Parapsychology articles and blog

A reader, Marc, wrote me the following story, asking to help him with explanation. I’m asking you to share your thoughts as well. Here’s what Marc wrote:

I was wondering if there is any documented paranormal phenomenon related to what my girlfriend has experienced.

About 6 months ago, her german shepard was in very bad health. The dog had a bad hip and was in pain every day. The last 3 weeks of the dogs life, my girlfriend started to feel extreme pain in her hip as well, to the point of limping. I thought there may have been a connection, but kept my mouth shut.

Finally, the family put the dog down. So I ask my girlfriend a few days later if she has had any pain the last few days to which she replied, No. I then explained to her what I thought. She is a person who has had paranormal experiences in the past (ghosts and what not), some that I’ve even seen.

She also has had a very serious case of allergies and just general bad health lately, while i’ve ejoyed pretty good health. I spent my life in and out of hospitals my whole childhood and now as an adult I usually get sick a couple times each winter, but not this one.

It seems that she, almost, adopts the illnesses on those she cares about most and they become her own. It sounds pretty close to what people call a “sensitive” but not quite. What do you think.

Thanks
Marc

I think that “sensitive” is not the exact wording I’d use. Generally, in this field people like these are called “empaths”. I must note that Marc’s story very much reminded me of Jackie’s story, also posted on the site at Feeling other people’s pain. In my response to her I also explained what being empathic means. Marc, you are invited to read her story and my response to her, with what other people wrote there, too.

For those who follow the Skeptiko podcast it might not be news but Alex Tsakiris who runs this great podcast show, interviewing leading scientists on the topics of consciousness and parapsychology research announced the launch of a new interesting project called Open Source Science. This will be an interesting site to follow. Read his press release below:

Del Mar, CA, May 17, 2007—(PR.com)—OpenSourceScience officially launched its new website located at www.opensourcescience.net today. The website offers a variety of tools for managing scientific experiments and lets site visitors discuss and participate in the research process. Besides promoting scientific collaboration, OpenSourceScience offers financial grants to researchers working within the areas featured on the website.

According to Alex Tsakiris, one of the sites creators, the open source model is well suited for this task: “The open source model has proven to be a powerful enabling technology because it promotes collaboration. When you look at some of the controversial areas of research, like whether our consciousness is separate from our brain, there has been very little collaboration between researchers and those with opposing views. Everyone seems to agree that collaboration is necessary, but until now, it just hasn’t happened.”

OpenSourceScience suited for scientifically-minded skeptics as well as those interested in controversial subjects such as parapsychology and human consciousness. The site’s first experiment examines whether dogs can anticipate their owners coming home, and whether they do this in a way currently unexplained by science. The original researchers, Dr. Rupert Sheldrake and Dr. Richard Wiseman, have offered their support to this collaborative re-examination of their experiments and are looking forward to the results.

About OpenSourceScience

OpenSourceScience is the first scientifically oriented website to bring the power of open source methods to the skeptical examination of controversial areas of science such as telepathy, psi, parapsychology, near-death experiences, reincarnation, and after-life encounters.

I’m glad to announce that the results of the second Psi Experiment are now available. The results are at results of the second psi experiment. I've not performed much analysis on the results, since the second experiment also had design flaws which made psi detection impossible.

This is also an opportunity to remind you to take part in the third psi experiment if you have not already done so. Tell your friends to participate as well.

Discuss the results in the comments.

Hello, dear Mind-Energy.net visitors!

What do you think about adding to the site a forum with the topics being:

Alternative healing methods, sharing experience and methods: various energy healing techniques (Reiki, Quantum Touch, Polarity Therapy, etc), Homeopathy, EFT etc.

Developing ESP and psychic power: sharing experience, exercises, methods and progress.

Parapsychology news and research: debate about progress in parapsychology, articles and research publications. Skeptics vs. supporters debates

Personal development in mediation, visualization, Qi-Gong, Yoga etc.

Please share your support or lack of support for the ideas in the comments (since we don't have a forum to discuss it yet).

Thanks, Jacob.

One of the prizes in the Psi Experiments that I run is Immrama’s Institute’s Insight CD. “This CD utilizes harmonically layered brainwave audio technology combined with soothing sounds of natural rain to help your brain quickly and effortlessly reach extraordinary levels of enhanced performance not normally attainable without years of training” (from the Insight CD back cover).

The CD consists of three tracks, each 24 minutes in length:

• Track 1, titled “Journey”, guides the mind down from Beta state through the Alpha and Theta states into a deeply relaxed, meditative Delta state.
• Track 2, Exploration, begins in a Deep Delta and guides deeper to Low Delta.
• Track 3, Insight, begins in a Deep Delta state and holds the mind in this state the majority of the time, then it gradually guides your mind back up through Theta and into the Alpha.

The Daily Deluge blog run by Mad Hatter, wrote a two-part article titled “Why You Need To Learn Lucid Dreaming”. Lucid Dreaming refers to the ability to know that you’re dreaming, while dreaming and the ability to take control of the events in the dream. Apparently, Lucid Dreaming can be used to improve various aspects of one’s life.

In part I, Mad Hatter explains why you need to learn lucid dreaming. Some of the benefits that he offers are: improving memory, relaxation, dream-time extension.

In part II he explains how lucid dreaming can be used to get advantages in life. Benefits of planning and organizing while dreaming, waking up with your internal clock to wake up alert, tapping into subconscious for ideas and more.

Take the time to read the articles, if your not familiar with Lucid Dreaming.

The ability to relax at will is an important ability that everyone should possess, in my opinion. Today’s life in the western world is very tense, stressful, both mentally and physically. This is true for high-tech and computer workers, who sit long hours in front of the screen, creating constant tension in some muscles and joints, for many hours a day. This is also true for other workers, such as those who drive a lot, especially in dense traffic, when the mental pressure is high. Stress is a very common word these days, as people blame stress for many of their problems. People have a hard time to relax. In this article I'd like to summarize the best 5 ways for a healthy (and legal) relaxation, in my opinion.

Relaxation technique 1: Breathing to relax and to calm down

The most basic skill you need to allow yourself to calm down quickly and relax is controlled breathing. Taking your breathing under conscious control for some time distracts from other stressful thoughts you might have. Some breathing techniques have fast tranquilizing effect. I suggest the following breathing exercise:

• If possible, lie down or at least sit comfortably.
• Close your eyes and concentrate your attention on your nostrils, where air enters the nose.
• Take a slow and deep breath in through your nose. Notice how the air is cold, entering your nose.
• Hold your breath for a seconds holding your attention on the same spot.
• Breath out slowly and quietly through the nose. Notice how the air is warm on your nostrils on the way out.
• Do this for a few minutes, until you let disturbed thoughts go and feel relaxed.

The above exercise uses several techniques to calm you:

• Closing eyes and getting in a comfortable position already induces a little relaxation.
• Slow breathing with a stop in middle reduces the heard rate. It is especially useful when you feel agitated for some reason and need to calm down fast. You might do this at times of pressure, without all the preliminary steps, if there’s no time or place for them.
• Concentrating on the cold and warm air moving through the nostrils occupies the mind and distracts you from other, negative thoughts, you might have. See also technique #8, Thought substitution for calming and relaxation.

An article in This is London (linked from Dean Radin’s blog) summarizes several researches done about the “gut feeling”, or premonition, in people.

It first tells of several facts and stories about the 9/11 attack, stating that there were about half the passengers than usual in each of the crashed plane. Many people suddenly couldn’t make to the flight.

The article quote several Nobel Prize winning scientists from the fields of physics and psychology who research this phenomena and support it. In fact, even Einstein described the distinction between the past, present and future as ‘a stubbornly persistent illusion’.

The article then presents research started by Dr. Dean Radin and then continued and verified by other universities which is meant to verify the existing of the phenomena, the ability of ordinary people to get glimpses into the future.

His experiments and of others, who duplicated it were successful and show that the phenomena does exist.

I suggest you read the original article at This is London for a more detailed story.

DeAna is a well established, UK psychic with clients all over the world. Predominantly, she uses her psychic ability to give people psychic readings over the telephone or via email. DeAna has helped thousands of people over many years. More information on DeAna can be found at her website: http://www.future-forcast.co.uk where you will also find how to contact DeAna if you would like to use her psychic services.

You are a psychic reader, could you explain what is the service that you provide?

That’s a loaded question, lol. It really depends on the person or organisation and their needs. People consult psychics for different reasons. Consulting a psychic does not interfere with your free will; instead it should provide a little ‘helpful inside info’ and help you to change outcomes and steer your life in the direction you want to go, avoiding problems where ever possible. People from all walks of life can and do consult psychics from Priests to MD’s. It is a common misconception that only women use psychics, more and more men are feeling comfortable about consulting psychics too.

I never claim to be a medium (although sometimes messages and information come through, but I cannot and will not try to guarantee to contact a departed relative). Some people call looking for proof of survival, people coming to me looking to contact the departed are told I cannot guarantee or force it. To offer an analogy: you cannot just telephone a friend at anytime, guarantee they will be home and want to talk, so the same same applies to talking to those who have passed over. It’s really up to the person that is past, if they can/will decide to communicate. This cannot be forced.

Some people come for information about what is likely to happen in the near future- or for clarification on something from the past. Many clients tell me they use me as 'a year planner'. They have a reading covering their year ahead and build around what information I give them. Problems with partners, lost people and pets, business choices...the list is endless really- a few come just for fun or because they are so sure skeptical about psychic ability and they like to check you out. I get asked to perform many different services. If I feel in anyway a person would be better off consulting a doctor, counsellor or other professional- I will refer them as appropriate.

Mind-Energy.net is proud to announce the launch of its third Psi Experiment. In this experiment, several measures were taken to make the results of this experiment more credible, after the experiment design issues of the first two were taken into account.

In this experiment you’ll be shown with a photograph of a random playing card on a table and you’ll need to answer which color is the card’s suit – red or black. You can see it as a simple game.

Each time you play this game, the computer reshuffles the cards and you’re presented with another photograph of another card. So, you can play as long as you want. After each 20 trials, you’ll be immediately able to see the statistics of your trials.

So, don’t wait and go to Third Psi Experiment.