About the Best-Of List
Each year countless books, videos, and other materials are published under the heading of “parapsychology.” We spend a fair amount of time reviewing these materials. In 2018 we decided to start highlighting some of our favorite new contributions. Our annual ‘Best of’ list acknowledges books, published research, films, and open-access resources from other researchers and organizations that are related to the Institute’s mission. The selection process is based on our personal assessments as to how the materials further the mission of the Institute and help move the field of parapsychology forward. We do not accept any paid endorsements.
Books
From the Publisher:
“During the 1930s a new approach to exploring human consciousness began at Duke University with Professor J. B. Rhine’s experimental research on extra-sensory perception, or ESP. His findings on telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition and psychokinesis challenged conventional disbelief. Rhine’s findings and his first popular book, New Frontiers of the Mind, ignited excitement and controversy–among not only scientists but the public at large. Rhine’s letters chronicle his efforts to find reliable evidence of psychic ability, from the seance room to psychic animals and finally to a university research laboratory. Covering the years 1923-1939, they reveal a gripping story of groundbreaking research, told in the words of the main player as he worked with his team, subjects, critics and supporters alike.”
Dark Cognition: Evidence for Psi and its Implications for Consciousness by David Vernon
From the Publisher
“Outlining the scientific evidence behind psi research, Dark Cognition expertly reveals that such anomalous phenomena clearly exist, highlighting that the prevailing view of consciousness, purely as a phenomenon of the brain, fails to account for the empirical findings.”
Organizations
Public Parapsychology
Founded in 2006, Public Parapsychology (PP) rebooted itself in 2021 to meet the needs of a public that continues to be fascinated by psi experiences and phenomena. PP has relaunched as a community website, centered on a new mission statement:
“Public Parapsychology explores the art, technology, and science of various topics associated with exceptional experiences and phenomena collectively referred to as 'psi.' This includes extrasensory perception, mind-matter interactions, and the survival of personality after bodily death.”
We are excited to see how PP will grow over the coming years and are pleased to include it in our Best of 2021 list!
Learn more:
https://publicparapsychology.org/
Projects
Public Parapsychology: Three Initiatives for Climate Action
“In a series of volunteer-run events that took place between December 2021 and January 2022, the Public Parapsychology Community (PPC) provided a virtual space for academics and members of the public to explore the application of consciousness-based practices as change agents to help combat the global climate crisis.
The workshop featured presentations by Alex A. Álvarez (Unidad Parapsicológica de Investigación, Difusión y Enseñanza -UPIDE ), Mark Boccuzzi (The Windbridge Institute), Michael Daw (University of Northampton), Ramsés D’León (UPIDE), Jack Hunter (University of Wales Trinity Saint David), Pascal Michael (University of Greenwich), Julia Mossbridge (University of San Diego), and Annalisa Ventola (Parapsychological Association), which sparked discussion around premises and possibilities for climate action. Videos of those presentations can be reviewed at the PPC YouTube Channel.”
Learn more about this project HERE
Psi Tools
Exploring Synchronicity: The Synchronicity Oracle
There has long been an interest in the relationship between psychic information and synchronicity. This intersection between psi and meaningful yet seemingly random occurrences has been an ongoing study area here at the Windbridge Institute, so we were excited to find this new deck!
From the publisher:
“Noticing synchronicity – or random coincidences that strike us as meaningful – allows us to align our life path with the flow of the universe. This is the first-ever oracle to draw on the power of synchronicity to give you insight into your problems, answer your questions, and highlight previously unconsidered patterns and potential pathways in your life.”
You can find this and other psi-related items in our online shop. Sales from the store help support our work!
Conferences
2021 SSE/PA Meeting: Connections
In 2021, the Society for Scientific Exploration (SSE) and Parapsychological Association (PA) again joined forces for their annual meeting. This outstanding online conference, chaired by John G. Kruth (Rhine Research Center / Rhine Education Center) and Lorne Brown (Healthy Seminars), included a free, publicly accessible pre-conference education day, over 60 presentations from an international community of researchers, and even a virtual “bar” for after-hours socializing.
We are looking forward to the 2022 conference (June 23-26)!
Articles
How to avoid the time wars: A playfully serious guide to surviving time travel technology in the coming era ~ Julia Mossbridge, PhD, Affiliate Prof., Dept. of Physics and Biophysics at U. San Diego; Founder, The Institute for Love and Time (TILT); Fellow, Institute of Noetic Sciences
“I’m not a physicist — my background is in cognitive neuroscience — so I think about these things rather like a trained musician trying to paint.”
Images:
A visualization of a photon spread through time, which conveniently doubles as a visualization of unconditional love. Painting by Brooks Palmer.
Dr. Mossbridge in her home office in March 2021 with Amelia, the time machine in her closet. Photo by her husband Brooks Palmer.
What’s in a Name? A Lot, Actually ~ Paul H. Smith, PhD, Advisory Board, the International Remote Viewing Association
Abstract: A research discipline is partly defined by its terms. Parapsychology is no exception. I consider recent calls to change some long-standing terms in the field, primarily “parapsychology” and “extrasensory perception.” I specify desiderata for the terms we want to use to identify the nature of our field and the phenomena we explore, then discuss some reasons the changes in question were proposed, including an exploration of goals and motivations for those proposed changes. Counter-arguments against these reasons are then presented, along with justification for preserving the current terminology. I then argue that, though well-intended, the strategies and alternatives presented cannot achieve the goals they intend. The two terms most under pressure are defended, and explanations offered as to why these terms remain the best candidates. One undisclosed motivation for such changes may be what I call “Parapsychology’s Stockholm Syndrome,” reflecting the phenomenon also known as “identity with the aggressor” — suggesting that some of the motivation for offering such name changes may arise from the desire to “fit in” with mainstream science, which has long marginalized scientific parapsychology. Rather than rebranding or renaming, we should instead fight for our terminology against attacks from mainstream “aggressors” and their skeptic allies.
Citation:
Smith, P. H. (2021). What’s in a Name? A Lot, Actually. Journal of Parapsychology, 85,16-27. http://doi.org/10.30891/jopar.2021.01.05
Learn more about the Journal of Parapsychology here.
Open-Access
Psi Encyclopedia
While not new to 2021, the Psi Encyclopedia from the Society for Psychical Research continues to grow and remains an invaluable contribution to the field. The site includes a comprehensive keyword search feature, an A-Z content list, and a Category index, along with a New To Psi Research section. Best of all, the content is accurate, well presented, and freely available to all!
New and Notable
Supernatural Circumstances: Podcast
“What happens when a veteran paranormal researcher of 20 years gets together with a true-crime podcast host? Morgan Knudsen (Haunted Hospitals, Paranormal 911) and Mike Browne (Dark Poutine podcast) are about to show you. Supernatural Circumstances podcast delves into the paranormal, all while giving listeners the fascinating science behind the cases, the latest theories, and even their own tools on how to apply this new information in their everyday experience. Debuting its first season, Supernatural Circumstances is a podcast for the curious about the unseen, the mysterious, and the incredible things happening in the world around us.”
