8/3/2019 Psi as a Multilevel Process

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/psi-as-a-multilevel-process 1/18

LE "PARANORMAL", NOUS N'Y CROYONS PAS. NOUS L'ETUDIONS.

Rechercher 

L’instit utUne fondation et sa mission

80 ans d’histoire

Activités de l’IMILaboratoire

Service d ’Ecoute

Psychologique

Bibliothèque

Conférences e t congrès

Group e Etudiants

 Amis de l’IMI

Bulletin Métapsychique

Réactions à l’actualité

L’IMI et vo usQuestions fréquentes

Consei ls et sugge st ions

Boutique en ligne

Pour col laborer 

Nous contacter 

Newsletter 

ParapsychologieFondamentaux

Grands axes d e recherche

Perspectives et théories

FAQ parapsycholog ie

i

Parapsychologie  Perspectives et théories

 

PSI AS A MULTILEVEL PROCESS : SEMANTIC FIELDS THEORY 

by Christ ine Hardy, Ph.D.

Par Christine Hardy 

Neural nets and chaos theory are powerful new frameworks which enable us to truly address complexity and to

model the mind in terms of dynamical processes and evolving systems. Semantic Fields theory views the mind

as a lat tice of semantic constellations or SeCos, generated by the interplay of experience, genetic constraints

and cultural context. SeCos are self-organized dynamical networks that interweave processes ranging from

high-level abstract ones to low-level neuronal ones. It is p roposed t hat, f undamentally, thought is instantiated

by dynamic chain-linkages within the SeCos-networks.

There is considerable experimental and empirical evidence suggesting that psi operates as a multilevel processand that psi information can be channeled into awareness in a variety of ways (such as sensations, feelings,

intuitions, t houghts, interoceptive sensations, etc.) From the perspective of semantic fields t heory, psi events

are a fundamental feature of the underlying connective dynamics across SeCos-networks.

It is po stulated t hat the mind is also the source of a projective process imprinting organization and order upon

the outer world. This dynamic generates a semantic dimension in objects themselves-eco-semantic fields or 

eco-fields. As suggested, semantic connective processes are organized not by space-time parameters, but by

semantic parameters (such as semantic proximity), which instantiate nonlocal connections between distant

 PDFmyURL.com

8/3/2019 Psi as a Multilevel Process

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/psi-as-a-multilevel-process 2/18

Enseignements et

références

RessourcesPublications de référence

 Articles de réflexion

générale

Débats et controverses

Publications de recherche

Travaux universitaires

- Nous contacter -- Nouveautés -- Plan du site -

- Liens -

Newsletter 

(3973 inscrits) :

votre e -mail

Inscription

Désinscr ipt ion

Valider 

semantic fields-whether between minds or between minds and the environment. Semantic dynamics are the

ground for both ESP and PK phenomena, whether conscious or nonconscious.

The model hypothesizes that the organizing influence of the mind on surrounding eco-fields will affect the

nature and probability of events connected to the person.

Of all mental events, psi experiences display quite unique properties, that are hardly compatible with the classical theory of 

mind, or cognitivism ; in this paper, I would like to present an alternative cognitive theory which may account for psi

phenomena, while also being co herent with the most recent developments in the cognitive sciences.

First, let me explain some theoretical and methodo logical issues regarding the construction of a theory of mind.

Nonlocality and creation of order 

One of the major contributions of psi research is that it has added a whole new dimension to the mind-matter problem :

nonlocality.

So far, accumulated experimental da ta do not yield an unequivoca l description as to the nature of psi. However, there seems to

be wide agreement on viewing psi as a mental phenomenon, that is, to view mind as a necessary condition for its occurrence.

What seems to me important is to make a distinction between on the one hand, the necessary conditions for psi to occur and,

on the second hand, contingent conditions or influencing factors. Influencing factors are not absolutely necessary for psi to

occur, but they may have a bearing on actual psi occurrences, e.g., affecting their intensity or the manner in which they

manifest. Necessary co nditions, on the o ther hand, a re parameters that, if absent, preclude the o ccurrence o f psi.

Experiments using various shielding materials (e.g., Vasiliev, 1976 ; Puthoff, Targ & May, 1981) do not lend support to the

hypothesis that electromagnetic (EM) fields are potential carriers of psi information (although they do not conclusively exclude

this possibility). Similarly, several experiments with positive psi results (e.g. from remote viewing to REG studies) show no

systematic declines with increases in distance between subject and target (or target-REG), or even with time displacements in

precognition or retrocognition experiments (Dunne, Jahn & Nelson, 1983 ; Targ & Harary, 1984). All this largely undermines

"transmission" models of psi, i.e., the idea that psi information is based on local, or mechanistic, forms of signal transmission(such as EM fields).

Note that the above do not exclude the possibility that psi manifestations (e.g., in a spontaneous case, or a telepathy

experiment) are influenced by EM fields. Thus, the recent data suggesting a relationship between psi and GMF or LST (e.g.,

Persinger, 1985 ; Spottiswoode & May, 1997), point to physical factors which may affect, say, a receiver’s capacity to pick-up

psi information. On the other hand, such data do not permit any conclusions with respect to necessary conditions, that is, the

nature of psi information per se (i.e., whether or not it is transmitted by, say, extremely low frequency waves).

In sum, we have little direct evidence for psi being based on some physical wave-carrier ; thus, Newtonian space-time

 PDFmyURL.com

8/3/2019 Psi as a Multilevel Process

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/psi-as-a-multilevel-process 3/18

parameters can be seen as influencing factors and contingent conditions. What is indisputable, is that psi phenomena are

related to mental events : they implicate the psyche, or the mind of individuals. Thus, my position is that we may assume mind

as being a necessary condition for psi, and explore the mental facet of psi, while leaving open the possibility that additional

necessary condition(s) will turn up a t some la ter date.

Insofar as psi seems to be non-dependent (in the sense of a necessary condition) on Newtonian time and space parameters,

it displays nonlocality. Moreover, psi being primarily a function of the mind, it follows that any complete theory of mind must

necessarily accomodate nonlocal processes- such as psi.

Typically, any discussion of nonlocality immediately focuses on Quantum Mechanics. In the seventies, decades after they had

been brought up as a gedankenexperiment (in the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox), nonlocal correlations began to be

demonstrated experimentally. Certain prominent QM theorists also introduced the revolutionary idea that observation and the

act of measurement contribute to what we observe as reality ; they thus tied mental dynamics-consciousness-to quantum

events. On the other hand, following up on his hidden variables interpretation of the EPR paradox, David Bohm (1980)

proposed the existence of an "implicate order", and a deep interconnectedness between mind and matter, that transcends

newtonian space/time. Finally, models of consciousness based on quantum interference or quantum coherence have gained

momentum, bringing properties like superposition and synchronous firing of neurons into mental dynamics (Pribram, 1991 ;

Hameroff & Penrose, 1996).

While it is true that the concept of nonlocality has come to gain acceptance in the context of quantum physics, in my own view,

quantum processes are not the only legitimate means for grounding nonlocality in mental events. There is no fundamentalnecessity to ground a theory of mind in physics, particularly given that physics is currently in a state of flux, with competing

schools of thought, and that it is likely to undergo further developments. While I think the case for quantum events in the brain is

well grounded, and that psi theories based on QM are an important line of research for physicists, I also believe it is sound to

focus on the global architecture and d ynamics of the mind, without committing to a particular view on quantum brain processes.

It is however instructive to understand the way in which physicists utilize concepts and postulates to move beyond what is

empirically evident and ground their exploration of their own domain. In particular, physicists introduce dozens of new

dimensions in their efforts to unify the diverse nuclear forces ; dimensions are becoming more and more akin to descriptive

parameters, rather than referents to objective reality or to a basic substance. In a similar manner, a cognitive theorist may be

allowed to postulate cognitive parameters as useful descriptors of cognitive space. If the parameters turn out to improve

understanding, and to lead to more accurate predictions than the parameters of previous theories, then they may be

considered as useful conceptual advances.

Several theorists have considered psi to be “transpatial and transtemporal,” as Murphy (1949) put it. For example, Price

(1939) stated that his “psychic ether” does not bear any correspondence to the spatio-temporal manifold, and he introduced a

parameter of “proximity” between “image fields” independent of spatial distance. Similarly, Roll (1983) posited “psi contiguity”

between people and the places they have inhabited, which may persist long after their departure. A similar approach has been

proposed by Nelson et al (1996) who underscored the importance of "subjective parameters" (such as "attentional proximity"

and " intensity of subjective investment").

 PDFmyURL.com

8/3/2019 Psi as a Multilevel Process

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/psi-as-a-multilevel-process 4/18

In the Semantic Fields theory (SFT), the introduction of nonphysical parameters reflects the necessity to use descriptors that

specifically address cognitive functioning. Thus I postulate certain parameters which are nonlocal in nature and relevant to

mental organizational levels in particular ; I then explore their explanatory power for addressing a range of mental and psi

phenomena. In other words, I hold that experiments lend support to a view of psi as being non dependent (in the sense of 

necessary conditions) on spatiotemporal parameters, and I therefore assume that a theory of psi must embed nonlocal

properties. Once this is accepted, I propose certain postulates which could help account for the specifics of mental and psi

phenomena. What then becomes of prime importance is that the theory be self-consistent, and that the dynamics and

processes derived from the theory show their congruence with cognitive, clinical, and parapsychological data.

The first postulate is that there exist several parameters specific to semantic space. These are descriptors of the dynamics of 

the generation of meaning-one of the fundamental process at work in practically all mental acts (from naming and categorizing,

to feeling and thinking). I have for now identified four such parameters, one of which is semantic proximity  - a nonlocal

parameter that is orthogonal to spa tial distance in semantic exchanges.

The second postulate is explicitly linked to the issue of mind-matter interaction : I posit mind to be an organizing force that

shapes consensual (observed) reality. This is reminiscent of certain interpretations of the measurement problem in QM, and

analogous to the fundamental premises of parapsychology’s Observational Theories. However, in the present theory, the

injection of order into the environment is based upon network dynamics, and involves the creation of eco-semantic fields -

meaning-clusters that organize personal and social space. By endowing physical reality with a semantic organizational level,

mind-matter interaction is re-cast as the interaction between complex personal semantic fields and environmental semanticfields. Their mutual interactions, it is propose d, a re gove rned by neural nets and chaos theory dynamics.

From cognitivism to connectionism and chaos theory

In the domain of cognitive sciences, two main conceptual frameworks are currently prevalent : the symbolic and the

connectionist paradigms. In the symbolic or cognitivist paradigm, which was dominant in the 70’s and 80’s, the mind is seen as

a symbol-based rule-system : mental processes are equated to rule-driven computations on internal representations, coded in

symbols (Fodor, 1991 ; Newell & Simon, 1976 ; Stillings et al, 1987 ; Pylyshyn, 1981). Regarding cognitive science, Stillings et

al (1987) thus state : “The view of the mind as an information-processing system is what characterizes and unifies the field.” (p.

314) ; and elsewhere : “The realization that an organism or machine can produce meaningful behavior by performing formal

operations on symbolic structures that bear a representational relationship to the world is a key insight of cognitive science.”(p.

4)

The symbolic paradigm is essentially an extension of cartesian rationalism, in that the mind is equated to conscious rational

processes. This fundamental premise, however, is challenged by at least two areas of investigation : the nonconscious and the

nonrational features of mental proce ssing.

PDFmyURL.com

8/3/2019 Psi as a Multilevel Process

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/psi-as-a-multilevel-process 5/18

Recent research has highlighted the presence of a “cognitive unconscious”, insofar as most cognitive processes such as

forming a sentence imply non-conscious processes working conjointly with conscious ones (Reber, 1993). More importantly,

cognitive scientists increasingly recognize that abstract reasoning is probably not the way our mind operates most of the time

(Minsky, 1985 ; Freeman, 1995 ; Gardner, 1983). Computational rule-bound processing, as expressed in logical or 

mathematical reasoning, must be seen as a high-level, emergent process. On the contrary, natural thought processes are

mostly nonlogical or, as Reber (1993) put it, “arational” ; for the most part, they are grounded on associations, as well as

analogica l and metaphorical thinking much more rapid and globa l than linear computations. Penrose (1989) thus propose s

that the mind makes use of non-algorithmic processes, and indeed several non-algorithmic alternatives have been proposed

to model the mind’s processing-quantum processes (quantum potentials, interference patterns, quantum void, quantum

computation), topology and morphogenetic fields.

It seems that the very concept of linear, rule-driven symbol manipulation is simply not powerful enough to deal with the

flexibility and evolving capacities of the mind ; the self-organization and learning that neural networks and dynamical systems

exhibit seem to be a much more powerful explanatory tool.

The connectionist paradigm (based on neural nets) and chaos theory (complex dynamical systems theory) are powerful new

frameworks which enable us to truly address complexity and to model the mind in terms of dynamical processes, evolving and

interactive. Both networks and dynamical systems exhibit self-organizational properties, i.e., the capacity of a complex system

to reorganize itself internally. The combination of network and chaos theories is therefore a p articularly appealing framework for 

explaining the self-organizing and evolving features of the mind. In the connectionist paradigm, which underlies neural netsresearch, the mind is viewed as a network of elements and processes, organizing itself toward an optimal state (vis-à-vis

given inputs and/or objectives), on the basis of weighted connections between the different units or elements (McClelland &

Rumelhart, 1986 ; Bechtel & Abrahamsen, 1990 ; Levine & Leven, 1995). Cognitive processes (including memory, information

processing, perception, etc.) make use of a network of interconnected units in which data are distributed. Cognition is thus

equated to the emergence of glob al properties out of a vast connective network of distributed information.

 At a bas ic neuronal level, the brain indeed displays a widely distributed organization as in the synchronous oscillatory firing of 

distant neurons (Koch, 1996), or in the distribution over various brain areas of some 20 visual maps (Changeux, 1983). A

major challenge is to understand how such widely distributed information-processing nevertheless gives rise to a unified

percept (the “binding” problem).

  All in all, there is considerable evidence for the existence of neural-nets properties in the brain, such as distribution of 

processes, feedback, and collective self-organization (Edelman, 1992 ; Freeman, 1995 ; Wilson & McNaughton, 1994 ;

Hameroff, 1994).

 Another specific feature of neural nets is their remarkable learning ability, which implies the adaptive organization of the whole

network (activated units and connection weights). In other words, presented with data (the input) and with a target pattern, the

network finds the most efficient internal organization to code for this pattern. Sophisticated networks display a distributed

representation of the target pattern that allows the network to still work efficiently despite partial damage or partial lack of 

information. These distributed networks can learn to recognize new patterns without loss of previous learning ; furthermore, they

 PDFmyURL.com

8/3/2019 Psi as a Multilevel Process

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/psi-as-a-multilevel-process 6/18

are able to generalize, that is, to process patterns that are similar but not identical to those already learned. Altogether, this

adaptive learning points to a property of dynamical self-organiza tion within networks (Anderson & Rosenfeld, 1988).

Networks’ learning capacity has prompted diverse evolutions of artificial intelligence (AI) programs, which now display some

network features, such as microtraits coding (subsymbols) and resistance to partial damage. Powerful integrations of symbolic

and connectionist approaches in hybrid AI systems seem to be a very promising direction for research (Anderson, 1983 ;

Bechtel & Abrahamsen, 1990 ). The most striking feature of chaos theory is its ability to account for the interaction of forces a nd

the creation of novel organizational states (Prigogine & Stengers, 1984). Many psychological processes are nonlinear and

display instability, thus exhibiting dynamics at the edge of chaos : a minor change of parameters may lead the system to

bifurcate, that is to change its global organization and behavior (Abraham et al, 1990 ; Abraham & Gilgen, 1995). Furthermore,

the mathematical framework of chaos theory allows for modeling the interaction of any type of forces with any other type ; for 

example, beliefs may be modeled as interacting with physical and mechanical forces in the production of work accidents

(Guastello, 1995). Thus, a number of psychological and social processes have been modelized using complex dynamical

systems theories - such as Prigogine’s dissipative systems, René Thom’s catastrophe theory, and chaos theory in general.

Chaos theory accounts for a great number of interacting parameters, for a succession of states and their evolving trajectories,

for bifurcations in the system, and for the creation of novel patterns. Furthermore, dynamical models account for the influence of 

context upon the construction of cognitive p atterns (or "global orders") which remain context-sensitive (Smith, 1995).

  A number of scientists are now presenting cognitive theories based on connectionist and/or dynamical-systems premises,

sometimes integrating a symbol-based rule-system. Varela et al (1991), for example, propose that cognitive acts are not“instructed” as in a programming command, but rather dynamically “constructed” through experience. More specifically,

Maturana and Varela (1980) hold that the mind exhibits “autopoiesis,” that is, the ability to reorganize itself internally and to

maintain its structural identity. In his Global Workspace (GWS) theory, Baars (1988) proposes that numerous brain modules

“understand” everything that happens in the stream of consciousness (the GWS), with each agent’s action being “evoked” by a

specific signal (a symbol appearing in the GWS), rather than the agent being “ordered” to perform an operation. This type of 

Production System (first developed by Newell, 1973, as an AI formalism), is data-driven and environment-driven, while being

also distributive and modular properties that are quite astonishing for a symbol- based system.

 Adopting a dynamical-systems approach, Combs (1996) views the mind as an ensemble of modules, each one constituting a

set of dynamical processes ; Combs also underscores the organizing properties of consciousness. In his Dual Network

Theory, Goertzel (1994) proposes the superposition of two networks a memory network, having an associative organiza tion,

and a control network, showing a hierarchical structure. Both Combs and Goertzel view the mind as a giant system housing

many modules, which would be dynamically organized as a giant attractor with subsystems. Baars’ and Newell’s “production

systems”, as well as Goertzel’s theory, show a combination of rule-systems and connectionist or dynamical frameworks.

Cognitive architecture and dynamics

 PDFmyURL.com

8/3/2019 Psi as a Multilevel Process

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/psi-as-a-multilevel-process 7/18

In Semantic Fields theory (SFT), the human cognitive system is viewed as a multilevel web of interactions within the whole

mind-body-psyche system. SFT blends a network approach with that of chaos theory to propose both an architecture and

dynamics for the mind (Hardy, 1996, 1998). The architecture is a lattice of cognitive networks which I call semantic

constellations or SeCos-each dedicated to a specific activity, concept or knowledge. SeCos evolve through the interplay of 

experiences, environmental and cultural influences, past dynamical organization (endo- context), and genetic constraints.

  A basic feature of the Seco is that it is organized as a multilevel dynamical network. Each SeCo-network links together 

processes that may range from high-level abstract ones to low-level neuronal ones. For example, in learning an artistic skill, a

cluster of links will progressively be constructed between sensations, muscle control, affects, intentions, states of mind,

concepts, names, categories, and so forth. Thus the SeCo acts as a multilevel web of interacting sub-networks, evolving

through the continual interconnection and mutual adaptation of proce sses (Hardy, 2000).

The SeCos’ networks are created and constantly modified by an underlying, low-level, connective dynamic : a spontaneous

linkage process ; essentially, clusters of semantic elements are spontaneously attracted to, and link themselves to, other 

clusters that are semantically related. Implemented both within and across SeCos, the connective dynamic is typically triggered

by similarities across clusters. However, given the complexity of these clusters, differences are bound to be present too, thus

permitting discrimination, differentiations, and the creation of new paths within the SeCo.

I propose that this highly generative dynamic, ba sed on network-connections (rather than algorithmic operations), is the g round

of thought. In other words, rational thinking is a high-level process, while thought at a low level is instantiated by dynamicchain-linkages and the interweaving of multilevel processes.

The linkage process triggered spontaneously in the SeCos-networks (through connective dynamics) explains certain unique

features of the thought process-how, for example, it may evolve independently of awareness. Whether triggered by an

intention or a percept, chain-linkages occur at the underlying, connective, level ; so they may keep creating links or follow

weighted paths in the SeCo while attention has drifted unto another task. This explains how a solution to a problem may pop up

to the flow of consciousness at a later, unexpec ted time.

Thus, SeCos are self-organized dynamical networks that interweave sensations, feelings, and concepts through connective

dynamics, and that change and evolve as a function of their own dynamical organization and novel chain-linkages. In some

cases, the model predicts that SeCos may become fixated, as in purely repetitive tasks, strongly conditioned behaviors, or 

neurotic behavioral patterns. In this sense, the model is consistent with psychoanalysts’ understanding of psychological

complexes as rigid clusters of feelings, behaviors, concepts and physiological processes.

The SeCo concept is also in agreement with Charles Tart’s (1975) description of states of consciousness as idiosyncratic

patterns of sensory and mental processes, behaviors, mind-sets, knowledge-sets, and memories. A given state of 

consciousness may be seen as a web of connections between specific SeCos.

The model is also consistent with the growing recognition of nonrational and nonconscious processes in cognition (Reber,

1993). Francisco Varela, for example, holds that cognition develops out of-and remains tied to-a strong coupling of sensory

and motor exploratory behaviors (Varela et al, 1991). In general, Semantic Fields theory, and the network architecture it posits,

 PDFmyURL.com

8/3/2019 Psi as a Multilevel Process

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/psi-as-a-multilevel-process 8/18

is consistent with clinical and phenomenological evidence pointing to the interlacing of processes from various levels (mental,

psychological, somatic). Classical rule-systems, by contrast, can hardly address this complex interlacing of different levels ;

the clustering of processes from various levels could not exist if the mind’s organization was based solely on rule-bound

processing.

In positing a transversal, network-type integration, ranging from lower neuronal processes up to abstract, rational ones,

Semantic Fields theory casts the mind-body problem in a different light : human knowledge and ideas are never purely mental,

abstract, or rational ; rather, they are deeply tied to sensory, motor, affective, and physiological p rocesses .

Psi and multilevel mental processes

Considerable experimental and anecdotal evidence suggests that psi operates at various organizational levels, ranging from

highly abstract to emotional/affective to neurophysiolog ical.

1. Psi test performance decreases with repetition of tasks, as shown by the decline effect (e.g., McConnell, 1982). The

experimental findings suggest that psychological variables such as interest, enthousiasm, playfulness, novelty and surprise

(both in subjects and in experimenters) enhance psi scoring. Psi may thus be more compatible with spontaneous connective

processes and multilevel dynamics, than the abstract or rule-bound mental processing which are often taken as the uniquefunctioning of the mind.

2. Data from spontaneous cases and informal investigations suggest that psi information is sometimes "felt" by the receiver as

a somatic or "tele-empathic" sensation matching the sender’s experience. For example, in group telepathy training sessions,

psychoanalyst Si Ahmed (1990) observed that subjects, while unable to verbally name the target, were often able to mimic it

through gestures and postures.

This concept of "body-psi" has been formally explored in DMILS experiments (such as Remote Staring), that demonstrate that

the autonomic system reacts to unconscious psi information and may show stronger results and/or reliability than verbal and

conscious tasks (Braud & Schlitz, 1991 ; Schlitz & LaBerge, 1994 ; Wiseman & Schlitz, 1996).

3. In a number of psi experiments, nonconscious tasks (e.g., involving silent REGs), or tasks involving some form of 

dissociation from conscious, goal-oriented, processing, tend to yield higher results than tasks depending on strictly conscious-

purposive activities (Berger, 1988 ; Varvoglis & Amorim, 1991)

Similarly certain psychics and researchers involved in the SRI Remote Viewing experiments have emphasized the importance

of drawing, rather than verbally describing the target (Hansen, Schlitz, & Tart, 1984). 4. A variety of data point to the role of 

affect, rather than purely mental content. Spontaneous psi experiences are often triggered by emotionally charged events ; this

could, of course, be due to a form of selective reporting, but at least some investigations of target emotionality and psi in

telepathy tests suggest otherwise : in ganzfeld experiments, emotionally and/or sensorially rich targets seem to be more

conducive to psi than highly abstract or neutral ones ( Bierman, 1995).

PDFmyURL.com

8/3/2019 Psi as a Multilevel Process

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/psi-as-a-multilevel-process 9/18

Similarly, affective relationships between sender and receiver seem to enhance success in telepathy tasks (Broughton &

 Alexander, 1996). This finding is consistent with what has been generally observed in spontaneous cases of psi (Schouten,

1982).

5. In ganzfeld experiments involving artists, it has been shown that individuals with high creativity scores show enhanced psi

abilities (Schlitz & Honorton, 1990 ; Dalton, 1997). This is consistent with the above emphasis on the spontaneity of connective

dynamics, while also underscoring the possible role of multilevel processes in psi : artists and creative people typically draw

not only on ideas , but also on feelings, intuitions, sensory inputs, an aesthetic sense, etc.

6. Finally, in certain government-funded remote viewing experiments (the Scanate project), gifted psi subjects have been able

to describe distant sites just on the basis of coordinates (McRae, 1984). This points to the fact that psi can also make use of 

purely abstract data.

The above data show that psi information can be channeled into awareness in a variety of ways, such as sensations, feelings,

intuitions, thoughts, interoceptive sensations, kinesthetic impressions, etc. ; the whole mind-body-psyche seems to act as a

receptive system. It seems highly unlikely, then, that psi is an autonomous process in the percipient’s mind, i.e., a mechanical

force, or a specific information channel, or the activation of a rule. To the contrary, the data strongly suggest that psi functioning

is distributed between conscious and nonconscious processes, and that it can implicate practically all organizational levels of 

the mind-body : sensations, motor acts, the autonomic system, emotions, feelings, and intellect. The kind of multifaceted

phenomena we observe in research and spontaneous cases are just the kind we would expect if psi information were indeed

received through a multilevel p sychophysical network exhibiting connective dynamics.

Several psi theorists have underscored the role of associations in psi events reminiscent of the connective dynamics I present.

In his Association Theory, Carington (1945) viewed the “field of consciousness” as consisting of “associative groupings of 

psychons,” that is, sensa and images (p. 101). Drawing on the idea of a “common subconscious”, he proposed that the shared

idea of an experiment, or the use of a “k-object” associated to the target in the experimenter’s mind, would create

associations that may become active in the minds of subjects. Carington suggested that reinforcing the association by

repetition would strengthen psi results ; this was supported b y a retrospective analysis of an ea rlier telepa thy experiment.

Murphy (1949) believed that psi was fundamentally “transpersonal”, being grounded in the relationships between the psychical

structures of individuals. He proposed that psi would be greatly enhanced in an experiment if participants were to strengthen

their “interpersonal field” by becoming less ego-centered and more attuned to each other. In stating that all participants in an

experiment influence results, by virtue of their interpersonal interactions, Murphy (1945) anticipated a central tenet of General

Systems Theory (von Bertalanffy, 1968) which was later to be expanded within chaos theory namely the existence of 

complex simultaneous interactions between components of a system. For example, in von Lucadou’s (1983, 1987) Model of 

Pragmatic Information (MPI), the system formed by a group of people and their environment (e.g. experimenters-subjects-

device) produces “pragmatic information” that will be decisive on events (e.g. the results). Nonlocal correlations will then briefly

link individuals’ mental state with the external system and p roduce temporary psi e ffects.

In general, then, the connective dynamics of SFT bear similarities with the above cited associative processes ; furthermore,

 PDFmyURL.com

8/3/2019 Psi as a Multilevel Process

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/psi-as-a-multilevel-process 10/18

insofar as the theory embeds a systemic framework - the SeCos being systems of interacting elements (Hardy, 1999) - SFT

also has areas of overlap with von Lucadou’s theory.

From the perspective of Semantic Fields theory, the underlying connective dynamics across SeCos-networks are fundamental

features of psi experiences. Through nonlocal semantic connections, psi information activates the SeCos whose elements best

match the target system, and the information becomes d istributed in the SeCos’ multilevel network.

What induces the psi information to emerge into consciousness (as an ESP-type phenomenon or an intuition), rather than

remaining nonconscious ? I propose this depends on a number of factors, such as the intensity and volume of chain-linkages,

or the strength of the affect attached to the event.

 Assuming that psi information does become conscious, the selection of the channel through which it emerges into awareness

may be based on different dynamics. One possibility is that psi information is relayed through the person’s preferred cognitive

mode, e.g. imagistic, verbal, kinesthetic, etc. A second possibility is that the intensity and salience of specific elements in the

target system will trigger chain-linkages with similar elements in the receiver’s mind ; for example, the sender’s fear will tend to

evoke fear in the receiver, or an intense scene may evoke quite similar imagery. These two possible dynamics do not exclude

one another and may work conjointly in the psyche.

Mind-to-Mind : Interface-SeCos

The above address the question as to what happens to psi information once it is within the person’s lattice, i.e., how it is

"processed", once received. To understand how information about distant events may get into a person’s lattice in the first

place, we need to consider broader dynamics.

To begin with, I postulate that semantic connective processes are organized not by space-time parameters, but by semantic

parameters - such as semantic proximity, recurrence, intensity, and linkage-types. These semantic parameters instantiate

nonlocal connections between distant semantic fields and create a complex web of mutual influences.

I propose that nonlocal communication between individuals (e.g., telepathy) is grounded in dynamical interactions that are

based on such semantic parameters. Two individuals’ “normal” communication creates a nonlocal common semantic

constellation (or interface-SeCo) that organizes and binds the semantic clusters activated in their respective lattices. In other 

words, while interacting regularly with people, we develop nonlocal connections with them that, given sufficient recurrence and

intensity, may become quasi-permanent "semantic bridges". If reinforced and developed through repeated exchanges, the

interface-SeCo will act as a nonlocal link between the two persons. Thus, if one person has a strong experience that has some

similarities with semantic clusters in the interface-SeCo, then a sp ontaneous semantic linkage will be triggered, activating these

clusters ; the activation may then spread through chain-linkages and reach into the other person’s lattice via the interface- SeCo.

The emergent meaning may be related to the activated clusters in a straightforward manner ; or, it may lead to derivative psi

 PDFmyURL.com

8/3/2019 Psi as a Multilevel Process

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/psi-as-a-multilevel-process 11/18

information concerning the other person’s experience, by way of a back-propagation of chain-linkages. The activation of 

clusters in the "receiver" may then remain unconscious or provoke emergences of meaning in the flow of consciousness or in

dreams. Thus, semantic dynamics allow for various ESP phenomena via spontaneous linkages between spatially distant-but

semantically proximate- semantic fields, with or without the person’s immediate awareness.

Mind-in-the-world : Eco-fie lds

Contrary to symbolic (cognitivist) theories, recent theories of the mind put much more emphasis on the environment, and the

importance of an organism’s constant interaction with its surroundings. Gibson’s (1979) ecological theory views the organism

as reacting to "affordances" in the environment (although he swings too far in this direction, depriving the mind of internally

constructed processes, such as declarative knowledge). In Francisco Varela’s model, the cognitive subject and the world

mutually define each other through tightly coupled interactions. According to his concept of enaction, cognition involves both a

knowing and an acting. Enaction is thus "embodied cognition" (Varela et al, 1991). Another interesting approach here is Pierre

Lévy’s (1990) cognitive ecology, which develops the concept of a "thinking human/objects collectivity" : subjects and objects

are both seen as agents in a social-cognitive network, whose "transpersonal" modes of thinking are shaped not only by

language, but also by technologies (e.g., computers).The model presented here posits a dynamic interaction between consciousness and the world, based on connective

processe s ; it takes into account environmental a nd cultural influences, and underscores subjects’ creative input in interpreting

and shaping reality. In this framework, perception is not solely an interpretational process, but also a projective process : it

generates a semantic organizational level in objects and the environment - what I term eco-semantic fields , or eco-fields.

Perception induces a circular dynamic between the subject and the object of attention, activating and reorganizing internal

SeCos, while also injecting emergent meaning-clusters into the object’s eco-field. The modified eco-field is then retrojected

into the person’s lattice, starting a new loop, until no further meaning is generated.

Thus consciousness imprints organization and order on the physical world by influencing and modifying the eco-fields of 

objects and of the environment. Rather than being a closed system, its operations being purely internal (as assumed in the

symbolic framework), the mind is here viewed as a complex network system that, via semantic parameters, interacts

dynamically with other complex systems whether other individuals’ lattice, or environment’s eco- fields (Hardy, 1997).

It is worth noting that this semantic dynamic, independent of spatial distance, is not bound to the act of perceiving (as would be

postulated by Observational Theories) ; rather, it is triggered at the onset of the low-level connective process. Each time we

think about a place or an object, or remember it, we create a semantic network-connection with it that will not only modify our 

own mental processes but may also carry subtle two-way organizing influences.

The organizing force of the mind on eco-fields will affect primarily objects, events, or places with which we are in constant and

meaningful interaction ; in other words, the semantic influence will be stronger when there is strong semantic proximity,

 PDFmyURL.com

8/3/2019 Psi as a Multilevel Process

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/psi-as-a-multilevel-process 12/18

recurrence or intensity. This organiz ing influence on surrounding e co- fields will affect the nature and probab ility o f events, to the

extent to which these events are meaningful and/o r connected to the person. This points to a constant, if subtle, PK influence o f 

consciousness upon the environment, in the sense that meaning generation organizes physical reality in a way that reflects the

set of values and worldview of the imprinting individual. More generally, insofar as we are social beings, it is often a group - as

a system of intertwined semantic influences that will affect ambient eco- fields and connected events (for example, in a shared

work-place).

Thus, the connective dynamic, which is the driving force in the creation, self-organization and evolution of SeCos, is also

responsible for the interaction of mind with its physica l environment. The se mantic dynamic is the g round for both receptive and

projective psi, whether conscious or nonconscious. Out of the web of constant nonlocal exchanges, specific meanings may

emerge in the flow of consciousness, yielding information about distant persons or objects, or past or future events. Similarly,

out of the constant and subtle influences upon environmental eco-fields, some instances of strong or explicit influence will be

recognized and labeled as PK.

Psi abilities, revealing unique properties of mental functioning, may turn out to be crucial not only for the exploration of mind-

matter interaction but also for cognitive modeling ; indeed, I believe that any theory of mind that seeks to be complete must

address psi phenomena.

The concept of eco-fields bears some resemblance to models of psi that imply fields connected to objects or locations, such

as Roll’s (1965) “psi fields”. Roll grounds the creation of these fields on isomorphism, stating that a psi field produces an

“isomorphic representation” of itself in either another psi field, or a physical field. One of his “canalisation hypotheses” is that

the isomorphism between two psi fields can only g row the more they interact. By contrast, the present theory permits a range of 

complex mutual influences between personal semantic fields and eco-fields, including antagonistic ones, while also allowing

for partial reorganiz ation of these fields (Hardy, 1998) .

Sheldrake’s (1981) morphogenetic fields and Wasserman’s (1956) M-fields also share some similarities with eco-fields, insofar 

as they retain a “memory of the past”. Sheldrake invokes “morphic resonance” as the principle of interaction between species’

morphogenetic fields and biological processes or behaviors. Thus the morphogenetic field acts as a blueprint of biological or 

psychological forms.

It is clear that the SFT does not tackle the morphogenesis problem ; it focuses on network-type influences between physical,

physiological and semantic organizational levels. While personal semantic fields do interact with collective SeCos, the latter are just one set of influences among many competing others. Indeed, in the present theory, the complexity of personal

cognitive networks allows for the existence of choice and crea tivity, desp ite the weight of collec tive patterns.

In conclusion, the above authors posit the possibility of matter being imprinted by mental-type fields or mental events, thus

retaining the memory of these events. However, once created, these fields seem to be structurally rigid, their sole interaction

with other fields involving reso nance or further replication. SFT, on the contrary, p roposes networks- type fields that evo lve a nd

specifies the d ynamics of their creation and transformation. Explicit psi events, in this context, are a natural consequence of the

connectivity between these fields.

 PDFmyURL.com

8/3/2019 Psi as a Multilevel Process

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/psi-as-a-multilevel-process 13/18

Experimental designs and tests

In the Semantic Fields theory, the mind is viewed as a force creating order and organization both within its own semantic

network and within the environment. It is a negentropic force that, while not the inverse of entropy, counteracts entropy by

generating new states of order and higher complexity in the universe. SFT hypothesizes that an individual semantic field’s

general influence on reality - and particularly upon surrounding eco-fields - will encourage events consistent with the person’s

conceptual grid, worldview, be liefs, affects, values, e tc. ; conversely, it will tend to reduce the p robability of events antithetical to

these cognitive/affective traits. This prediction is coherent with the sheep-goat effect, in which subjects tend to score

significantly better (as a group) when they believe psi to be real and psi testing to be relevant.

The organizing influence of the mind o n the environment acts in two distinct ways : the first one, is reminiscent of a generalized

field, while the se cond, to the co ntrary, is focused.

1. Generalized semantic influence : the semantic field affects surrounding eco-fields as a direct consequence of the creation of 

meaning and self-organization within the person’s lattice. In this respect, it does not depend upon the person’s focused

attention on the objects affected.

This leads to the hypothesis that the instant of intense meaning generation (including creative thinking and emotions) should

prove to produce the strongest negentropic effects. Thus, if a REG is operating in the vicinity, it is predicted that subjects

engaging in intense meaning generation should induce shifts in the system toward more organized states-i.e. causing

significant departures from theoretical distributions ; by contrast, subjects engaging in mechanical or meaningless mental

activity will produce no such shifts.

Intense meaning generation refers to novel thought processes-like considering new ideas with enthousiasm, or having a aha !

experience ; it also refers to thought processes invested with strong feelings, emotions, and significance. The experiment

would test the effects of the intensity of meaning generation on a “hidd en”- REG (or field- REG), i.e., on a REG of which the

subject is unaware. The general idea is to monitor experimental situations (or tasks) able to trigger shifts in the creation of 

meaning, in a way similar to field-REGs and group consciousness experiments (Nelson et al, 1996 ; Radin et al, 1996). One

interesting possibility would be to have subjects speak of strong personal psi experiences, as this task would blend

meaningfulness, strong mental interest and d eep emotions.

2. Focalized semantic influence : as the mind’s self-organization, in this theory, is linked to the creation of meaning, it will affect

semantically linked target systems ; it will affect things and events that are meaningful to the person or that can shift the mental

state of the person-triggering emotions, ideas and novel experiences.

This leads to the hypothesis that objects, events, or living systems that are important or meaningfully related to the subject,

may be affected by that person’s thoughts, feelings, and intentions, independently of the distance. This leads to several

 PDFmyURL.com

8/3/2019 Psi as a Multilevel Process

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/psi-as-a-multilevel-process 14/18

possible tests :

In an experimental design in which items of affective import (names, objects) are mixed with neutral ones, it is predicted that

a random selection will favor the meaningful items (especially when coupled with feedback to the subject). This prediction

follows from the idea that a p erson’s semantic field a ffects the probability of meaningful events related to that person.

Given the electronic analogue of a divination-system (i.e., a pool of phrases describing different dynamics, situations or 

events, and an REG-based selection of one phrase), it is predicted that the selected responses will tend to reflect the state of 

the subjects’ semantic field. In other words, out of a large pool of semantically distinct phrases, subjects’ questions will tend to

bring out phrases coherent with the state of their own semantic field, or with the state of the semantic field of the person or 

object considered by the question. This prediction follows from the idea that spontaneous chain-linkages are generated

between semantically related elements, within and across semantic fields.

REFERENCES

 Abraham, F., Abraham, R., & Shaw, C. (1990).  A visual introduction to dynamical systems theory for psychology  . Santa Cruz,

CA : Aerial Press. Abraham, F. & G ilgen, A. (Eds.) (1995). Chaos theory in psychology . Westport, CT : Praeger.

 Anderson, J.R. (1983). The architecture of cognition . Cambridge, MA : MIT Press /Bradford Books .

 Anderson, J.A., & Rosenfeld, E. (Eds.) (1988). Neurocomputing : Foundations of research. Cambridge , MA : The MIT Press.

Baars, B.J. (1988). A cognitive theory of consciousness . Cambridge, MA : Cambridge University Press.

Bechtel, W., & Abrahamsen, A. (1990). Connectionism and the mind : An introduction to parallel processing in networks . New

York : Blackwell.

Berge r, R. (1988) Psi effects without real- time feedback. Journal of Parapsychology , 52, 1-28.

Bierman, D. (1995). The Amsterdam ganzfeld series III & IV : Target clip emotionality, effect sizes and openness. In N.

Zingrone (Ed.), Proceedings of the PA 38th Annual Convention. North Carolina.

Bohm, D. (1980). Wholeness and the implicate order . London : Routledge & Kegan Paul.

Braud, W. & Schlitz, M. (1991). Consciousness interactions with remote biological systems : Anomalous intentionality effects.

Subtle Energies, 2 (1), 1-46.

Broughton,R. & Alexander, C. (1996). Autoganzfeld II : An attempted replication of the PRL ganzfeld research. In E.May (Ed.),

Proceedings of the PA 39th Annual Convention, San Diego, CA, 45-56.

Carington, W. (1945). Telepathy . London : Methuen.

Changeux, J.P. (1997). Neuronal Man : The Biology of Mind  . Princeton, NJ : Princeton University Press. (First printing : 1983).

Combs, A. (1996). The Radiance of Being. Complexity, Chaos and the Evolution of Consciousness . St Paul, MN : Paragon

 PDFmyURL.com

8/3/2019 Psi as a Multilevel Process

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/psi-as-a-multilevel-process 15/18

House.

Dalton, K. (1997). Exploring the links : creativity and psi in the ganzfeld. In R. Wiseman (Ed.), Proceedings of the PA 40th Annual 

Convention, Brighton,UK, 119- 134.

Dunne, B.J., Jahn, R.D. & Nelson, R.D. (1983). Precognitive remote perception. Technical Note PEAR 83003. Princeton Univ.,

NJ.

Edelman, G. M. (1992). Bright air, brilliant fire : On the matter of mind  . New York : Basic Boo ks.

Fodor, J.A. (1991). Methodological solipsism considered as a research strategy in cognitive psychology. In Rosenthal,

D.M. (Ed.), The nature of mind . NY : Oxfrod University Press.

Freeman, W. J. (1995). Societies of brains : A study in the neurosciences of love and hate . Hillsdale, NJ : Lawrence Erlbaum.

Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind. The theory of multiple intelligences . New York : Harper Collins/Basic Books.

Gibson, J.J. (1979). An ecological approach to visual perception . Hillsdale, NJ : Lawrence Erlbaum.

Goertzel, B. (1994). Chaotic logic. Language, Thought and Reality from the Perspective of Complex Systems Science . New York :

Plenum Press.

Guastello, S. (1995). Chaos, catastrophe, and human affairs . Mahwah, NJ : Lawrence Erlbaum.

Hameroff, S.R. (1994). Quantum coherence in microtubules : A neural basis for emergent consciousness ? Journal of 

Consciousness Studies, 1(1). Thorverton, UK.

Hameroff, S. & Penrose, R. (1996). Orchestrated reduction of quantum coherence. In S. Hameroff, A. Kaszniak, & A. Scott

(Eds.), Toward a science of consciousness . Cambridge, MA : MIT Press.Hansen, G., Schlitz, M. & Tart, C. (1984). Remote viewing research 1973 -1982. In R. Targ and K. Harary, The Mind Race :

Understanding and Using Psychic Abilities. New York : Ballantine.

Hardy, C. (1996). Théorie des champs sémantiques : Dynamiques de l’interprétation et de la création de sens. Biomath, 34

(135). Paris.

Hardy, C. (1997). Semantic fields and meaning . World Futures, 48, 161-70 . Newark : Gordon & Brea ch.

Hardy, C. (1998). Networks of meaning : A bridge between mind and matter  . Westport, CT : Praeger.v Hardy, C. (1999). Complex

semantic systems : Understanding mind-in-the-world. Proceedings of the 43d annual meeting, Intern. Soc. for the Systems

Sciences (ISSS), Asilomar, CA.

Hardy, C. (2000). Self-organization, autopoiesis, and the breakdown of causality in complex cognitive systems. Proceedings of 

the 44th annual meeting, Intern. Soc. for the Systems Sciences (ISSS), Toronto, Canada. (In print)

Koch, C. (1996). Toward the neuronal substrate of visual consciousness. In S.R. Hameroff, A.W. Kaszniak, & A.C. Scott (Eds.),

Toward a science of consciousness . Cambridge, MA : MIT Press /Bradford Books .

Levine, D. & Leven, S. (1995). Of mice and networks : Connectionist dynamics of intention versus action. In F. Abraham & A.

Gilgen (Eds.), Chaos theory in psychology . Westport, CT : Praeger.

Lévy, P. (1990). Les technologies de l’intelligence. Paris : La découverte.

Maturana, H., & Varela, F. (1980). Autopoiesis and cognition . Boston : D.Reidel.

McClelland, J. & Rumelhart, D. (1986). Explorations in the microstructure of cognition : Vol. 2. Psychological and biological 

 PDFmyURL.com

8/3/2019 Psi as a Multilevel Process

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/psi-as-a-multilevel-process 16/18

models. Cambridge, MA : MIT Press/Bradford.

McConnell, R. (1982). Wishing with dice revisited. In R. McConnell (Ed.) Parapsychology and self-deception in science . Univ. of 

Pittsburgh, PA : McConnell.

McRae, R. (1984). Mind Wars : The true story of government research into the military potential of psychic weapons . New York :

St. Martin’s.

Minsky, M. (1985). The society of mind . New York : Simon & Schuster.

Murphy, G. (1945). Field theory and survival. JASPR , 67, 117-29.

Murphy, M. (1949). Psychical research and personality. Proceedings of the SPR , 49, 1-15.

Nelson, R. D., Bradish, G. J., Dobyns, Y. H., Dunne, B. J., & Jahn, R. G. (1996). FieldREG anomalies in group situations. Journal 

of Scientific Exploration, 10 (1), 111-41.

Newell, A. (1973). Productions systems. Models of control structures. In Chase, W. (Ed.), Visual information processing . New

York : Acade mic Press.

Newell, A, & Simon, H.A. (1976). Computer science as empirical inquiry  . In Haugeland, J. (Ed.), Mind design. Cambridge, MA :

MIT Press.

Penrose, R. (1989) . The Emperor’s New Mind . Oxford, England : Oxford University Press.

Persinger, M. A. (1985). Geophysical variables and behavior : XXX. Intense paranormal experiences occur during days of 

quiet global geomagnetic activity. Perceptual and Motor skills , 61, 320-322.

Pribram, K. H. (1991). Brain and perception : Holonomy and structure in figural processing  . Hillsdale, NJ : Lawrence Erlbaum.Price, H. (1939). Hauntings and the “psychic e ther” hypo thesis. Proceedings of the SPR , 45, 307-43.

Prigogine, I., & Stengers, I. (1984) . Order out of chaos . New York : Bantam Books.

Puthoff, H., Targ, R. and May, E. (1981). Experimental psi research : Implications for physics. In R.G.Jahn (Ed.) The Role of 

Consciousness in the Physical World . Boulder, CO : Westview.

Pylyshyn, Z. (1981). Complexity and the study of artificial and human intelligence. In J. Haugeland (Ed.), Mind design.

Cambridge, MA : MIT Press .

Radin, D., Rebman, J., & Cross, M. (1996). Anomalous organization of random events by group consciousness. Two

exploratory experiments. Journal of Scientific Exploration , 10, 143-68.

Reber, A. S. (1993). Implicit learning and tacit knowledge . New York : Oxford University Press.

Roll, W. (1965). The psi field. Proceedings of the Parapsychological Association, 1, 32-65.

Roll, W. (1983). The psi structure theory of survival. Research In Parapsychology 1982 . Metuchen, NJ : Scarecrow Press.

Schlitz, M. & Honorton, C. (1990). ESP and creativity in an exceptional population. Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the

PA 1990 .

Schlitz, M. & LaBerge, S. (1994). Autonomic detection of remote observation : two conceptual replications. Proceedings of the

37th Annual Convention of the PA, Amsterdam, 352-360.

Schouten, S. (1982). Analysing spontaneous cases : a replication based on the Rhine collection. European Journal of 

Parapsychology , 4, 113-158.

PDFmyURL.com

8/3/2019 Psi as a Multilevel Process

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/psi-as-a-multilevel-process 17/18

Searle, J. R. (1992). The rediscovery of the mind . Cambridge, MA : Bradford/MIT Press.

Sheldrake, R. (1981). A New Science of Life : The Hypothesis of Causative Formation . London : Blond and Briggs.

Si Ahmed, D . (1990). Parapsychologie et psychanalyse. Paris : Dunod.

Smith, L. (1995). Stability and variability : The geometry of children’s novel-word interpretations. In F.D. Abraham & A.R. Gilgen

(Eds.), Chaos theory in psychology . Westport, CT : Praeger Publishers.

Spottiswoode, J. & May, E. (1997). Anomalous cognition effect size : Dependence on sideral time and solar wind parameters.

Proceedings of the 40th Annual Convention of the Parapsychological Association, 399-409.

Stillings, N.A., Feinstein, M.H., Garfield, J.L., Rissland, E.L., Rosenbaum, D.A., Weisler, S.E., & Baker-Ward, L. (1987). Cognitive

Science : An introduction. Cambridge, MA : Bradford Boo ks, MIT Press.

Targ, R. & Harary, K. (1984). The Mind Race : Understanding and Using Psychic Abilities . New York : Ballantine.

Tart, C. (1975). States of consciousness . New York : Dutton.

Varela, F., Thompson, E., & Rosch, E. (1991). The embodied mind . Cambridge , MA : The MIT Press.

Varvoglis, M. & Amorim, M. (1991). Visages : A computer-based test of face-precognition. Research In Parapsychology 1990 .

Metuchen, NJ : Sca recrow Press.

Vasiliev, L.L. (1976). Experiments in distant influence. New York : Dutton.

von Bertalanffy, L. (1968). General system theory . New York : George Braziller.

von Lucadou, W. (1983). On the limitations of psi : a system-theoretic approach. Research In Parapsychology 1982.v von

Lucadou, W. (1987). T he model o f pragmatic information (MPI). Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the PA 1987 .Wasserman, G. D. (1956). An outline of a field theory of organismic form and behavior. In Wolstenholme & Millar (Eds),

Symposium de la fondation Ciba sur l’ ESP. Boston : Little & Brown.

Wilson, M. A., & McNaughton, B. L. (1994). Reactivation of hippocampal ensemble memory during sleep. Science, 265, 676-

79, July 29, 1994. 21.

Wiseman, R. & Schlitz, M. (1996). Experimenter effects and remote detection of staring. In E.C.May (Ed.), Proceedings of the PA

39th Annual Convention, San Diego, CA, 149-157.

Published in : Journal of Parapsychology  . Vol. 64, March 20 00 (pp. 73-9 4)

Web copy au thoriza tion : courtesy of John Palmer, editor, for the Journal of Parapsychology  (to CH).

Link to the journal

Mots clés associés à cet article :

 

PDFmyURL.com

8/3/2019 Psi as a Multilevel Process

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/psi-as-a-multilevel-process 18/18

 © 2003-2007 Institut Métapsychique International 

51 rue de l'Aqueduc - 75010 Paris - Tél/Fax : 01 46 07 23 85

Nous contacter -  Accueil -  Aider l'IMI 

Site construit grâce au sys tème SPIP.

 

PDFmyURL.com