I come from a place of having been a firm skeptic about spiritual healing and parapsychology (called 'psi' for short by the parapsychologists). Having been trained in psychology, medicine, psychiatry and research, I know many ways that people can fool themselves into believing that they have had various experiences - from expectations and wishful thinking, through magical beliefs, suggestion and hypnotic effects, and on into delusions and psychotic thinking.

My studies over three and a half decades have convinced me that my initial impressions were incorrect. While it is possible to fool ourselves in all of the above ways, this in no way proves that psi effects do not exist. The studies on psi abilities are among the most meticulously performed and carefully replicated research in the scientific literature in the human sciences.

    Meta-analysis of studies of telepathy (Radin, 1997) demonstrate significant mind-to-mind communications (p < 10 x 10-8 = odds against chance of 10 billion to 1)
    Meta-analysis of studies of clairsentience (Radin, 1997) demonstrate significant awareness of the inanimate world around us (p < 10 x 10-5 = odds against chance of 10 million to 1)
    Meta-analysis of studies of precognition (Honorton & Ferrari, 1989) demonstrate significant abilities to connect with awarenesses across time (p < 10 x 10-24 = odds against chance of 10 million billion billion to 1)
    Meta-analysis of intentional influence over the throw of dice (Radin & Ferrari, 1991) demonstrate significant abilities to alter their randomness (p < 10 x 10-7 =  odds against chance of 1 billion to one)
    Meta-analysis of studies of intentional influence on electrodermal responses (Braud & Schlitz, 1989; 1991) demonstrate significant influence of one person upon the psychophysiological processes of another person (p < 1.4 x 10-6 = odds against chance of 1.4 million to 1).
    Meta-analysis of intentional effects on electronic random number generators (Radin, 1997; Radin & Nelson, internet reference) demonstrate significant deviations from randomness ( p < 10 x 108 = odds against chance over 1 trillion to one)

This evidence provides a firm basis for postulating that a collective consciousness exists. This is viatlly important to understanding humanity's cruelty to and abuse of each other; our genociding of other species; our abuse of the environment; and our impending suicide by global heating (warming is an unacceptable euphemism). In effect, we have a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the collective consciousness of humanity.

Skeptics will very rarely cite this literature. They seek every other possible way to prove their disbeliefs in psi rather than rely on research. While they can be annoying, I find skeptics fascinating subjects for observation – because skeptics have psi abilities just as much as believers do. More on this in my next blog entry.

Daniel Benor - WHEE MD