The MegaREG Experiment: Replication and Interpretation
📄 Original study📌 Appears in:
Plain English Summary
Researchers at Princeton's PEAR lab tested whether mind-over-matter effects on random number generators would grow stronger with more random bits per trial. In a double-blind setup, 24 volunteers tried mentally nudging high-density and low-density trials. Low-density trials behaved as expected. But the high-density ones went significantly backward -- effects opposite to intention, with a striking p-value of 0.000094! Newer volunteers showed bigger reversed effects than veterans, and a follow-up confirmed it. The effect was 3 times larger per trial but 30 times smaller per bit, seriously challenging simple models of psychokinesis.
Research Notes
Critical replication testing fundamental models of psychokinesis at PEAR. Unexpected reversal challenges bitwise probability models and demonstrates high sensitivity to experimental parameters. Operator experience and gender effects inform ongoing debates about experimenter variables in psi research.
Tested whether increasing bits per trial in REG experiments proportionally increases anomalous intention effects. Double-blind protocol with 2-million-bit 'high-density' and 200-bit 'low-density' trials interspersed randomly. 24 operators completed 1000-trial series in three intentional conditions. High-density trials produced significant reversed intentional effect (D = -0.0971, T = -3.90, p = 9.4×10⁻⁵) contrary to intention; low-density trials matched earlier REG results (D = 0.0189, ns). New operators showed larger effects than experienced, but both groups showed reversal. MegaMega companion experiment replicated the reversal. Effect size 2.77× larger per trial but 30× smaller per bit than standard REG200.
Related Papers
Cites
- Evidence for Consciousness-Related Anomalies in Random Physical Systems — Radin, Dean I (1989)
- The Strange Properties of Psychokinesis — Schmidt, H (1987)
- Information and Uncertainty in Remote Perception Research — Dunne, Brenda J (2003)
- Mind/Machine Interaction Consortium: PortREG Replication Experiments — Jahn, Robert G (2000)
- A Double-Slit Diffraction Experiment to Investigate Claims of Consciousness-Related Anomalies — Ibison, Michael (1998)
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📋 Cite this paper
Dobyns, Y. H, Dunne, Brenda J, Jahn, Robert G, Nelson, Roger D (2004). The MegaREG Experiment: Replication and Interpretation. Journal of Scientific Exploration.
@article{dobyns_2004_megareg,
title = {The MegaREG Experiment: Replication and Interpretation},
author = {Dobyns, Y. H and Dunne, Brenda J and Jahn, Robert G and Nelson, Roger D},
year = {2004},
journal = {Journal of Scientific Exploration},
}