Yesterday on Twitter I linked to a pretty ordinary article from Skeptical Inquirer that bashed both Daryl Bem and his controversial experiments on precognition (also known as ‘presentiment’). Well-known psi researcher Dean Radin replied to my tweet with some very interesting news on Bem’s experiments:
@DailyGrail A soon to be published meta-analysis of 80-some replications of the "Bem effect" shows a highly significant overall effect.
— Dean Radin (@DeanRadin) July 19, 2013
I’m looking forward to seeing this meta-analysis (which is sure to set off another wave of controversy) and how it stands up to criticism. I’ve previously asked Richard Wiseman about his registry of Bem replications and when the results of that analysis will be published, but have not had a reply to my enquiries.
On a related note, for those interested in this topic: Dean Radin also has a new book out, titled Supernormal: Science, Yoga, and the Evidence for Extraordinary Psychic Abilities (available from Amazon US and Amazon UK right now):
Can yoga and meditation unleash our inherent supernormal mental powers, such as telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition? Is it really possible to perceive another person’s thoughts and intentions?
Influence objects with our minds? Envision future events? And is it possible that some of the superpowers described in ancient legends, science fiction, and comic books are actually real, and patiently waiting for us behind the scenes? Are we now poised for an evolutionary trigger to pull the switch and release our full potentials?
Dean Radin, Director of Research at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) and bestselling author of The Conscious Universe, presents persuasive new experimental evidence for the existence of such phenomena. He takes us on a thrilling scientific journey and challenges outdated assumptions that these abilities are mere superstition. Focusing on Patanjali’s mysterious Yoga Sutras — 2,000 year-old meditation practices believed to release our extraordinary powers — Radin offers powerful evidence confirming that sometimes fact is much stranger, spookier, and more wonderful than the wildest fiction.
I’m currently reading the book and will hopefully have a summary/review for you soon, but until then you can find out more about Supernormal, and also read the Foreword and first chapter, at Dean’s website.
You might also like…
