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Telepathy

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

Total Papers 62
Year Range 1886 – 2025
Top Contributors
Sheldrake, RupertSmart, PamelaTressoldi, Patrizio E

Recent Publications

Telecommunication Telepathy: A Meta-Analysis

Sheldrake, Rupert; Stedall, Tom; Tressoldi, Patrizio • 2025 • Journal of Anomalous Experience and Cognition

Can people identify who is contacting them before answering when several possible callers exist? This meta-analysis pooled 26 telecommunication telepathy experiments from 15 papers (2003-2024), covering telephone, email, SMS, and automated protocols, and applied random-effects modeling (REML with Hartung adjustments). Telepathy-condition performance was 8.7% above chance (95% CI 5.3-11.9; standardized ES = 0.17, p = 1x10^-7), whereas three precognition-condition datasets were near chance. Moderator analyses showed stronger effects for preselected participants and emotionally bonded pairs, with publication-bias sensitivity checks indicating the overall signal remained significant.

#telephone_telepathy #email_telepathy #sms_telepathy #meta_analysis #emotional_bond_moderator

Rethinking Communication and Consciousness: Lessons from The Telepathy Tapes Podcast

Weiler, Marina; Woollacott, Marjorie • 2025 • Explore

A pro-psi perspective piece responding to the global debate sparked by The Telepathy Tapes podcast (2024), which featured nonspeaking autistic individuals appearing to convey information beyond ordinary sensory channels. Weiler and Woollacott argue that critics conflate S2C and independent typing with the historically discredited FC method — noting that 9 of 22 podcast participants communicated entirely without physical support, ruling out facilitator influence for those cases. Eye-tracking evidence (Jaswal et al. 2020) supports intentionality in letterboard use. Drawing on a century of parapsychological research on mind-to-mind communication, the authors argue the telepathic claims deserve rigorous controlled study rather than reflexive dismissal rooted in FC stigma.

#facilitated_communication #nonspeaking_autistic #spelling_to_communicate #telepathy_tapes #presuming_competence

Who's Calling? Evaluating the Accuracy of Guessing Who Is on the Phone

Wahbeh, Helané; Cannard, Cedric; Radin, Dean; Delorme, Arnaud • 2024 • Explore

A pre-registered study tested whether participants could guess who was calling them using a fully automated Twilio/PHP system. 177 participants in triads completed two randomized trial types: telepathic/pre-selected (caller chosen before guess) and precognitive/post-selected (caller chosen after guess). Pre-selected trials yielded 48.1% accuracy versus 33.3% chance (p < .001), while post-selected trials showed no above-chance performance (32.5%, p = .61). Genetic relatedness at 25% predicted 2.88× higher odds of accuracy (P = .04), and communication frequency was significant (P = .03). Results favor a telepathic over precognitive mechanism, though potential cheating in pre-selected trials where participants could be co-located remains uncontrolled.

#telephone_telepathy #automated_protocol #pre_vs_post_selection #genetic_relatedness #ecological_validity

A Comparison of Four New Automated Telephone Telepathy Tests

Sheldrake, Rupert; Stedall, Tom • 2024 • Journal of Anomalous Experience and Cognition

Four automated telephone telepathy experiments compared conference-call and separated-trial formats using the Twilio platform. In Experiments 1–3, three participants remained connected in a conference call; a randomly chosen caller thought about the receiver, who guessed the caller's identity (2-choice, 50% chance). None showed significant effects: Exp 1: 51% (1,047 trials), Exp 2: 51% (231 trials), Exp 3: 52% (447 trials). Experiment 4 separated callers and receivers between trials, allowing normal activity between randomly timed calls. In 266 trials, the hit rate was 57% (p = .01, one-tailed binomial). The positive effect was distributed across participants (36 positive vs 17 negative tests, p = .006), ruling out optional stopping and minority-cheater explanations.

#telephone_telepathy #automated_testing #forced_choice #conference_call #twilio_platform

Detecting Telepathy: A Meta-Analysis for Extrasensory Perception Experiments in Last 20 Years

Liu, Yawen • 2023 • Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research

Meta-analysis of 16 telepathy experiments from 9 articles published over the prior 20 years, encompassing 21,441 total trials across telephone, email, SMS, card-guessing, and virtual-environment paradigms. Effect sizes were calculated as the deviation of observed from expected hit rates normalized by binomial standard deviation, then weighted by trial proportion. The overall weighted effect size was 0.091 (average unweighted 0.15), indicating a small positive effect. Twelve of 16 experiments (75%) showed statistically significant above-chance hit rates. Decline effects were observed when high-scoring participants were retested. The author notes limitations including possible cheating, confounds with precognition or clairvoyance, and variable replication success across labs.

#telepathy #meta_analysis #telephone_telepathy #effect_size #decline_effect

Meta-Analysis of Free-Response Studies 2009-2018: Assessing the Noise-Reduction Model Ten Years On

Storm, Lance; Tressoldi, Patrizio E • 2020 • Journal of Parapsychology

An update to Storm, Tressoldi, and Di Risio (2010), this meta-analysis assessed free-response ESP studies from 2009-2018 in three categories: ganzfeld (k=9, ES=0.119), nonganzfeld noise-reduction (k=19, ES=0.045), and standard free-response (k=15, ES=0.050), all with significant Stouffer Z scores. Combined with 1992-2008 databases (total k=108), ganzfeld yielded ES=0.133 (95% CI [0.071, 0.194], p=1.37x10^-9), noise-reduction ES=0.072, and standard free-response ES=0.027. No decline effect appeared across 44 years. Ganzfeld significantly outperformed standard free-response, and selected participants outperformed unselected in ganzfeld. Bayesian analysis confirmed all classical results.

#meta_analysis #ganzfeld_autoganzfeld #free_response #noise_reduction #decline_effect

Can Morphic Fields Help Explain Telepathy and the Sense of Being Stared At?

Sheldrake, Rupert • 2019 • Mindfield

Morphic fields — organizing fields within and around self-organizing systems — may explain telepathy and the sense of being stared at (scopesthesia) as natural biological phenomena. Seven postulates of formative causation are presented, proposing that minds extend beyond brains via perceptual fields linking observers to objects, with telepathy occurring through interaction between bonded members of social groups within the group’s morphic field. Supporting evidence cited from prior work includes stare detection trials significantly above chance, CCTV/galvanic skin response studies showing unconscious physiological detection, and animal telepathy research (dogs anticipating owners’ returns, parrot language-based telepathy). The framework differs from quantum-based psi models by starting from holistic biology, predicting effects dependent on attention, intention, and emotional bonding rather than attenuating with distance.

#morphic_fields #morphic_resonance #extended_mind #telepathy_theory #scopesthesia

On the Correspondence Between Dream Content and Target Material Under Laboratory Conditions: A Meta-Analysis of Dream-ESP Studies, 1966-2016

Storm, Lance; Sherwood, Simon J; Roe, Chris A; Tressoldi, Patrizio E; Rock, Adam J; Di Risio, Lorenzo • 2017 • International Journal of Dream Research

This meta-analysis examines dream-ESP studies from 1966-2016, testing whether dream content corresponds to randomly selected target material more often than chance. The homogeneous dataset (50 studies, 1,968 trials, 734 hits) yielded mean ES=0.20 (SD=0.31), Stouffer Z=5.32, p=5.19×10^-8, with 95% CI [0.11, 0.29]. Maimonides Dream Laboratory (MDL) studies (n=14) showed mean ES=0.33; non-MDL studies (n=36) showed mean ES=0.14, but the difference was non-significant, t(48)=1.97, p=.055. No significant differences emerged between ESP modalities (telepathy/clairvoyance/precognition), REM vs non-REM monitoring, or dynamic vs static targets. Bayesian parameter estimation (50,000 MCMC iterations) confirmed frequentist results: 95% HDI for ES=[0.03, 0.20], null rejected. Quality ratings (two blind judges, alpha=.84) averaged 0.64/1.00, with quality-ES correlation non-significant (r=.09, p=.527). However, ES declined over time (r=-0.29, p=.044) while quality improved (r=0.39, p=.006). Fail-safe N=110 unpublished studies would be needed to nullify results.

#meta_analysis #dream_esp #telepathy #clairvoyance #precognition

EEG Correlates of Social Interaction at Distance

Giroldini, William; Pederzoli, Luciano; Bilucaglia, Marco; Caini, Patrizio; Ferrini, Alessandro; Melloni, Simone; Prati, Elena; Tressoldi, Patrizio E • 2016 • F1000Research

Investigates whether EEG activity in a sensorily isolated 'receiver' correlates with stimulation experienced by a distant 'sender'. Six meditation-experienced participants formed 25 sender-receiver pairs over three days. Senders received 128 light-and-audio stimulations; receivers sat in separate soundproofed rooms. Traditional ERP averaging found a clear response in senders but nothing in receivers. A novel inter-electrode correlation algorithm (GW6) detected a weak but significant receiver response in the 9-10 Hz alpha band (p = 0.002-0.003, Monte Carlo) and at 8-12 Hz (p = 0.04). Effect was approximately 0.5% correlation change. Receiver latency of ~700 ms suggested tracking of the sender's altered state rather than the stimulus.

#eeg_correlates #brain_brain_interaction #alpha_band #monte_carlo_permutation #event_related_potentials

Automated Tests for Telephone Telepathy Using Mobile Phones

Sheldrake, Rupert; Smart, Pamela; Avraamides, Leonidas • 2015 • Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing

Two automated experiments tested telephone telepathy using mobile phones under real-life conditions. In experiment 1 (three callers, 2080 trials), hit rate was 41.8% vs 33.3% chance (p < 10^-15, d = 0.19). In experiment 2 (two callers, 745 trials), hit rate was 55.2% vs 50% chance (p = .003, d = 0.10). Incomplete tests showed 43.8% hit rate, ruling out optional stopping. Hit rates increased with longer caller response delays. No significant effects of sex, age, or practice. First demonstration of automated mobile phone telepathy testing feasibility, though effect sizes smaller than supervised studies (d = 0.35-0.46).

#telephone_telepathy #automated_testing #mobile_phones #ecological_conditions #pre_registered

Telepathy in Connection with Telephone Calls, Text Messages and Emails

Sheldrake, Rupert • 2014 • Journal of International Society of Life Information Science

Comprehensive overview of experimental research on telepathy involving telephone calls, emails, and SMS messages. In telephone tests with 4 random callers, participants achieved 40% hit rate (N=63, 570 trials, p<10⁻¹⁰) and 45% under videotaped conditions (271 trials). Email telepathy showed 43% accuracy (552 trials, p<10⁻¹⁸); SMS telepathy 37.9% (800+ trials, p=0.001). Automated mobile phone tests yielded 56% vs 50% chance (600+ trials, p=0.001). Confidence strongly predicted accuracy (85% when 'confident'). Precognition control tests showed chance-level performance, supporting telepathy rather than precognition as the mechanism. Effects stronger with emotionally bonded pairs and unaffected by distance.

#telephone_telepathy #email_telepathy #sms_telepathy #automated_testing #precognition_control

Brain-to-Brain (Mind-to-Mind) Interaction at Distance: A Confirmatory Study

Tressoldi, Patrizio E; Pederzoli, Luciano; Bilucaglia, Marco; Caini, Patrizio; Fedele, Pasquale; Ferrini, Alessandro; Melloni, Simone; Richeldi, Diana; Richeldi, Florentina; Accardo, Agostino • 2014 • F1000Research

Pre-registered confirmatory study testing whether EEG activity of a distant 'receiver' can reflect the stimulus sequence (silence/signal) delivered to a paired 'sender' ~190 km away. Seven experienced meditators served as both senders and receivers across 20 sessions. An SVM classifier detected 78.4% coincidences (BF=390,625) between stimulus protocol and receiver EEG, and significant alpha-band (r=0.37) and gamma-band (r=0.24) correlations were observed between pairs. However, a stricter cross-participant analysis reduced positive results to only 4 of 20 pairs, and specificity controls showed similar correlations for unpaired participants. Reviewer reanalysis demonstrated the main SVM result was an analytical artifact caused by temporal autocorrelations in EEG data.

#eeg_correlations #brain_to_brain_interaction #support_vector_machine #quantum_entanglement_analogy #pre_registered

Further Possible Physiological Connectedness Between Identical Twins: The London Study

Parker, Adrian; Jensen, Christian G • 2013 • Explore

Four pairs of monozygotic twins selected for reported exceptional experiences were tested for anomalous physiological connectedness. One twin received five randomly-timed shock/surprise stimuli while the isolated twin was monitored via polygraph. A blinded expert used forced-choice to identify stimulus windows. Six hits occurred out of 24 assessed trials versus three expected by chance (P = 0.07, one-tailed). One twin pair produced four hits in seven trials. The marginally significant result, driven primarily by a single pair, justifies larger-scale investigation using the outlined methodology with selected twins.

#identical_twins #physiological_synchrony #telepathy #polygraph #pilot_study

Entangled in the Womb? A Pilot Study on the Possible Physiological Connectedness Between Identical Twins

Jensen, C. G; Parker, A • 2012 • Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing

Pilot study testing physiological connectedness between identical twins using randomized startle stimuli, predefined objective hit criteria, and blind assessment by professional polygraph experts. Four pairs of monozygotic twins participated; one pair excluded for technical error. While one twin received 5 randomized startle stimuli (plates crashing, ice bucket, electric shock, lemon juice, jack-in-the-box) during a 12-minute period, the isolated twin's GSR, blood pressure, breathing, and movement were recorded. Overall results were nonsignificant (P > .7). However, for the monochorionic-monoamnionic (mo-mo) pair — twins who shared one placenta and one amnionic sac — a blind polygraph expert identified 3 of 5 stimulus times from 10 estimates (P = .03), confirmed independently by a second blind expert (P = .013). The mo-mo pair reported the most connectedness experiences and had the closest embryonic development.

#twin-telepathy #electrodermal #pilot-study #physiological-connectedness #embryonic-entanglement

Can We Help Just by Good Intentions? A Meta-Analysis of Experiments on Distant Intention Effects

Schmidt, Stefan • 2012 • Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine

Eleven attention focusing facilitation experiments (AFFE) with 576 sessions across three continents were meta-analyzed. In each study, a participant focused on a candle and pressed a button upon noticing mind-wandering, while a remote helper either directed supportive intention or not, following a randomized epoch schedule. A random-effects model yielded d = 0.11 (p = 0.03, 95% CI [0.01, 0.22]). Balinese participants pressed the button roughly five times less often than Western participants (p < 0.001), though the culture × condition interaction was not significant. Comparison with two earlier meta-analyses of related DMILS paradigms (EDA-DMILS, d = 0.106; Remote Staring, d = 0.128) revealed convergent effect sizes across 62 studies and 1,970 sessions, suggesting a genuine if small distant-intention effect.

#dmils #distant_intention #attention_focusing #cross_cultural #meta_analysis

Mental Connection at Distance: Useful for Solving Difficult Tasks?

Tressoldi, Patrizio E; Massaccesi, Stefano; Martinelli, Massimiliano; Cappato, Sara • 2011 • Psychology (SCIRP)

Two experiments at University of Padova testing non-local mental connection. Experiment 1 (N=40): participants identified real vs false Chinese ideograms in two sessions — one with a distant helper mentally suggesting correct answers, one without (single-blind, counterbalanced). Suggestion condition: M=11.33 (SD=1.62) vs no-suggestion M=10.55 (SD=1.84, MCE=10); paired t=2.25, ES=0.44, BF10=2.6; suggestion binomial z=3.7, BF10=23.8. Net increase 10.3% above MCE. Experiment 2 (N=70): simpler sun/moon task; M=5.44 vs MCE=5.0, t=2.27, ES=0.27, BF10=2.8; net increase 8.8%. Absorption (Tellegen) did not moderate the effect. Results comparable to ganzfeld effect sizes but without altered sensory states.

#telepathy #non_local_communication #forced_choice #bayesian #chinese_ideograms

Searching for Neuronal Markers of Psi: A Summary of Three Studies Measuring Electrophysiology in Distant Participants

Hinterberger, T • 2010 • Proceedings of the Parapsychological Association 53rd Annual Convention

A conference summary of three EEG correlation studies testing whether the brain activity of a 'non-stimulated' participant reflects stimulation of a remote 'stimulated' partner. Study 1 (Tübingen–Tübingen, nearby labs, N=20 pairs): significant Theta and Alpha increases for affective pictures in related pairs only. Studies 2 and 3 used 750–800 km separation (Northampton–Tübingen; Northampton–Freiburg), effectively ruling out electromagnetic signal transfer. Both distant studies replicated the Alpha band increase for affective pictures. Accumulated across all three studies: z=4.0, p=0.00003 for the alpha effect. However, no global ERP or SCP effects were found in any study, and most individual significances would not survive multiple-testing correction. The checkerboard paradigm from Wackermann et al. (2003) was not replicated.

#eeg_correlations #distant_pairs #alpha_band #entanglement #dmils

Meta-Analysis of Free-Response Studies, 1992–2008: Assessing the Noise Reduction Model in Parapsychology

Storm, Lance; Tressoldi, Patrizio E; Di Risio, Lorenzo • 2010 • Psychological Bulletin

A meta-analysis of 67 free-response ESP studies (1992–2008) categorized into ganzfeld (29 homogeneous studies), nonganzfeld noise reduction using dream psi, hypnosis, meditation, or relaxation (16 studies), and standard free response (14 homogeneous studies). Ganzfeld studies yielded ES = 0.142 (Stouffer Z = 5.48, p = 2.13 × 10⁻⁸), with a 32.2% hit rate against 25% chance. Nonganzfeld noise reduction produced ES = 0.110 (Z = 3.35, p = 2.08 × 10⁻⁴), while standard free response showed nonsignificant ES = −0.029. Selected participants outperformed unselected participants only in ganzfeld conditions. A combined 108-study ganzfeld database spanning 34 years yielded Stouffer Z = 8.31 (p < 10⁻¹⁶), supporting the noise reduction model and the ganzfeld as the most reliable free-response paradigm.

#ganzfeld_autoganzfeld #free_response #noise_reduction_model #meta_analysis #selected_participants

Do You Know Who Is Calling? Experiments on Anomalous Cognition in Phone Call Receivers

Schmidt, Stefan; Erath, Devi; Ivanova, Viliana; Walach, Harald • 2009 • The Open Psychology Journal

Replication attempt of Sheldrake and Smart's telephone telepathy experiments across three studies with 29 participants and 557 videotaped trials. Study 1 (N=21, office setting) yielded 26.7% hit rate (chance = 25%, ns). Study 2 (N=8, home setting with email pre-screening) yielded 30% (p = .15). One exceptional participant scored 10/20 in Study 2 and continued in Study 3, achieving 24/60 correct (40%, p < .01, h = 0.32). Across 80 trials this participant hit 42.5% (p = .00015). Overall results driven entirely by one individual; no group-level anomalous cognition detected.

#telephone_telepathy #replication #anomalous_cognition #individual_differences #pre_selection

An Automated Test for Telepathy in Connection with Emails

Sheldrake, Rupert; Avraamides, Leonidas • 2009 • Journal of Scientific Exploration

This study investigated whether people can sense telepathically who is about to send them an email before they receive it, using a fully automated online testing procedure. Participants aged 12 to 66 registered via Rupert Sheldrake's website, providing the names and email addresses of three contacts. The automated system selected a contact at random, asked that contact to send an email message to the subject through the system, and then asked the subject to guess the sender's name before delivering the message. Tests consisted of 6 or 9 trials. In a total of 419 trials, there were 175 hits (41.8%), significantly above the 33.3% chance level (p = .0001; Cohen's d = 0.2). Complete tests (37 tests, 276 trials) showed a hit rate of 38.4% (p = .03), while incomplete tests showed 48.3% hits (p = .0001), with incomplete tests scoring significantly higher than complete tests (p = .05). Analysis of response delays revealed hit rates of 42.2% for delays under 3 minutes (p = .01), dropping to chance (32.1%) for 3-10 minute delays, then rising to 45.6% for delays over 10 minutes. Male subjects (265 trials) scored 43.4% and female subjects (154 trials) scored 39.0%, with no significant sex difference. The highest hit rates by age group were in the 20-29 year cohort (52.9% from 102 trials). The effect size (d = 0.2) was notably smaller than in previous supervised telephone telepathy experiments (d = 0.5) and simultaneous email telepathy tests (d = 0.5), consistent with the authors' prior hypothesis. The study authors attribute the lower effect size to two factors: subjects were not pre-selected for apparent telepathic sensitivity, and crucially, the automated system introduced unavoidable delays between sending and guessing, meaning subjects were not guessing simultaneously while the sender was focusing on them. The study demonstrates the feasibility of automated email telepathy testing while also revealing its limitations compared to real-time supervised protocols.

#email_telepathy #automated_test #online_study #ESP #effect_size

A Rapid Online Telepathy Test

Sheldrake, Rupert; Beharee, Ashwin • 2009 • Psychological Reports

In an automated online telepathy test, each participant had four senders (two actual, two virtual). Computer selected one sender at random per trial; sender composed message for 30 sec, then participant guessed sender identity. In 6,000 trials across 500 tests, hit rate was 26.7%, significantly above 25% chance (p=0.002, d=0.03). Videotaped tests showed similar results (27.3%, p<0.01). Hit rate with actual senders was 33.7% vs. 19.5% with virtual senders, but strong guessing bias toward actual senders (62.9% of guesses) eliminated this difference when corrected. Hit rates declined with repeated testing (45.2% → 35.2% → 24.4% → 15.5%). Highest hit rates occurred at distances >500 miles. One exceptional subject (AF) maintained above-chance performance across multiple filmed tests.

#online_telepathy_test #automated_testing #internet_telepathy #virtual_senders #repeated_testing_decline

Sensing the Sending of SMS Messages: An Automated Test

Sheldrake, Rupert; Avraamides, Leonidas; Novák, Matous • 2009 • Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing

Automated online experiment testing telepathy with SMS messages. 886 trials with participants aged 11-72; computer randomly selected one of three contacts to send a message, subject guessed sender before receiving message. Overall hit rate was 37.9% (336/886), significantly above 33.3% chance (p=.001, d=0.10). Incomplete tests showed 38.4% hit rate, ruling out optional stopping. Five high-scoring subjects retested under filmed conditions: 44.2% (19/43, p=.09). Effect size smaller than telephone (d=0.45) and email (d=0.50) telepathy experiments, attributed to unsupervised design and asynchronous timing.

#sms #telepathy #automated_test #internet_experiment #ecological_validity

Correlations Between the EEGs of Two Spatially Separated Subjects − A Replication Study

Ambach, Wolfgang • 2008 • European Journal of Parapsychology

Replication of Wackermann et al.'s (2003, 2004) EEG correlation paradigm at IGPP Freiburg with a different experimenter. Seventeen pairs of related subjects were tested in acoustically and electromagnetically shielded rooms 8 meters apart; one subject viewed checkerboard reversals while the other relaxed. Critical review of the original bootstrap sampling method revealed it systematically overestimates effects (false positive rate 20.1-26.2% at nominal alpha = 0.05). A corrected nonparametric method with Monte Carlo correction for inter-channel dependence yielded no significant results across any of six tests (all p > .067). The original uncorrected method applied to the same data would have produced apparently significant results (1000 ms window: p = .038 uncovered, p = .0003 difference).

#eeg_correlations #failed_replication #bootstrap_bias #checkerboard_reversal #shielded_rooms

Using Neuroimaging to Resolve the Psi Debate

Moulton, Samuel T; Kosslyn, Stephen M • 2008 • Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience

Sixteen sender-receiver pairs (including identical twins, couples, and close friends) completed a forced-choice fMRI paradigm at Harvard. Receivers viewed 240 IAPS picture pairs in a 3T scanner while senders in a separate room attempted to transmit the designated target. Behavioral guessing was at exact chance (50.0%, 3,687 trials). Group-level fMRI analysis found no significant difference between psi and non-psi stimuli, despite control analyses confirming the method could detect subtle arousal effects (high vs. low arousal: p = 9.35 x 10^-21). The single participant showing apparent psi activation was explained by stimulus content confounds via permutation simulation.

#fmri #neuroimaging #null_result #iaps_pictures #sender_receiver

An Automated Online Telepathy Test

Sheldrake, Rupert; Lambert, Michael • 2007 • Journal of Scientific Exploration

An automated, internet-based telepathy experiment tested whether receivers could identify which of four senders had been randomly selected to write them a short message in a one-minute trial. Across 198 completed 10-trial sessions by 195 receivers (1,980 total trials), the hit rate was 29.3% against a 25% chance baseline (p = 0.000006, 95% CI: 27-31%). In conditions with two real and two virtual senders, raw hit rates were markedly higher for real senders (41.9% vs 23.7%), but after correcting for response bias, this difference was not statistically significant (34.2% vs 30.1%). Family members yielded higher hit rates than non-family (31.4% vs 27.5%, p = 0.02). The unsupervised online format could not rule out cheating, limiting evidential weight.

#online_automated_test #real_vs_virtual_senders #sender_receiver_relationship #distance_effects #response_bias

Evidence for Correlations Between Distant Intentionality and Brain Function in Recipients: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Analysis

Achterberg, J; Cooke, K; Richards, T; Standish, L.J; Kozak, L; Lake, J • 2005 • Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine

Using fMRI, this study demonstrated that distant intentionality (DI) from healers correlated with brain activation in sensorily isolated recipients. Eleven healer-recipient pairs from Hawaii participated. Healers sent various forms of DI at random 2-minute intervals unknown to the recipients in the MRI scanner. Significant differences between send and no-send conditions were found (p=0.000127). Activated areas included the anterior and middle cingulate, precuneus, and frontal regions. Healers represented diverse traditions including Healing Touch, Hawaiian pule, Reiki, Peruvian shamanic healing, and Qigong.

#fmri #distant_intentionality #dmils #brain_correlations #distant_healing

Gut Feelings, Intuition, and Emotions: An Exploratory Study

Radin, Dean I; Schlitz, Marilyn J • 2005 • Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine

Twenty-six pairs of healthy adults tested whether receiver's electrogastrogram (EGG) responds to distant sender's emotions. Receiver relaxed in electromagnetically/acoustically shielded chamber while sender, 15m away, viewed receiver's live video during 2-min epochs of emotional stimuli (positive, negative-sad, negative-angry, calming, neutral). Bootstrap permutation analysis (10,000 iterations) compared EGG maximum amplitudes. Results: EGG significantly larger during positive (z=2.54, p=0.006) and negative-sad (z=3.13, p=0.0009) emotions vs. neutral, surviving Bonferroni correction. Sender heart rate confirmed emotional manipulation. Order analysis ruled out baseline drift. First EGG study of distant mental influence — supports 'gut feelings' as literal physiological phenomenon with potential nonlocal component.

#electrogastrogram #egg #distant_mental_influence #dmils #intention

The Sense of Being Stared At: A Preliminary Meta-Analysis

Radin, Dean I • 2005 • Journal of Consciousness Studies

A preliminary meta-analysis of 60 supervised experiments (33,357 trials) examined whether people can consciously detect being stared at. Fixed-effects weighted mean effect size was e = 0.089 (z = 32.5, p = 10^-232), though significantly heterogeneous. A random-effects model yielded e = 0.114 (z = 10.9, p = 10^-28). The most compelling subset — 10 through-the-window studies without feedback, precluding implicit learning of sensory cues — produced a homogeneous distribution with e = 0.060 (z = 8.31, p = 4.8 x 10^-17). Trim-and-fill analysis adding 6 estimated studies still yielded p = 10^-184. File-drawer estimates of 1,417-7,729 missing studies make selective reporting implausible.

#staring_detection #sense_of_being_stared_at #meta_analysis #file_drawer_analysis #publication_bias

Replicable Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Evidence of Correlated Brain Signals Between Physically and Sensory Isolated Subjects

Richards, Todd L; Kozak, Leila; Johnson, L. Clark; Standish, Leanna J • 2005 • The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine

Experimental fMRI and EEG study investigating whether correlated neural signals can be detected between physically and sensorily isolated human subjects. A pre-selected pair (from 30 pairs in a prior EEG study) participated in fMRI sessions where the stimulated partner viewed a flickering checkerboard while the nonstimulated partner lay in a 1.5T MRI scanner 10 meters away, wearing sensory-isolating goggles in an EMF-shielded room. Subject DW showed significant BOLD activation in left visual cortex (BA 17/18/19) correlated with the partner's stimulus in both trials (p < 0.017, Bonferroni corrected). Subject CW showed significant activation in right BA 17/18 in the replication trial only. EEG confirmed correlated alpha-power changes in separate sessions (CW: chi-squared=455.4, p<.0001; DW: chi-squared=317.4, p<.005).

#fmri #eeg #correlated_brain_signals #visual_cortex #sensory_isolation

Testing for Telepathy in Connection with E-mails

Sheldrake, Rupert; Smart, Pamela • 2005 • Perceptual and Motor Skills

This paper reports two series of experiments testing whether participants could correctly identify which of four potential e-mailers was about to send them an e-mail before receiving it. The design was modeled on prior telephone telepathy studies: one minute before each designated trial time, participants e-mailed the experimenter with their guess; the randomly selected e-mailer then sent their message at the exact designated time, copying the experimenter, providing time-stamped records establishing that guesses preceded messages. In Series 1 (unfilmed), 50 participants completed 552 trials; there were 235 hits (43%), far exceeding the 25% chance baseline (z = 9.49, p = 2 x 10^-19, Cohen d = 0.42; 95% CI 38%-47%). Forty-three of 50 participants scored above chance (expected 24 by chance; z = 5.54, p = 2 x 10^-8). An additional 48 partial-series participants achieved 34% hits (z = 2.94, p = 0.002). In Series 2 (videotaped), five high-scoring participants from Series 1 each completed 30 trials under continuous video surveillance with computer screens covered between trials; in 137 filmed trials there were 64 hits (47%; z = 5.77, p = 3 x 10^-8, d = 0.50). Four of five participants scored individually above chance. Familiar e-mailers produced higher raw hit rates than unfamiliar ones; among participants with two unfamiliar e-mailers and after correcting for response bias, the familiar-unfamiliar difference was statistically significant (z = 3.37, p = 0.0004). Some participants achieved high hit rates with senders thousands of miles away, including one participant whose senders were in Hong Kong (~6,000 miles). Results replicate Sheldrake and Smart's telephone telepathy findings and favor a telepathy interpretation over pure clairvoyance or precognition hypotheses, given the significant familiarity advantage.

#email_telepathy #telephone_telepathy #experiment #hit_rate #ecological_validity

The Sense of Being Stared At, Part 1: Is It Real or Illusory?

Sheldrake, Rupert • 2005 • Journal of Consciousness Studies

Reviews evidence for the sense of being stared at (SOBA) across five historical and dozens of modern experiments. Direct-looking experiments (30,803 trials; 21 original studies plus 37 independent replications) yield 54.7% correct vs. 50% chance (sign test: 853 positive vs. 466 negative subjects; p=1x10-20). The NeMo Science Centre tested 18,793 subjects (32-41% vs. 20% chance threshold). A meta-analysis of 15 CCTV-based DMILS studies confirmed significant autonomic (GSR) responses to remote staring. Artifact controls (blindfolds, one-way mirrors, CCTV, automatic recording) failed to eliminate the effect. Skeptic investigators all obtained initial positive results; null results emerged when experimenters themselves served as lookers, suggesting an experimenter effect. The paper concludes most evidence supports SOBAs reality and outlines six directions for further research.

#staring_detection #sense_of_being_stared_at #dmils #skin_conductance #survey

The Sense of Being Stared At, Part 2: Its Implications for Theories of Vision

Sheldrake, Rupert • 2005 • Journal of Consciousness Studies

This theoretical companion paper to Part 1 examines what the empirically supported sense of being stared at (SOBA) implies for theories of visual perception. Sheldrake first surveys over two thousand years of debate between intromission theories (vision as passive inward movement of light) and extramission theories (vision as an active outward process), from Pythagorean and Empedoclean extramission through Democritean intromission, Platonic combined theories, Aristotelian medium-based accounts, Euclidean-mathematical extramission, and the Islamic synthesis of Alhazen, to Kepler's retinal image theory. He notes that extramission intuitions are remarkably persistent: surveys by Winer and colleagues found that 92% of older children and adults report feeling unseen stares, and most college students revert to combined intromission-extramission beliefs even after explicit instruction in orthodox intromission theory. Modern intromission-only theories (computational/representational models, virtual-reality-in-the-brain accounts) predict that SOBA should not exist, providing a falsifiable test that the evidence appears to fail. Alternative theories more compatible with SOBA include Gibson's ecological direct perception, the enactive/embodied approach of Varela and colleagues, and Velmans's reflexive model in which perceptual images are projected outward into phenomenal space. Sheldrake then presents his own morphic/perceptual field hypothesis: minds extend beyond brains through fields analogous to known physical fields; these perceptual fields link observer to observed, and field-field interaction provides a mechanism for SOBA. He further reviews four aspects of quantum physics potentially relevant to SOBA: the observer-observed interconnection in quantum measurement, Feynman's Wheeler-Feynman absorber theory (advanced waves moving backward in time from the eye), quantum entanglement and Clarke's proposal that consciousness arises from brain-world entanglement, and Zurek's quantum Darwinism in which preferred pointer states proliferate across observers. The paper concludes that while both the conventional internal-representation theory and the field/quantum alternatives remain incomplete, the conventional theory makes at least one clear testable prediction—SOBA should not exist—and the evidence undermines it.

#theories_of_vision #extramission #intromission #morphic_fields #perceptual_fields

Who's Calling at this Hour? Local Sidereal Time and Telephone Telepathy

Lobach, Eva; Bierman, Dick J • 2004 • Proceedings of the Parapsychological Association Annual Convention

Prospective replication of Sheldrake & Smart (2003) telephone telepathy incorporating local sidereal time (LST) as an independent variable, following Spottiswoode's (1997) finding that anomalous cognition effect sizes peak around 13:30 LST. Six women completed 214 usable trials across 6 sessions (3 at peak LST, 3 at non-peak). Caller selection was randomized by dice at a separate location; an in-home experimenter monitored for signal leakage. Overall hit rate was 29.4% (p=0.05, one-tailed) above 25% chance; regular sessions: 32.7% (p<0.005). Peak-LST sessions yielded 34.6% vs. 25.2% non-peak (p=0.09). Emotional bond correlated with hit rate (r=0.41, p<0.05). Results tentatively support both telephone telepathy and the LST hypothesis, but LST was confounded with local time of day.

#telephone_telepathy #local_sidereal_time #anomalous_cognition #experimental_replication #emotional_bond

Event-Related Electroencephalographic Correlations Between Isolated Human Subjects

Radin, Dean I • 2004 • The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine

Simultaneously recorded EEGs from 13 pairs of volunteers tested whether event-related potentials evoked in a visually stimulated sender would correlate with brain activity in a sensorially isolated receiver seated in a double steel-walled, electromagnetically shielded chamber 20 meters away. Bootstrap analysis of 622 epochs yielded a sender-receiver EEG correlation of r = 0.20, p = 0.0005, while equipment-only controls showed no artifact (r = -0.03, p = 0.61). Three of 13 pairs achieved independently significant correlations (binomial p = 0.02), and stronger sender ERPs predicted larger receiver responses (z = 3.15, p = 0.0008).

#eeg_correlations #transferred_potential #event_related_potentials #electromagnetic_shielding #bootstrap_statistics

Distant intentionality and the feeling of being stared at: Two meta-analyses

Schmidt, Stefan; Schneider, Rainer; Utts, Jessica; Walach, Harald • 2004 • British Journal of Psychology

Across two meta-analyses of experiments using electrodermal activity (EDA) as a dependent variable, a quality-weighted analysis of 36 Direct Mental Interaction in Living Systems (DMILS) studies yielded a small significant effect (d = 0.11, p = .001, 95% CI [0.04, 0.17]), while a best-evidence synthesis of 7 highest-quality studies was non-significant (d = 0.05, p = .50). A separate analysis of 15 remote staring studies found d = 0.13 (p = .01, 95% CI [0.03, 0.23]). A 208-item coding scheme revealed a significant negative correlation between overall study quality and DMILS effect size, with randomization quality as the strongest predictor. No publication bias was detected. The authors conclude that hints of an effect exist but call for independent high-quality replications.

#dmils #remote_staring #electrodermal_activity #distant_intentionality #best_evidence_synthesis

A Filmed Experiment on Telephone Telepathy with the Nolan Sisters

Sheldrake, Rupert; Godwin, Hugo; Rockell, Simon • 2004 • Journal of the Society for Psychical Research

This paper reports a filmed replication of telephone telepathy experiments, conducted with the Nolan Sisters—five sisters who were members of a popular 1980s British pop group—for a UK Channel Five television documentary. The experiment followed a previously validated four-caller randomized protocol: participant Colleen Nolan was taken to a private room at the Strand Palace Hotel approximately 1 km from her four sisters (Anne, Maureen, Linda, and Denise) in a Soho bar. An experimenter selected each caller at random using a casino-quality die, and the selected sister telephoned Colleen at a prearranged time. When the phone rang, Colleen had to name the caller before answering. Calls were made on landlines without caller ID. Both locations were filmed continuously on time-coded videotape, and the videotape of Colleen was evaluated blind by an independent observer, Pam Smart, who was absent during the trials. Twelve trials were conducted. Colleen correctly identified the caller in 6 of 12 trials (50%), compared to the 25% chance expectation, a result significant at p = 0.05 (both binomial and chi-squared tests). In sensitivity analyses excluding two trials in which Colleen answered before guessing, her score remained 5 out of 10 (50%). Notably, her only sceptical sister (Anne) yielded the lowest hit rate (0 of 1), while her self-described favourite sister (Linda) yielded the highest (2 of 2, 100%). The authors discuss and dismiss alternative explanations involving sensory leakage, cheating via concealed mobile phones, and unconscious use of timing cues.

#telephone_telepathy #filmed_experiment #replication #celebrity_subjects #four_caller_protocol

Electroencephalographic Evidence of Correlated Event-Related Signals Between the Brains of Spatially and Sensory Isolated Human Subjects

Standish, Leanna J; Kozak, Leila; Johnson, L. Clark; Richards, Todd • 2004 • Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine

Simultaneous EEGs were recorded from 60 subjects (30 pairs) in sound-attenuated rooms separated by 10 meters. One member relaxed while the other received visual checkerboard stimulation (alternating 64-sec flicker/static epochs). A Runs test compared receiver EEG activation (80-180ms post-trigger) during sender stimulus-on vs. off conditions. Five of 60 subjects (8.3%) showed significantly higher brain activation (p<0.01) during their partner's flicker condition. Meta-analytic Stouffer z = -3.28 (p=0.0005) for flickering condition; static control was non-significant (z=0.35, p=0.64). One of four retested pairs replicated the effect.

#eeg_correlations #visual_evoked_potentials #sender_receiver_paradigm #bonded_pairs #runs_test

Testing a Language-Using Parrot for Telepathy

Sheldrake, Rupert; Morgana, Aimée • 2003 • Journal of Scientific Exploration

Aimée Morgana noticed that her African Grey parrot N’kisi appeared to respond telepathically to her thoughts and intentions. In 147 double-blind two-minute trials, Aimée viewed randomly selected sealed photographs in a separate room on a different floor while N’kisi was filmed alone in his cage. Using majority scoring by three independent blind transcribers, N’kisi said one or more prespecified key words in 71 of 131 scorable trials and scored 23 hits against a mean chance expectation of 12.2 (SD = 2.8). Randomized Permutation Analysis: p = 0.00025; Bootstrap Resampling Analysis: p = 0.0002. N’kisi also repeated hit words significantly more than misses (p = 0.0003, Fisher’s exact test). Results were robust across all three transcriber-agreement thresholds and after excluding the most frequent keyword (‘flower’). Reviewer commentary and editorial notes are appended in the published version.

#animal_telepathy #parrot #african_grey #language_use #double_blind

Videotaped Experiments on Telephone Telepathy

Sheldrake, Rupert; Smart, Pamela • 2003 • Journal of Parapsychology

Four participants were tested on whether they could identify which of four potential callers was telephoning before answering, across 271 videotaped trials using four progressively rigorous methods. The final method involved continuous filming of both participant and all callers at separate locations by independent cameramen. Overall success rate was 45% versus 25% chance (p = 10⁻¹², 95% CI [39%, 51%]). Familiar callers elicited 61% correct identification (p = 10⁻¹³) while unfamiliar callers yielded only 20%, not different from chance. Confidence ratings strongly predicted accuracy, with 82% success when participants felt confident. Increased experimental rigor did not reduce hit rates.

#telephone_telepathy #videotaped_experiments #familiar_vs_unfamiliar_callers #confidence_accuracy_correlation #forced_choice

Experimental Tests for Telephone Telepathy

Sheldrake, Rupert; Smart, Pamela • 2003 • Journal of the Society for Psychical Research

Experimental investigation of telephone telepathy with 63 participants in 571 trials. Participants identified callers from four possibilities before the caller spoke. Overall success rate was 40% (95% CI: 36-45%), significantly above chance (25%, p = 4 × 10⁻⁶). Familiar callers yielded 53% correct (p = 1 × 10⁻¹⁶) vs 25% for unfamiliar callers (chance level), difference p = 3 × 10⁻⁷. Overseas callers (1,000-11,000 miles) showed 65% success (p = 3 × 10⁻⁸), suggesting emotional closeness matters more than physical distance. No difference between random-time and fixed-time calls. Results rule out chance coincidence, selective memory, and unconscious expectation hypotheses.

#telephone_telepathy #experimental #familiar_callers #distance_effect #emotional_bonding

Evidence of Correlated Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Signals Between Distant Human Brains

Standish, Leanna J; Johnson, L. Clark; Kozak, Leila; Richards, Todd • 2003 • Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine

A pair of healthy colleagues (ages 51 and 54), after 10 minutes of shared meditation, alternated sender/receiver roles across two 300-second fMRI sessions separated by 10 meters. The sender viewed a flickering 8x8 checkerboard at 6 Hz in variable-length blocks while the receiver, inside a Faraday-shielded MRI scanner wearing goggles showing a static pattern, attempted to remain 'connected.' BOLD imaging analyzed via GLM with Bonferroni correction found significant activation (P < .001) in the receiver's visual cortex areas 18 and 19 when Subject 1 received, matching regions activated by direct visual stimulation. When roles reversed, Subject 2 showed no significant activation, suggesting the effect is not transitive.

#fmri #distant_brain_correlations #eeg_correlations #visual_cortex_activation #case_report

Correlations between brain electrical activities of two spatially separated human subjects

Wackermann, Jiří; Seiter, Christian; Keibel, Holger; Walach, Harald • 2003 • Neuroscience Letters

Six-channel EEGs were recorded from pairs of spatially separated subjects in electromagnetically and acoustically shielded rooms. One subject received 72 visual pattern-reversal stimuli while the other relaxed. Thirty-eight participants formed four groups: related pairs with empathic tuning-in (E1, 7 pairs), unrelated pairs (E2, 7 pairs), sham-stimulation controls (K1, 3 pairs), and single-subject controls (K2, 4 individuals). Non-parametric randomization statistics showed outlier counts in non-stimulated subjects' EEGs deviated strongly from Poisson fits in both experimental groups versus controls (G=14.13, 4 d.f., P<0.01). The effect appeared equally in related and unrelated pairs, challenging the assumption that emotional connectedness is essential.

#eeg_correlations #transferred_potential #visual_evoked_potentials #shielded_rooms #distant_mental_interaction

Apparent Telepathy Between Babies and Nursing Mothers: A Survey

Sheldrake, Rupert • 2002 • Journal of the Society for Psychical Research

Survey of 100 mothers from the Active Birth Centre in North London examined claims of telepathic milk let-down when separated from their babies. 62% experienced let-down away from their infant; 16% of the total sample (26% of those experiencing let-down) reported it coincided with their baby needing them. Women who noticed coincidence breast-fed significantly longer (>6 months) than those who didn't (chi-squared=8.67, P<0.005). 31% reported other intuitive senses of baby's needs; 3 discovered their baby was in distress from accidents after feeling something was wrong. Results suggest emotional closeness may facilitate spontaneous telepathic connections, though self-report methodology cannot rule out selective memory or chance coincidence.

#maternal_infant_telepathy #milk_letdown #survey #mother_baby_bond #spontaneous_telepathy

Updating the Ganzfeld Database: A Victim of Its Own Success?

Bem, Daryl J; Palmer, John; Broughton, Richard S • 2001 • Journal of Parapsychology

Meta-analysis of 40 ganzfeld studies published after Bem and Honorton (1994), including 30 from Milton and Wiseman (1999) plus 10 new studies. The 10 new studies yield hit rate of 36.7% (Z=3.97, p=3.5×10⁻⁵); all 40 combined yield 30.1% (Z=2.59, p=.0048). Three independent raters rated each study's adherence to standard ganzfeld protocol. Standardness ratings significantly correlated with effect size (r=.31, p=.024). Standard replications (n=29) achieved 31.2% hit rate (ES=.096, Z=3.49, p=.0002), within confidence intervals of earlier studies. Non-standard replications (n=9) achieved only 24.0% (ES=−.10, Z=−1.30, ns). Concludes that ganzfeld studies adhering to standard protocol continue to replicate with effect sizes comparable to previous studies.

#ganzfeld #meta_analysis #replication #telepathy #protocol_adherence

The Anticipation of Telephone Calls: A Survey in California

Brown, David Jay; Sheldrake, Rupert • 2001 • Journal of Parapsychology

A telephone survey of 200 randomly selected people in Santa Cruz County, California investigated the frequency and nature of anticipations of telephone calls. Results showed 78% had telephoned someone who said they were just thinking about calling them, 47% had known who was calling without any possible cue before the caller spoke, and 68% had thought about someone not seen for a while who then telephoned that same day. Women reported higher rates than men across all question types, though differences were not statistically significant. The proportion reporting other telepathic experiences was 45%, and those with other telepathic experiences were significantly more likely to report telephone-related intuition (p = 5 × 10⁻⁸). Unlike previous English surveys, no significant difference was found between pet owners and non-pet owners. The 20% participation rate may indicate self-selection bias. Results are compared with two English surveys and suggestions are made for empirical investigation through log books and controlled experiments where callers are randomly selected from a nominated pool.

#telephone_telepathy #survey #anticipation #demographic_patterns #intuitive_calling

Does Psi Exist? Comments on Milton and Wiseman's (1999) Meta-Analysis of Ganzfeld Research

Storm, Lance; Ertel, Suitbert • 2001 • Psychological Bulletin

Re-analysis and extension of Milton and Wiseman's (1999) negative ganzfeld meta-analysis, which had found ES = 0.013 (Z = 0.70, p = .24) across 30 studies and questioned whether the ganzfeld paradigm produces replicable ESP. By assembling four databases spanning 1970–1997 — Honorton's (1985) 28 studies, 11 overlooked 1982–1986 studies, Bem and Honorton's (1994) 10 autoganzfeld studies, and Milton and Wiseman's 30 studies — a unified 79-study database yielded ES = 0.138, Stouffer Z = 5.66, p = 7.78 × 10⁻⁹, with an overall hit rate of 31% vs. 25% MCE. Bidirectional psi effects were significant in every database. The authors conclude that the ganzfeld remains a replicable technique for demonstrating anomalous communication.

#ganzfeld_autoganzfeld #meta_analysis #bidirectional_psi #effect_size_estimation #database_unification

Telepathic Telephone Calls: Two Surveys

Sheldrake, Rupert • 2000 • Journal of the Society for Psychical Research

Two random telephone surveys investigated the frequency of seemingly telepathic telephone experiences in the general population. London survey (N=387, Nov 1996-Sept 1997) found 51% felt someone was going to telephone before they did, with women significantly more likely than men (56% vs 41%, p < 0.0002). Notably, significantly more people anticipated calls than reported psychic experiences (51% vs 38%, p < 0.0004). Bury survey (N=200, June-July 1997) found 65% had telephoned someone who said they were just thinking about telephoning them (71% women vs 53% men, p < 0.02); 49% knew who was calling without cues; 45% thought about someone not seen for a while who then called same day. Pet owners showed non-significantly higher positive responses in both surveys. Response rates were 70-75%. Telephone anticipation may represent one of the commonest forms of psi experience.

#telephone_telepathy #survey #spontaneous_psi #gender_differences #prevalence_study

A Dog That Seems to Know When His Owner Is Coming Home: Videotaped Experiments and Observations

Sheldrake, Rupert; Smart, Pamela • 2000 • Journal of Scientific Exploration

Across more than 100 videotaped experiments, dog Jaytee's window-waiting behavior was recorded while owner Pamela Smart traveled at least 7 km away. In 12 formal experiments with randomly selected return times (signaled by pager from 300+ km away, unknown to anyone at home), Jaytee spent 4% of time at the window during the main absence versus 55% during the first 10 minutes of the return journey (repeated-measures ANOVA F(2,22)=20.46, p<.0001). Similar patterns appeared in 30 ordinary homecomings (11% vs 65%, p<.0001), when Jaytee was alone (p<.01), and in Wiseman et al.'s independent experiments (4% vs 78%, p=.02). Control evenings with no return showed no increasing window visits. The authors conclude the anticipation may depend on a telepathic influence from the owner.

#animal_psi #return_anticipation #videotaped_experiment #single_subject_design #dog_behavior

Testing a Return-Anticipating Dog, Kane

Sheldrake, Rupert; Smart, Pamela • 2000 • Anthrozoös

This study tested whether a Rhodesian ridgeback (Kane) could anticipate his owner's return at non-routine times. In 10 videotaped trials, the dog's behavior was recorded during the owner's absence and analyzed blind. Kane spent significantly more time at the window during the owner's homeward journey (26%) compared to the main absence period (1%) (p=0.0002). In 9 of 10 trials, anticipatory behavior occurred; in 3 trials with randomly-timed returns via pager, the dog responded in 2. Results cannot be explained by routine, time-of-day patterns, or cues from people at home who were unaware of return times. Findings replicate previous studies with a different dog (Jaytee) and support the hypothesis of animal telepathy.

#animal_telepathy #dogs #anticipatory_behavior #videotaped_trials #replication

Does Psi Exist? Lack of Replication of an Anomalous Process of Information Transfer

Milton, Julie; Wiseman, Richard • 1999 • Psychological Bulletin

Meta-analysis of 30 ganzfeld ESP studies (1,198 trials) from 7 independent laboratories conducted 1987-1997 following Hyman and Honorton (1986) methodological guidelines. Using Stouffer's Z method, found no significant main effect: z = 0.70, p = .24, mean effect size d = 0.013. Only 1 of 3 internal effects from autoganzfeld was replicated (mental discipline), and that original effect was nonsignificant. Concludes ganzfeld technique does not at present offer a replicable method for producing ESP, challenging Bem and Honorton's (1994) positive findings.

#ganzfeld #failed_replication #meta_analysis #skepticism #autoganzfeld

A Dog That Seems to Know When His Owner is Returning: Preliminary Investigations

Sheldrake, Rupert; Smart, Pamela • 1998 • Journal of the Society for Psychical Research

Preliminary investigations of Jaytee, a mongrel terrier who reportedly knew when his owner Pamela Smart was returning home, conducted over 96 excursions (May 1994–February 1995). Jaytee's window-waiting reaction time correlated significantly with the time PS set off homeward (F=43.3, p<0.0001), independent of travel distance. Three controlled experiments with randomly determined return times—including one filmed synchronously by Austrian television—showed Jaytee reacting within seconds of PS deciding to leave, ruling out routine, vehicle recognition, and parental expectations. The authors propose morphic-field or telepathic causation.

#animal_telepathy #return_anticipating_dog #morphic_fields #jaytee #observational_records

Can Animals Detect When Their Owners Are Returning Home? An Experimental Test of the 'Psychic Pet' Phenomenon

Wiseman, Richard; Smith, Matthew; Milton, Julie • 1998 • British Journal of Psychology

Four controlled experiments testing whether a dog (Jaytee, a terrier cross) could psychically detect when his owner (Pam Smart) was returning from a remote location. Return times were randomly selected using RNG or Rand Corporation tables; no one at home knew the return time; Jaytee was continuously videotaped; and a blind judge assessed his signalling behavior. Possible normal explanations (routine, sensory cueing, selective memory, multiple guesses) were systematically addressed. In all four experiments Jaytee failed to accurately signal the randomly selected return time. The authors concluded the data did not support the psychic pet hypothesis.

#animal_psi #psychic_pet #null_result #jaytee #critical

Perceptive Pets: A Survey in North-West California

Brown, David Jay; Sheldrake, Rupert • 1998 • Journal of the Society for Psychical Research

A telephone survey of 200 randomly-selected households in Santa Cruz County, California examined the prevalence of reportedly psychic abilities in pets. Of 132 pet-owning households, 45% of dog owners and 31% of cat owners reported their pets anticipated family member arrivals. Sixty-five percent of dog owners agreed their pet knew when they were going out before physical signs (p < 0.001 vs. 37% of cat owners). Forty-two percent of dog owners and 34% of cat owners believed their pet was sometimes telepathic. Pet owners were significantly more likely to report their own psychic experiences (64% vs. 40%, p = 0.005). Results closely replicated a prior survey in Ramsbottom, England, suggesting cross-cultural consistency.

#animal_psi #pet_survey #anticipatory_behavior #cross_cultural_comparison #self_report

Experimenter Effects and the Remote Detection of Staring

Wiseman, Richard; Schlitz, Marilyn J • 1997 • Journal of Parapsychology

A skeptic (Wiseman) and a proponent (Schlitz) each ran 16 sessions of a remote staring detection experiment at the same lab, using identical equipment, procedures, and participant pool. Receivers’ electrodermal activity (EDA) was recorded during randomly ordered 30-second stare and non-stare trials while the sender/experimenter viewed them via closed-circuit TV from 20 meters away. Wiseman’s receivers showed no significant difference (Wilcoxon z = −0.44, p = 0.64), while Schlitz’s showed significantly higher EDA during stare trials (z = −2.02, p = 0.04). The between-experimenter comparison was not significant (t = 1.39, p = 0.17). This dramatic divergence despite identical methodology is a landmark demonstration of experimenter effects in psi research.

#experimenter_effects #remote_staring #electrodermal_activity #skeptic_proponent_collaboration #dmils

Meta-Analysis of Free-Response ESP Studies Without Altered States of Consciousness

Milton, Julie • 1997 • Journal of Parapsychology

Seventy-eight free-response ESP studies (1964–1992) not involving altered states of consciousness were meta-analyzed across 2,682 trials and 1,158 receivers. The overall mean effect size was 0.16 (SD = 0.29, Stouffer Z = 5.72, p < 5.4 × 10⁻⁹). A homogeneous 75-study subset confirmed the result (ES = 0.17, Z = 5.85). File-drawer analysis required 866 null studies to nullify significance. Quality-weighted analyses showed significant telepathy and precognition but not clairvoyance. No correlation between total flaws and effect size was found, though 96% of studies failed to report prespecified outcome measures, raising concerns about post hoc data selection. Three moderators survived Bonferroni correction: target type, judging set size, and judge identity.

#free_response #meta_analysis #methodological_quality #moderator_variables #outcome_prespecification

Does Psi Exist? Replicable Evidence for an Anomalous Process of Information Transfer

Bem, Daryl J; Honorton, Charles • 1994 • Psychological Bulletin

Reviews competing meta-analyses of 28 ganzfeld psi studies (Hyman 1985 vs. Honorton 1985) and presents 11 new autoganzfeld studies from Honorton's Psychophysical Research Laboratories. The original 28-study database yielded a composite z = 6.60 (p = 2.1 × 10⁻¹¹) with a 35% hit rate against 25% chance (effect size h = .28, 95% CI [.11, .45]). The 11 autoganzfeld studies (240 receivers, 329 sessions) achieved 32% hits (z = 2.89, p = .002, π = .59). Dynamic video targets outperformed static targets (37% vs. 27%, p < .04). Juilliard performing arts students hit at 50% (p = .014). Concludes the ganzfeld effect is replicable and large enough to warrant mainstream attention.

#ganzfeld_autoganzfeld #meta_analysis #replication #effect_size #sensory_leakage

The Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen Paradox in the Brain: The Transferred Potential

Grinberg-Zylberbaum, Jacobo; Delaflor, Montserrat; Attie, Leah; Goswami, Amit • 1994 • Physics Essays

Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) correlations between human brains were investigated to test whether the brain has a macroscopic quantum component. Seven pairs of subjects meditated together for 20 minutes, then were separated into soundproof Faraday chambers 14.5 m apart. Subject A received 100 light flashes while both subjects' EEGs were recorded from occipital derivations with high-pass filtering above 12.7 Hz. In ~25% of pairs reporting successful 'direct communication,' Subject B showed 'transferred potentials' morphologically matching Subject A's evoked potentials (r = 0.70-0.93, p < 0.005). All control conditions showed no transferred potentials. Interpreted as evidence for macroscopic quantum nonlocality between correlated brains.

#transferred_potential #eeg_correlations #epr_nonlocality #faraday_chambers #quantum_consciousness

Human Communication and the Electrophysiological Activity of the Brain

Grinberg-Zylberbaum, Jacobo; Delaflor, M; Sanchez Arellano, M.E; Guevara, M.A; Perez, M • 1992 • Subtle Energies & Energy Medicine

Three experiments investigated whether stimulus-evoked brain potentials could be 'transferred' between people isolated in separate electromagnetically shielded Faraday chambers. Pairs first established 'direct communication' — nonverbal meditative co-presence in darkness — then separated into two soundproof chambers 270 cm apart. One subject received randomized light flashes while the other's EEG was time-locked to stimulus onset. In Experiment 1 (5 pairs), transferred potentials correlated r = 0.629–0.966 with evoked potentials at 150–276 ms latency. In Experiment 2 (14 subjects), approximately 57% showed transferred potentials (r = 0.606–0.980). No transferred potentials appeared in non-communicating control pairs.

#transferred_potential #eeg_correlations #faraday_chambers #direct_communication #evoked_potentials

Patterns of Interhemispheric Correlation During Human Communication

Grinberg-Zylberbaum, Jacobo; Ramos, Julieta • 1987 • International Journal of Neuroscience

Pairs of subjects (13 pairs plus 4 triads) were seated in a Faraday cage, separated by 50cm with eyes closed and no sensory contact. EEG was recorded from frontal-occipital derivations (3-45 Hz) and interhemispheric correlations computed every 256ms using Pearson's r. An A-B-A design compared control isolation periods to communication periods where subjects intentionally connected. During direct communication, individual interhemispheric correlation patterns became highly similar (r≈0.80 vs. r≈0 in control), and intersubject EEG concordance increased significantly. Pattern convergence was pair-specific and not attributable to habituation or fatigue.

#eeg_correlations #interhemispheric_coherence #brain_brain_interaction #syntergic_theory #communication_paradigm

Psychology and Anomalous Observations: The Question of ESP in Dreams

Child, Irvin L • 1985 • American Psychologist

A review of how five major psychology books have represented the Maimonides Medical Center dream ESP experiments, revealing that all five either ignored, distorted, or falsified the research. Reanalysis of the Maimonides data across 15 experimental segments showed hits exceeded misses on every independent line (sign test p < .0001). Combined probability for outside judges' ratings on segments free of nonindependence issues was p < .000002; for subjects' own ratings, p < .002. Specific misrepresentations included describing post-sleep stimuli as pre-sleep priming (Zusne & Jones), exaggerating sensory cuing (Hansel), dismissing within-subject controls as absent (Alcock), and complete omission (Marks & Kammann).

#dream_telepathy #maimonides_experiments #misrepresentation_in_reviews #critical_evaluation #ganzfeld_precursor

Extrasensory Electroencephalographic Induction between Identical Twins

Duane, T. D; Behrendt, Thomas • 1965 • Science

Alpha rhythms were elicited in one of a pair of identical twins as a result of evoking these rhythms solely in the other twin seated in a separate room 6 meters away. Fifteen monozygotic twin pairs were tested using simultaneous EEG with subcutaneous occipital electrodes; one twin closed their eyes to produce alpha rhythm while the other was monitored. Extrasensory induction was found in 2 of 15 pairs — both educated, calm males aged 23 and 27. No induction occurred between unrelated control subjects. The authors concluded that extrasensory induction of brain waves exists between some identical twins when completely separated.

#eeg_correlations #identical_twins #alpha_rhythm #distant_mental_interaction #physiological_measures

Phantasms of the Living

Gurney, Edmund; Myers, Frederic W. H; Podmore, Frank • 1886

Foundational two-volume compendium from the Society for Psychical Research combining controlled thought-transference experiments with a systematic collection of 702 spontaneous cases of telepathic impressions, crisis apparitions, and death-coincident hallucinations. Experimental evidence includes 17,653 card-guessing trials yielding 4,760 successes versus 4,413 expected by chance (p < 0.00000002), plus diagram-reproduction and sensation-transference experiments by Barrett, Guthrie, Lodge, and Richet. A probability argument demonstrates that death-coincident hallucinations occur far more frequently than chance predicts. Concludes that experimental and spontaneous phenomena jointly support the reality of telepathy.

#crisis_apparitions #thought_transference #spontaneous_cases #death_coincidence #spr_founding_text
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