Psychic Attack

Following on from my post on the link between Paranormal Phenomena and Schizophrenia I have had numerous email asking for more information on mental illness and psychic attacks.

As a consequence, Ive been scouring the academic journals looking for some scholarly studies to cite. This has proved very difficult.

Yes, the paranormal is researched, a bit. Yes, mental illness is well covered, very well covered in fact.  But put the two together and I kept drawing blanks. That is until I contacted the parapsychologist, Michael Thalbourne. He reminded me of a well respected author who bravely did some research in this area.

The book is now out of print, but it is still available online through Amazon. You might like to check out the Hardcover version on Amazon of:

The ESP Experience: A Psychiatric Validation by Jan Ehrenwald (1978).

Jan was a psychiatrist, born in Czechoslovakia, studied psychiatry in Prague, practiced in London and New York and died in 1988.

It is such a shame that we have to go back so far – over 30 years – to find a readable reference on this topic.

Anyway, there are 19 copies available through Amazon, starting at 99 cents. That seems cheap, given how rare the research is!

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Psychic Powers

Have you ever visited a psychic? Been given a psychic prediction? Or been tempted to find out what its like? Many people have taken the plunge. Some have done so for a laugh (a good thing to do with a girlfriend perhaps?); others have approached a clairvoyant anxiously seeking answers to unresolved issues. Does that sound like you? If it does, then you are not alone (in more ways than one.) Every year millions of units of currency – dollars, euros, yen – you name it, it is given to those who work in the paranormal realms, in return for oftentimes unspecified services.

Who really does have psychic powers? Do the clients of psychics generally report satisfaction with the service they have received? Do YOU leave your session feeling invigorated and reassured? Or do walk out feeling bewildered, even angry? Anecdotal evidence suggests that this full range of emotions is engendered. So do clients genuinely receive value for their currency? Little is actually known about this in fact. Surprisingly, given the size of the industry, it’s an area that has been largely neglected by academic researchers and overlooked by statisticians.

There are numerous websites that market the services of psychics. But who regulates them? Have you ever read the small print? it makes for interesting and enlightening reading. The disclaimers talk in terms of ‘adult entertainment’ — tell that to those who are grieving for a loved one and seek consolation in the psychic realms. Entertainment is the last thing on their minds. They are looking for comfort and closure not amusement. Have a look at the privacy policy? Oftentimes there is talk of sharing personal details with allied service providers. It’s not the kind of thing that those seeking an experiential session in the ether generally consider. Perhaps they should?

Have I given you food for thought? Was your experience a good one? Did you know what you were looking for before you ventured into the unknown and did you find what you were looking for? These may be subjective judgments but they are necessary. If you were happy, did you refer others? Is that how the psychic industry flourishes — on intuition and recommendation? If you were unhappy, and perhaps you only went the once, was you feedback encouraged?

These are the kinds of things that future users of a psychic’s services have a right to know? But where do they go to get this kind of information? Again, a review of the websites indicates that even though feedback is encouraged, the owners often have the right to edit or remove comments. This is hardly a system which suggests impartiality.

If you haven’t already received your free copy of our ebook Psychic Scams then sign up in the box on the left.

In my opinion, something needs to be done. And before that happens people need to open up about their experiences — not so much about the content and what transpired in their session, but more about their actual experience and how it left them feeling? Subjective this may be, but it’s better than knowing nothing. Don’t you think?

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Paranormal Research

In an effort to collect the largest number of personal accounts of spontaneous paranormal experiences, Psychic Revolution has re-opened the paranormal survey. In three months in 2007, the original survey collated more than 4,000 surveys from participants around the world.

Even after the original survey was closed for analysis, the researcher continued to be inundated with requests for it to be re-opened so that further contributions could be made. It is in response to this demand that the survey is now ‘live’ and it will remain so, just as long as the demand remains.

To contribute click the link to the Paranormal Survey here.

If you have any queries please contact Rosemary Breen via email.

The I Ching

From Valentine: I have signed up to receive Psychic Revolution and I ask whether interpretation of the I Ching is included in your brief. I am not certain this is a psychic talent, but I should like to have your opinion on the matter. Many thanks.
I received this query from Valentine and it got me thinking. Certainly this is not covered in the paranormal survey we have open at the moment but maybe it depends on the definition we use.

For those who are not familiar with the I Ching, here is a Guest Post from Valentine (our first Guest Post!)

The I Ching or Book of Changes*
The I Ching is a system of divination based on a Chinese text written some 2500 years ago. Of unknown origin, it was held in high regard by Confucius and continues up to the present to command great interest and respect throughout the Far East. While sharing characteristics of the Tarot in the way it operates, Instead of picture cards The I Ching is composed of 8 trigrams – stacks of 3 horizontal straight lines either broken or unbroken – paired together to form 64 possible combinations known as hexagrams now forming stacks of 6 lines each. Each trigram represents a range of symbolism such as Heaven, the Creative, the Father or Earth, the Mother, the Receptive, and when paired, the resulting hexagram acquires a further designation such as, for example, Youthful Folly, Peace, Breaking Through, each line providing a comment upon the question which has been asked.

The hexagram itself is arrived at by one of several methods, nowadays commonly by throwing 3 coins so that they land heads or tails. The obverse of each coin represents the number 3 and the reverse, 2; therefore, the throw of all three coins results in a combination of the numbers 6 (broken line), 7 (unbroken line), or possibly 8 (changing broken line) or 9 (changing unbroken line). Only the changing lines are relevant to the interpretation, and their change, from broken to unbroken or the reverse, results in a second hexagram in which the changed line in its new form is again relevant.

Like Tarot readings, the operation of the I Ching, according to Carl Jung, may be explained by synchronicity, or the coming together of all relevant elements, both material and psychic. It cannot be thought of as a linear process of cause and effect. As an oracle, the interpretation confines itself to a short time span, usually not more than the immediate 24 hours. However, the text may also be used as a source of wisdom, and as such, this abbreviated time span need not be taken into consideration.

*Translators, Richard Wilhelm, Cary F. Baynes. Forward by Carl G. Jung. London, Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd; 1975.

What do you think?

Can the I Ching be classified as paranormal? Have you had direct experience of the I Ching?

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Paranormal Definition The paranormal is interesting; it’s exciting; it’s revealing. It is controversial, mainstream, a way of life for some and something to be avoided by others. Paranormal activity is also a divisive topic – a bit like politics and religion!

Today, the paranormal is popularised by images of ghosts, messages from the dead and reports of objects flying around rooms – but it is so much more than all this sensationalised hype. The paranormal is at the heart of what it means to be human, to be alive and to be dead! It seeks to challenge us to look at who we are, why we are here, and what are our beliefs about life itself, life after death, life before birth, even life between life!

The paranormal challenges us to question what we know about consciousness – not only human consciousness but all living consciousness (very little, apparently). What do we know about death (not much that the experts agree on, least of all when it actually happens)? What about the reports of levitating spirits and unearthly calm that occur at that moment of some deaths (but not all)? Is there a step-by-step process of preparation that takes place before the final encounter (a new area of study)? Do memories pass from one life to the next (reincarnation is widely accepted in some cultures, but not others)? If this is the case, then what is actually transferred, and how (personal genetics and human consciousness spring to mind)?

Yes, the paranormal is exciting but for so many more reasons than those that first spring to mind.

The paranormal is at the very heart of who and what we are. The study of the paranormal embraces the phenomena that cannot readily be explained by the laws of science and in my studies specifically this includes deja vu, apparitions, near-death experiences, out-of-body experiences, psychokinesis, premonitions, auras, mediumship, reincarnation, and telepathy.

So, what do we mean by these phenomena? Recently I completed a Master’s Degree at Monash University in Melbourne Australia and the topic of my dissertation was the paranormal, or more correctly parapsychological experiences. My thesis was based on the results of an online survey and to gather responses I needed to define what it was that I was studying. Here are the definitions I relied upon:

* telepathy is defined as mind-to-mind communication;

* precognition or premonition refers to the experience in which information about the future is obtained without the use of the five senses;

* clairvoyance or remote viewing encompasses the phenomenon whereby current information is obtained without using the five senses (ESP is a general term which encompasses telepathy, precognition and clairvoyance);

* psychokinesis (PK) refers to the ability of the mind to impact living and non-living entities;

* near-death episodes (NDE) are reported by people who have been brought back from the brink of death;

* out-of-body experiences (OBE) occur when the mind’s awareness is external to the physical body;

* reincarnation applies to the recall of events, people and places from previous lifetimes;

* hauntings include apparitions, and unexplained sounds and movements of objects, which are associated with particular locations; and

* poltergeists, which are a type of PK that may depend on the presence of some individuals who unwittingly produce the disturbing effects. More recently, poltergeists have become specifically linked to the presence of adolescents and children.

Some of the earliest reports of parapsychological phenomena are to be found in the ancient spiritual texts – The Egyptian Book of the Dead, and the Talmud, Bible, Koran, and the Kabbalah – and in the writings of the early philosophers such as Homer, Socrates, and Aristotle. Historically, the remarkable events in these texts have tended to be attributed to divine powers but more recently people have begun to question these teachings.

What, for example, is the difference between prophecy and premonition? Are miracles and psychokinesis symptomatic of the same thing? Is hearing the voice of God a type of clairvoyance? Are these the same experiences but under different names?

In some corners of academia, there are quiet rumblings to have these, and other matters involving the paranormal looked at more closely – but be warned. Studying the paranormal is a career-limiting move. Today, there are few parapsychologists in the world (under 50, at the last count) and even fewer who make a living from their expertise. Studying the paranormal is still regarded as more of a retirement hobby than a career choice!

The well-practised tradition of reporting paranormal phenomena continues today – in books, films and the media but with one very powerful addition – the internet. More and more, those who encounter the scientifically unexplained in everyday life are turning to cyberspace to make sense of what has happened to them. Some need reassurance; others are searching for like-minded people. Today, the paranormal is openly and freely discussed across websites, on blogs and in chatrooms. Yet, remarkably, very little formal research has been carried out on these everyday paranormal experiences.

In stark contrast to the abundance of paranormal self-reports on the web there is a noticeable shortage of contemporary research on spontaneous parapsychological phenomena. Unlike most academic research, my paranormal study was open to everyone aged 18 years and over (according to university ethical guidelines). Participants were self-selecting – believers, non-believers, paranormal experients and sceptics – all were welcome. All that was needed was an ability to speak English, access to the internet and a willingness to participate. As this was the first time such a study had been conducted it was impossible to know at the outset how many participants there would be. Fifty? A hundred? A thousand? Maybe more?

Over 4,000 people stormed the survey website to document their paranormal experiences and while the majority of the participants were from the United States of America, Australia, United Kingdom, and Canada nearly 60 countries were represented. More women than men participated, but that ratio was closer than most people would have guessed – 60/40. The majority of the participants were in the 18-35 year age range but they were closely matched by the 36-55 year olds.

Some results were predictable: spontaneous parapsychological experiences appear to be universal, and not limited to adulthood; deja vu was the most widely reported experience; and very few people reported experiencing near death episodes. Other results were far more surprising including the (statistically significant) tendency for women to report experiences of deja vu, apparitions, out-of-body experiences, auras, mediumship, reincarnation, and telepathy. Conversely, why do men and women equally report incidences of psychokinesis? Why did some countries report more of certain types of phenomena than others? And, why all the references to the female bloodline?

The survey raised as many questions as it answered! So, what could I do but listen to the requests to reopen it. My aim is to gather the largest database of information on spontaneous paranormal experiences. Would you like to contribute anonymously? Click here for the Paranormal Survey.

I believe the study of the paranormal is the study of the essence of life. Do you agree?

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Instant Karma

Have you thought about talking to your friends or family about this? Often those closest to us can give insights on how we come across in life – and even if we don’t want to hear what they are saying – if they know us well they can have good insights to share.

Paranormal Experiences and Mental Illness From Stephanie: Schizophrenia runs in my family, I believe that if doctors would study the spiritual aspects of schizoprenia they would find a cure. I know people need meds also. What do you think?

Great question Stephanie! Throughout history, many brilliant minds have had one form of mental illness or another and some of them have also been intimately involved in the study of the paranormal. Even today, I know of at least one very high functioning parapsychologist who has been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder.

As far as the medical fraternity is concerned there is still along way to go before we will see the study of paranormal experiences being included in the curriculum. Having said that, however, inroads are being made in this area. One hundred years ago psychology was regarded with deep suspicion – today it is totally mainstream.

Change takes time – lots of time! From the encounters I had during my paranormal studies with eminent academics (including senior post holders in the medical faculties), parapsychological studies are usually regarded as something to be undertaken in the twilight years. This has its good and bad points. On the plus side, there are well credentialed academics such as Dean Radin who have made a name for themselves in the so-called hard sciences before turning to studying psi. The fact that they have established credibility in another field adds to the credibility of their paranormal work. The downside is that it takes decades to become credentialed elsewhere!

Every academic study that adds to the database of knowledge on the paranormal helps move psi towards becoming mainstream. The current study being carried out by Sam Parnia in the UK, while not directly linked to mental illness, is another example of how credible medicos are bridging the gap between mainstream medicine and non-traditional approaches.

So, I guess that’s my long answer Stephanie. My short answer is it will happen. Indirectly, it is happening already. It is just that the nature of science requires that progress be made in a careful and measured manner.

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