Parapsychology
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Transcript of Parapsychology
- 1. PARAPSYCHOLOGY
DR.A.GODSON
2. Definitions
Parapsychology -scientific study of paranormal phenomena and
experiences.
Paranormal phenomena-there is a claim that a real anomalous effect
is occurring
Paranormal experiences -there may or may not be a real anomalous
effect, but the individual has interpreted their experience as a
paranormal one
3. most studied are extra-sensory perception (ESP) and
psychokinesis (PK)
ESP includes-clairvoyance,Telepathy,Precognition
Others-hauntings, UFOs, near-death and after death experiences,
out-of-body experiences,Ghost
4. Extrasensory Perception (ESP)
Perception of input through some channel other than the five known
senses
5. Extrasensory Perception (ESP)
Apparent mind-to-mind communication
The term was launched by J. B. Rhine
Some consider it as extra-sensory communication
Some consider as chanceoccur
Very difficult to estimate the role that chance plays in many
spontaneous paranormal experiences
6. Individuals involved in ESP
Sender -who will view a randomly selected 'target' picture and
attempt to concentrate on it and send it psychically to the
receiver
Receiver- who will relax and describe the images that come to
mind
Experimenter- who supervises and conducts the experiment
7. Noise reduction model of ESP
Strongest evidence for ESP - uses altered states of consciousness
to facilitate ESP performance
Normally we live in very distracting, noisy environments, both
externally and internally.
The ESP information may bea weak signal.
In order to help the receiver to detect the weak ESP signal among
the distracting noise, noise reduction techniques used.
8. Ganzfeld method
Alternative approach, which use a mild sensory isolation
procedure
A test for telepathic communication between the sender and
receiver.
The receiver is isolated in a acoustic proof room
Eyes were taped, headphones are placed over ears that play a
relaxation tape followed by white noise, room is illuminated with
red light.
This auditory and visual environment is called as ganzfeld ,a
German ward meaning total field.
9. Cont
The sender selects visual stimulus randomly from a
pool-target.
While sender concentrating on the target the receiver attempts to
describe it by a continuous verbal report of his mental imagery
through a microphone.
After completing the session ,the receiver is presented with four
stimuli, one of which is the target.
He was asked to rate the degree to which each matches his imagery.
A direct hit is scored if the receiver assigned the highest rating
to the target stimulus.
10. Interpretation
An overall analysis of various studies reveals that participants
were able to select the correct target stimulus 38% of time.
If it is due to chance occurrence we can expect the success rate of
25%
Therefore the results of the ganzfeld studies cannot be explained
as chance coincidence, and this provides evidence in support of the
hypothesis that ESP exists
11. Clairvoyance
The ability to perceive something without the use of the
senses
12. Clairvoyance
An ability to see things beyond the range of the power of
vision
Clairvoyance divided into three classes
Retrocognition and premonition
Perceiving past and future events
Perception of contemporary events happening at a distance, or
outside the range of normal vision
13. The possibility of hyperesthesia during trancemay play a part
in clairvoyant performances
Clairvoyance may include
psychometry
second sight
crystal gazing
14. The clairvoyant experience may be
spontaneous
induced by suggestion -as in hypnotism
autosuggestion -as in crystal gazing
15. Crystals
Solid mineral objects having naturally formed plane faces
16. Crystals
According to folk belief, crystals existed against unpleasant
dreams, dissolved enchantments(magic)
Served as a medium for magical visions
Rock crystal shaped into polished balls wasthe favourite material
for crystal gazing.
A favourite mode of exercising the clairvoyant faculty
17. X-ray clairvoyance
The faculty to see into closed space, such as boxes, envelopes,
rooms, and books.
It is a frequently observed manifestation of the power.
There are many cases on record in which sealed letters were read
when the contents were totally unknown to the experimenter or were
couched in a language of which the seer was ignorant
18. Travelling clairvoyance
mental journey to a distant scene and giving a description about
it
There is abundant evidence of travelling clairvoyance, the ability
to mentally journey to a distant scene and observe events, in old
and present-day records
Travelling clairvoyance may take the seer into the future
19. Medical clairvoyance- the ability to see the inner mechanism of
the human body and diagnose disease
Platform clairvoyance- is seeing spirits.
20. Validity
Many clairvoyants have been consulted by the police to help trace
criminals.
Although startling claims of success have been made, there is some
ambiguity in many instances.
Because much claimed clairvoyant faculty is of a spontaneous
nature, it presents difficulties for parapsychological
experimentation and testing
21. Telepathy
Defined as transmission of thought independently of the recognized
channels of sense.
22. Telepathy
It refers to mind-reading
The ability to communicate with another person without the use of
the senses
Term coined by British psychical researcher F. W. H. Myers in
1882
23. In telepathy the transmitter is often unaware that he acts as
an agent
The receiver does not consciously prepare himself for the
reception
Telepathy cannot be made a subject of experiments
Telepathy is a well developed mode of supernormal perception and is
usually brought into play by the influence of very strong
emotions.
The journalist and pioneer spiritualist william t. Stead often
received automatic writing from the living
24. Telepathic theories
Telepathy & theory of gravitation, are daughters of
astrology
But gravitation is universally accepted by science, telepathy
remains a questionable hypothesis
The wise men of ancient times taught that the stars radiated an
invisible influence that held them together in their course
They affected men and events on our planet, receiving in turn some
subtle emanation from the earth and its inhabitants.
From this idea assume that a radiant influence,whether magnetic or
otherwise, passed from one human being to another.
25. The doctrine of astral influence was shared by Paracelsus
Sir Isaac Newton, whose discovery of the law of gravitation brought
the age of simplistic astrology to a close.
26. The dividing line between clairvoyanceand telepathy is
vague
The telepathic message may take the form of visual or auditory
sensation
If the content indicates future events, clairvoyance should be
suspected
Past events may be both telepathic communications and the result of
a reading by psychometry.
27. The Wave Theory
According to Sir William CrookesIf telepathy takes place we have
two physical facts.
Thephysical change in the brain of the suggester, and the
analogouschange in the brain of the recipient of the
suggestion.
Believed that these ether waves were of small amplitude and greater
frequency than x-rays
They continually passed between human brains, arousing an image in
the second brainthat is similar to the image in the first.
28. controversy
Intensity of any waves diminishes with distance
The telepathic image is very vivid despite the remoteness of the
agent
Picture is often modified or symbolical.
The wave theory of telepathy remains unproven and discarded
Few modern soviet investigators suggested an electromagnetic theory
of telepathy.
29. Possession
An altered state of consciousness in which the conscious
personality of the individual is replaced with that of another
personality, commonly thought of as a possessing spirit
entity
30. Possession
Common to all religious traditions
The possessing personality aims to establish communication with
this world by writing or speech
In the Christianity possession viewed as a negative phenomena
Christian leaders have largely equated possession with possession
by a demonic force, or even the devil himself.
31. Stages of possession
Personation- during which the mediums own personality is still in
the body but is Assuming the characteristics of someone
departed.
Partial possession- the excitation of the mediums motor or sensory
centres by a discarnate agent either through the subconscious self
or in some direct way.
Full possession- postulates the vacation of the organism by the
medium to allow the entrance of another spirit.
32. Reincarnation(Rebirth)
The return to a new corporeal life of a soulthat had previously
been embodied and passed through bodily death.
33. Reincarnation(Rebirth)
Fundamental to both hinduism and buddhism
Contrast to the dominant western Christian idea of
resurrection
The soul might pass into the body of an animal, a plant, or even an
inanimate object such as a stone
34. Link with moral belief
The belief in reincarnation was tied to moral categories ,the
Eastern concept of karma
It viewed the present life as the working out of consequences from
previous lives
Future embodiments will also be determined by the consequences of
this present life
One must remove oneself from the realm of consequences through
spiritual activity or be stuck in the endless cycle of
reincarnation forever
35. The idea of reincarnation is usually associated with
India.
Basically, the soul is an immortal or deathless entity that has
continuity through eternity, but falls into material existence and
is trapped in the illusion that this physical world is ultimately
real.
Through multiple lives the soul becomes subject to karma, or
consequences.
36. Rebirth
Good karma leads to noble birth
Bad karma to a lower birth, even to rebirth as an animal
37. Integral to social organization in the caste system and thus
had practical application in everyday life.
The caste system determined and sanctioned by the rewards and
punishments of karma
38. Ultimate goal was to escape the wheel of reincarnation
totally.
By withdrawing and concentrating on the spiritual realm, one ceased
to create karma and dissolved old karma or eventually, one could
rid oneself of karma entirely and escape
An idea of reincarnation, though not karma, is also found in some
early Greek philosophy, including that of both Pythagoras and
Plato
39. Researchers view
dj vuoften been cited as an argument for reincarnation
Eugene Rochasfirst explored memories of past incarnations if put
into hypnotic sleep
By means of longitudinal passes, could be made to retrace the
previous phases of their existence down to their birth even earlier
state of incarnation
By means of transversal passes the subject was brought back to his
normal state by going through the same phases in order of their
time
If the transversal passes were continued, the subject was led into
the future.
40. Psychical Researchers and Reincarnation
After Allan Kardec , Leon Denis and Gabriel Delannebecame the main
pillars of the reincarnationist school inFrance.
The general evidence they relied on was fourfold: (1)infant
prodigies, (2) spontaneous recollection of past lives, (3)
exploration of memory under hypnosis, and (4) the claims announced
of coming reincarnation
British hypnotherapist ArnallBloxham, who spent more than 20 years
tape recording hypnotic subjects.
These sessions convinced many that they presented actual memories
of former incarnations
41. Precognition
Psychic knowledge of something in advance of its occurrence.
Paranormal knowledge of impending events, also referred to as
prediction
premonition
prophecy
42. Premonition
A paranormalwarning of a future event
Premonitions may range from vague feelings of disquiet or
uneasiness suggestive of impending disaster, to actual
hallucinations
Dreamsare frequent vehicles of premonitions
Whether the premonition comes in the waking state or during sleep,
it is believed the impression is usually deep and lasting.
The recipient may write it down or narrate it for later
verification
43. Prediction vs premonition
A premonition differs from prediction
Prediction has a degree of precision and tends to detail the basic
who, what, when, where, and how questions
When the event foreseen is not precisely outlined or is too
insubstantial to prompt a prophetic utterance, premonition is the
more appropriate term
For vague future events of a personal nature, presentiment is
employed
44. Richets Conditions:
According to psychical researcher Charles Richet, premonitions
should have two fundamental conditions:
The fact announced must be absolutely independent of the person to
whom the premonition has come.
The announcement must be such that it cannot be ascribed to chance
or sagacity(practical wisdom)
45. Terms
If the percipient is positive about the event in question is about
to happen, the term precognition is used.
If it takes visual form, prevision is the appropriate label.
When predictions involving the fate of larger units, countries, or
nations are made,prophecy is the appropriate term.
Premonition may be conceived of as the lowest degree of
prophecy
46. Psychokinesis
The ability to move or bend objects at a distance by mental power
without contact
47. Psychokinesis
The term has now largely displaced telekinesis, formerly used
This term was proposed by psychologist J. B. Rhine ,in relation to
experiments with influencing the fall of dice by mental
concentration
48. Special terms
PK-MT- psychokinetic effect on moving targets, such as dice
PK-LT - influence on living target, such as plants, healing,
influencing of animals
PK-ST influence on static targets
49. APK Placement Test denotes a PK-MT experiment in which the
subject attempts to influence falling objects to land in a
designated area.
50. Phenomena included
Rappings-Percussive sounds of varying intensity without visible,
known or normal agency
Table turning
Levitations-The rising of physical objects, tables, pianos, or of
human beings into the air, contrary to the known laws of
gravitation and without any visible agency
Conveyance of apports-flowers, jewellery, and even live animals,
reportedly materialized in the presence of a medium.
51. Considerations
Spiritualists- believed these were caused by the intervention of
discarnate spirits.
Magnetists -believed in the existence of some kind of fluidic or
energetic emanation as the cause of such movements.
Some others-discounting those phenomena that were the result of
fraud
52. Alien abduction
Paranormal experience of being abducted by aliens of other
universe.
53. Intense Experiences- missing time, or seeing and communicating
with aliens
Non-intense experiences - seeing unidentified lights in the
sky
54. MMPI applied to individuals who reported alien abduction
experiences
No considerable psychopathology in such people compared with
control group
55. Hopkins probability of abduction
Waking up paralysed with a sense of a strange person or presence of
something else in the room
Experiencing a period of time of an hour or longer in which you
were apparently lost, but you could not remember why, or where you
had been
Feeling that you were actually flying through the air, although you
did not know how or why
Seeing unusual lights or balls of light in a room without knowing
what was causing them or where they came from
Finding puzzling scars on your body, and neither you nor anyone
else remembering how you received them or where
56. Theories for alien abduction
57. Fantasy-proneness
Fantasy-prone personalities are typically excellent hypnotic
subjects, but are also noted for their profound fantasy
lives.
They spend a great deal of time fantasizing, and they report that
when they imagine
The hallucinatory nature of their fantasies leads to frequent
confusion between imagination and reality.
58. Level of dissociative tendencies
Higher in abductees than in non-abductees.
Associated with a history of childhood trauma which in turn is
correlated with fantasy-proneness.
It is a defensive mechanism which allows traumatized children to
escape the unbearable reality of their lives by entering a more
acceptable fantasy world
59. Sleep paralysis
This theory explains why someone might suspect that they had been
abducted ,without any clear memory of such an event
The most frequently notedclaim as evidence of an alien abduction is
'Waking up paralysed with a sense ofa strange person or presence or
something else in the room'.
This is a concisedescription of the experience of sleep paralysis,
which is a standard symptomof narcolepsy
Can occur quite commonly in the general population
60. Temporal lobe activity
At the extreme end of the continuum of temporal lobe activityare
temporal lobe epileptics
A seizure ispreceded by odd sensations, deja vu, hallucinations and
mystical feelings
61. UFO
Unidentified Flying Objects
62. Unidentified Flying Objects
Similar to the experience of alien abduction
UFOs entered popular consciousness as flying saucers.
In the twentieth century UFOs were called as airships, foo
fighters, and ghost rockets
63. Near-death experiences (NDEs)
Profound psychological events with transcendental and mystical
elements, typically occurring to individuals close to death or in
situations of intense physical or emotional danger
64. Near-death experiences (NDEs)
NDEs have been reported in cases of actual clinical death, where
the vital signs are absent for up to 20 minutes
But also seem to be experienced in situations which are only
potentiallyfatal
65. Key features
The inherent ineffability of the experience
Overhearing the news of their own death
Feelings of peace and quiet
The noise-unpleasant buzzing or rushing sound.
Dark tunnel-a sensation than a vision
sense of being outside one's body
Meeting others
The being of light
66. Cont
The panoramic review of one's major life events.
A 'point of no return' at which one must 'decide' whether to return
to the body.
Coming back -A sense of making the decision to return.
Telling othersor not revealingdue to fear of appearing
insane.
Effects on lives-changes in views on life and other people.
New views on death
Corroboration-Independent confirmation of elements of the NDE by
others.
67. The five stages of the NDE
Feelings of deep peace and well-being- first and most common stage,
absence of fear or pain
A sense of separation from the body-a bird's-eye view of own body,
excellent view of the medical staff's attempts to resuscitate
them
68. Entering darkness/passing through a tunnel
Seeing the light- brilliant, golden, not seem to hurt the eyes,
enveloped them
Entering the light/beautiful garden-classically heavenly,
consisting of a lovely garden with beautiful music
69. Spiritual theories
The first theory we shall consider is that NDEs arise as the mind
or spirit separates from the body near the point of death, since
this seems to be the most popular interpretation among members of
the general public
70. Psychological theories
Depersonalization
Its an attempt to escape from this unpalatable thought by
retreating into a more positive fantasy experience in an effort to
protect themselves from the emotional shock.
The NDE as a remembrance of the birth experience
Shock of being close to death may evoke powerful memories of great
stress, namely one's own birth .
Dark tunnel- represents the birth canal,
The light - the theatre into which one is being born
The authoritative persons -may be the medical staff or parent
71. Organic theories
Endorphins
Extreme stress and fear of NDE release endorphins which can reduce
pain perception & induce pleasant sensations.
Cerebral anoxia
The final common pathway to death is cerebral anoxia which
produceda sense of well-being and power
Suggest that the NDE might best be explained as the result of an
anoxic brain
72. Temporal lobe seizures
Hypoxiacan give rise to temporal lobe epilepsy
Which has features similar to the NDE
Such as the panoramic life review and the changes in affect.
73. The 'dying brain' hypothesis
Best known and most popular explanation for NDE
Suggested by blackmore
She suggests that different elements of the NDE may need to be
explained by different psychological or physiological
mechanisms.
Features of the tunnel, light and noises -hypoxia and other threats
to the brain
The affective features of peace and well- endorphins
74. Astrology
Astrologers believe that a person's character and destiny are
affected by the stars at the moment of their birth.
75. This influence is believed to be both powerful and
lasting.
The position of the stars at the moment when one is born is
considered to shape the kind of personality that one will have for
the rest of one's life
76. Horoscope
The best-known form of astrology
Divides people's birth dates into the 12 signs of the zodiac, which
are 12 bands through which the sun passes during the course of a
year.
Sun signs- a person's zodiac sign indicates the position of the sun
at their particular moment of birth.
77. Main groups of sun signs & personality
Fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius)-fiery in nature, tending to be
energetic, optimistic, enthusiasticand aggressive
Earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn)- practical, Dependable,
logical and cautious.
Air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius)- light hearted, friendly,
open-minded and very changeable
Water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces)-imaginative, artistic,
sensitive and Emotional.
78. Astrology and personality
Eysenck personality inventory (EPI), a widely used questionnaire
that measures both extraversion and emotionality.
At first glance these findings appear to offer some support for
astrology
But subsequent studies have failed to replicate them,
None of the more recent studies have found significant personality
differences of any kind between any of the sun signs
79. Matching birth charts with test scores
A team of professional astrologers was presented with the birth
chart of one subject, and was then given the same person's
California Personality Inventory (CPI) profile together with two
other CPI profiles chosen at random.
The astrologers' task was to decide which one of the three CPI
profiles matched up with the birth chart.
This same procedure would then be repeated for the next subject,
and so on throughout the entire sample.
The results clearly demonstrated that the astrologers were unable
to match up the charts with their corresponding questionnaire
scores beyond the level that would be expected by chance.
Moreover, in a further experiment it was found that the subjects
themselves were unable to recognize their own astrological
personality profile based on their birth charts
80. Ghost
The disembodied spirit or image of a deceased person, appearing to
be alive.
81. Ghost
Ghosts are believed to be ethereal- able to penetrate doors and
walls, appear at the moment of death to a distant relative or
friend.
Haunting- dwelling locations of ghosts
Places associated with their earthly life or locales with a tragic
history.
Although the evidence for ghosts is largely anecdotal, its belief
is widespread and persistent.
82. Children are often reported to have encountered ghostly
playmates
Reports of ghost pictures when taking normal photographs
83. Apparitions
Paranormalperception, which cannot be explained by any worldly
objective cause.
Covers all visionary appearances, hallucinations, clairvoyance, and
similar unusual perceptions.
A ghostis a visual apparition of a deceased human being.
All apparitions do not take the form of visual images; auditory and
tactile false perceptions also occur
84. Types of Apparitions
Induced- hypnotic and post-hypnotic hallucinations and visions
induced by the use of narcotics and intoxicants, ascetic
practices,
spontaneous
Crystallomancy or crystal gazingis a form of apparition that is
believed to be frequently clairvoyant.
Crystal visions fall under the heading of induced apparitions
85. THANK YOU