tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-356751472024-03-07T03:38:43.082-05:00Public Parapsychology...advancing public scholarship in the fields of parapsychology and anomalous psychology...Annalisa Ventolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10604572323799521346noreply@blogger.comBlogger251125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35675147.post-83240047473281601152021-12-03T16:10:00.002-05:002021-12-03T16:10:24.357-05:00Sign Up for the Public Parapsychology Email List<p>This will be the last update to this blog site. We have moved to <a href="http://www.publicparapsychology.org">www.publicparapsychology.org</a>. If you would like to continue to receive updates via email, please <a href="http://eepurl.com/gDd1Vr">sign up for our email list</a>.</p>Annalisa Ventolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10604572323799521346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35675147.post-72202193762391536142021-10-30T17:02:00.007-04:002021-10-30T17:03:20.884-04:00We've Moved!<p style="text-align: center;"> Like a butterfly, the Public Parapsychology Blog has transformed into a community website and flown away. Please join us at:</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.publicparapsychology.org">www.publicparapsychology.org</a></p>Annalisa Ventolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10604572323799521346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35675147.post-22404099404007226472018-11-20T12:32:00.000-05:002018-11-20T12:32:11.381-05:00Online study on Morphic Resonance focusing on Chinese characters<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Dr David Vernon from Canterbury Christ Church University, in collaboration with Dr Glenn Hitchman and Prof Chris Roe from Northampton University, are conducting research into aspects of morphogentic learning using Chinese characters.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">David explained: “This is a fascinating area of research. Here we are focusing on Chinese as the characters have a particular spatial configuration that makes it easy to examine the visual nature of the language”. <u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The study takes just 10-15 minutes to complete and to take part all you need is to be a native English speaker and <b><u>not</u></b> able to speak or write in any dialect of Chinese. To find out more and take part, <span class="m_-1866082915641755651MsoHyperlink" style="color: blue; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://cccusocialsciences.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8vnlfAdXAbRWmfr" target="_blank">visit the study’s webpage</a><span id="goog_775321324"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_775321325"></span></span>.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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Annalisa Ventolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10604572323799521346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35675147.post-53994294125442641312018-11-10T11:22:00.001-05:002018-11-13T14:43:04.286-05:00Review of The Premonition Code<i>For this blog post, Public Parapsychology invited guest writer/blogger <a href="https://suicidaltulip.com/" target="_blank">Lori Scoby</a> to give us a lay person's impression of this new book aimed at the public.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMq8kyP-1mF7Jg5Pf6TbcujkJ4F3ZFQ6RfOQo641iYwAhs1431b2Lir1_1Yq1X3VoGsEEwERGkcbZRAuEeQRcQV5QQdI33Mt6uWqgqlKR97Jln-Pv38dZvu2ZqzoUpo574DMMl/s1600/premonition+code.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMq8kyP-1mF7Jg5Pf6TbcujkJ4F3ZFQ6RfOQo641iYwAhs1431b2Lir1_1Yq1X3VoGsEEwERGkcbZRAuEeQRcQV5QQdI33Mt6uWqgqlKR97Jln-Pv38dZvu2ZqzoUpo574DMMl/s320/premonition+code.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Premonition-Code-Science-Precognition-Sensing/dp/1786781611/ref=as_sl_pc_qf_sp_asin_til?tag=theparapsasso-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=7b9cd86579ab06d9660d062f32c44e84&creativeASIN=1786781611" target="_blank">The Premonition Code</a></i> pairs a seasoned scientist, Dr. Julia Mossbridge, with a practicing layperson, Theresa Cheung, to tackle the subject of precognition. This combination creates a conversational tone and scientific explanations that are (mostly) understandable to the average layperson with only a smattering of academic knowledge. The heart of the book is a simple methodology to practice and develop precognition skills using controlled precognition training.<br />
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The first section of the book primarily concerns itself with the science around precognition, predominantly in relation to the scientific understanding of time. I was able to follow the information with a single reading, but I would want to revisit this information and ponder some of the more abstract and unfamiliar concepts to feel I really understood them. Still, I was able to get what I needed to know to move forward, and that is the stated goal of the authors. There is also an appendix of recommended reading material for further study and copious endnotes.<br />
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The second section of the book lays out their method to become what they call a Postive Precog. The authors spend a good deal of time focusing on what it means to be a Postive Precog in order to avoid negative experiences as much as possible. If anything, they belabored the point that delving into precognition can be destabilizing for a person and that precautions should be taken. Clearly, they have seen their share of people who have had negative experiences, which should give pause to anyone looking to undertake their training.<br />
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I did try out a few controlled precog practice sessions on their website. Their method was well explained in the book and integrated easily with the online technology (although the website could be a little more intuitive to navigate on a mobile device). The authors are very clear that, while the method is simple, achieving accuracy takes work and time. I'd say that is true based on my own experience. I was able to already learn from my practice sessions by utilizing the suggestions in the book.<br />
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The last section is a FAQ with Dr. Mossbridge to further understanding, followed by the authors' vision for their online community. It provides a nice, tidy ending to sandwich the actual training method.<br />
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Overall, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Premonition-Code-Science-Precognition-Sensing/dp/1786781611/ref=as_sl_pc_qf_sp_asin_til?tag=theparapsasso-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=7b9cd86579ab06d9660d062f32c44e84&creativeASIN=1786781611" target="_blank">The Premonition Code</a></i> is a useful book for someone interested in precognition, either for general knowledge or to develop their own skills. It takes a balanced, measured approach that is especially suited for a skeptically-minded student or someone who is so gung ho that they might overlook the precautions one should take when undertaking this activity.<br />
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<a href="https://suicidaltulip.com/" target="_blank">Lori Scoby</a>Annalisa Ventolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10604572323799521346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35675147.post-89609217554384848722017-11-28T11:50:00.000-05:002017-11-28T11:51:10.675-05:00Improving Public Access to Research in Parapsychology<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Over the weekend I was tasked with researching material for a literature review on the perceptual-personality variables associated with poltergeist/RSPK focal agents - a task for which which I restricted myself to material that had undergone some form of peer review, and where either psychometric measures were employed or where the researchers had consulted with a clinician. I learned a lot from this exercise, most of which I will save the for article itself, but my greatest surprise was how much I had to rely on resources from the <i>Proceedings</i> of Papers presented at the annual conventions of the Parapsychological Association, or its more polished cousin - <i>Research in Parapsychology</i> in order to complete my task.<br />
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As the Executive Director of the Parapsychological Association spearheading an archive project in honor its 60th year, I have amassed nearly a complete collection of these resources over the last year thanks to donations from our members, and since roughly April of this year, I have been campaigning on <a href="https://www.crowdrise.com/pa-60th-year-archive-project" target="_blank">Crowdrise</a> for the funding needed to get them digitized and released to the public in the form of some sort of searchable database. At this point, we've only met about 1/3 of our funding goal. Another 5K or so will make this dream a reality.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOabjrMo3WJ3f83pCYFi6v0GUgsEgdJ6bFq8YhmbLdKOXut0tRu_dSJJtWdQFyyqbyjZ3D_HOJkkgGysxpoafCPEC-ooPy5WkH32pGrCAiGr8WmOS7qtRvbt5Zfm-6_nPleHzY/s1600/60AnniversaryLogo-2b%2528forweb-white%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOabjrMo3WJ3f83pCYFi6v0GUgsEgdJ6bFq8YhmbLdKOXut0tRu_dSJJtWdQFyyqbyjZ3D_HOJkkgGysxpoafCPEC-ooPy5WkH32pGrCAiGr8WmOS7qtRvbt5Zfm-6_nPleHzY/s320/60AnniversaryLogo-2b%2528forweb-white%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a>So for now, this amazing resource sits in an office that only I have access to, and you betcha that I made good use of it for my lit review! In the end, roughly 1/3 of the resources that I examined came from papers in this archive - works that were peer-reviewed by members of the PA, but were never submitted for further publication. That may seem like a high proportion, but I was looking for a very particular thing.<br />
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How many other important research questions might to fit this profile? How many future students of consciousness research will be discouraged by their lack of access to the specialized libraries that currently hold this sort of collection when they try to ask similar questions?<br />
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A donation of $10 will digitize 100 pages of this archive, $25 will get you something fun in the mail, $60 and you'll get a thumb drive of archival material, $100 will make you a <a href="http://www.parapsych.org/articles/44/427/60th_anniversary_year_archive.aspx" target="_blank">sponsor </a>of the project. Help us get this research in front of everyone who needs it - whether they know it or not - once and for all.<br />
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<a href="https://www.crowdrise.com/pa-60th-year-archive-project" target="_blank">Donate at Crowdrise today!</a>Annalisa Ventolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10604572323799521346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35675147.post-89391466584787659732017-04-22T15:50:00.004-04:002017-04-22T15:54:36.563-04:00Public Parapsychology Talk (Cols, OH): Environmental Sensitivity & Paranormal Experiences<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Public Parapsychology Talk: </div>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/400288567024123/" target="_blank"><br /></a>
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<b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/400288567024123/" target="_blank">Environmental Sensitivity & Paranormal Experiences</a></b></div>
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<b><b>Brandon Masullo</b></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/upstairsarts/" target="_blank">Upstairs Arts Space</a></div>
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4601 N. High St. Suite 200</div>
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Columbus, Ohio 43214</div>
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<b>May 15, 2017 - 7pm</b></div>
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Do you have <span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">long-standing allergies, chronic pain
and fatigue, migraines, or sensitivity to lights, sounds, and smells? Do you
have more paranormal and apparitional experiences than average? Environmental Sensitivity – being affected by
the surrounding environment to a higher degree than the normal population – </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> may be a factor in such experiences. Several parapsychological studies in the past
10 years have provided significant correlations between environmental sensitivity
and paranormal experiences.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT3uOkHEPz_Vg_hdcxXpinZJLr3cd46-RNFCxdM9M_qp3y419loezJFPA69AWFk8I5PeirVzWpbWN-idWdTxJ6fVP1GeB0d8Mpp-yWgixPvmfmN2Rf6veWHDU8xOJbJrqea74F/s1600/38396_414713993450_4695689_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT3uOkHEPz_Vg_hdcxXpinZJLr3cd46-RNFCxdM9M_qp3y419loezJFPA69AWFk8I5PeirVzWpbWN-idWdTxJ6fVP1GeB0d8Mpp-yWgixPvmfmN2Rf6veWHDU8xOJbJrqea74F/s200/38396_414713993450_4695689_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Brandon
Massullo, a clinical therapist and parapsychologist residing in Medina, Ohio
will discuss these studies in this Public Parapsychology talk at the Upstairs Arts Space in Columbus, Ohio on May 15th at 7pm. Massullo has
been fascinated by paranormal phenomena for over 20 years and has been a
participant and featured speaker in numerous paranormal forums and events. He
studied psychology and parapsychology at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland
and his research has been cited in parapsychological journals, articles, and
mainstream books.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Admission to this talk is free. Donations to offset
meeting expenses will be gratefully accepted. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/upstairsarts/" target="_blank">Upstairs Arts Space</a> is located in Beechwold at the
corner of Sheffield and High (next to Beechwold Hardware). Look for the stairs
behind the stone facade (sorry, no elevator).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/400288567024123/" target="_blank">RSVP at Facebook</a></span></div>
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Annalisa Ventolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10604572323799521346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35675147.post-76272939057174582722017-04-04T13:48:00.000-04:002017-04-04T13:48:08.563-04:00Public Parapsychology Talk (Columbus,Ohio): Neuroscientific Perspectives on Apparitions, OBEs & Self-healing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Feeling the presence of a non-physical entity, experiencing being outside of one’s own body and alleviating the sensation of pain without medicine – these experiences sound like science fiction movie themes . However, recent neuroscience research has explored how these occurrences happen by ordinary means while investigating the underlying brain mechanisms that induce them. On Monday April 10th (7pm) at the Upstairs Arts Space in Columbus, Ohio, Pavo Orepić of the Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience (LNCO) of École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland will present what his lab has discovered about what happens in one's brain while experiencing these “supernatural” sensations and how can they be induced by external sensory manipulation.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Pavo Orepić is a neuroscience PhD student at EPFL in Switzerland. He is currently involved in several projects at the Center for Neuromodulation, located at the Department of Neurosurgery at The Ohio State University (OSU). Having graduated in computer science at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany, his job is developing virtual reality technologies that are being used as tools for prominent neuroscience research.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Admission is free. Donations to offset meeting expenses will be gratefully accepted. </span></span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1333461386747845/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;" target="_blank">RSVP at Facebook.</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </span><a href="http://www.parapsych.org/calendar/events/70/neuroscientific_perspectives_on.aspx" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;" target="_blank">More info at parapsych.org.</a></div>
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Annalisa Ventolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10604572323799521346noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35675147.post-2993620294311088222016-11-01T17:59:00.004-04:002016-11-01T17:59:59.235-04:00Announcing the Columbus Ohio Psychic Experiences Group<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We are forming a central Ohio group dedicated to the discussion of psi and consciousness through the sharing of personal experiences. The Columbus Ohio Psychic Experiences Group (or CO-PEG for short) is based on a model developed at the Rhine Research Center, with other similar groups meeting monthly in North Carolina and New York.</div>
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Monthly meetings follow a simple policy of honesty, privacy, and sharing without judgment. Shared experiences may touch on topics such as telepathy, healing, precognition, extended senses, psychokinesis, remote viewing, dreams, haunting, reincarnation, near death experiences, out-of-body experiences, and other exceptional experiences. </div>
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As personal stories flow, ideas and inspiration begin to flow for developing our extended senses, and for finding creative ways to be of greater service in the larger community. </div>
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4th Mondays, 7-9pm</div>
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Upstairs Arts Space</div>
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4601 N. High St. Suite 200 (Beechwold Building)</div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/189424434841642/" target="_blank">RSVP online at Facebook</a></div>
Annalisa Ventolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10604572323799521346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35675147.post-54849754468835907472016-10-05T17:07:00.000-04:002016-10-05T17:07:07.050-04:00Take part in an online psychic research study<br />
As part of an on-going research project, part-funded by the Society for Psychical Research, <a href="http://www.canterbury.ac.uk/social-and-applied-sciences/psychology-politics-and-sociology/psychology/staff/Profile.aspx?staff=79bdff94814a4038" target="_blank">Dr David Vernon of the Canterbury Christ Church University</a> is interested in exploring the nature of extra sensory perception, or ESP. This is a fascinating and contentious subject with some people reporting experiences while others argue that such things are impossible. However, as a scientist Dr. Vernon's job is to remain open minded yet critical – and examine the data.<br />
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With this in mind he has put together an on-line study that takes about 15 minutes that will help<br />
him to examine a particular aspect of ESP. Take part by visiting: <a href="https://cccusocialsciences.az1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_1EKCfAPdkV3aVSZ">https://cccusocialsciences.az1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_1EKCfAPdkV3aVSZ</a>Annalisa Ventolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10604572323799521346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35675147.post-5407547774366262042015-01-02T09:52:00.000-05:002015-01-02T09:52:13.624-05:00A Totally Free Parapsychology MOOCIf you've already encountered websites like Coursera, edX, and Academic Earth, then I probably don't have to tell you that massively open online courses (MOOC's for short) are hot stuff right now. Being a bit of a Coursera junkie myself, I have completed courses offered by top universities on everything from science writing to music production and finance - all for free and all in the privacy of my own home. So imagine my excitement to learn that some seriously hard-working professionals have banded together on the Wiziq.com platform to offer the world <a href="https://www.wiziq.com/course/86144-parapsychology-and-anomalistic-psychology-research-and-education" target="_blank">a totally free Parapsychology MOOC</a> in 2015. <div>
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The course starts this Monday, January 5th, and during its roughly 6 week run, MOOC participants will be treated to 22 content lectures from researchers, scientists, educators, graduate students and experiencers from the field of parapsychology. Enrollment is quickly approaching 600 students with <a href="https://carlossalvarado.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">wide international representation</a>, so joining the course will provide lots of opportunities for cultural exchange. And if the online course structure is not your thing, keep an eye on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/parapsychologyonline" target="_blank">Parapsychology Online YouTube channel</a>, as the lectures from Wiziq.com will be appearing there after a couple of days.</div>
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More course details are available at the <a href="http://parapsychologyonline.wordpress.com/parapsychology-mooc-2015/" target="_blank">Parapsychology Online Wordpress site</a>, or you can head straight to Wiziq and <span id="goog_515771460"></span><a href="https://www.wiziq.com/course/86144-parapsychology-and-anomalistic-psychology-research-and-education" target="_blank">sign up for the course right now</a>.<span id="goog_515771461"></span></div>
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I'll see you there.</div>
Annalisa Ventolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10604572323799521346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35675147.post-49668279966868674782014-11-08T09:06:00.003-05:002014-11-08T09:06:49.336-05:00Free Downloads of Articles on Psychical Research in the History of Science and MedicineA special section on psychical research, guest-edited by Andreas Sommer for the journal <i>Studies in History and Philosophy of the Biological and Biomedical Sciences</i>, is available for free download until the 7th of December 2014. Visit the <a href="http://forbiddenhistories.wordpress.com/2014/10/24/free-access-to-studies-in-history-and-philosophy-of-science-c-special-section-psychical-research-in-the-history-of-science-and-medicine/" target="_blank">Forbidden Histories Blog</a> for links to the downloads.<br />
<br />Annalisa Ventolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10604572323799521346noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35675147.post-50300200159490702772014-10-24T11:34:00.000-04:002014-10-24T11:34:14.723-04:00Open Sciences WebsiteA relatively new website has recently come to my attention: <a href="http://www.opensciences.org/">www.opensciences.org</a><br />
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OpenSciences.org is "a portal for open-minded scientific investigations that go beyond the dogmas that dominate so much of science today. The main areas covered include consciousness studies, alternative energy sources, integrative medicine and healing, post-materialist approaches to science and new aspects of cosmology, physics, chemistry and biology. The website includes selected videos, books, publications, journals, and links to the websites of open-minded scientific researchers and organisations."<br /><br />
It's a well-organized and informative site, and I'm not just saying that because they link to Public Parapsychology as one of their <a href="http://www.opensciences.org/blogs/top-blogs-from-scientists-scholars">Top Blogs from Scientists and Scholars</a>. I could lose an entire weekend exploring all of the rich links contained there.<br />
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Kudos to editor/developer <a href="http://sebastian.penraeth.com/" target="_blank">Sebastian Penraeth </a> and the founders of the Campaign for Open Science - Mario Beauregard, Gary Schwartz, Lisa Miller, Larry Dossey, Alexander Moreira-Almeida, Marilyn Schlitz, Rupert Sheldrake and Charles Tart - for this important initiative.Annalisa Ventolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10604572323799521346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35675147.post-4501599625756474912014-10-22T14:45:00.000-04:002014-10-22T14:45:17.461-04:00Videos from Ex TEDxWestHollywoodPerhaps you remember last April 2013 when <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2013/apr/04/business/la-fi-tn-ted-pulls-tedxwesthollywood-license-over-issue-of-pseudoscience-20130403" target="_blank">TED pulled the plug on the TEDxHollywood event </a>"Brother, Can You Spare A Paradigm" featuring Russell Targ, Larry Dossey, and many others?<br />
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The event organizers decided to continue the event, even without TED's backing, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUPNg7heGmgc2zHSgGSLvwmDbWPAXQXRt" target="_blank">the resulting videos are available at YouTube</a>.<br />
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This is old news, but certainly worth revisiting. See the 4 minute sizzle reel below:<br />
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/7idz6eNAdns?list=PLUPNg7heGmgc2zHSgGSLvwmDbWPAXQXRt" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Annalisa Ventolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10604572323799521346noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35675147.post-2583380980349412652014-10-20T12:01:00.003-04:002014-10-20T12:01:22.448-04:00Online Parapsychology ConferenceOn November 1st and 2nd, academics, scientists and professors from the Instituto de Psicología Paranormal in Argentina, the University of São Paulo in Brazil, the University of Northampton in England, the University of Strasbourg in France, the Institut für Grenzegebiete der Psychologie und Psychohygiene in Germany, the University of Padova in Italy, and the University of West Georgia in the United States, among other locations, will be gathering for online conference on the interface between parapsychology and psychology.<br />
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Registration ranges from $30 to $50 and scholarships are available.<br />
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Visit the<a href="http://parapsychologyonline.wordpress.com/welcome-to-parapsychology-online/" target="_blank"> Parapsychology Online website</a> for more information.Annalisa Ventolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10604572323799521346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35675147.post-72009611716551949462014-10-07T11:22:00.000-04:002014-10-07T11:22:08.759-04:00Survey at CSAPPResearchers from the Centre for the Study of Anomalous Psychological Processes (CSAPP) based in the Psychology Division of the University of Northampton are interested in whether people seek support following an anomalous experience. They acknowledge that anomalous experiences can be both distressing and positive and would like to know where people go if they want to discuss the meaning of the experience or seek support:<br />
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<a href="https://survey.northampton.ac.uk/care">https://survey.northampton.ac.uk/care</a>Annalisa Ventolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10604572323799521346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35675147.post-18885589434533776402014-10-01T11:25:00.003-04:002014-10-01T11:25:50.421-04:00Crowd Funding Campaign for PhD Research on Communicating with the DeceasedHarriet Stubbes, a PhD student at the University of York, UK, is starting the second year of her research project looking at how people use social networking to communicate with and about the deceased. However, <a href="http://www.parapsych.org/articles/8/190/2013_pare_awardees.aspx" target="_blank">since winning a Parapsychological Association Research Endowment grant</a> in 2013, her funding has run out and she is in need of tuition assistance for her second year of study.<br />
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It can be very difficult for those with unorthodox research interests to find the support from traditional funding sources for their graduate studies. Please visit <a href="https://crowdfunding.studentfunder.com/campaigns/55" target="_blank">her campaign page at StudentFunder</a> to learn more about her research and find out how you can help.<br />
<br />Annalisa Ventolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10604572323799521346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35675147.post-57234842795440178452014-06-29T10:45:00.000-04:002014-06-29T10:45:01.483-04:00OBE Research Study at Nottingham Trent UniversityHave you had one or more Out-of-Body Experiences (OBEs) in which it seems as if your sense of self or consciousness has become separated from your physical body? These experiences can occur under a variety of conditions. If you have experienced one or more OBEs researchers at <span style="background-color: white;">Nottingham Trent University</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span> are interested in hearing from you.<br />
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The aim of their research is to develop an OBE ‘screening’ scale which will be able to more precisely identify whether someone has had an OBE. At present no such tool exists for OBEs. Their research is not testing your experience in relation to psychological variables as is commonly done in OBE research, but instead explores the content of the experience itself to better understand it and differentiate it from other experiences.<br />
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To do this they would like your help by asking you if you would fill in an online questionnaire anonymously about the individual aspects of one of your OBEs. Your inclusion of this experience is important as it will contribute to the development of the scale. You can access the questionnaire by clicking on the link below.<br />
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The questionnaire includes full information on the study to enable you to decide whether or not to participate and offers a general definition of the OBE.<br />
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The inclusion criteria for this study (aside from your experience fitting our definition) are:<br />
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>You have no known organic condition which causes you to be prone to visual hallucinations<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>You are able to provide informed consent<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>You are over 18 years old<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>You are able to provide a short written account of your OBE in English<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>You are able to recall all of the OBE you wish to tell us about (i.e. not just give a partial account of it)<br />
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You won’t need to note these down but please only participate if you can agree with these criteria.<br />
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The survey can be completed by clicking the link below:<br />
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<a href="https://www.survey.bris.ac.uk/ntupsychology/obequestionnaire">https://www.survey.bris.ac.uk/ntupsychology/obequestionnaire</a><br />
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Closing date of the survey is: 31st July 2014<br />
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If you wish to find out more about the survey, or wish to take part and have any queries, please contact Andrew Hodrien at: andrew.hodrien@ntu.ac.uk.<br />
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Annalisa Ventolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10604572323799521346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35675147.post-23750041963297578752014-06-12T14:48:00.001-04:002014-06-12T14:48:34.683-04:00Exceptional Experiences Survey<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Dr. Christine Simmonds-Moore (Assistant Professor of psychology in the psychology department, University of West Georgia) is currently undertaking a survey investigation into exceptional experiences. The survey is looking to understand more about factors influencing when people have and do not have exceptional experiences. She would love to hear from you whether you have had any exceptional experiences or not: <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/UWGexperiences" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://www.surveymonkey.com/<wbr></wbr>s/UWGexperiences</a></div>
Annalisa Ventolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10604572323799521346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35675147.post-637356485382028672014-06-08T16:12:00.001-04:002014-06-08T16:18:23.610-04:00Historical Research at the University of British ColumbiaHave you experienced objects that repeatedly moved on their own with no apparent explanation? If so, Christopher Laursen, a Ph.D student at the University of British Columbia, would like to hear from you - particularly if you had such experiences prior to 1990.<br />
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<a href="http://journal.extra-ordinarium.com/2014-05-29-moving-objects.htm" target="_blank">Visit his Extraordinarium website for more details.</a>Annalisa Ventolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10604572323799521346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35675147.post-13211933149859848262014-06-03T15:31:00.002-04:002014-06-03T15:32:57.592-04:00Call for Participants: University of Central Lancashire<div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Ann Winsper, a PhD student at the University of Central Lancashire, is currently carrying out research investigating what people report hearing when listening to sound clips where it is unclear what is being heard. She is looking at connections between a number of different personality measures and characteristics and seeing if these affect what people report hearing.</div>
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Participants must be over 18 years of age.</div>
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She is currently recruiting for the first part of this study, which requires filling out a questionnaire pack that she can email or post to you. The questionnaires should take no longer than 15 minutes to complete. The questionnaires in the pack do cover a broad range of topics which include attitudes and belief in the paranormal and life after death, and other possibly sensitive subjects. While the study covers paranormal themes, participants are invited from a wide range of beliefs and experiences (including skeptics).</div>
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Once you have completed the questionnaire, you will be able to take part in further elements of the study, if you so wish.</div>
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Please contact <a href="mailto:arwinsper@uclan.ac.uk">arwinsper@uclan.ac.uk</a> if you wish to take part in this study, or if you require more information.</div>
Annalisa Ventolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10604572323799521346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35675147.post-8562690625726907592014-02-05T12:16:00.000-05:002014-02-06T11:20:04.890-05:00Support for Parapsychological Research in Frontiers of Human NeuroscienceLast week, <i>Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, </i>an open-access academic publisher and research network, published an opinion article titled "<a href="http://www.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00017/full" target="_blank">A call for an open, informed study of all aspects of consciousness"</a>, which calls attention to research on parapsychological topics, such as telepathy and precognition. Organized by Dr. Etzel Cardeña, a professor of psychology at Lund University, the article stresses the following:<br />
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<li>Research on parapsychological phenomena is being carried out by academics trained in the scientific method, and has been for some time.</li>
<li>Positive results from parapsychological studies have been published in an array of peer-reviewed academic journals.</li>
<li>Significant support for the existence of psi phenomena has not disappeared under increased experimental controls.</li>
<li>Research practices in the field of parapsychology (i.e. meta-analyses, trial registries, and null results reporting) further discourage the idea that these results are due to chance.</li>
<li>Like other studies of complex human behavior in psychology and medicine, the effect sizes are typically small and cannot be reproduced on demand.</li>
<li>Developing theories of psi phenomena do not necessarily violate the known laws of nature, especially giving consideration to modern theories in physics, and "growing evidence for quantum effects in biological systems".</li>
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The article is then signed by 100 university professors from over 20 different countries.</div>
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Other commentaries on the internet have characterized this announcement as "legitimizing" parapsychology and psychical research as a science (<a href="http://realitysandwich.com/216490/you-could-say-that-the-first-science-was-psychical-science/" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://omnireboot.jerrickventures.com/antimatter/anti-matter-121/" target="_blank">here</a>). However, I feel that this characterization falls short. </div>
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Members of the Parapsychological Association (PA) were welcomed into the workshop of science almost fifty years ago when the American Association for the Advancement of Science accepted the PA as an affiliate organization. In recent years, around eighty Ph.D.'s have been awarded for research on psi-related topics in the U.K. alone. And as the article points out, over twenty Nobel prizewinners have supported psi research in some form over the years. </div>
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Despite the negative impression given by some critics, the legitimacy of parapsychology as a science has been established for some time. This is covered in the article's first point. The next five points are about research results, and that is what makes the publication of this article a bold, and important moment in parapsychological history.</div>
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I encourage you to read the more nuanced version of these tenets, as 100 university professors don't simply come together over a few bullet points - but they do come together. The article is brief, written in plain language, and access is free:</div>
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Cardeña E (2014) <a href="http://www.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00017/full" target="_blank">A call for an open, informed study of all aspects of consciousness.</a> <i>Front. Hum. Neurosci. </i>8:17. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00017<br />
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(cross-posted to Reality Sandwich at: <a href="http://realitysandwich.com/216628/unified-support-for-parapsychological-research/">http://realitysandwich.com/216628/unified-support-for-parapsychological-research/</a>)</div>
Annalisa Ventolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10604572323799521346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35675147.post-65254614931970854622013-01-31T10:36:00.004-05:002013-01-31T10:36:58.168-05:00A Few PA News Items<br />
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The Parapsychological Association (PA) has recently reorganized its membership categories, opening up a new category of "Supporting Membership" for those who want to support the field and enjoy access to the PA's publications and convention videos. The announcement can be found <a href="http://www.parapsych.org/articles/37/166/become_a_member_of_the.aspx" target="_blank">here</a>, or you can just get right to it and <a href="http://www.parapsych.org/join_the_pa.aspx" target="_blank">join the PA today</a>.</div>
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The PA has also established an email subscription list for those who are not members, but want to be informed of general news and updates. <a href="http://parapsych.us6.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=2e7d7e6fd7615d4b6e1cf0510&id=053a1b46c8" target="_blank">Sign up here</a>.</div>
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Finally, the annual convention of the Parapsychological Association will be happening in Viterbo, Italy this August. More information is available at <a href="http://www.parapsych.org/section/45/2013_convention.aspx" target="_blank">their website</a>.</div>
Annalisa Ventolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10604572323799521346noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35675147.post-35591485476788643422012-11-29T15:53:00.000-05:002012-11-29T15:53:32.819-05:00Review of Perspectives of Clinical Parapsychology: An Introductory Reader<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In 2007, twenty
professionals from eight different countries gathered in Naarden,
Netherlands to exchange their experiences and scientific knowledge in
the field of clinical parapsychology. <i>Perspectives of Clinical
Parapsychology: An Introductory Reader, </i>edited
by Wim H. Kramer, Eberhard Bauer, and Gerd H. Hovelmann was the
result of this conference. Containing thirteen contributed articles
and an 126 page working bibliography, the book can be considered an
up-to-date introduction to this developing field. It can serve as a
guide for psychotherapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, social
workers, and family doctors who find themselves confronted with
clients who report apparently “paranormal” emotional experiences,
but do not exhibit the traditional signs of psychopathology.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There
are a small number of professionally-staffed outpatient clinics in
Europe and South America that serve people experiencing paranormal
emergencies. However, resources for those suffering in North America
and other parts of the world are limited. Fortunately, several
chapters in the book give staff members of these clinics an
opportunity to share their methods. In the chapter <i>Experiences
with Psi Counseling in Holland, </i>Wim
H. Kramer summarizes the types of complaints that are common at his
counseling practice and outlines two kinds of therapeutic techniques.
Clinical psychologist Ian R. Tierney of the University of Edinburgh
offers the <i>Lessons from a Case Study, </i>where
he outlines the successes and failures of his therapeutic approach to
a particular counseling case in which a woman was distressed by
apparent psychokinetic events happening around her. In the <i>Group
Therapy Approach to Exceptional Human Experiences, </i>Alejandro
Parra presents the techniques applied by the staffed professionals at
his Argentinian institute. And the overview of <i>Counseling
at the IGPP (</i>Institute for
Border Areas of Psychology and Mental Hygiene at Freiburg University,
Germany) should be considered required reading for anyone interested
in establishing their own counseling practice to serve those
distressed by anomalous experiences.
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The
bulk of <i>Perspectives of Clinical Parapsychology </i>contains
2,400 entries of Gerd H. Hovelmann's working bibliography <i>Clinical
Aspects of Exceptional Human Experiences</i>.
The quality of the material, which spans many different languages
and an array of mainstream scientific journals, demonstrates that
counseling paranormal experiencers has been more than just a fringe
interest for some time. In fact, the sheer volume of research
presented in this final chapter seems to run counter to the idea that
the worldwide availability of competent clinical services is
unsatisfactory. However, as noted by Hovelmann, “up to quite
recently there have been only a few systematic, coordinated
attempts...to actually provide adequate counseling and treatment
models for those who have (or claim to have) such non-ordinary
experiences. Much less has there been any concerted effort...to
transform empirical research findings, theory building and related
treatment models into practical counseling approaches” (p.190).
This book may be considered one such attempt.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Whether
or not a variety paranormal experiences can be seen as scientifically
proven phenomena is still a matter of debate. But reports of
distress resulting from paranormal experiences in otherwise
psychologically healthy people are widespread. The knowledge and methods shared in <i>Perspectives
of Clinical Parapsychology </i>can
assist professionals who are evaluating these kinds of reports in
clinical, counseling, and social welfare settings, and may help them
ease the suffering of those who are having a paranormal emergency.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">Kramer,
W., Bauer, E., & Hövelmann, G. (2012). </span><span style="color: black;"><i>Perspectives
of Clinical Parapsychology : An Introductory Reader</i></span><span style="color: black;">.
Bunnik : Stichting HJBF, 320 p.</span></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">To order the book, email </span></span><a href="mailto:hoevelmann.communication@kmpx.de">hoevelmann.communication@kmpx.de</a></div>
Annalisa Ventolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10604572323799521346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35675147.post-85685627232513318832012-03-07T14:46:00.001-05:002012-03-07T14:48:36.596-05:00Human Experiences SurveyResearchers <a href="http://www.parapsych.org/users/carlos/profile.aspx">Dr. Carlos S. Alvarado</a> and <a href="http://www.westga.edu/show_bio.php?emp_id=31917">Dr. Christine Simmonds-Moore</a> are interested in learning more about a variety of human experiences, some of which are unusual, but are by no means uncommon in the general population. They are undertaking an online survey to explore individual differences, synesthesia (the tendency for some people to experience two senses together, e.g., colored words or numbers; tasting shapes; spatially organized calendars, etc.), and a variety of anomalous experiences (for example, extrasensory perception).<br />
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They would very much appreciate it if you would take the time to complete this online questionnaire, even if you have never experienced the things described on the questionnaire.<br />
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<a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HumanExperiencesSurvey">https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HumanExperiencesSurvey</a><br />
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Please email Dr. Christine Simmonds-Moore if you have any questions about the survey.<br />
Christine Simmonds-Moore, Ph.D.<br />
University of West Georgia, csimmond@westga.eduAnnalisa Ventolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10604572323799521346noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35675147.post-40696878634560958872012-01-29T13:07:00.001-05:002012-01-29T13:09:53.435-05:00Clinical Approaches to Exceptional Experiences<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>A conference co-sponsored by the Rhine Research Center and University of West Georgia Psychology department</b><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This event will take place in Durham, North Carolina <b>Friday 9th and Saturday 10th March, 2012</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The conference includes a Welcome Reception on the evening of Friday 9th March (from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m.)and a day long conference on Saturday 10th March. Registration will open from 7.30 a.m. (with coffee available) and presentations running from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
The conference is of particular relevance to those who have an interest in exceptional experiences, those who are working with (or planning to work with) people who have experienced distressing exceptional experiences those who are currently working as clinicians, social workers and nurses (etc.) researchers into exceptional experiences, and those who may want to further understand their own exceptional experiences. CEU credits will be available (those wanting CEU credits will be required to attend the Friday night reception and the conference presentations). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=35675147&postID=4069687863456095887" name="TOC-Topics-will-include:-discussing-the"></a>Topics will include: discussing the types of experiences that people have, normal explanations for distressing experiences (e.g., those which are sleep related), the history of clinical approaches to exceptional experiences, various clinical approaches toward distressing exceptional experiences, insights from practicing clinicians and those who have had exceptional experiences. <span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you are interested in this conference, please register <a href="http://www.exceptionalexperienceconference.org/home/mailing-list"><span style="color: #8a8c50;">here </span></a>to join our conference mailing list. We will then be able to send out additional information<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
<b>Early bird registration will end January 31, 2012.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">More information at: <a href="http://www.exceptionalexperienceconference.org/"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.exceptionalexperienceconference.org/</span></a> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>Annalisa Ventolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10604572323799521346noreply@blogger.com0