psi can we handle it

7/31/2019 Psi Can We Handle It

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PRECOGNITION WHEN

THE CAUSAL ARROW

POINTS IN THE WRONG

DIRECTION

Doron Arbiv


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Overview of psi

Anomalous processes of information or energy

transfer that are currently unexplained in terms of

known physical or biological mechanisms. Bemm

,2011 includes telepathy, clairvoyance, psychokinesis,

precognition, premonition.


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More about premonition and

precognition

Common to both is the anomalous retroactive

influence of some future event on an individuals

current responses.

Provocative yet implied reversal of the causalrelation .


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Two challenges for psi research

Empiricalbeing able to withstand experimental

scrutiny .

Theoreticalor, how can we explain psi and stay

in the profession


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Precognition - Empirical overview

Meta-analysis of forced choice paradigms : 309

exp, 62 different investigators, 50,000 ss.

Moving to indirect measure: presentiment

effect(Radin,1997, Bierman & Scholte,2002, forreview Radin,2006).


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Precognition some experiments


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Precognitive detection of erotic

stimuli

Methodn = 100 (50 men), subjects are instructed

to select one of two curtains which they feel has a

picture behind it, 36 trials. 40 sessions: 12 erotic,

12 negative, 12 neutral trials. 60 sessions: 18 erotic,18 non erotic positive. Location of pictures

between 2 curtains was randomized.

Subjects thought it was a clairvoyance test.


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results

Hit rate for erotic pics53.1%, p=.01, d=0.25

Statistical testsone-tailed t-test, binominal test.

Ss high in extraversion57.6%, p=.00002,d=0.71.

Ss low in extraversionns.


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Discussion

Randomnesspseudo-random algorithms Vs

random algorithms.

why is randomness important? Several possible

interpretations for the results: precognition,clairvoyance, psychokinesis, artifactual correlation.


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Has the world gone mad??

No. Wagenmakers et., al, 2011.

Confusion between exploratory and confirmatory

studies.

The fallacy of the transposed conditional.

Bayesian t-test as opposed to the standard t-test.

No fishing expeditions, publicize materials, include

skeptics.


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How is psi explained?

Evolutionavoid danger, detect sexual

opportunities . Cortical arousal suppresses

precognition.

The first sight model - psi information isintegrated like subconscious information.

Quantum mechanicslocality principle, the effect

of the observer.


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The difficulty really is psychological and exists in the

perpetual torment that results from your saying to

yourself, But how can it be like that? which is areflection of uncontrolled but utterly vain desire to see

it in terms of something familiar. . . . Do not keep

saying to yourself . . . But how can it be like that?because you will get . . . into a blind alley from which

nobody has yet escaped.Nobody knows how it can be

like that. (p. 123, emphasis added)

Richard Feynman, 1994.


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My work

Replication

Review of the subject.

psi can we handle it

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