Mediumship or super-psi?

[anonymous]

Hi,

I am wondering if anyone knows if there have been any studies comparing mediumship to other forms of psychic perception?

I'm interested in this because if mediumship is more accurate and/or provides more information than remote viewing or ganzfeld or other types of psychic perception, then the super-psi hypothesis would not be a good explanation for mediumship.


Thanks

[FastEddieB]

I am wondering if anyone knows if there have been any studies comparing mediumship to other forms of psychic perception?

Well, since no one else answered...

Neither of the two effects you've chosen to compare have been rigorously confirmed, so comparing them would be extremely difficult.

If either exists, its effects seem to be just on the threshold of random noise - were it otherwise it would have long ago been simple to devise conclusive tests. The fact that we're still debating these topics after 100+ years of "studies" shows that even if the phenomena are real, the effects are very, very small.

[Open Mind]

Originally Posted by FastEddieB

The fact that we're still debating these topics after 100+ years of "studies" shows that even if the phenomena are real, the effects are very, very small.

It is a bit more complex than that.... most studies have been on those not claiming to be particularly psychic.

[Open Mind]

Anonymous,

I don't know of any. If you find any let me know. I think the question is an important one.

Survival research is a bigger taboo than ESP research. Perhaps most people don't want to think about their own mortality.. religion offers faith. Although surveys show most people believe in an afterlife it seems more like hope and a fear of the consequences of not believing in a religion.

From the 1930s, lab parapsychology was running away from survival type of research and a super ESP like hypothesis was far less controversial subject to research... it could be viewed as a brain function (didn't stand on materialistic scientists toes), could be assumed everyone could learn ESP (chimed nicer with democracy), lab ESP didn't contradict religions (such as the Christian salvation/day of judgment) and was under personal control (less taboo about discarnate mental influence)...

Here we are 80 years later ....has anyone bothered to do the research you mention? I don't think so.

One could set up a typical lab ESP test in to 4 groups ...

1. Those trying to use their personal psychic abilities (the super psi hypothesis)
2. Those asking for (good) discarnates to help (the survival hypothesis)
3. Those asking for only God's assistance but not lesser lifeforms (the religious hypothesis)
4. Those doing tests believing it is impossible or nonsense (the skeptics hypothesis)

(The prior belief and opinions of those involved, including parapsychologists superivising, should be published - I don't think anyone's opinion is ideally neutral on these)

Anonymous, if you find anyone who has done that sort of trial in past ....I would be interested.

[Paul C. Anagnostopoulos]

Originally Posted by Open Mind

2. Those asking for (good) discarnates to help (the survival hypothesis)

Gary Schwartz did studies using this paradigm. They were laughable.

~~ Paul

[Open Mind]

Originally Posted by Paul C. Anagnostopoulos

Gary Schwartz did studies using this paradigm. They were laughable.

~~ Paul

OK you scoffed. But is Schwartz right?

[FastEddieB]

But is Schwartz right?

We'll know once he gets replicated.

Repeatedly.

It's a bitch, but is how science works.

[Paul C. Anagnostopoulos]

Originally Posted by Open Mind

OK you scoffed. But is Schwartz right?

If so, only by accident. The studies with Allison Dubois were just plain silly.

~~ Paul

[Open Mind]

Originally Posted by FastEddieB

We'll know once he gets replicated.

These types of successful experiments were done long before Schwartz, so Schwartz can be viewed as just another replication.

Originally Posted by Paul C. Anagnostopoulos

If so, only by accident. The studies with Allison Dubois were just plain silly.

~~ Paul

In what way were these 'just plain silly'?

[Paul C. Anagnostopoulos]

Originally Posted by Open Mind

In what way were these 'just plain silly'?

Because the deceased was obviously Montague Keen. And Schwartz was so deeply involved with most of the people in the experiment that the coziness is palpable.

~~ Paul