Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!rutgers!princeton!mind!dean
From: dean@mind.UUCP (Dean Radin)
Newsgroups: sci.physics
Subject: motivation for psi in sci.physics
Message-ID: <218@mind.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 18-Nov-86 13:00:37 EST
Article-I.D.: mind.218
Posted: Tue Nov 18 13:00:37 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 18-Nov-86 21:25:06 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: Cognitive Science, Princeton University
Lines: 27

The topic of psi is appropriately discussed in sci.physics
because anomalous phenomena challenge aspects of our current
models of the 'way things are'.  Anomalies do NOT necessarily
require a complete rethinking of established physical principles; 
they do require, at least, some revision.  

For the last seven years, I have been engaged, part-time and full-time,
in research on a variety of anomalous perceptual and energetic phenomena.
As in any discipline, there is a great deal of literature available
on the topic.  Much has been published in specialized journals;
other reports can be found in Foundations of Physics, Journal of 
Applied Physics, Proceedings of the IEEE, American Psychologist,
and so on.  Experiments on reverse causality have been successfully 
replicated; so have experiments on telepathy.  (Even the super-skeptical 
CSICOP organization has not been able to explain away all empirical results.)

Unlike other scientific fields, however, psi research provokes 
extremely strong opinions in nearly everyone, especially in those who 
do not know what they are talking about.  One of the reasons I 
rarely respond to net discussions about psi, even though I could
correct some glaring errors and dispel some myths, is that this 
forum cannot take the place of serious study.

So, in spite of my belief that the topic is worthy of serious discussion in 
this newsgroup, I also believe that ultimately it is a waste of net resources
because most people simply aren't willing or able to put in the time
and energy necessary to study the literature.