Coherent Consciousness and Reduced Randomness: Correlations on September 11, 2001
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Plain English Summary
This paper zooms in on the single most famous data point from the Global Consciousness Project: September 11, 2001. Over 37 random number generators scattered across the globe were humming along when the attacks happened, and the data went noticeably weird. Two predictions had been registered beforehand, and both showed statistically unusual patterns. The main test hit p = 0.028, meaning there was roughly a 3-in-100 chance the result was just noise. A second variance-based analysis was even more striking at p = 0.0009. The anomalous signal persisted for two full days afterward. Five independent analysts confirmed the findings, and physical culprits like cell phone interference were ruled out. Taken alongside the broader GCP database of 98 predictions (combined odds: about one in twelve million against chance), the results are genuinely head-turning, even if the debate over what they actually mean rages on.
Research Notes
The most famous individual event analysis from the GCP and one of the most widely discussed papers in the mind-matter interaction literature. Published in JSE Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 549–570. Anchors Controversy #8 (Global Consciousness Project). May & Spottiswoode's critical analysis confirmed the statistics but questioned the timing specification.
Examined data from the Global Consciousness Project's network of 37+ random event generators distributed worldwide during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Two pre-registered predictions were tested: composite deviation of means (Stouffer Z) and inter-egg variance. The primary analysis yielded χ² = 15332 on 15000 df (p = 0.028). Variance permutation analysis gave p = 0.0009. A persistent trend continued through September 13 (permutation p ≈ 0.012). Five independent analysts confirmed anomalous structure. Physical explanations (electromagnetic disturbance, mobile phone usage) were ruled out. The overall GCP database of 98 formal predictions over three years showed composite p = 8.3 × 10⁻⁸.
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Cites
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- Searching for Global Consciousness: A Seventeen Year Exploration — Bancel, Peter A (2017)
- Searching for Global Consciousness: A Seventeen Year Exploration — Bancel, Peter A (2017)
- New Year's Eve as a Case Study in Experimental Metaphysics: Exploring Global Consciousness in Random Physical Systems — Radin, Dean I (2025)
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📋 Cite this paper
Nelson, Roger D (2002). Coherent Consciousness and Reduced Randomness: Correlations on September 11, 2001. Journal of Scientific Exploration.
@article{nelson_2002_coherent_consciousness_911,
title = {Coherent Consciousness and Reduced Randomness: Correlations on September 11, 2001},
author = {Nelson, Roger D},
year = {2002},
journal = {Journal of Scientific Exploration},
}