular viewpoint over another, but rather would serve to
provide information in these areas as they are interpreted by
those who are involved in their study.
Text is Copyright (C) 1991-92 Project Dome. All Rights Reserved.
Table of Contents
Section ViewPage
I Introduction 3
II Types of Psi ESP 8
PK 12
"Survival" Phenomena 15
III Problems In Parapsychology 22
IV Ufology and "Alien" Encounters 26
INTRODUCTION
Those involved in the field of parapsychology concern
themselves with the understanding and explaining of certain kinds
of occasionally reported occurrences which appear to lie outside
the realm of normal experience. Specifically, these phenomena,
labeled as "psi" (pronounced "sigh"), deal with an individual's
interaction with the external environment through a process as
yet unknown to conventional science. Such interactions can be
divided into two basic types: that of informational psi, or
extrasensory perception, known also as ESP, and that of
influential psi, or psychokinesis, known also as PK. A third area
of interest deals with the question of whether living beings
possess a spirit which can survive the death of the physical body
and subsequently interact with the living. This is referred to as
the "survival hypothesis".
Occurrences claimed to be due to psi fall into individual
categories based on their characteristics, as explained in the
following section, "Types of Psi". Oftentimes these categories
are not well-defined, especially when trying to classify a
reported psi happening. Multiple interpretations due to psi exist
for many of the types of reported occurrences, even well in
addition to the "normal" interpretations claimed by those who are
doubtful regarding psi's existence. Regardless as to explanation,
people react differently from one another to reports of psi
occurrences, especially to their own personal experiences which
may be attributable to psi. Some may express doubt or disbelief,
while others may become downright fearful, while others still may
ignore such occurrences entirely or without even consciously
knowing. The best reaction, though, is perhaps one of curiousity,
for it is through this that some insight, and thus understanding,
may be gained into the true nature of the experience.
Psi events fall into two general categories: those happening
seemingly on their own without any provocation, and those which
are caused intentionally. As such, the psi expressed under the
former is known as "spontaneous psi", while the latter is known
as "induced psi". Many tests have been designed for the induced
demonstration of psi (both ESP and PK) and have usually been
carried out in a lab equipped for this purpose. Results of such
tests vary widely and have been the subject of much controversy
from both within and outside the field. The Introduction to the
DOME User Guide contains more information about psi testing in
general. Most of the reported psi events are those which happen
to individuals rather unexpectedly, oftentimes surprising someone
in the home, office, or just about anywhere the experience takes
place. As such, these "spontaneous" occurrences are the ones
usually responsible for feelings of awe, shock, or bewilderment.
Examples include out-of-body experiences, precognitive visions,
apparitional encounters, hauntings, and poltergeist events.
The organized study of psychic occurrences is roughly one
hundred-ten years old. Since its beginnings, many obstacles have
stood in the way of progress. (See the section entitled "Problems
In Parapsychology".) Today, mainstream science is still reluctant
to take the psi issue seriously. Not only has the war between
critic and proponent of parapsychology been waged for over a
century now, but seemingly little progress has been made in the
direction of uncovering the truth about the nature of such
phenomena. To this end, parapsychologists still claim that psi
exists with very little question, and skeptics say that it is
just about all nonsense. Parapsychology has been described as a
legitimate area of scientific inquiry by those within the field,
and as an area of scientific heresy by those outside. Yet,
interestingly, otherwise traditional scientists can be found
populating both sides of the issue.
Parapsychology is often confused and improperly lumped
together with other subject areas of questionable scientific
validity, labeled as the "unknown", the "unexplained", or the
occult, such as, for example, astrology, numerology, demonology,
satanism, vampires, Bigfoot, New Age, Atlantis, and UFO's.
Parapsychology has as little to do with these "mysterious"
subjects as they have to do with each other. The grouping itself
is odd, for some are considered art forms; others are
metaphysical ideas; others hinge on existence of the
"supernatural"; others are preserved in legends and folklore,
while others may be deserving of scientific attention still (like
UFO's). Regarding this last point, some information on UFO's and
the "alien" abduction phenomenon will be included, not as part of
parapsychology, but incidental to it. It is nonetheless
interesting to note that much psi phenomena has been described to
occur during such reported encounters.
TYPES OF PSI
ESP
The term "ESP" encompasses those specific instances of psi
occurrence which enable an individual to receive information
external to the mind without any use of the senses or reasoning
whatsoever. The first type of ESP, clairvoyance, pertains to the
perceiving of objects or conditions in current time. Although the
information is not acquired via the sense organs, these
perceptions are usually in the form of, but not limited to,
visions, and they may also be in the apparent form of sound,
feelings, and even smell. If the information is channeled over a
distance, as opposed to being received from the immediate locale,
this process is often known as "remote perception". On occasion,
one may get the additional feeling of actually visiting a distant
scene, and the term "traveling clairvoyance" may apply. As the
mind may be fooled into thinking that part of oneself has left
the body in order to perceive the surroundings of a distant
location, this is one interpretation for an out-of-body
experience, or OBE.
Dowsing, or radiesthesia, involves the use of a held object
(e.g., a rod or branch) to locate, in a process known as
"divination", underground substances like water or oil, whereby
the held object may be serving as as a focus for clairvoyant
ability. Psychometry, which is also thought to involve
clairvoyance, is the "reading" of an object or location for facts
about the object or its owner, or persons associated with some
location, often in connection to the past. In order for this to
be possible, it is presumed that an object or location has the
ability, through some type of "recording mechanism", to retain
some aspect or quality of its past surroundings or associated
events. Psychometry would then in effect be accomplished by
somehow sensing or viewing what has been recorded.
The term "haunting", especially in reference to its recurrent
and locality-specific aspects, has a basis in ESP. A haunting is
usually now interpreted as the psychometric replaying of the
recorded events of a location's past in the mind of an observer.
A major characteristic of a haunting is often that of an
apparition which appears to enact the same motions over again
when certain conditions exist, like specific time of day (or
night), time of year or season, and which may be sensed by only
certain individuals (who are unconsciously using psychometry to
"see" the event). Another interpretation for hauntings, and
psychometry in general, has to do with the concept of
retrocognition, another type of ESP. This refers to an ability to
sense, while mentally focusing on the object or location, actual
events occurring in the past, as opposed to using clairvoyance to
currently view a recording of the past.
Precognition, another form of ESP, deals with information
supposedly received from the future. The existence of this form,
of course, is dependant on whether it is possible for the future
to be fully established and, if so, whether this future
information can cross backward in time. One psi explanation for a
precognitive feeling may be the mind's demonstrative way of
informing or warning of a highly probably outcome based on
current conditions obtained clairvoyantly. This might also
explain why, through avoidance or otherwise, not all negative
premonitions come true.
The last major form of ESP, telepathy, relates to an
individual's awareness of thoughts and feelings which are present
in the mind of another. This apparent thought transference has
been found to be independent of distance, as has been
demonstrated in various experiments conducted over distances of
up to thousands of miles. Sometimes telepathy can occur quite
spontaneously, as has been reported, for example, in a few cases
where danger is involved. During these times, a person in trouble
might send out sort of a telepathic call for help, which is
"heard" by someone familiar to that person. Or, an individual may
try to warn someone of a potentially dangerous situation they are
aware of by trying to inform them or get their attention
telepathically, like by mentally calling the person's name, etc.
PK
The concept of psychokinesis, or PK, deals with the
hypothetical influence of the human mind on objects or processes
external to it. Often referred to as "mind over matter", any
means by which the human mind can alter or affect a physical
system without direct or indirect motor contact must be done
through PK. Any individual who uses PK is known as an "agent". PK
can be divided in four areas of study, and two of them, macro-PK
and micro-PK, are often studied in the laboratory.
Micro-PK refers to PK effects which are to a slight degree or
on a microscopic level, the detection of which is determined by
the outcomes of several attempted applications, then analyzed in
comparison to a control. For example, in the PK mode of DOME, the
agent attempts to influence the random outcome of a particular
color. After many attempts, the score results can be
statistically compared to a control (chance) model to see if
micro-PK was responsible for the scores, as presumably would be
the case if they, as a whole, differed significantly from chance.
Macro-PK, on the other hand, deals with larger-scale, visually
observable effects, primarily concerning the reported movement or
alteration of objects, the disappearance and reappearance of
objects in different locations, and even levitations.
Another area related to macro-PK because of its visible
effects is the concept of the poltergeist occurrence. Contrary to
the popular presentation of this phenomenon by the media to
involve "evil" supernatural entities, parapsychologists now view
this experience as originating by and occurring around the
living. In any particular case, the occurrences generally involve
the strange movement, breaking, or rearrangement of objects, or
the unusual origination of sounds, and these happenings are
attributed to a specific individual around whom the events seem
to revolve. It is assumed that the events themselves are the
result of stressful situations involving the individual, who
unknowingly may serve as agent to utilize unconscious PK as an
outlet for the stress or as a means to alleviate it.
Psychic healing, the final PK-related area, involves an
individual's ability to heal injuries or illnesses of oneself or
of others through a technique of concentration and possibly hand-
covering. This supposedly enables the healer to focus attention,
and thus impart healing influences, to the required target area,
usually some specific bodily tissue or organ. Oftentimes the
healing is both complete and unexpected, and often rather
astounding as far as what should normally be expected by
traditional medicine. However, it has been suggested that such
healing is done, not through the use of PK, but through the
normal (psychosomatic) effects of psychology on the physiology of
the body, via some intricate, albeit unknown, connection between
the two. According to this idea, a person attempting to heal
another might really be instilling a suggestion to the
subconscious of the other person, which acts to initiate a self-
healing process.
PHENOMENA SUGGESTIVE OF "SURVIVAL"
The third division of study in parapsychology has been the
subject of debate within the field for quite some time now. It
involves the issue of whether some part of consciousness - be it
a soul, spirit, life force, or whatever - can continue to exist
after the death of the body, or even just separate from the
living body. A few varied types of phenomena have been grouped
together as providing little more than suggestive evidence for
this so-called "survival hypothesis". The debate itself centers
around whether such events can be adequately explained by means
other than "survival", such as through psi, in what in some cases
(those implying direct spirit communication) is known as the
"super-ESP (or super-psi) hypothesis", or even through what is
known in psychology. Some types of phenomena in this area include
apparitions, out-of-body experiences (OBE's), near-death
experiences (NDE's), reported "possession" by spirits or demons,
mediumship, and the concept of reincarnation.
Reported genuine apparitions, or ghosts, appear to behave in a
purposeful and intelligent manner, unlike that of a haunting,
where through the presumed unconscious use of psychometry on the
location by a living person, the "recorded" image of a deceased
person may be seen to go through the same, recurring motions. The
seeming arrival of apparitions is often related to some crisis,
like dying, which suggests the serving of a need, possibly like
that of communication with the observer. Apparitions have been
reported at times to look like solid, living individuals, yet may
either be that of a living, dying, or a dead person. Sometimes
apparitions may look less solid, or less sharply defined, or may
even appear or disappear from view suddenly or unexpectedly. At
other times still, an apparition may be "sensed" non-visually, as
by feeling or hearing, or through a combination of means.
The existence of the OBE implies that some aspect of the mind
or consciousness can leave the body and travel. Although it has
been interpreted as a form of traveling clairvoyance, oftentimes
the individual having the OBE is detected or even "seen" at the
location being "visited", suggesting that indeed some part of the
mind has traveled there, and which may be effectively resolved by
ESP into an apparition in the mind of an observer. This
"apparition of the living" or "doppelganger" (meaning "double
walker") usually looks like, acts like, and even may itself be
mistaken for the actual person. Interestingly, even though he is
away having the OBE, this person usually has the additional
feeling of being at such a location and interacting with those
present.
Apparitions, both of the living and dead, can be explained in
terms of the super-psi hypothesis. In the case of the traditional
apparition of the dead, it can be said that a living person is
utilizing clairvoyance or retrocognition to obtain the necessary
information on the deceased person to enable himself to "see" it,
give it personality and intelligence, and meanwhile possibly even
utilize PK for any physical interactions. Apparitions of the
living (or dying) may be similarly detected by utilizing a
combination of telepathic communication (with the person at the
original location) to recreate the person's image and enable one
to interact with it (using telepathy and PK).
A fairly commonly reported phenomenon which is strongly
suggestive of the "survival" idea is the near-death experience
(NDE). This is often reported by individuals who may have in fact
been determined clinically dead for a time, the period during
which a few characteristic things, some of which suggest the
operation of ESP, are said to happen. Such would include the
viewing of oneself and one's location from a point outside the
body (like an OBE), an awareness of actual activity or
conversation in this location, the sense of being drawn towards
some bright light and through some tunnel, and the apparent
presence of deceased persons or a religious figure familiar to
the individual. An alternative explanation for a NDE associates
it with a physiological (or neuro-psychological) reaction to the
process of dying, during which time, bits of memory are stirred
and perceptual errors are caused. Here, it is assumed, of course,
that the experience (and everything else) ceases when the brain
is dead.
Reincarnation, the ancient idea that souls or spirits of the
dead are reborn in other bodies, relies on for its evidence a
technique referred to as "past lives therapy", used presumably to
regress a hypnotized person to their "previous lives". However,
it has been found that the mind can often unconsciously fabricate
such information, perhaps as a result of suggestion prompted by
the hypnotist, and thus the technique may be virtually useless to
provide proof of reincarnation. Even if the information provided
by the subject is subsequently verified as factual and could not
have possibly been known because of its obscurity, it is possible
to explain the obtaining of such information through ESP, as
either by clairvoyance or retrocognition.
The issue of mediumship involves the presumed contact or
communication with a spirit by some sort of telepathic means. A
medium, acting as a connection or channel for communication to
occur between the living and the dead, typically relays, to those
seated nearby, information in the form of messages from or
regarding an individual spirit who is "contacted". Oftentimes the
dead may appear to speak directly through the medium, and since a
medium may be in a trance state and unaware of what is going on,
this may be considered a case of what is called "automatic
speaking".
The voice of a medium may change when information is being
channeled, and other information may be given through automatic
writing, where the medium writes information without conscious
awareness of what the hand is seemingly doing on its own. These
and other such unconscious physical acts are not greatly unlike
that of reported "possession", where an individual's usual
behavior and personality are often suppressed or changed
drastically in accordance with the control supposedly imposed by
an "evil entity". Utterances of abusive language or gibberish and
the origination of unusual strength are often noted in such
cases, and an exorcism may be considered to "rid" the body of the
"spirit influence".
The super-psi hypothesis can be used to explain any apparent
spirit communication in terms of a medium's unknowing use of ESP
to obtain information from the living (telepathy) or from
existing records (clairvoyance) about a deceased individual.
Regardless of this, psychological explanations have been advanced
to explain other odd events that suggest the influence of a
discarnate entity or spirit on an individual. These explanations
apply to all situations where those involved (mediums or those
possessed) believe what happens to them is true and is in no way
consciously produced, such as by staging or faking. (This is a
big problem in the area of mediumship, especially when involving
physical occurrences and apparent direct speaking.) In such cases
as believed to be true, any odd behaviors may be the result of
certain mental disturbances or autosuggestions which can result
in dissociation, a mental state where normally conscious
activities come under subconscious control, and a secondary
personality may emerge, all seemingly without the individual's
awareness.
PROBLEMS IN PARAPSYCHOLOGY
The field of parapsychology faces a number of problems which
serve to degrade its image both in the eyes of the public and to
the scientific community. Criticisms brought on by skeptics have
an added impact, positive perhaps, by making it more imperative
that parapsychologists work harder and more carefully to provide
the "proof" which is needed for acceptance as a legitimate area
of scientific inquiry.
One big problem area deals with the negative and inaccurate
portrayal of psi occurrences or other issues of the field in the
media or on film. Almost anything one can view on television or
hear about in the news regarding parapsychology or reports of psi
is in some way usually either exaggerated, misleading, or even
flat-out wrong. Usually this is the result of the media's high
priority for ratings, which unfortunately often comes at the
expense of the truth. As such, it is virtually impossible to
derive factual information from such sensational depictions,
which should more properly be viewed as entertainment, if nothing
else. As far as psi-oriented movies are concerned, practically
nothing ever shown comes anywhere close to what actually occurs
in normal, everyday life, so that movies, in their often extreme
and overblown depictions of psi, are even less dependable for
providing accurate information to the public. (After all, they
are just movies.)
Another big problem revolves around the widespread fraud that
has occurred in the past and even still turns up today in
connection with the field of parapsychology. Fraud has shown
itself in a number of ways. The false assurances and fabricated
information given by phony psychics and mediums have enabled them
to profit off the credulous public, all during which time they
proclaim themselves genuine. Psychic surgeons and faith healers
have preyed off the vulnerability of the sick and dying by
offering cures which are promised in exchange for large sums of
money. Individuals have lied or used trickery to substantiate and
promote their own paranormal events, hoping for a chance to
profit in some way, such as might be gained through media
attention. Researchers sometimes have resorted to faking lab
results in order to support their own views, while at other
times, test subjects have cheated during experiments, often using
techniques borrowed from magic to fool observers, including the
researchers themselves. For this reason, having a magician around
to view any claimed paranormal events is always a good idea,
except, of course, when the magician gets fooled, which can
happen on occasion.
Nonbelievers in psi feel that paranormal phenomena can, in
general, be explained by normal means. Aside from the occasional
debunking of a phony psychic or fraudulent report of psi, the
skeptics feel that the remainder of the reports each have their
explanation in the normal workings of human psychology. Based on
what is known, the human mind can and often does make mistakes.
Perceptual errors result because normal sensory information, in
the form of neural impulses, is resolved and modified by the
subconscious, with its fears, beliefs, expectations, and the
like, so that the end result of what is perceived by the brain
may be very different from what exists objectively, or external
to the individual. People are fooled by magic because of this
fact. In addition, it is easy at times to put together logical
connections regarding events which are in fact not linked, such
as when a coincidence occurs. Where a normal event may not have
been misperceived or its cause misunderstood, skeptics feel that
any one of imagination, dreaming, or of mental impairment,
disorder, or illness may be responsible for what is labeled as
"psi". Today, good parapsychologists are especially aware that
many apparent psi reports have normal explanations, as they are
often the first to discover them.
UFOLOGY AND "ALIEN" ENCOUNTERS
Although the subject of UFO's (ufology) is a distinct and
separate field from parapsychology, a couple of reasons exist for
its inclusion here. First, reports of UFO's and their
"occupants", not unlike reports of psi, seem to indicate a type
of human experience which occurs spontaneously, often leaving
those involved in a state of emotional upset, and second, many
reported UFO and "alien" encounters also include details of psi
functioning. Psi events often reported in connection with UFO-
related activity include telepathic communication with "UFO
occupants", clairvoyant and precognitive images and dreams, out-
of-body experiences, apparent psychokinetic levitations, and even
apparitional encounters.
Independent UFO-related reports, which may include stories of
"alien" visitation, often have many details in common. Aside from
the obvious characteristic of strange lights appearing in the
sky, those experiencing more involved "contact" report, in
addition to the above psi happenings, such events as localized
power outages, temporarily non-functional electrically dependant
devices (from appliances to automobiles), periods of time which
cannot be accounted for, and even the sudden appearance of
strange bodily scars or markings. Under hypnosis, oftentimes so-
called "buried memories" are brought out, with those involved
occasionally relating details of bizarre medical examinations
administered by humanoid, though clearly non-human, and seemingly
intelligent beings. As for the beings themselves, three to four
different "types" are often described, at least one appearing
human, the others less so.
As is the case in parapsychology, reports of UFO's and their
presumed occupants are subject to the same types of criticisms.
Although clearly the experiences exist from a subjective
standpoint, no hard "evidence" exists as such to indicate any
sort of objective reality. Skeptics have pointed to various
influences for the types of experiences reported, among them
misperception, misinterpreted normal events, imagination,
autosuggestion, fraud, and even psychological problems. The
utilization of hypnosis has been generally deemed unreliable by
skeptics, due in part to the suggestability factor which may
result in fabricated stories originating from the UFO "victim".
There is no doubt that in the past many reports and photographs
have been faked, and as with parapsychology, this only
complicates matters, making it that much more difficult for
science to truly take the issue seriously.
In the past, while investigating the UFO issue, national
governments appear to have fallen into a pattern of automatic
dismissal of UFO-related reports as either fakes or misunderstood
natural events, and today this still remains the subject of much
controversy. UFO groups worldwide contend that the large volume
coupled with the consistency of reports seem to indicate that
something strange is indeed going to this effect, or at least
much more than governments are willing to admit. Cover-up
allegations have thus resulted, while in the intervening time,
people reportedly still continue to experience and be affected by
UFO encounters.
Other events presumed to be UFO-related by some are the
mysterious appearances of the so-called "crop circles" in
countrysides around the world, with those found in England
drawing the most attention of late. Even if their intricate
patterns can be explained through normal processes, despite
whatever scientific consensus is eventually reached regarding
their formation, the very fact that such observable, modern-day
enigmas can exist should suggest to science that the genuine need
for inquiry into reports of UFO's and the paranormal may be right
before us, if not overdue. Then just maybe, perhaps, the truth
about such phenomena can eventually be uncovered, and denial,
dismissal, or ignorance will become a thing of the past.