Skip to main content
πŸ•―οΈ

Mediumship & Survival

A curated collection of research papers focusing on mediumship & survival. Explore the methodology, key findings, and ongoing debates in this field.

Total Papers 11
Year Range 1992 – 2018
Top Contributors
Radin, DeanBeischel, JulieBoccuzzi, Mark

Recent Publications

Intuitive Assessment of Mortality Based on Facial Characteristics: Behavioral, Electrocortical, and Machine Learning Analyses

Delorme, Arnaud; Pierce, Alan; Michel, Leena; Radin, Dean β€’ 2018 β€’ Explore

Twelve self-identified intuitives viewed 404 photographs (50% deceased, 50% alive) balanced across 8 visual characteristics. Overall accuracy 53.6% vs. 50% chance (p=0.005); 5/12 participants individually significant. Performance best with recent deaths (56.8%, p<0.002) vs. old (51.7%) and very old (50.2%). 32-channel EEG showed early visual ERP difference (~100ms, right parieto-occipital) for correct vs. incorrect classification of deceased photos (cluster-corrected p<0.05). Machine learning (random forest, logistic regression) on 11 image features failed to exceed chance, ruling out simple visual cues. Results suggest some individuals can weakly discriminate mortality status from facial photographs via unknown mechanism.

#intuitive_assessment #mortality #eeg #erp #machine_learning

A Mixed Methods Phenomenological and Exploratory Study of Channeling

Wahbeh, HelanΓ©; Carpenter, Loren; Radin, Dean β€’ 2018 β€’ Journal of the Society for Psychical Research

Five female full-trance channelers participated in nine channeling sessions over four days at Mt. Shasta, California. Pre-study surveys showed normal personality (BFI-10), dissociation (DES-T mean = 12.3, below clinical cut-off of 30), and psychotic symptom scores (CAPE-P15 mean = 0.37, below cut-off of 1.47), alongside high paranormal belief (30.8/36) and anomalous information reception (0.51/1.0). A custom 32-channel quantum noise generator (QNG) recorded continuously; a composite measure combining autocorrelation and mutual information differed between channeling (n = 658 samples) and control periods (n = 475 samples): z = 2.250, p = 0.024, two-tailed. One of 18 individual being-period comparisons survived FDR correction (Being #7: z = 3.431, p = 0.0006). Qualitative analysis identified 21 purported beings and five content themes. Channeling formats included traditional, sequential, simultaneous, and attempted materialization.

#channeling #trance_state #quantum_noise_generator #phenomenology #dissociation

People Reporting Experiences of Mediumship Have Higher Dissociation Symptom Scores Than Non-Mediums, But Below Thresholds for Pathological Dissociation

Wahbeh, HelanΓ©; Radin, Dean β€’ 2018 β€’ F1000Research

Secondary analysis of survey data from 3,023 participants (mean age 51, 70% female, 85% Caucasian). Mediumship experiences endorsed by 42%; 81% began in childhood; 53% had family history. Mean DES-T dissociation scores: all participants 14.4, mediums 18.2Β±19.3, non-mediums 11.8Β±15.2 (t=-10.3, p<0.0005). Both groups below clinical cut-off (30) for pathological dissociation, though 22% of mediums vs. 11% of non-mediums exceeded threshold (χ²=63.0, p<0.0005). Mediumship claimants scored higher on all 8 DES-T items. Education and income significant covariates. Results support non-pathological model: mediums show elevated but sub-clinical dissociation.

#dissociation #mediumship #survey #des_t #psychopathology

Anomalous Information Reception by Research Mediums Under Blinded Conditions II: Replication and Extension

Beischel, Julie; Boccuzzi, Mark; Biuso, Michael; Rock, Adam J β€’ 2015 β€’ Explore

Twenty Windbridge Certified Research Mediums performed 96 phone readings (86 usable) between 2009 and 2013 in three experiments of increasing rigor. Under quintuple-blind conditions eliminating cold reading, rater bias, experimenter cueing, and fraud, mediums were given only a discarnate's first name. Blinded sitters scored target and decoy readings. Calculated item accuracy was significantly higher for targets (52.8% vs. 36.6%, p = .002, d = 0.75), hits vs. misses showed large differences (chi-squared = 66.69, p < .0001), global scores favored targets (2.88 vs. 2.09, p = .001, d = 0.57), and forced-choice selections were significant (38/58 = 65.5%, p = .01). Results replicate the original 2007 AIR study.

#anomalous_information_reception #quintuple_blind #windbridge_certified_mediums #forced_choice #phone_readings

Electrocortical activity associated with subjective communication with the deceased

Delorme, Arnaud; Beischel, Julie; Michel, Leena; Boccuzzi, Mark; Radin, Dean; Mills, Paul J β€’ 2013 β€’ Frontiers in Psychology

Six Windbridge Certified Research Mediums underwent two experiments combining double-blind accuracy testing with 32-channel EEG recording. In Experiment 1, each medium was given only the first name of a deceased person and answered 25 questions during 20-second silent intervals optimized for movement-free EEG collection. Blinded sitters scored both target and decoy transcripts. Three of four evaluated mediums scored significantly above chance (M5: +46.8% accuracy difference, p < 0.00005; M1: +14.2%, p = 0.008; M2: +3.1%, Wilcoxon p = 0.004). Medium M1 showed a significant correlation between frontal theta power and accuracy (p < 0.01, cluster-corrected), with theta decreasing monotonically as accuracy increased. In Experiment 2, all six mediums showed significant EEG differences across four mental states (communication, recollection, perception, fabrication), primarily in gamma and beta bands, though gamma effects could not be distinguished from muscle artifacts.

#mediumship #eeg_electrocortical #double_blind_accuracy #theta_power #mental_state_comparison

Neuroimaging during Trance State: A Contribution to the Study of Dissociation

Peres, Julio Fernando; Moreira-Almeida, Alexander; Caixeta, Leonardo; LeΓ£o, Frederico; Newberg, Andrew β€’ 2012 β€’ PLoS ONE

Ten Brazilian psychographers (5 experienced, 5 less expert) underwent SPECT neuroimaging during psychographic (trance) writing and normal (control) writing. Experienced mediums showed significantly lower regional cerebral blood flow in six brain regions during psychography compared to control writing, including the left anterior cingulate, left hippocampus, and right superior temporal gyrus (p<0.05 interaction effect). Less expert mediums showed the opposite pattern with increased activation. Paradoxically, psychographed content was rated significantly more complex than control writing for the whole sample (16.8 vs 14.4, p=0.007) and experienced mediums (18.4 vs 15.4, p=0.041). An inverse correlation between text complexity increase and cerebral blood flow decrease (r=0.59-0.74) suggests experienced mediums produced more sophisticated content with less brain activation in cognitive processing areas.

#spect_neuroimaging #psychography #dissociative_trance #mediumship_neuroscience #cerebral_blood_flow

Some Directions for Mediumship Research

Kelly, Emily Williams β€’ 2010 β€’ Journal of Scientific Exploration

Arguing that abandoning mediumship research due to the survival/super-psi impasse was a self-inflicted wound on psychical research, this essay reviews three historically important types of mediumistic evidence: cross-correspondences, drop-in communicators, and proxy sittings. Detailed case studies from the 1920s-1930s demonstrate that proxy sittings with Mrs. Leonard and other mediums produced highly specific veridical information unknown to the proxy. Saltmarsh's controlled study found real sitters' scores over 12 times higher than controls across 19 proxy sittings, and Kelly & Arcangel's modern study with 9 mediums and 40 sitters yielded p < .0001 using global scoring. Proxy sittings are proposed as the most productive direction for renewed research.

#proxy_sittings #cross_correspondences #drop_in_communicators #survival_vs_super_psi #quantitative_evaluation

Anomalous Information Reception by Research Mediums Demonstrated Using a Novel Triple-Blind Protocol

Beischel, Julie; Schwartz, Gary E β€’ 2007 β€’ Explore

Eight pre-screened research mediums each performed two phone readings for absent university student sitters in a novel triple-blind design: mediums knew only the deceased's first name, a blinded proxy sitter conducted the session, and sitters scored itemized transcripts without knowing which reading was intended for them. Each deceased parent was paired with a same-gender deceased peer. Intended readings received significantly higher global scores than controls (M = 3.56 vs. 1.94; t = 3.105, df = 15, p = 0.007, effect size = 0.5). Sitters chose the intended reading 81% of the time (13/16, p = 0.01). The design eliminates cold reading, fraud, and telepathy with the sitter as explanations, though it cannot distinguish survival of consciousness from super-psi.

#triple_blind_protocol #proxy_sitter #anomalous_information_reception #survival_hypothesis #scoring_methodology

The measurement of regional cerebral blood flow during glossolalia: A preliminary SPECT study

Newberg, Andrew B; Wintering, Nancy A; Morgan, Donna; Waldman, Mark R β€’ 2006 β€’ Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging

Using SPECT neuroimaging, five experienced Charismatic Christian women were scanned during glossolalia (speaking in tongues) and compared with a gospel singing baseline. Glossolalia produced significant bilateral prefrontal decreases (right DLPFC -9.4%, p=0.003; left DLPFC -9.2%, p=0.01) consistent with reduced volitional control, a left caudate decrease (-18.9%, p=0.002), and a left superior parietal increase (+9.7%, p=0.009) distinguishing it from meditation. The authors conclude glossolalia involves complex, measurable changes in cerebral activity distinct from other spiritual practices.

#glossolalia #neuroimaging #spect #cerebral_blood_flow #altered_states

Testing Alleged Mediumship: Methods and Results

O'Keeffe, CiarΓ‘n; Wiseman, Richard β€’ 2005 β€’ British Journal of Psychology

Five professional mediums certified by the Spiritualists Nationalist Union each gave one-hour readings for five male sitters under acoustically isolated, double-blind conditions preventing all sensory leakage. Sitters rated the accuracy of every statement (1-7 scale) from all 25 readings without knowing which was intended for them. Pratt-Birge permutation analyses found no significant results for any individual medium (p = .27 to .89) or combined (p = .63). In 24 of 25 cases, non-target sitters rated the readings higher than the intended sitter. Readings containing more general, diverse statements received higher absolute ratings consistent with the Barnum effect, while highly specific statements consistently received low ratings.

#mediumship_testing #barnum_effect #pratt_birge_technique #sensory_leakage_controls #null_result

Survival or Super-psi?

Braude, Stephen E β€’ 1992 β€’ Journal of Scientific Exploration

Argues that even the most sophisticated discussions of survival evidence underestimate the conceptual difficulties posed by the rival 'super-psi' hypothesis. Two major weaknesses in survival arguments are identified: superficial treatment of subject psychodynamics when analyzing anomalous propositional knowledge, and naive conceptions of human abilities when analyzing anomalous skills. Cases examined include Eisenbud's depth-psychological analysis of the Cagliostro persona, Stevenson's Sharada/Uttara xenoglossy case, the Patience Worth literary productions, and evidence from child prodigies and dissociation. Published alongside Stevenson's formal reply and Braude's counter-reply in the same issue of JSE (Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 127-155).

#super_psi_hypothesis #survival_after_death #xenoglossy #dissociation #philosophical_analysis
Back to All Domains