Paranthropology Vol 6 No 2 July 2015 PDF

Paranthropology: Journal of Anthropological Approaches to the Paranormal
ISSN: 2044-9216 Vol. 6 No. 2
Paranthropology
Journal of Anthropological Approaches to the Paranormal
Experiential Skepticism Taking Soul Birds Seriously: Paranormal Beliefs in

and an Exploration of A Post-Secular Animist College Culture:
Mediumship and Perspective on Extra- “In my house we have a
Life
Vol. 6 After
No. 2 Death Ordinary Communications ghost named Isaiah.”
1
Vol. 6 No. 2 (July 2015)
Editorial Board
Dr. Fiona Bowie (Dept. Theology and Religious Studies, King’s College London)
Dr. Anthony D’Andrea (Center for Latin American Studies, University of Chicago)
Dr. Iain R. Edgar (Dept. Anthropology, Durham University)
Prof. David J. Hufford (Centre for Ethnography & Folklore, University of Pennsylvania)
Prof. Charles D. Laughlin (Dept. Sociology & Anthropology, Carleton University)
Dr. David Luke (Dept. Psychology & Counseling, University of Greenwich)
Dr. James McClenon (Dept. Social Sciences, Elizabeth State University)
Dr. Sean O'Callaghan (Department of Politics, Philosophy & Religion, University of Lancaster)
Dr. Serena Roney-Dougal (Psi Research Centre, Glastonbury)
Dr. William Rowlandson (Dept. Hispanic Studies, University of Kent)
Dr. Mark A. Schroll (Institute for Consciousness Studies, Rhine Research Centre)
Dr. Gregory Shushan (Ian Ramsay Centre for Science & Religion, University of Oxford)
Dr. Angela Voss (Canterbury Christ Church University)
Dr. Lee Wilson (School of Political Science and International Studies, The University of Queensland)
Dr. Michael Winkelman (School of Human Evolution & Social Change, Arizona State University)
Prof. David E. Young (Dept. Anthropology, University of Alberta)
Honorary Members of the Board

Prof. Stephen Braude (Dept. Philosophy, University of Maryland)
Paul Devereux (Royal College of Art)
Prof. Charles F. Emmons (Dept. Sociology, Gettysburg College)
Prof. Patric V. Giesler (Dept. Anthropology, Gustavus Adolphus College)
Prof. Ronald Hutton (Dept. History, University of Bristol)
Prof. Stanley Krippner (Faculty of Psychology, Saybrook University)
Dr. Edith Turner (Dept. Anthropology, University of Virginia)
Editor
Jack Hunter (Dept. Archaeology & Anthropology, University of Bristol)
Vol. 6 No. 2 2
Introduction Contents
Jack Hunter A Qualitative Investigation of United States
Mediums’ Impressions of Spirits and the
Afterlife
- Jennifer Lyke (4-20) -
Taking Soul Birds Seriously:

A Post-Secular Animist Perspective on Extra-
Welcome to Paranthropology Vol. 6 No. 2, Ordinary Communications
- Brian Taylor (21-31) -
the somewhat late second issue of 2015. In
spite of it’s lateness, however, I think this is Paranormal Beliefs in College Culture:
an excellent issue. To begin, Jennifer Lyke “In my house we have a ghost named Isaiah.”
- Brooke Hansen, Luke St. Clair
presents an insight into the cosmological
& Jessica Mancuso (32-49) -
understanding of US mediums based upon
phenomenological investigation and analysis. Experiential Skepticism and an Exploration of
Then Brian Taylor continues the theme of Mediumship and Life After Death
taking experience seriously with his very - Elliot Benjamin (50-69) -
personal exploration of ‘Soul Birds’ as part Psychedelics and the Future of Religion:
of his wider ‘animic’ reality. Next Brooke A Review of Breaking Convention
Hansen and colleagues explore the paranor- - Jules Evans (70-75) -
mal beliefs and experiences of students and
REVIEW:
staff at Ithaca College and uncover some fas-
N.J. UFO/Paranormal Spring Conference
cinating and revealing data. This is followed April 11th, at the Hamilton Garden Hilton
by Elliot Benjamin’s agnostic auto- - T. Peter Park (76-85) -
ethnographic approach to the study of
ABSTRACTS:
mediumship, in which he describes his own
‘The Emerging Field of Paranthropology’:
experiences participating in events at a Spiri- Panel at 58th Annual Parapsychological
tualist Church. We then have two reviews, Association/39th Annual Society for
one from Jules Evans of the psychedelic con- Psychical Research Conference,
ference Breaking Convention, and the other University of Greenwich, 18th July 2015
- Serena Roney-Dougal, Stanley Krippner, David
from T. Peter Park of the New Jersey UFO/ Luke & Jack Hunter (86-87) -
Paranormal Spring Conference. To finish we
have the abstracts from a recent round-table
discussion on ‘The Emerging Field of Paran-
thropology,’ which took place at the 58th Annual Parapsychological Association Conference. I am
also very pleased to announce the publication of Strange Dimensions: A Paranthropology Anthology,
which celebrates 4 years of the Paranthropology Journal. It features 16 chapters (plus an introduction
and foreword), covering everything from William Burroughs to Crop Circles, via alien abductions,
mediumship and surfing. If you have enjoyed the journal, or found it useful, please consider buying
a copy of the anthology, as it is the very best way to support its continued existence (see page 49 for
more details). Thank you, and I hope you enjoy the issue! Jack Hunter
Vol. 6 No. 2 3
A Qualitative Investigation of United States Mediums’

Impressions of Spirits and the Afterlife
Jennifer Lyke
Abstract
Proof-focused research aimed at evaluating the validity of mediums’ perceptions of the spirit world has pro-
vided the basis for a contentious scientific debate about whether information received by mediums is partially
veridical or fundamentally delusional. However, little empirical research has gone beyond attempts to establish
the veridicality of alleged spirit communications to qualitatively investigate the unique perspectives of medi-
ums regarding the content they claim to access. Qualitative work with mediums thus far has focused on the
mediums themselves, as opposed to their perceptions of the nature of discarnate entities or the afterlife.
This investigation attempted to summarize themes in mediums’ descriptions of the spirits and the afterlife
using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), a qualitative method of investigation founded on phe-
nomenology, hermeneutics, and idiography, which seeks to understand individual perceptions and interpreta-
tions of experience. The specific aims of this research were to interview six mediums regarding their under-
standing of the nature of the afterlife and spirit experiences based on their perceptions and impressions, and
to identify commonalities and discrepancies among the themes they described. The mediums, who each par-
ticipated in a semi-structured interview, were chosen from a list of Windbridge Certified Research Mediums
(WCRMs) for maximum geographic diversity, and IPA was used to identify meanings participants assigned to
their perceptions and impressions.
Analysis identified themes shared across participants as well as aspects of reports unique to individuals or
subgroups of participants. Themes common to all mediums’ descriptions of the spirits and the afterlife in-
cluded the following: the afterlife is part of a timeless, omnipresent non-physical reality; spiritual evolution
organizes non-physical reality; spirits may reincarnate; discarnates may remain connected to the living; death
is a transition; suicide is a mistake; and a variety of spiritual entities inhabit non-physical reality. The mediums
had differing views regarding the availability of discarnates and reincarnation, the nature of angels, and the
variety of spiritual entities that exist in the afterlife.
Possible factors influencing mediums’ interpretations of their experiences are discussed. Given multiple
possible interpretations of the impressions they report, it is useful to ask mediums themselves what sense they
make of their experiences. These findings are potentially useful for understanding people who have similar
experiences and choose to interpret them in a framework that includes the possibility of survival of conscious-
ness after physical death. Similarities among mediums’ descriptions may be influenced by commonalities
among their particular psychological characteristics, membership in a unique sociocultural subgroup, or they
may reflect common elements of a particular kind of transpersonal experience. The results of this investigation
should be viewed in the context of the ongoing debate regarding the validity of mediums’ perceptions.
Keywords: mediumship; qualitative investigation; IPA; spirits; afterlife
150 years from a variety of approaches.

Mediums who claim to have contact with
Early research focused on case reports and
spirits have been investigated for the last
participant investigations of séance experi-
Vol. 6 No. 2 4
ences, often related to Spiritist practices phenomenological analysis of mediums’

(Rhine & Rhine 1927). More recently, proof- sensory experiences during communication
focused research aimed at evaluating the with discarnates, which resulted in seven
validity of mediums’ perceptions of the constituent themes. However, almost no re-
spirit world has provided the basis for a search has systematically explored the con-
contentious scientific debate about whether tent of mediums’ reports, such as nature of
information received by mediums is poten- the afterlife or the experiences of spirits, as
tially veridical or fundamentally delusional they are interpreted by mediums based on
(Beishel & Schwartz 2007; Kelly & Arcangel their perceptions and impressions.
2011; O’Keefe & Wiseman 2005; Schwartz Accordingly, this investigation at-
& Russek 2001). In addition, several books tempted to summarize themes in mediums’
summarizing mediums’ views on the after- descriptions of the spirits and the afterlife
life and spirit communication have recently using Interpretive Phenomenological
become available for the popular market Analysis (IPA; Smith 1996). IPA is a qualita-
(Beischel 2014; Olsen 2014; Podmore 2014). tive method of investigation founded on
However, little empirical research has gone phenomenology, hermeneutics, and idio-
beyond attempts to establish the veridical- graphy. It seeks to understand individual
ity of alleged spirit communications to perceptions and interpretations of experi-
qualitatively investigate the unique per- ence (Smith, Flowers & Larkin 2009). Wilde
spectives of mediums regarding the content and Murray (2010) have argued that IPA is
they claim to access. That is, qualitative uniquely suited to the investigation of
work with mediums thus far has focused on anomalous experiences. They suggest, along
the mediums themselves, as opposed to with others who support the phenomenol-
their perceptions as they relate to the na- ogical investigation of anomalous experi-
ture of discarnate entities or the afterlife. ences (Irwin & Watt 2007), that qualitative
For example, Taylor and Murray (2012) research into the meanings of anomalous
performed a qualitative investigation ex- experiences can add to understanding of
ploring the process by which mediums be- these classes of phenomena generally. Rox-
come indoctrinated into their social roles. burgh and Roe have conducted phenome-
They suggest that mediums experience sub- nological investigations in which they asked
clinical auditory hallucinations, and their mediums about their understanding of the
delusional beliefs that they are communi- nature and role of spirit guides (Roxburgh
cating with spirits who inhabit a non- & Roe 2013) as well as investigating how
physical reality are a coping strategy, which mediums come to experience their percep-
serves to maintain their functional status in tions as mediumistic (Roxburgh & Roe
society (Taylor & Murray 2012). Rock, 2014). However, neither of these efforts ad-
Beischel and Schwartz (2008) performed a dressed other aspects of the cosmological
Vol. 6 No. 2 5
interpretations mediums give to their expe-

riences. Procedure
Therefore, the aims of this research
Mediums were identified through the web-
were to interview six mediums regarding
site of the Windbridge Institute
their understanding of the nature of the
(www.Windbridge.org). They were emailed
afterlife and spirit experiences based on
regarding the goals and process of the re-
their perceptions and impressions, and to
search, sent a copy of the general questions
identify commonalities and discrepancies
framing the interview (see Appendix A) and
among the themes they described. There
an informed consent, and asked for their
was no attempt to establish the validity of
participation in the research. Upon receipt
the mediums’ interpretations of their expe-
of the signed informed consent, interviews
riences.
were scheduled and later conducted by
phone and recorded using iPadio. Inter-
METHOD
views lasted approximately 75 minutes.
Participants During the interview, the nature of qualita-
tive research was described and the medi-
Participants (N = 6) were selected from a list ums were informed that the questions were
of Windbridge Certified Research Mediums intended to provide only a rough outline
(WCRMs) for maximum geographic diver- for conversation. Interviews were subse-
sity across the United States. WCRMs have quently transcribed, and Interpretive Phe-
been screened and trained by the Wind- nomenological Analysis (IPA; Reid, Flowers
bridge Institute for participation in re- & Larkin 2005) was used to identify mean-
search studies and have demonstrated a ings participants assigned to their experi-
relatively high level of accuracy on readings ences. Mediums were given pseudonyms:
conducted under controlled conditions April, Beth, Catherine, Darlene, Ellen, and
(Beischel 2007). They were contacted by Felicia. Mediums did not review transcripts
email and invited to participate in a struc- of the interviews, but were encouraged to
tured phone interview regarding the nature follow up with further information if they
of the afterlife and the experiences of spir- felt it necessary after the interview was fin-
its. One medium failed to respond to the ished.
intial email. They were offered $100 for IPA uses an inductive approach. Data
their participation. Mediums in the final analysis in this case involved reading and
sample were from six different states. Their re-reading transcripts, highlighting key
average age was 58 years old (SD = 6.44). words and themes that emerged in the text,
Four of the mediums said they had no re- and subsequently grouping those words
ligious identification. The other two identi- and themes into larger concepts that
fied as Wiccan and Spiritualist. seemed to capture the essence of the mean-
Vol. 6 No. 2 6
ings participants derived from their experi- there really is no time there - that,
ences as prescribed by Smith, Flowers and that time is something that is a pattern
Larkin (2009). This process identified sev- or a construct of this world, of the
eral themes shared across participants as physical reality, so that time doesn't
well as aspects of reports unique to indi- really exist in the spirit world - Beth
viduals or subgroups of participants.
The mediums also agreed that the afterlife
RESULTS is not separated spatially from the physical
world. They described it as “a separate di-
The interviews revealed several common mension,” “all around us,” and “parallel.”
themes among mediums’ perceptions with They also almost unanimously described
some discrepancies with respect to particu- the spirit world as existing at a “higher fre-
lars. The two overarching themes that were quency” relative to the physical world and
the explicit focus of this research were the that spirits in the afterlife are contacted by
nature of the afterlife itself and the nature traversing an illusory barrier:
of the spirits and their experiences. More
specific themes that emerged within these I don't believe that the spirit world is
categories are summarized below. a physical place. It's not a place at all,
it's a frequency. And so it's really right
The afterlife is part of a timeless, - they are - when people cross over
omnipresent non-physical reality.
and make their transition from physi-
cal life back into spirit, that they are
The mediums expressed broad agreement
right here among us in the physical
regarding many aspects of the afterlife,
dimension, but they are just vibrating
generally describing it as existing “side by
at a different frequency. So they're
side” or “up against” physical reality. All
really right here – Darlene
mediums agreed that time, as it is experi-
enced in physical reality, is illusory and ir- One medium suggested mediums facilitate
relevant in the dimension they believe they communication by raising their energies to
access. The mediums described the ordi- meet those of the spirits as the spirits lower
nary experience of time as a sort of “per- their energies to meet humans. Another de-
ceptual illusion,” “frame of reference” for scribed the boundary between the spirit
functional purposes, or a “construct” cre- world and the physical world as a “veil” or
ated by the human mind. “wall,” and explained that spirits could pass
through this boundary easily, although hu-
Well, as far as time, I - in the spirit
mans have to make a special effort to pre-
world my understanding from them
and my experience in there is that
Vol. 6 No. 2 7
pare their consciousness to cross the that is, as humans in physical form, pro-
boundary. vides an opportunity for a particular type of
experience, which serves the purpose of fa-
Spiritual evolution cilitating spiritual development. For exam-
organizes non-physical reality. ple, April emphasized learning as the driv-
ing principle behind relationships and ex-
The mediums generally agreed that the af-
periences of physical incarnation:
terlife is organized into planes, levels, or
dimensions with discarnate entities occu-
Yeah, well I think this is the arena for
pying only one level of the afterlife. The na-
learning. I think the reason we choose
ture of the levels was not clearly defined by
physical life, and I do believe that we
the mediums, but there was agreement that
choose it, is to experience certain
natural forces organize spirits into “soul
things. You know my core belief in this
groups” or “neighborhoods” of similar
is that we choose, we have a soul con-
spiritual energy.
tract if you will, coming into physical
life with regard to what our mission is
I do believe that it is organized. I do
here. In other words, what do we want
believe there's some sort of system
to work on, what do we want to learn
where they kind of - like we find our
in this lifetime? We also choose our
place here in the world, but we find
families, or those who might not be a
our place there in the spirit side of
family blood relative, but it could be
life, too. Energy will find its place be-
also including those who we will fall
cause every energy is a different vibra-
in love with and marry, friendships, all
tion, just like us here on the physical
kinds of bonds. I do believe that, you
[plane], we're all a different vibration
know, all of that is addressed and
so we're going to gravitate with what
much of it is chosen prior to even tak-
resonates with us. – Felicia
ing your first breath, you know, and
coming into physical life. So we really
All mediums endorsed the idea that there
are choosing what we want to work on
is a purpose to physical life and to contin-
here.
ued existence as a discarnate. The stated
purpose was explicitly described as “learn-
The mediums agreed that the principles of
ing lessons” in a system like “school” by all
spiritual evolution continue on the spiritual
mediums, including experiencing levels like
plane after physical life. They expressed an
“kindergarten” and “graduating” to higher
understanding that souls evolve toward
levels of spiritual development based on
“completion.” For example, Ellen, who used
lessons learned. The mediums generally
explained that existence in “Earth School,”
Vol. 6 No. 2 8
the term “Heaven” to refer to the afterlife, blissful feeling. They're absolutely
said: gorgeous. And then there's like arch-
angel energy that comes through that
[W]hen they cross over into Heaven will just blow you out of your chair.
there are different levels of Heaven Um, it's totally different. And then
and experience over there, and it de- there's kind of more Earth-bound en-
pends on what your soul needs to ergies. There's brand new spirits that
learn, and the purpose of the soul is to have just crossed over. Their energies
become more and more enlightened are kind of scattered and hard to con-
and to be like The Creator and be lov- nect with. Um, there's wounded spir-
ing, be pure love. That's what our its who suffered and suffered before
purpose is as a soul. And so a lot of us they passed. Their energy feels much
have a lot more work to do than oth- different than the other levels. So. .
ers, so depending upon how much we .there are so many different levels of
need to learn is what level we're put energy on the other side.
on. The same as like going to school.
Spirits may reincarnate.
The mediums described a variety of spiri-
The mediums unanimously endorsed the
tual entities that they perceived to exist in
idea of reincarnation, although they dif-
the non-physical dimension. Some medi-
fered in their descriptions of the particulars
ums’ descriptions were more clearly de-
of the process and their willingness to
fined than others. For example, Ellen re-
speculate about it. There was no consensus
ported perceiving angels “in their tradi-
on how reincarnation might work beyond
tional form,” whereas Catherine’s impres-
the general agreement that souls could
sions of spiritual entities were more varied
choose to return to Earth in another body.
and amorphous:
Some mediums believed reincarnation
would make that spirit unavailable for
There are different levels of spirit that
communication with mediums, while oth-
come through. They feel different to
ers thought perhaps souls and spirits could
me. If somebody's been gone a very,
divide such that a soul could reincarnate in
very long time and they've done what-
another body, but that entity’s spirit would
ever work they needed to do on the
remain available in the afterlife. The medi-
other side, they come through very
ums agreed that individual spirits exercise
loving and peaceful, they feel like
control over some circumstances into
they're on an ocean wave to me, and
which they reincarnate, although they dif-
they don't really have a message other
fered on which aspects of embodied life
than true love, and that's the most
Vol. 6 No. 2 9
might be chosen. For example, some be- principle that energy fields related to the
lieved spirits could choose the family into physical body remain after the death of the
which they would be born, while others did body and can be described as continuing to
not. There was agreement that the point of exist as a “frequency,” “vibration,” “auric
reincarnation is “so you can learn your les- field,” or “thought.” Darlene explained: “So
sons, and clean up whatever karma you in essence when people leave the physical
need to clean up, and evolve at a higher world their consciousness continues on,
level. . .The circumstances [of reincarna- their memory, their characteristics. They
tion] create lessons one needs to learn to become non-physical but they keep that
create their highest self” (Catherine). Dar- silhouette, let's call it the spiritual body,
lene also explicitly stated that even people that's perfect and whole.”
who are victimized or have very difficult The mediums agreed that relationships
lives chose those experiences before being are the primary element of spiritual con-
physically embodied, with the implication nection, both among discarnates as well as
that such circumstances facilitate spiritual between discarnates and living people.
learning. April emphasized the eternal nature of re-
lationships, saying, “Love is forever, rela-
Discarnates may remain tionships are forever, and even challenging
connected to the living.
relationships are forever.” Although the
mediums most frequently contact blood
The mediums primarily reported experi-
relatives of sitters, they also felt there are
encing communication with discarnates,
other bases for attachment between discar-
people who had once been alive as human
nates and physical humans:
beings, although they all agreed that there
are other types of spirits in the afterlife Like when you're leaving your physi-
who may or may not ever have been em- cal body at the time of death that
bodied in physical form. April explained you're going to meet your mother and
that different entities could be contacted by your father, your grandparents, your
the medium “focusing” differently. She de- dogs or cats. They're all part of your
scribed the different levels of spiritual enti- family. They're all part of your soul
ties as corresponding to different levels of group. And friends, because whoever
vibration, with higher vibrations corre- we connect to in this lifetime is part of
sponding to higher levels of spiritual devel- our soul group, they're all our soul
opment. mates. They're all here to help us
The mediums generally agreed that learn and grow. - Felicia
every physical being exists in the spirit
world after death. The terminology of their
descriptions differed, but they agreed in
Vol. 6 No. 2 10
The mediums agreed that a primary goal of that they're able to do that again," you
discarnate communication is to let humans know? A lot of it - you know - showing
know that physical death is not the end of peace, showing happiness. It's always
spiritual existence. Catherine said, “That's a sense of peace and happiness, al-
all the other side wants is to be noticed, to ways. Never anything morbid or de-
be acknowledged, and to be listened to.” pressing, ever. - Felicia
The mediums agreed that the messages
from discarnates are always positive, com- Ellen and Felicia also described that dis-
municating peace and happiness in the af- carnates are sometimes motivated to
terlife. Many messages appear to serve the “guide” or “watch over” living people.
purpose of helping sitters identify the dis- Strong spirits can also overpower messages
carnate. For example, most mediums men- from weaker spirits: “Some personalities
tioned that they often receive information are weaker than other personalities. The
regarding the discarnate’s death, as well as stronger ones will push the weak ones out
specific memories that could be identified of the way to get their message across” (El-
by sitters. The mediums interpreted the len). However, the mediums had a variety of
overarching purpose of discarnates’ mes- explanations for occasions when discar-
sages to be “healing.” nates could not be contacted, including the
possibilities that discarnates may not want
They show me things that they liked further contact with physical humans, quiet
to do when they were here, or they or peaceful people are also quiet and
just want to say that they're not in peaceful as discarnates, or discarnates may
pain. Maybe if somebody was really have been reincarnated so they are unavail-
sick and they liked to dance, they'll able:
show me dancing. If - like say I'll see a
gentleman playing golf, and maybe he So it just depends on the extent of the
was in a wheelchair before he passed relationship and the personality of the
but he used to play golf, and then he person that passed. Some of them just
had a car accident and then he be- leave. They get over there and see how
came quadriplegic, you know? I'm say- beautiful it is and they're done with
ing like things like that, you know, this life, and they just go on, and it
where physically it would be impossi- doesn't matter how much their loved
ble for them to do what they're show- ones want to hear from them, they're
ing me they're doing, but the sitter gone. And you have to let them go and
can identify and say, "Yeah, oh they respect that. – Ellen
used to love golfing," or "They used to
love to dance and sing. I'm so happy
Vol. 6 No. 2 11
The mediums generally agreed that spirit person's time to go.” Other mediums spe-
communication sometimes occurs during cifically mentioned that guides, angels, and
dreams. Three mediums (Beth, Ellen, Fe- deceased family members may be available
licia) specifically mentioned that they be- to facilitate the dying person’s transition.
lieve this occurs because people’s defenses Ellen described a very specific process of
are lower during that state, although not all the soul leaving the body based on witness-
dreams involve spirit communication. In ing the dying process in hospitals:
particular, Ellen mentioned that dreams in-
volving spirit communication could be dis- What happens is that when the soul -
tinguished from other dreams by their viv- at the moment that the soul leaves the
idness. body it comes up - it comes up from
the feet. It starts being pulled up from
Death is a transition. the feet and it comes up through the
crown of the head and it just ascends
Some mediums mentioned that death is upward. And when it comes out it's
not an absolutely clear dividing line be- transparent, so sometimes I just see
tween life and the afterlife. Felicia gave ex- the energy come out, sometimes I see
amples of contacting the spirits of people the form of the human come out. I
in comas or very sick people in hospice, know it's the human and it comes out.
which they believed suggested the energy So that's what happens first.
of a living being may pass into the afterlife
through a gradual process: Several mediums mentioned that they be-
lieve deceased loved ones wait on the other
I can't exactly be sure but I know that side to welcome dying family members.
when I am contacting the energy, I am April said, “When one crosses over all their
contacting a place called the spirit family, their loved ones, their friends, ani-
side of the afterlife, but it may perhaps mals, they're all there waiting for them.
be a place of consciousness where the They're having a celebration. It's a welcom-
body maybe is just beginning to cease ing home.” Several mediums also suggested
its operation in the physical world. It that immediately following death discarnate
may not be that everything has ceased spirits may linger near the physical world
and then there's the afterlife. – Felicia for a few days, which they attribute as the
source of hallucinations, dreams, or other
Some mediums were very specific about signs to living people that the spirit of their
the process of the dying experience. Cath- deceased loved one is nearby.
erine said, “I feel like the spirit world The mediums agreed that death is expe-
comes in close when it is close to that living rienced as a transition to which discarnates
Vol. 6 No. 2 12
gradually “acclimate,” although they em- caused them to commit suicide. . .

phasized different aspects of the experience .and the turmoil. They carry that over
in their descriptions. Some suggested peo- so that they don't - they didn't cross
ple’s beliefs during life might shape their over and then everything became per-
particular sensations and impressions dur- fect. . . .They didn't have this sudden
ing the dying process. For example, April realization of, you know, great, great
described that “[w]e die into our beliefs.” In awareness and enlightenment once
other words, religious beliefs or symbolism they crossed over. Typically people
might literally appear in the initial experi- who've done that are, are almost stuck
ence of death, but that those idiosyncratic there for a while. – Beth
perceptions might eventually give way to a
more universal experience: Ellen said discarnates who committed sui-
cide regret the choice they made “because
[O]nce we're acclimated to the fact they can look back and see the damage that
that we're no longer in physical form they've done to people they love or that
and we actually realize, you know, that they care about.” Multiple mediums sug-
we've transitioned, I think a lot of gested discarnates who committed suicide
things become very clear to us very require particular learning experiences in
quickly, okay? And the experience the afterlife as remediation for that deci-
from that point on might be very simi- sion.
lar for everyone who's made their
transition. – April A variety of spiritual entities inhabit
non-physical reality.
Beth, in particular, emphasized that reflect- The mediums all agreed that the spirit
ing on the embodied life experience is an world contains other entities in addition to
integral part of the transition to the after- discarnates. Catherine described a variety
life. of types of energy that are not necessarily
clearly delineated in particular forms or
Suicide is a mistake.
roles:
Several mediums mentioned they experi-

So to me there are so many levels of
ence discarnates who committed suicide
positive and negative energy, just like
differently than they do discarnates who
in the living world. . . .[Y]ou have alien
died from natural causes:
energy, animal energy, plant energy,
weird energy, you know, traumatic en-
You know usually those people are -
ergy, you've got all of it all kind of in-
they're still filled with the depression,
the sadness, the whatever it was that
Vol. 6 No. 2 13
teracting and combining just like you that spiritual entities do not control human
do in the living world. experience although they can be of assis-
tance in various ways.
All mediums described “guides” as a par-
ticular category, although they differed in Spirit guides typically, you know, will
the names they used and their descriptions give you guidance but never tell you
of other entities. Other categories included what to do. They'll say, "You know, you
“angels,” “masters,” “teachers,” “aliens,” probably should be looking at this.
“light workers,” “watchers,” and “The Oth- You may want to –,” you know, they
ers.” All entities were described as more make you aware of choices. . . .They
highly developed than discarnates, however. don't choose for you. – Beth
Some mediums explicitly outlined a hierar-
chy of entities existing specifically in The mediums’ reports of their relationships
“higher realms” or a “different dimension” with angels also differed dramatically from
than discarnates, and several mediums de- each other. Ellen experienced angels as al-
scribed that communicating with discar- ways available and described them almost
nates feels qualitatively different to the me- like playmates in the non-physical dimen-
dium than communicating with other spiri- sion, whereas Beth was clear that she did
tual entities: not subscribe to the popular conceptualiza-
tion of angels. Several mediums specifically
Spirit guides, from what I can under- referenced the fact that religious upbring-
stand, they help you while you're on ing may distort individuals’ conceptualiza-
Earth. They are teachers, and you can tions of angels, including those of mediums
hear them and see them and sense themselves:
them and they help you and they give
you information. And I have several of So people will talk about angels, you
those. And these are human beings, I know, "And the Angel of the Gardens
feel like, that have graduated enough came to me," and, you know, "Oh, the
to teach. They understand the human Angel of this is coming to you tomor-
experience enough to teach you. – El- row,” and “Let's pull our angel cards,”
len and it's always these messages of love
and light and peace and joy and hap-
Several mediums distinguished between piness, and there's never any real
the roles of guides and those of angels. For challenge there. And it's always “Let's
example, Felicia said, “The guides help us look to - angels will solve our prob-
learn lessons where the angels help us with lems.” Well, that's not the reality, we
struggles.” All mediums, however, agreed
Vol. 6 No. 2 14
solve our problems. You know, angels ality. Catherine and Ellen specifically men-
aren't going to look out for you. – Beth tioned spirits called “The Others.” Ellen
reported that they have a human form, al-
The mediums also distinguished between though they are not human, that she does
discarnates and another category of spirits, not see their faces or feet, that her sense of
which they viewed as attached to the physi- them is that of a “dark presence,” but that
cal Earth. The mediums who addressed they assist in healing and “work for the
these “Earth bound” spirits, or ghosts, greater good.” Catherine said they “come
agreed that they exist at a lower level of in” to help people transition during the dy-
spiritual development than the discarnates ing process. Several mediums also men-
with whom they interact during tioned aliens as entities that exist in the
mediumship. The mediums suggested dif- non-physical dimension. However, none
ferent reasons that spirits might stay reported direct contact with them and the
“stuck” to a lower plane of existence, but all mediums varied in their willingness to
implied that maintaining a strong connec- speculate about their roles.
tion to Earth after death indicates an aber- The mediums all acknowledged that
ration in the usual transition process. For negative energies exist in the spirit world,
example, they suggested the most common although they did not see these entities as
reason spirits would fail to move on to the very common or problematic. Some identi-
afterlife are unfinished business or attach- fied them as associated with people who
ment to something in the physical world. were evil in life. Catherine said, “Like if
Some also mentioned a tragic or sudden Grandma was the meanest woman in the
passing, attachment to children, not believ- universe when she was alive, she's usually
ing in an afterlife, or fear of punishment pretty darn mean on the other side, too.”
might prevent spirits from transitioning to Some believed that evil people are on the
the afterlife. same path of spiritual development as other
Most mediums did not address the exis- humans, and that they would eventually de-
tence of animals in the spirit world, but velop toward greater maturity although it
those who did specified that the animals might take longer for them, but others be-
that are most often available for communi- lieved they would not evolve. Some medi-
cation are those that have had relationships ums also believed evil forces sometimes are
with people, such as domesticated pets. not separate spiritual entities. For example,
Beth explicitly suggested that other animals they might be “thought forms that are pow-
exist in “a totally different dimension” than ered by people's intentions” or “residual
discarnates. negative energy” that feeds “off other peo-
The mediums reported a variety of ple’s energies.” Catherine and Ellen specifi-
other entities that exist in non-physical re-
Vol. 6 No. 2 15
cally mentioned spiritual energy related to addressing mediums’ unusual perceptual

war that continually repeats behavior. experiences. Given multiple possible inter-
pretations of the impressions they report, it
DISCUSSION is useful to ask mediums themselves what
sense they make of their perceptions. Cer-
The results of this investigation reveal gen- tainly mediums’ interpretations of their ex-
eral consensus among the mediums inter- periences are not necessarily objectively
viewed regarding their views of the spirits valid, but they are useful for understanding
and the afterlife. Not surprisingly, the me- the experiences of people who have similar
diums agreed that human beings have spir- impressions and choose to interpret them
its that exist in a non-physical reality after in a framework that includes the survival of
the death of the physical body. They agreed consciousness after physical death. Thus,
that this non-physical reality is timeless and similarities and differences in mediums’
omnipresent, and that it is organized ac- perspectives are important regardless of
cording to principles related to spiritual their causes. At the very least, the results of
evolution. The mediums generally agreed in this investigation demonstrate that impor-
their descriptions of discarnates’ roles and tant spiritual themes may emerge and in-
messages, the nature of the death experi- form individuals’ interpretations of their
ence, and the principle of reincarnation. unusual experiences.
They also agreed that a variety of other Mediums’ perceptions and interpreta-
spiritual entities, such as angels, guides, and tions of their experiences are certainly
ghosts, exist in non-physical reality in addi- shaped by individual cultural and psycho-
tion to discarnates. Some of these themes logical factors. Therefore, similarities
confirmed findings from other sources re- among mediums’ descriptions may be in-
garding the nature of spirit communication fluenced by commonalities among their
(Walliss 2001), energetic nature of spirits particular psychological characteristics,
(Williams, Evans & Skinner 2003), and membership in a unique sociocultural sub-
phenomenological experience of spirit group, or they may reflect common ele-
guides (Roxburgh & Roe 2013). However, ments of a particular kind of transpersonal
the mediums also disagreed regarding experience. The mediums who participated
some aspects of the spirits and the afterlife. in this study have an established level of
In particular, they had differing views re- validity due to their certification as
garding the availability of discarnates and WCRMs, so their interpretations are likely
reincarnation, the nature of angels, and the to represent the interpretations of mediums
variety of spiritual entities that exist. who can sometimes successfully produce
IPA is a method of phenomenological accurate information regarding discarnates
investigation, which is uniquely suited for under controlled circumstances.
Vol. 6 No. 2 16
Other mediums in the United States are REFERENCES

likely to share views similar to the partici-
pants in this research since this sample was Beischel, J. (n.d.). [Online]. From the mouths
of mediums: Conversations with Wind-
selected from different parts of the country
bridge Certified Research Mediums. Avail-
and had a variety of religious identifica-
able from: http://www.windbridge.org/
tions. However, since mediumship is prac-
[Accessed 13 July 2014].
ticed in many countries, future investiga-
tions should explore cross-cultural similari-
Beischel, J. (2007). Contemporary methods
ties and differences among mediums’ in-
used in laboratory-based mediumship
terpretations of their experiences. Such in-
research. Journal of Parapsychology, 71,
vestigations could help isolate the unique
37-68.
cultural influences that shape mediums’ in-
terpretations of their experiences.
Beischel, J. and Schwartz, G. E. (2007).
Finally, the results of this investigation
Anomalous information reception by
should be viewed in the context of the on-
research mediums demonstrated using
going debate regarding the validity of me-
a novel triple-blind protocol. EX-
diums’ perceptions. If the balance of em-
PLORE: The Journal of Science & Heal-
pirical research demonstrates mediums are ing, 3, 23-27
not able to produce valid information about
discarnates at a rate greater than chance Irwin, H. J. and Watt, C. (2007). Introduc-
(e.g., O’Keeffe & Wiseman 2005), then me- tion. In An Introduction to Parapsychol-
diums’ impressions may perhaps legiti- ogy, 5th edn. Jefferson, NC: McFarland
mately be interpreted as fantasies shaped & Co., Inc., pp. 1-10.
by psychological and cultural factors. How-
ever, if the balance of future research estab- Kelly, E. W. and Arcangel, D. (2011). An in-
lishes that mediums’ are sometimes capable vestigation of mediums who claim to
of producing accurate information about give information about deceased per-
discarnates at a rate greater than chance sons. Journal of Nervous and Mental Dis-
under controlled conditions (e.g., Beischel ease, 199, 11-17.
& Schwartz 2007), then understanding the
multiple factors influencing mediums’ im- O’Keeffe, C. and Wiseman, R. (2005). Test-
pressions of the spirits and the afterlife being alleged mediumship: Method and
comes more complicated. In either case, results. British Journal of Psychology, 96,
mediums interpretations of their percep- 165-179.
tions and impressions warrant further in-
vestigation. Olson, B. (2014). Answers about the Afterlife:
A Private Investigator’s 15-year Research
Vol. 6 No. 2 17
Unlocks the Mysteries of Life and Death. Journal of Transpersonal Studies, 32(1),
Kennebunkport, ME: Building Bridges 27-42.
Press.
Schwartz, G. E. and Russek, L. G. (2001).
Podmore, S. (2014). Conversations with Medi- Evidence of anomalous information re-
ums. Bloomington, IN: Balboa Press. trieval between two mediums: Telepa-
thy, network memory resonance, and
Reid, K., Flowers, P. and Larkin, M. (2005). continuance of consciousness. Journal
Exploring the lived experience. The of the Society for Psychical Research,
Psychologist, 18(1), 20-23. 65(865), 257-275.
Rhine, J. B. and Rhine, L. E. (1927). One Smith, J. A. (1996). Beyond the divide be-
evening’s observation on the Margery tween cognition and discourse: Using
mediumship. The Journal of Abnormal interpretive phenomenological analysis
and Social Psychology, 21(4), 401-421. in health psychology. Psychology and
Health, 11, 261-271.
Rock, A. J., Beischel, J., and Schwartz, G. E. Smith, J. A., Flowers, P. and Larkin, M.
(2008). Thematic analysis of research (2009). Interpretive Phenomenological
Analysis: Theory, Method and Research.
mediums’ experiences of discarnate
London: Sage.
communication. Journal of Scientific Ex-
ploration, 22(2), 179-192.
Taylor, G. and Murray, C. (2012). A qualita-
tive investigation into non-clinical voice
Roxburgh, E. C., and Roe, C. A. (2014).
hearing: What factors may protect
Reframing voices and visions using a
against distress? Mental Health, Religion
spiritual model: An interpretative phe-
& Culture, 14(4), 373-388.
nomenological analysis of anomalous
experiences in mediumship. Mental
Walliss, J. (2001). Continuing bonds: rela-
Health, Religion, & Culture, 17(6), 641-
tionships between the living and the
653.
dead within contemporary Spiritual-
ism. Mortality, 6, 127-145.
Roxburgh, E. C. and Roe, C. A. (2013). “Say
from whence you own this strange in-
Wilde, D. & Murray, C. D. (2010). Interpret-
telligence”: Investigating explanatory
ing the anomalous: Finding meaning in
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mediumship using Interpretative Phe-
ences. Qualitative Research in Psychology,
nomenological Analysis. International
7, 57-72. Doi:
10.1080/14780880903304550
Vol. 6 No. 2 18
Questions about Spirits’ Experiences
Williams, C., Evans, L., & Skinner, F. (2003). 1. What happens after physical death?
Exploratory comparisons of energy
metaphors in the discourses of two a) Does every being from our physical
psychics, a healer, and an aura reader. world go to the spirit world after death?
Journal of the American Society for Psychi- If not, what are the other possibilities?
cal Research, 97, 43-69.
b) Are all spirits’ experiences similar? If
not, how are they different and what de-
Appendix A – Questions for Semi-
Structured Interview termines the differences?
Questions about the Spirit World 2. What aspects of physical embodiment

remain after physical death (e.g., physical
1. What is the relationship between the characteristics, personality, emotion, be-
spirit world and our physical reality? liefs, motivation, etc.)?
a) Is there time in the spirit world? If so, 3. How long do spirits stay in the spirit
how does it relate to our experience of world?
time in the physical world?
4. If not forever, then what determines
b) Where is the spirit world in relation to when they leave and where do they go?
our physical universe? 5. Can spirits be reincarnated in our physi-
cal world? If so, what is the process (e.g.,
2. Is the spirit world related to realities ex- do they choose time, place, or other as-
perienced in other altered states of con- pects of the environment for their physi-
sciousness (e.g., dreams, psychosis, hallu- cal existence, or are those conditions
cinogen intoxication)? If so, how? chosen for them)?
3. Do all mediums communicate with the 6. What factors influence the effectiveness
same spirit world? of spirit to medium communication (e.g.,
the medium’s personal or cultural beliefs,
4. Are there other dimensions of the spirit willingness, other conditions in the
world beyond the one with which medi- physical or spiritual environment)?
ums communicate? If so, how do they
differ from the one(s) accessible to medi- 7. Is there a purpose to existing in spirit? Is
ums? there a purpose to the particular com-
Vol. 6 No. 2 19
munications of spirit?
Jennifer Lyke is a counseling psycholo-
8. Are all spirits beings who were once em- gist and Associate Professor of Psychol-
bodied in our physical world? If not, ogy at Richard Stockton College in New
who are the other ones? Jersey. She teaches courses in conscious-
ness and anomalous experiences and sees
clients in private practice. She serves on
9. Is there anything else someone who is
the review board for the Journal of Ex-
not a medium should know in order to
ceptional Experiences and Psychology
understand spirits and spirit world bet-
(JEEP).
ter?
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Vol. 6 No. 2 20
Taking Soul Birds Seriously:

A Post-Secular Animist Perspective on Extra-Ordinary
Communications
Brian Taylor
“The idea of the soul as a winged crea- mately eludes even poetic description. In
ture or bird is not new here. It is a wide-
particular, the epicentre of a major be-
spread and extremely ancient belief that
the soul assumes the form of a bird or, put reavement may be a moment of such depth,
more extremely, that all birds are human richness, turbulence, anguish, and complex-
souls.” Beryl Rowland, 1978, p. xiii. ity, that the prospect of representation be-
comes unthinkable. As Michel Foucault put
“When we think autobiographically we it, “Headed toward death, language turns
only include events that happened to us
when awake; the Ojibwa include remem- back upon itself” (Bouchard, 1977, p. 54).
bered events that have occurred in Poetic language may, of course, be suffi-
dreams. And, far from being of subordi- ciently oblique, conversant with metaphor,
nate importance, such experiences are for
alert to subtle cue, and sensitive to emo-
them often of more vital importance than
the events of daily waking life. Why is this tional tone, to evoke extra-ordinary experi-
so? Because it is in dreams that the indi- ence. Phenomenology gets closer to poetry
vidual comes into direct communication than most formal approaches because it
with the ätíso'kanak, the powerful 'per-
sons' of the other-than-human class.” helpfully shifts our focus of enquiry to-
Irving Hallowell, 1960/2002, p. 39. wards a tentative, non-judgemental, and
dialogical exploration of meaning (Bracken,
2002) and crucially, acknowledges mystery
In a discussion of Ted Hughes' poem The (Polt, 1999).
Jaguar Michael Malay cites Czeslaw Milosz's During the European Enlightenment
definition of art as 'the passionate pursuit the notion of a divine cosmic hierarchy in
of the real.’ and observes that 'the fullness which 'every being (human, animal, plant,
of nature, and of our experience of it, con- spiritual) had a rightful place [and] natural
tinually outstrips language' (Malay 2014, Mi- and social worlds were viewed as spiritually
losz, 1983, p. 56). As my perspective on infused with value, meaning, and purpose'
events around my mother's death in 1991 was overturned by a mechanistic paradigm
evolves, I have a growing sense that our that radically distanced 'us' -most obviously
lives unfold within an animic real that ulti- men as architects of, and participants in,
Vol. 6 No. 2 21
public patriarchies - from the rest of nature or helpful spiritual beings, appearances of
(Seidman, 1994, p. 11; Seidler, 1994; Hearn, the dying person to an absent relative or
1992). According to Zygmunt Bauman close friend, and synchronous events such
“natural science could be defined almost by as clocks stopping at the time of death - are
the absence of miracles, and indeed of any- not uncommon. They argue that since such
thing bizarre and extraordinary, suggestive experiences are often felt to be profoundly
of a conscious…and intending subject.” significant they need to be taken seriously
(Bielharz, 2002, p. 129). Monological scien- if we are to develop best practice in spiri-
tific rationality still marginalises engaged tual end-of-life care. The prevailing scien-
subjectivities (other voices, sensual partici- tific view, however, has been that ELE's, es-
pation, emotional relationship, intuition, pecially deathbed visions, 'have no intrinsic
dreaming, divination, visionary experience) value, and are either confusional or drug
as potential sources of knowledge (Plum- induced' (Fenwick et al, 2009, p. 2. c.f.
wood, 2002, pp. 41-6; Greenwood, 2009; Romme & Escher, 1993 on voice hearing).
Curry, 2010, pp. 3-7). Fortunately, however, What drew me to this study was the
“stories of authority (given to us from on finding that “serendipitious appearances or
high by men in black frocks and white dreams of significant animals, birds, or but-
coats)…are fracturing in the face of partici- terflies, which held special meaning for the
pant stories…stories of difference, multiplicity dying, and also often for relatives,” were re-
and a plural universe” (Plummer, 1995, pp. ported by 45% of respondents in a retro-
133-4). spective study and 35% in a prospective
study. In more recent lectures Fenwick
END OF LIFE EXPERIENCES elaborates on this, saying “we have so many
reports of birds:”
Qualitative studies that attend carefully to
diverse stories and perspectives without “We have accounts of birds who come
imposing ontological assumptions can con- into the room of the dying, are seen
tribute to this ongoing cultural re- on their windowsills, or collect in
evaluation by illuminating neglected but large groups around the hospice at
important experiential terrain. Peter Fen- the time the person is dying. In cases
wick et al, for example, found that 'end of we've heard, the dying person who
life experiences' (ELE's) - which may in- has had such visits has always been
clude deathbed visions, reports of moving interested in birds, and the type of
between this world and another reality bird that appears around their time of
characterised by intense experiences of death is the one in which they have
compassion, love, and 'light,’ where the dy- been interested” (Fenwick, 2012).
ing person is met by deceased relatives and/
Vol. 6 No. 2 22
This is broadly consistent with my own ex- tional ontology and epistemology (Bird-
perience, with the non-sentimental testi- David, 1999).
mony of several people known to me, with
other published reports (Marzluff & Angell, THE COMMON KINGFISHER
2005, pp. 136-138), and not least with a
widespread and ancient body of lore asso- More than twenty five years ago the com-
ciating birds with survival beyond death mon kingfisher, Alcedo Atthis, came into my
and the flight of human souls, at least some life, in the flesh, and then in dreams, be-
of which seems likely to have originated fore, during, and after, what turned out to
from such encounters (Rowland, 1978; be a protracted and complicated bereave-
Armstrong, 1959). Birds have also been ment. During that liminal period kingfisher
strongly associated with divination and dreams often preceded an appearance by
shamanism. the bird, and unusually close encounters
Some of my own most vivid experiences tended to coincide with further upwellings
around my mother's death conform to the of grief. Some of those encounters were
general schema described by Fenwick, not (and occasionally still are), marked by an
least a powerful eruption of premonitory uncanny precision of timing, and/or an in-
grief almost two years before her death, and timacy of communion quite unlike anything
a bird trying to get in through my partly I'd previously experienced. Some of the
open bedroom window after the death. dreams, meditation imagery, and visionary
(Taylor, 2012, pp. 118-20). For me, however, experiences, were (and occasionally still
because those experiences were informed are), charged with an intense world-
by previous intensities, and were integral to opening beauty. Until 'we' in the over-
my developing animist worldview and prac- developed West understand that we live in
tice, I see marked continuities between the a profoundly mindful, sentient, and agentic
phenomena reported during ELE's and world, however, communications from
other kinds of transformative experience. other-than-human beings, especially in the
More than half of Fenwick's respondents, form of dreams or visions (Hallowell, epi-
for example, report a sense of being 'called' graph) will remain inconceivable as 'real'
or 'pulled' by something or someone. moments of relationship.
These terms, that I've long used in relation My field notes - a ragged archive of per-
to bird encounters, and that others use in sonal diaries, bird and wildlife records,
relation to geomancy, are arguably para- dream diaries, and notes on divination 1
digmatic of animism understood as a rela- (free-range ornithomancy, dowsing, and as-
trology), now include over a hundred and
forty kingfisher dreams along with details
1 Divination in the broad sense of 'guidance of the sacred'. (Cornelius, 2003, pp. 129-130).
Vol. 6 No. 2 23
of what was happening in my life at the a few miles to a spot suggested by my

partner, crossed the road and went down
time. Without them I would not have been
some steps to a fishing lake, whereupon I
able to track the association between ap- almost immediately stumbled upon a bril-
pearances by kingfishers and eruptions of liantly lit Kingfisher perched on one of the
grieving, or the apparent willingness of fishing platforms, only five or six feet
away. The bird took off, unhurriedly I
these (and other) birds to portend or ac- thought, tracing a mesmerising arc of
company other human deaths - to act as sapphire light across the still green sur-
psychopomps in keeping with kingfisher face of the water. We walked quietly
round to the next pond where I immedi-
lore that speaks of the bird's 'vertue prog-
ately spotted him again - there was no red
nostick' and ability to survive death, as well on the bill, so this was a male - close to the
as situating the survival of the human soul path, at about head height, in a goat wil-
in the context of the midwinter renewal of low overhanging the water. He turned his
head briefly to look at me, then flew off
nature. again, further along the tree-lined pond.
I would not have been able to confirm, I'd never seen a kingfisher there before, so
for instance, that my most recent sequence hadn't been expecting this. Not for the
first time Alcedo Atthis left me in tears.
of kingfisher dreams occurred between
March and June 2012. At that time the birds The next day my elderly friend had a se-
were very much in my waking thoughts, but rious fall. The day after that he had an-
I was also concerned about a very dear eld- other fall, and to cut a painful story short,
was taken into hospital where he died two
erly friend whose health was failing. Be- days later.
cause the hallmark of these intensely per-
sonal moments has been a distinctive feel- In a dream on the 15th I agreed with him
ing tone, an upwelling of primal love and that “it had probably been right to be
thinking about a lift only one way, into
connection that opens the core of my be-
hospital, not back.” Then a kingfisher flew
ing, I don't want to be drawn into a dis- off along a broad canal, under a distant
course of proof here, but as an indication of bridge, skimming the water surface.
the kind of occurrence I'm talking about, I
offer the following, necessarily compressed, That afternoon I went to a place sug-
gested by the dream, and “suddenly be-
story:2 came aware of a fast flying bird, power-
ing upstream, leaving a trail of blue
On the 5th of August of that year I was light.”
feeling uncharacteristically low. We drove
2 Because of a widely accepted need to protect spiritual experience from casual disclosure, and moments of
anguish or intimacy from intrusion, such material falls under the rubric of sensitive research. I use a traffic
light protocol for auto/biogaphical writing: i) core material (red), around which a non-negotiable firewall is
maintained (ii) intermediate material (amber) that requires protective measures such as the omission of certain
aspects or details, changing names to safeguard confidentiality, or fictionalisation; and (iii) public material
( green ), that is not regarded as sensitive.
Vol. 6 No. 2 24
On the following day, after another lumi-
nous bird dream, I was in floods of tears,
remembering the intimacies of a wonder-
ful friendship.
My records show that I hadn't seen a king-

fisher since the previous November, that
these were the only two I saw during the
whole of 2012, and that I didn't meet an-
other until October 2013. There were no
further kingfisher dreams until July 2014.
My perception of that event on 5th August
was informed by many previous occur-
rences, including two startlingly synchro-
nous and equally moving showings involv- Peacock Butterfly, Aglais Io.
ing my friend's companion species.
“In opening one's self to others as com-
ANIMISMS municative beings, one places oneself in
the position of being able to experience
communication.” In her work Val Plum-
“The non-reality of spirits, like the quasi
wood challenged 'hyperseparation' and
machine reality of non-human animals
the dualism that attributes mind exclu-
and the reservation of subjectivity for hu-
mans alone, is not carved in ontological sively to humans, and advocated 'an en-
stone, after all....” Patrick Curry, 2010 , riched materialism in which matter and
mind are mutually forming'; a materialist
pp. 8-9.
spirituality grounded in gratitude, re-
spect, and ecological belonging (Bird
Deborah Bird-Rose describes participants Rose, 2013, p. 94, p. 98)
at her friend and colleague Val Plumwood's
funeral being moved by the appearance of a Butterflies are, of course, often perceived as
large butterfly that flew amongst them be- symbolising the liberation of a discarnate
fore landing on Val's body and staying there human soul from an ageing and/or
long enough for them to feel this was 'a wounded body by the transition we call
truly significant moment' before flying into death. In 1946 a twenty year old Elizabeth
the forest she had fought to protect. Bird- Kübler Ross visited the Nazi concentration
Rose, for whom the moment epitomised camp at Majdanek, where her friend had
Plumwood's philosophical animism, em- lost her husband and twelve children.
phasises the intentionality of the butterfly Walking along the rows of wooden barracks
rather than 'magic' or 'co-incidence': where perhaps three hundred thousand
Vol. 6 No. 2 25
people, “men, women, children, and entire animism. The Victorian anthropologist E.B.
families, spent their last days, and hours,” Tylor defined animism in terms of a 'belief
she found names, initials, and drawings, in souls or spirits,’ interpreted as a theo-
scratched on the walls. One image was re- retical construct designed to elucidate the
peated everywhere she looked: “Butterflies. difference between life and death, the ap-
Some crude, some quite detailed.” Only af- pearance of dream figures, and the appar-
ter twenty five years, having worked with ently conscious actions of natural phenom-
hundreds of dying people and listened to ena. (Tylor, 1871; Hunter, 2015). New Ani-
many Near Death Experiences, did she mism proposes a radically different rela-
conclude that those people must have tional and ecological understanding drawn
known they would soon be leaving their from post-colonial ethnography and dia-
bodies “the way a butterfly leaves its co- logue with indigenous traditions, the hall-
coon” (Kübler Ross, 1997, pp. 75-76). mark of which is a this-worldly focus on
Kübler Ross adopted the symbol of the respectful social and ecological relation-
butterfly in her influential work on death ship. As Graham Harvey put it: “animists
and dying, but its analogical power derives are people who recognize that the world is
only partly from the appalling context in full of persons, only some of whom are
which she discovered it. In Ancient Greek, human, and that life is always lived in rela-
psyche meant both butterfly and soul. The tionship with others” (Harvey, 2005, p. Xi;
tradition associating the flight of butterflies, 2013, pp. 1-3). Whilst welcoming this devel-
or birds, with the human soul comes to us opment for the ethical focus it contributes,
freighted with problematic associations I've been concerned that 'new' animism
from its Platonic provenance3 and a con- may, once again, be marginalising extra-
siderable history of harm done in the name ordinary experience and ways of knowing,
of spiritual transcendence (Jantzen, 1998; and in the process conceding vital ground
Brody, 2000, pp. 242-244). Variations upon a to Tylorian scientism.
'soul bird' motif can also be found, how- In The Spell of the Sensuous, David
ever, in Ancient Egypt, across the Bronze Abram took ethnographers to task for writ-
Age Middle East, in Siberian shamanism, ing extensively about shamans' relation-
and in many non-Western indigenous tra- ships with “supernatural” entities whilst
ditions (Taylor, 2012). overlooking the ecological dimension of
The apparently incommensurable dis- their craft (Abram, 1996, p. 8). Almost con-
courses of Bird-Davis and Kübler-Ross versely, however, Edith Turner and others
speak to an ongoing debate around 'new' argue that anthropologists have failed to
3 For example Plato described the body as a prison to be escaped from, regarded incarnation as a fall from
grace, and women as inferior because they were the agents of birth. The philosophical habit of thinking in
terms of hierarchical binaries is attributed to Plato. (Jantzen 1998: 62,137-8).
Vol. 6 No. 2 26
take the reality of spirits, or for instance, describe indigenous understandings that
telepathy, seriously (Turner, 1994; Shel- might be recognisable to Western spiritual-
drake, 2008). This inhibition can only have ists (for example). Hallowell's mid-twentieth
been encouraged by critiques of supernatu- century account of Ojibwe world views re-
ralism, however valid. fers to the concept of an òctcatcákwin (vital
Harvey has called for the term 'spirits' part or soul) that survives beyond death
to be abandoned because of its association and can leave the body during dreams,
with dualistic notions of the “supernatural,” when powerful other-than-human persons
and “meta-empirical” beings distort percep- or “grandfathers” can be met. He also men-
tions of non-Western shamanistic traditions the belief that a deceased human can
tions in which such beings, or 'persons,'4 reappear as a ghost or animal - “often a
are regarded as part of 'life,' or 'nature,’ or bird” (Hallowell, 1960/2002, pp. 93,101).
simply as 'neighbours' (Harvey, 2003, pp. 9- Nurit Bird-David describes Nyaka De-
11). Whilst agreeing on the cultural politics varu performances during which trance
and the need to develop post-dualistic un- states enable communication with 'prede-
derstandings, my instinct is to reclaim cessors' and devaru ('superpersons,’ includ-
'spirit' and 'soul.’ with due care, not least ing elephant-devaru and minor Hindu dei-
because their unambiguous designation of ties), and notes that 'in the modernist
'discarnate' life may be appropriate and sense' this would be termed “spirit posses-
useful, even in some non-Western indige- sion.” She also refers to piccacio - the souls
nous contexts.5 My background in 'mental of people who died alone in the forest and
health' self-advocacy informs a sense that are dangerous until helped ritually to coa-
the ontological status of visions, voices, or lesce with other ancestors and devaru.
presences, is less important than their (Bird-David, 1999). According to one of her
meaning and effect, the power relations interlocutors, however, “Bird-David tends to
surrounding them, and uses to which they conflate natural phenomena...as well as ar-
are put.6 tefacts, with the spiritual beings - malevo-
New animism draws heavily on Irving lent spirits, ancestral spirits and forest dei-
Hallowell and Nurit Bird-David’s ethno- ties - that, according to the forager’s relig-
graphic insights into animism as a rela- ious ideology, inhabit or have their ‘abode’
tional epistemology and ontology, but both in the forest, or are identified with certain
4 Harvey had just introduced Irving Hallowell's neologism for the Ojibwe non-anthropocentric conception of
personhood as 'other-than-human-persons.’ or other-than-kingfisher persons, etc. (Hallowell, 1960/2002).
5 Darby Costello, Desire and the Stars, http://www.darbycostello.co.uk/ -articles, accessed 6/4/15.
6 Many of Peter Fenwick's respondents had been reluctant to talk about deathbed visions for fear of being
thought mad. (Fenwick and Fenwick 2008).
Vol. 6 No. 2 27
figurines or icons...these two aspects of the I wonder, therefore, whether objections

forager’s life-world are distinct” (Morris, to the notion of transcendence (as opposed
2013). I am in no position to adjudicate, but to transcendental-ism) might be an anthro-
wonder whether ethnologists themselves pocentric defence? From a human existen-
are qualified to evaluate such perform- tial viewpoint nature seems riven with du-
ances. alities - none more radical than the appar-
Morris's observation that binary distinc- ent chasm between 'life' and 'death' - that
tions need not be interpreted dualistically give rise to perceptions of complete alterity.
suggests a way forward in relation to con- But what seems to be shown to people be-
temporary animisms. (Bird-David, 1999, p. fore death is a vision of continuity, a subtle
83). Patrick Curry makes a similar point in earth perhaps.
his helpful discussion of the post-secular: For Heidegger, Being as a whole reveals
itself through physis, 'nature.' Woven into
“Contingent local distinctions be- the etymology of alētheia, unconcealment, is
tween spiritual or mental and the tradition that incarnate existence en-
material...are not the problem, any tails a necessary (error of) forgetfulness.
more than are either rationality or (Farell Krell, 1993, pp. 72-4, p. 126, p. 445, p.
spirituality per se. It is their... conver- 448). From the verb phainethai, meaning 'to
sion into an ideology and programme show itself,’ we derive both phenomenology
(rationalism, spiritualism, etc.) which and the 'showings' and 'appearances' of
is pathological.” divination, a way of knowing predicated - as
indeed an animist science would be/is - on
Curry juxtaposes Merleau-Ponty's concep- respectful relationship with/in a living
tion of flesh as “the wild Being of/as the communicative world - whose mysterious
world...” with Val Plumwood's materialist depths are the stuff of dreams.
spirituality and Abram's insight that “intel-
ligence is no longer ours alone but...a BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Tylor, E.B. (1871/1913) Primitive Culture, 2

Sheldrake, R. (2008) The Extended Mind, Re- Vols, London, John Murray.
cent Experimental Evidence, Google Tech
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Taylor, B.A. (2012) Birds, Liminality, and Hu- (1998) Being Changed by Cross Cultural
man Transformation; an Animist Perspec- Encounters; the anthropology of extraordi-
tive on New Animism, The Pomegranate, nary experience, Peterborough Ontario,
14.1,108-127. Broadview Press.
A gaggle of Jackdaws chatter their way along the top of

Turner, E. (1994) A Visible Spirit Form in the hillside. Our house, where I’ve lived for almost forty
years, feels like a ship, sailing through time. The town
Zambia, in Young and Goulet, Being
continually rebuilds itself around me. Lives come and go,
Changed by Cross-Cultural Encounters, the not least in the surrounding fields, woods, and moors. I’m
Anthropology of Extraordinary Experi- told I was always something of a dreamer, but these days I
ence, Peterborough Ontario, Broadview take dreaming seriously. What brings me here is a hard
Press, pp71-98. won ‘spiritual’ connection with other-than-human beings.
https://animistjottings.wordpress.com/
NEW PUBLICATION
This book presents an interdisciplinary selection of 23 essays first pre-

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consciousness, culture and clinical research, held at the University of
Greenwich, London.
Neurotransmissions spans the sciences and humanities, from philosophy

and neuroscience though chemical models of action into clinical uses,
with a special emphasis on MDMA.
Cross-cultural approaches explore the use of psychedelics in New

Guinea, Central and South America, British free festivals, electronic music
and backwards in time to the ancient civilisations of India and Rome.
The journey ends with an exploration of the role of psychedelics in artistic

expression, spirituality and death. In the final chapter, Neurotransmissions
presents the only published account of the worldʼs first pure DMT trip.
http://strangeattractor.co.uk/books/neurotransmissions/
Vol. 6 No. 2 31
Paranormal Beliefs in College Culture:

“In my house we have a ghost named Isaiah.”
Brooke Hansen, Luke St. Clair & Jessica Mancuso
lation, Big Foot, UFOs, ghosts, crop circles

Interest in the paranormal and reports of
and the Loch Ness Monster (Lewis, 2002, p.
experiences that fall under this broad head-
14)? How do we make sense of this? In re-
ing are persistent and even on the rise in
sponse to a psychology article advocating
American culture (Lyons, 2005; Moore,
expunging students’ paranormal beliefs, a
2005; Newport & Strausberg, 2001). An-
research team was formed at Ithaca College
thropologists have long studied these phe-
to arrive at more anthropological under-
nomena under a variety of different labels
standings. Scope of belief and emic per-
(magic, religion, supernatural, witchcraft,
spectives were collected by adapting a sur-
possession, etc.), and clearly have much to
vey instrument to include collection of dis-
contribute to this area of study. Debates
course.
rage on in academic and lay circles about
Since 2010 the lead author has been
what constitutes paranormal occurrences,
teaching Anthropology of the Paranormal,
whether they are real or not and the psy-
exploring what students think about the
chological impact they have on believers.
paranormal, and how American culture de-
Anthropologists can step back and adopt
fines and articulates it in contrast with cul-
holistic and meta-perspectives on these de-
tures around the world. Some of the stu-
bates and explore what this all means in the
dents came to the class thinking that we
context of culture. We want to study peo-
would delve into the question of whether
ples’ beliefs from the perspectives of their
the paranormal is real or not, assuming that
lives and cultures. We also want to investi-
the global nature of anthropology will have
gate how different disciplines go about
some clues pointing to universal truths.
studying the paranormal and what that re-
While some truths are revealed (all cultures
veals. What does it mean when a sociologi-
have some beliefs in what we call the “su-
cal ethno-classification system defines the
pernatural” or “paranormal”), the course
paranormal as “events that violate the
really revolves around the contributions of
boundaries of current scientific belief” (ital-
theories, (such as interpretive/symbolic an-
ics added), which include ESP, cattle muti-
thropology and phenomenology), how dif-
Vol. 6 No. 2 32
ferent disciplines investigate the “paranor- stairs from the Anthropology of the Para-
mal” and explorations of the student’s own normal classroom.
interpretation of this field (See Figure 1.). As a result of pondering this call to re-
We do of course explore the subject of an- duce students’ beliefs, a research group was
thropologists writing about these experi- formed to investigate what the beliefs were
ences as real in the reflexive genre (Lee, at Ithaca College across the campus, not
1987; Messenger, 1992; Swartz, 1994; Turner, just in student subcultures, but among fac-
1994; Young & Goulet, 1994) and analyze ulty and staff as well. This led to a campus
the impact this has on the discipline of an- wide survey which pointed to significant
thropology and beyond. levels of paranormal beliefs spread across
Over the years students have generated the five schools which comprise Ithaca Col-
numerous definitions and classification sys- lege (Communications, Music, Business,
tems of the paranormal and pondered how Humanities and Sciences and Health Sci-
and why they came up with these catego- ences and Human Performance). The re-
ries, which were generated from free listed search group agreed that typical surveys
items they considered “paranormal.” Did conducted by psychologists, sociologists,
the media, their peers and/or other influ- and Gallup type organizations were limited
ences shape how they came up with these in many ways, but especially deficient in
categories? (Figure 1). We have also used a letting us into the lives of respondents to
provocative article by an Ithaca College get at their perspectives in their own words.
psychology professor titled “Reducing Stu- This type of data is generated of course in
dent Beliefs in the Paranormal” (Beins, structured and unstructured interviews we
2002) as a catalyst for class discussion and employ in the social sciences, but inter-
as an example of how different disciplines views are time consuming. The survey
go about discussing the paranormal. In the method is more commonly used across
article, Beins identifies strategies “for help- various disciplines and quick to administer,
ing students cast aside their previous be- therefore we wanted to adapt it. We felt that
liefs” and states that “the number of stu- by adding spaces to enter stories and re-
dents who are persuaded to abandon their sponses we would enhance survey data col-
beliefs in the paranormal is distressingly lection and obtain a better understanding
small” (2002, p. 44). A discourse analysis of of paranormal beliefs in the context of
the article reveals words such as “combat,” American culture. The results of the survey
“misconceptions,” “distress,” “turbulent,” are discussed and directions for further re-
“reduce,” “cognitive dissonance,” and “sub- search identified.
liminal” (2002, p. 44). The discussion of the
article was made even more immediate with
Dr. Beins’s office being located just down-
Vol. 6 No. 2 33
ined, real, a form of mental illness or other.

METHODS The survey was constructed after reviewing
and discussing similar instruments (Har-
During the spring of 2013, a research team
rold & Eve, 1995; Lewis, 2002; Newport &
organized by the lead author developed and
Strausberg, 2001; Tobacyk, 2004). We con-
administered a college wide survey about
curred that surveys are informative for
the paranormal to elicit responses about
overall trends, but do not let us inside the
how the paranormal is defined and if re-
“black box” of belief where discourse can
spondents held beliefs and/or knew some-
provide us with insights about what these
one who experienced out of body experi-
beliefs are in the context of cultures and
ences, near death experiences, ghosts/
subcultures. The survey was developed in
spirits, hauntings, telepathy, miracle or un-
Qualtrics to accommodate yes/no/unsure
explained healing, angels and demonic
answers and to provide a write-in box for
presences. Questions were also included
definitions, clarifications, explanations and
about religious/spiritual affiliation and be-
stories. It was advertised on the college’s
liefs in luck, superstitions and UFOs/aliens.
main internet news and information outlet.
Despite long standing local lore about a
lake monster in Cayuga Lake, we did not GENERAL FINDINGS
ask respondents if they believed “Cayuga
Katie” existed. Respondents were asked if There were 137 responses to the survey
they perceived these phenomena as imag- representing all five schools at Ithaca Col-
Vol. 6 No. 2 34
lege. Not all respondents answered all the liefs” in these categories (23% for students
questions. Ages ranged from 18-62 with the and 22% for faculty and staff). When com-
majority of respondents being college-aged paring staff and faculty some interesting
students (74%) mostly from the northeast, patterns emerged. Faculty were more sure
predominantly New York State. Staff ac- of themselves in declaring yes or no for be-
counted for 21% of responses and faculty lief. For NDEs, ghosts/spirits and telepathy
5%. While a majority of all respondents not one faculty member reported being un-
held beliefs in ghosts (60%), possession sure. They indicated 87% belief and 17%
(57%), near death experiences (80%), and disbelief in all three categories. Staff
out of body experiences (55%), fewer indi- showed greater belief than faculty in out of
cated beliefs in telepathy (48%), angels body experiences (67% versus 50 %), angels
(44%), aliens (42%) and demons (33%). Many (50% versus 40%), demons (27% versus 17%)
people answered they were unsure about and UFOS (50% versus 17%). Faculty
these phenomena. Students, faculty and showed greater belief than staff for telepa-
staff from the school of Humanities and thy (83% versus 71%) and ghosts (83% ver-
Sciences comprised 51% of the respon- sus 68%). Given the relatively small num-
dents, followed by Communications with bers of faculty and staff who participated in
25%, Health Sciences and Human Perform- the survey (26%), it may be difficult to make
ance with 11%, Music with 7% and Business generalizations without further surveys. To
with 6%. In keeping with similar surveys on explain these differences that are present,
the paranormal (Lewis, 2002), 72% of the we will have to pursue follow up interviews.
respondents were female, 27% male and 1% In terms of religious/spiritual affiliation,
preferred not to be identified by these two respondents were asked to “check all that
gender categories. apply” and the breakdown was as follows:
College culture includes students, staff
and faculty and there were some interesting # Answer Response %
differences between the groups. Using an 1 Religious 45 36%
aggregate of seven commonly mentioned 2 Spiritual 61 49%

paranormal phenomena (out of body expe- 3 Agnostic 18 14%
riences, NDEs, ghosts/spirits, telepathy, an- 4 Atheist 23 18%
gels, demons and UFOs) faculty and staff
5 Other 8 6%
showed a greater amount of belief (59%)
6 Undecided 19 15%
than students (50%). Students were more
unsure (27%) than faculty and staff (19%) if
The text box that followed this section
these existed, which might be explained by
asked “If you checked religious and/or
age differences and life experiences. Both
spiritual, how would you describe your-
groups were more or less equal in “no be-
Vol. 6 No. 2 35
self?” and produced over one hundred de- • Pagan

scriptions which were very interesting.
• JEW!
These descriptions would also be useful in
a study on religious/spiritual affiliation and • Quaker
diversity in northeastern mid-sized college
campuses. Some of the discourses in- • Abrahamic
cluded:
• Alcoholics Anonymous (belief in Higher
• I am a Christian, though I realize that Power, bettering oneself and the Seren-
that definition can be considered a ity Prayer)
broad categorization. I believe that
Christianity is all about one's relation- • Tibetan Buddhist
ship with God and how we reflect that
in our daily life. Many times non- • I am Roman Catholic
Christians assume that Christianity is all
about good works. It is to a certain ex- • Taoism, Buddhism and a splash of
tent, though it should never be the basis Christianity
of it.
• Mediocre
• Unaffiliated with any organized relig-
ion. I feel like there's no way to prove • Definitely post "Death of God." Relig-
that there is a higher power, and that ion involves the construction of symbols
there is no way to disprove it, so the im- and parables which enable us to talk
passe is natural. I don't, however, rule about what some theologians have de-
out that there is some higher power and scribed as "the beyond in our midst' or
I do believe in the spirit. "ground of Being."
• I believe there are forces beyond human • I believe the mind is likely a quantum
comprehension and that they affect our computation, as is the entire Universe,
lives....go karma! and our perception of a self may be a
manifestation of the neural network in
• Primarily Roman Catholic but a self- our cereberal (sic) cortex limited its sen-
practicing one. Do not regularly attend sory inputs. I believe the quantum state
church and believe some things which may be preserved after the destruction of
the church does not. the brain.
• I follow Jesus; it's a lifestyle • I believe in an overarching God that is

not good or evil but just. Also that God is
• I am unsure of my beliefs and continue in nature and that there are lesser gods
to pursue education on the topic
Vol. 6 No. 2 36
that have different purposes in our ion and the paranormal go hand in hand,”
world, similar to shamanism/Shintoism. but Bader and colleagues found that some
church attendance can increase beliefs in
What is clear from this data is that 85% of
the paranormal but “once attendance is
respondents, self-identifying as religious/
greater than once a month, however, para-
spiritual, represented a range of different
normal belief drops dramatically” (Bader et
religious perspectives and held a wide vari-
al., 2010, p. 98). Lewis (2002), in his socio-
ety of paranormal beliefs. When aggregated
logical analysis based on survey data, found
by belief in seven common categories - out
in general positive correlations between
of body experiences, NDEs, ghosts/spirits,
spirituality scores and some paranormal
telepathy, angels, demons and UFOs -
beliefs, but the connections depended on
religious/spiritual respondents indicated
the specifics. “Respondents’ interest level,
65% belief, 23% unsure and 12% reported
spirituality, gender, and personal experience
these phenomena do not exist. As one
were related to many of the variables, yet
might expect, a different pattern emerged
these relationships varied from phenomena
for those self-labeling as atheist. They indi-
to phenomena and were not predictive of
cated 22% belief, 15% unsure and 63% re-
most beliefs” (2002, p. 157).
porting these phenomena do not exist. It is
When examining the role of personal
interesting to ponder how at least some
experience (from either the respondent or
people considering themselves atheist did
someone they know), it is clear that it par-
indicate belief in UFOs, demons and
tially - but not totally - accounts for belief.
ghosts. None said angels exist. Taking the
For example, of the 80% that believed in
people who checked they were “other” or
near death experiences, 36% cited having
“undecided” in their religion/spirituality,
an experience themselves or knowing
50% indicated belief, 35% were unsure and
someone who did. Including all responses
15% reported no belief in these seven para-
on the survey, no one thought NDEs were
normal phenomena. As with other areas of
indicative of mental illness and 51% con-
the survey, we wish we had included write-
sidered them “real experiences; making
in boxes for “other” and “undecided” peo-
contact with an alternative plane.” Dis-
ple and the “not sure” if it exists or “does
course was collected from 13% of all re-
not exist” categories. These likely contain
spondents who wanted to describe the
much nuanced cultural information to help
NDE. Some of these short descriptions in-
us understand the landscape of paranormal
cluded:
beliefs in America.
The complex relationships between re-
• Medical – my grandmother went into
ligious and paranormal beliefs have been
cardiac arrest and was brought back
studied by many with mixed conclusions. with CPR. I completely believe she was
“[O]ne might become convinced that relig- somewhere else before she was revived
Vol. 6 No. 2 37
• After an operation I felt and over- The “other” category showed culturally in-
whelming peace come over me with a fluenced responses from neuroscience, in
relaxing “last breath.” Next thing I
addition to other ideas about NDEs that
knew doctors were explaining to me that
could be further explored in follow up in-
my heart stopped and they had worked
on me for several hours to bring me back depth interviews. We believe that more at-
to life. tention needs to be paid to these categories
of “other: please explain” or “unsure.” They
• I have talked with people who almost
account for a significant portion of re-
died & they told me their near death ex-
sponses in paranormal surveys such as the
periences.
2001 Gallup Poll (Newport & Strausberg,
• I was deathly ill and distinctly remem- 2001). In our study 11% of people were un-
ber the top of the doctors heads and the sure about whether or not NDEs existed. In
door - AND the whispered conversa- relation to the existence of ghosts/spirits
tion...
the unsure responses were 27%, for telepa-
The majority of respondents (51%) thought thy 22%, for angels 32%, for demons 36%,
NDEs were real, 16% thought they were for UFOs 32% and 25% were unsure if
“purely imagined and never actually hap- “dreams can give messages from spirits/
pen” and the interesting category for an- deceased loved ones or foretell events.” We
thropologists to explore is the “other: included follow up text boxes for experi-
please explain” category which accounted ences where respondents indicated belief
for 33% of responses. Reference to scien- (for out of body experiences, NDEs, ghosts/
tific fields was evident in the “other” expla- spirits, black magic, telepathy, miracle/
nations: unexplained healing, angels, demons, and
UFOs), but not for disbelief or unsure be-
• Neurons firing in response to being near lief. In future surveys with write-in re-
death (body shutting down) sponses, we would most certainly advocate
for including additional questions about
• The brain's neurons reacting to sudden
cell death why people were unsure and what kinds of
evidence or experiences would sway them
• Very unsure have witnessed it either way.
• A neurological and chemical process This section outlined some of the gen-
eral responses on the survey. The next sec-
• Again, it depends, but I think people
tions address key areas in paranormal stud-
make them up, or are triggered by some
ies regarding definitions of the paranormal
drug or illness, than the real deal.
and beliefs and stories about ghosts, spirits
• Chemicals produced by the body and hauntings as these constitute a central
nexus of paranormal culture in America.
Vol. 6 No. 2 38
WHAT IS THE PARANORMAL? • Unexplainable, intangible instances of
WHY DO PEOPLE BELIEVE IN IT? something that can't be explained by
science or logic. Not everyone experi-
To elicit student, staff and faculty construc- ences the paranormal in the same way.
tions of the paranormal we asked respon- • Unable to be explained by scientific ra-
dents to “list all of the examples of the tionale
paranormal that you can think of” and to
• Paranormal are experiences with out-
provide “your definition of the paranor-
side forces that do/cannot exist on our
mal.” While ghosts and spirits dominated
plane of living but are still visible to us.
the free listing, examples of the paranormal
also included aliens, demons, angels, Ber- • Anything man cannot describe within
muda Triangle, devils, vampires, UFOs, Big the contexts of science, logic, or reason-
Foot, Loch Ness Monster, clairvoyance, ESP, ing.
telepathy, ParaNORMAN (referring to the • Anything there is little evidence for/
2012 film), banshees, “poltergeyts,” déjà vu, science cannot prove its existence
zombies, monsters and werewolves. This
• Anything that could be defined as "of
seemingly disparate assemblage of items
another world" because it is not typical
has been generated, linked and reified in on Earth.
the context of American culture through
media, popular culture and even academia.
• Phenomena that cannot be explained by
science
Denizens of American culture and its many
subcultures are frequently prompted about • Some living force unexplained or does
what is “paranormal” or “supernatural” in not fully fit the definition of living. Some
shows such as Weird or What? (Discovery examples are ghosts, demons, and angels
Channel), songs such as Thriller by Michael • Paranormal is anything that is outside
Jackson, numerous films, popular books of the realm of what is to be expected.
and academic treatises (e.g., Bader et al.,
• The paranormal is phenomena that we
2010; Hansen, 2001). Conceptions of how
can't explain. The more we try to under-
the paranormal is defined in American cul-
stand it, the less we come to a conclusion
ture may also be shaped by taking a class in about it. The paranormal is real, and we
Anthropology of the Paranormal. should be careful about it. Not scared,
Respondents were asked to provide but careful.
their definition of the paranormal which
• Things that do not exist in the real
included the following:
world - ghosts, aliens, etc.
• The paranormal is the abnormal or cer- • No Such Thing. I honestly can't believe
tain activity that can be demonic and
that you feel it is necessary to ask these
strange to most people. questions, so know going in that any
Vol. 6 No. 2 39
person believing in these ideas should of asking this question in the Anthropology
never be taken seriously and they should of the Paranormal class, students have yet
be mocked.
to come up with more fitting terminology.
The cultural themes coded in these an- Young & Goulet, in their volume on an-
swers are ones we would expect given the thropologists discussing their own experi-
American cultural emphasis on an ordered, ences, state that “extraordinary experiences
explainable, Newtonian world. Rationality, related in this book should not be de-
normality and culturally shaped dualisms scribed as ‘paranormal’ or ‘supernatural.’
permeate the responses. The axes of real/ Such terms imply distinctions such as real
u n r e a l , l i v i n g / d e a d , i n s i d e / o u t s i d e, versus unreal, or normal versus abnormal
explainable/unexplainable, logical/illogical, which exclude, rather than invite, serious
normal/abnormal and science/imagination intellectual consideration” (1994, p. 8). Yet
are clear in this small sampling of discourse “extraordinary” implies an opposing state of
(120 people provided definitions). the “ordinary.” If numerous polls over the
While these dualisms are inherent in last several decades, including ours, indi-
respondents’ definitions, it is interesting to cate a majority of Americans reporting be-
note that many people are questioning liefs in NDEs, ghosts and angels, perhaps
what might be in the divide between the these beliefs are not so out of the ordinary.
dualisms as evidenced in the numerous One does not have to foray far in the an-
“unsure” answers and also in the beliefs thropological literature to see that other
that there is something in between the liv- cultures consider relationships with the
ing and the dead. As anthropologists have spirit world as quite ordinary; these rela-
long recognized, there is much fodder for tionships are found within the realm of
our investigations and analyses in the limi- daily life and nature, not outside it or above
nal spaces between categories where we it.
find the “undead,” NDEs and numerous In addition to exploring how the para-
other phenomena that do not adhere nicely normal is defined, the question must also
to Newtonian standards or clearly defined be asked why people have beliefs in the
binary dualisms. Scholars have acknowl- paranormal. In retrospect, we wish we had
edged that the use of the terms “paranor- included this question on the survey to see
mal” and “supernatural” reify the dualisms how people would respond. In academia,
with their connotations of binary compari- this question is asked – and answered – in a
sons of nature and normality versus those variety of ways depending on the data and
experiences or beings which lay outside of disciplinary orientation. As Swartz notes,
these constructs (Young & Goulet, 1998). anthropologists often use functional and
What other terms might we use to move structural theories to explain “extraordi-
away from this quandary? During five years nary” experiences, although she warns that
Vol. 6 No. 2 40
by doing this we might be implying that (Bader et al., 2010, p. 129). These explana-
“our informant’s premises are false” (1994, tions seem outdated given the prevalence of
p. 209). We most certainly do not want to do beliefs and noticeability of the paranormal
this, so care must be taken. We believe that in popular culture and media. As Bader and
we can adopt functionalist analyses of colleagues conclude in their sociological
paranormal beliefs without making as- analyses of paranormal America, many as-
sumptions that they are not real or that sessments oversimplify paranormal beliefs
they are just “supernatural solutions to and do not take account of the fact that
earthly troubles” (Bader et al., 2010, p. 129). “believing in something paranormal has
become the norm in our society” (ibid, p.
Anthropologists and sociologists, in 129). Given this landscape, do people be-
contrast [to parapsychologists], are not lieve because those around them believe?
concerned with the ontological reality Has it become normative to believe? In a
of paranormal beliefs. Rather their in- study of “making sense of ghostly encoun-
terest focuses on the social and cul- ters” Hirsch and colleagues found “In most
tural functions that such beliefs serve. cases, our participants reached for explana-
Psychologists are perhaps the most tions for their experiences from family,
skeptical about the accuracy of para- friends and their community, which sup-
normal beliefs, and some of their work ports social impact theory as described by
has proceeded on the assumption that Markovsky and Thye (2001)” (Hirsch et al.,
such beliefs are basically misguided 2014, p. 8). Respondents in our study pro-
and maladaptive. Others retain a more vided many vignettes of the experiences of
open mind about the possibility that family and friends, thus supporting social
our current scientific understanding impact theory:
may be incomplete. Their work in-
stead explores how such beliefs have • Out of Body Experience: “my grand-
arisen and what psychological func- mother watched from above when she
tion they may serve. (Watt & Wiseman, was in the hospital”
2009, p. vii)
• Out of Body Experience: “My mother
has several out body experiences, the one
Sociological and Marxist interpretations she openly told me about was after she
have “argued that religious and paranormal gave birth to me--she was floating over
beliefs will be the province of the down- her body as they stitched and cleaned
trodden…Other religion scholars have her up. The farthest she went away from
theorized that paranormal beliefs represent her body was outside her medical room,
comparatively new and fringe elements of she saw her family waiting for her.”
the American religious marketplace…”
Vol. 6 No. 2 41
• Telepathy: “My grandfather knew and her eyes were totally black (again,
when my mother had been hit by a truck they prayed and she was healed).”
and he was two miles away.”
• Demons: “My father-in-law, a minister,
• Telepathy: “My friend's aunt has this served in an exorcism of what he called
incredible ability - no matter how far a possessed doll. Long story. Multiple
away she is - to sense when something's witnesses.”
wrong. For example, my friend had a
Theories for beliefs follow the contours of
horrific day and was crying, and as soon
as she stopped crying for a bit, an email the disciplines attempting to explain them.
popped in from her aunt that said, Depending on what this vantage point is,
"hey..i feel you..are you okay?" My paranormal (and “occult” type) beliefs
friend hadn't contacted her aunt in might be categorized as regression to a
weeks prior to that, so we were all more infantile stage, anti-intellectual, es-
amazed. She does things like that all the capist, culturally relativistic, innovative,
time.”
functional, rebellious, and/or paradigm
• Angels: “My mother believes her de- shifting in acknowledging a new quantum
ceased relatives who were close to her in reality (Adler, 1986). Our challenge is to de-
real life are her guardian angels” velop more complex models of theorizing
belief that are flexible, comprehensive and
• Angels: “My aunt Lily, they were lost in not ethnocentric (as in demanding such be-
Austria--they could not find the right liefs be expunged).
way back to their hotel. She says that a
man large and tall (abnormally) came GHOSTS, SPIRITS AND HAUNTINGS:
out of nowhere and hailed a cab for
A CENTRAL NEXUS IN AMERICAN
them. He spoke in German (or so they
PARANORMAL BELIEFS
think) to the cabby, opened the door for
her and her friends. When they were all
Because ghosts, spirits and hauntings are
in they turned to say, Thank you but he
prominent within paranormal themes in
was gone. The taxi driver took them to
where they were staying that week.” American culture, in no small part due to
the media, the survey asked for not only the
• Demons: “But yeah, I've had actually a presence of belief, experiences of self/
lot of friends who've dealt with this. One others, and stories, it also asked if there was
of them had a demon in her dorm room, a definable difference between ghosts and
and several times she saw it hovering spirits. As indicated above, 59% of people
over her bed (eventually she prayed and
believe in ghosts/spirits, with an additional
it left). Another friend was on a mission
20% unsure and 21% reporting no belief. Of
trip and one of the people there started
speaking in this really weird, dead voice, those saying “yes” 38% said there was a
qualifiable difference between these spec-
Vol. 6 No. 2 42
tral beings (35% were not sure and 27% said times and what is left of us when we are
no). We clearly should have also included a reincarnated.
prompt about how the soul is similar or dif- • I'm not sure I believe in ghosts but think
ferent. that if they do exist they are spirits left
on this earth due to an un-resolved ac-
• A ghost is a form that belongs to some- tion which resulted in their deaths. I be-
one who once was dead. A spirit is a lieve spirits are the spirits of those who
very spiritual being that began as a have passed on who are present for
spirit and not a person. A spirit can be those left on earth, to both witness that
morally good or bad. which occurs in their lives but also to
provide comfort to those who are open to
• I wouldn't use the word ghost at all, but
sensing their presence.
I do believe in a spiritual realm that can
occasionally interact with this world as • To me a spirit does not have a tangible
well. I believe in angels and demons form (invisible, but sensed) whereas a
fighting for control of this world. ghost does (is visible).
• A ghost is the remnant of a person once • A ghost is someone/something that has

their physical being has left this world. never crossed over; a spirit is a visitor
A spirit is the same as the soul to me, from Heaven
what's inside of us that makes us who
• A ghost has a seemingly "physical"
we are.
presence (the "white sheet" idea, like
• A ghost is a remnant of a soul that's Casper) and can have characteristics
trapped. A spirit is like a soul, and much identified. A spirit is more of an invisible
more friendly. Often a helper and not a being
hinderer.
• Ghosts have more of a spooky connota-
• Spirits are benevolent and are more of a tion than spirits.
presence than a being/visible haunt.
• A ghost may be able to be seen or some-
• Ghost is someone who died and cannot thing in the room may move to signify
move on while a spirit is a natural entity their presence. A spirit is just a feeling or
usually relating to something in nature. someone's presence or guidance.
• “In my house we have a ghost named • Ghosts have more of a malicious intent.
Isaiah.” Spirits are more helpful and watchful.
• I think of ghosts as people who have not • A ghost is stuck behind for a reason. It
moved on. They people who in life ex- may have more sorrow, or regret and
isted in the realm of the hungry ghosts generally are still here because of nega-
and things haven't changed. Spirit in tive events. A spirit is a brief presence,
my opinion is the thing that survives life- meant to travel on shortly after complet-
ing some last business. Sometimes to
Vol. 6 No. 2 43
guide or protect. Never believed to have faculty (83%) and staff (68%) than students
malicious intent. (56%) but there were many students who
• A ghost is what you find in story books were unsure (23%). Interestingly, students
and cartoons...spirits are the energy that were more apt to believe in demons (36%)
leave the body after death. It doesn't than faculty (17%) or staff (27%). In general
necessarily have a form or shape, but it we concur that young people are likely
exists more exposed to paranormal pop culture.
Most participants commented on inter-
A thematic analysis of this sampling of re-
personal experiences over intrapersonal
sponses leads - again - to binary axes:
experiences:
benevolent/malevolent, free/trapped,
heavenly/earthly, invisible/visible and • My bedroom door used to creak open of
nature/human. As with definitions of the its own, which isn’t out of the ordinary.
paranormal, these binaries fit in perfectly But when I was little I used to think it
within American cultural ideologies that was Jesus coming to visit me so one day
organize the world through assessments of when I was 9 or 10 my door opened and
I said “come on in, Jesus” and then the
good versus evil, the perceived differences
door shut all by itself. I don’t know if it
between humans and nature and physical-
was really Jesus who came into my
ity versus invisibility. Additional thematic room, but I was amazed.
dimensions should be added to distinguish
ghosts from spirits including degree of • I once experienced sleep paralysis, and I
spookiness, morality, purposefulness, asso- was absolutely terrified to find a large,
shadowy figure creeping towards me.
ciation with reincarnation and relationship
to angels and demons. The prevalence of • A couple of my friends say they have
these themes in the media, especially in seen ghosts. One claims they saw a spirit
paranormal and ghost hunting shows, is in my house.
worthy of note here. The fact that one re- • I’ve seen ghosts most of my life. I not
spondent cited Casper as an example of the only see, but hear and feel them, such as
physicality of ghosts is exemplary. their emotions at that present moment.
The most written discourse on the en-
• My partner removes ghosts from houses.
tire survey was in the section on personal
experiences with ghosts and spirits. New- • My friend saw his girlfriend’s dead fam-
port & Strausberg (2001) and Lyons (2005) ily come to his house.
noted that younger Americans were more • My best friend, when I took her home to
apt to believe in hauntings and ghosts over the Philippines, saw a blue orb hovering
the older participants, who had a higher over my brother our first night there.
belief in demons. In our study, greater be- Ghost—I was sleeping over my grand-
lief was demonstrated in ghosts/spirits from mother’s house and drinking milk late
Vol. 6 No. 2 44
before bed, I look out the window (with moved from the fringe of social acknow-
short white curtains) and the wind blew. ledgement to a form of popular culture.
It was a white lady (lady in white) float-
Many responses did not involve the indi-
ing towards me.
vidual having a visual experience, but
• My mother (as a child) was in the base- rather that unexplained sensory phenom-
ment and my grandmother heard her ena was attributed to a ghost or spirit. The
talking to someone. They both her a presence of belief based on interpersonal
male voice responding so my grand-
experiences may echo a cultural change; the
mother ran down the stairs and my
younger generation may be moving away
mother introduced the man she was
from organized religious institutions while
talking to, but when my mother turned
around, he was gone. maintaining a belief in the spiritual
through the paranormal.
• We had a ghost in our house. It’s gone
now! CONCLUSION
• Sensory experiences directly related to a
deceased relative (smells, sensations) Though all surveys are flawed by biases re-
spondents may have about the subject mat-
• I have actually had multiple friends who ter, we can conclude there are beliefs in the
have seen or interacted with spirits. Not
paranormal at Ithaca College among stu-
ghosts, though.
dents, staff and faculty. While other surveys
• I had friends tell me in their apartment, have been done to assess students’ beliefs
ghosts were moving furniture and (e.g., Lewis, 2002), college culture includes
slamming doors. faculty and staff as well. This more holistic
• I live on an old graveyard, and a few cultural approach should be taken when
times I’ve seen ghosts walk across my collecting data. Although only 26% of the
room. survey reflects faculty and staff responses,
we can certainly affirm that some have sig-
The majority of responses indicated that nificant beliefs in the paranormal. There
belief in ghosts and spirits was supported are differences between faculty and staff
by interpersonal encounters. In addition, that require further research to under-
responses indicated that the identity of the stand. A more focused recruitment ap-
entities revolved around members of the proach may be needed to obtain more fac-
family. The prevalence of interpersonal ex- ulty and staff responses. Although none of
periences may reflect a change in cultural the faculty in the Ithaca College Anthro-
standing that is shaped through the influ- pology Department took the survey, two of
ence of the media; paranormal experiences them have given guest lectures in the An-
are more culturally rational than before. thropology of the Paranormal class discuss-
The belief of ghosts and spirits may have ing their own “extraordinary” experiences
Vol. 6 No. 2 45
and a third faculty member has a chapter in models that might not fit with lived experi-
Goulet and Miller’s edited volume Extraor- ence? Tom Shadyac’s statement comes to
dinary Anthropology: Transformations in the mind, from his provocative film titled I Am,
Field (Nuttall, 2007). “the shift is about to hit the fan” (Shadyac
Social and behavioral scientists who use & Hartmann, 2012). Shadyac explores a
surveys to assess the paranormal should possible transition from a Newtonian era in
delve into the cracks of belief and inside science and thought to an emergence into a
the black boxes of small and large scale new paradigm based on connection, quan-
surveys to see what is inside by at least in- tum physics and recent findings from
cluding text options. By adding the dis- prominent academics and researchers.
course boxes to the standard survey in- One of the inspirations for the forma-
strument we were able to collect emic tion of the Ithaca College research group
statements by respondents that aided in the that conducted the survey was an article
analysis and led to future research direc- published by the American Psychological
tions. Survey data, with or without write-in Association on reducing student beliefs in
boxes, should be followed up with in-depth the paranormal to help them become more
interviews. critical thinkers (Beins, 2002). While the ar-
Many of the discourses collected in the ticle focused on using counter-attitudinal
survey about definitions of the paranormal advocacy, a technique where students argue
seem firmly embedded in American culture against their own beliefs to see if they can
and the prevalent dualisms such as life/ be changed, the meta-analysis we are
death, visible/invisible, normal/abnormal adopting asks why paranormal beliefs were
and science/imagination. However, because used and not beliefs in religion, family,
so many respondents indicated they were higher education or democracy. In an as-
not sure if the paranormal phenomena ex- signment where students in the Anthropol-
isted or did not exist, we recommend fur- ogy of the Paranormal class reflected on the
ther research be done. We should examine article, some have stated: “I think that this
how this relates to dissatisfactions with the is ethnocentric because the author is com-
dualistic American cultural constructions of pletely assuming that there is zero legiti-
the paranormal. Are they rejecting the “ex- macy in paranormal experiences/accounts.”
ists” and ”does not exist” options because Another student commented:
there are more relativistic or postmodern
interpretations? Are they unsure because These psychologists are basically say-
they have not seen it themselves or heard ing that there can only be one right
about it from their close social networks? answer and it’s a scientific one. I feel it
Are we in a paradigm shift where there is a is a very narrow-minded approach to
move away from the Newtonian inspired the questions humanity has about the
Vol. 6 No. 2 46
universe. On the other hand, I do feel consideration, anthropology will have

that students, as well as anyone, taken steps towards seeing the human
should question their beliefs. I do side in the paranormal. (Lee, 1987, p.
think it’s important to know both 74)
sides of the story and try to under-
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Wadsworth. Tobacyk, J. (2004). A revised paranormal be-
lief scale. The international journal of
Moore, D.W. (2005). Three in four Ameri- transpersonal studies (23): 94-98.
cans believe in paranormal. Gallup poll
news service, June 16. Retrieved 5/10/ Turner, E.B. (1994). A visible spirit form in
2015 from Zambia. In D.E. Young & J.-G. Goulet
http://www.gallup.com/poll/16915/Thre (Eds.), Being changed: The Anthropology
e-Four-Americans-Believe-Paranormal. of extraordinary experience (pp. 71-95).
aspx
Vol. 6 No. 2 48
Peterborough, Canada: Broadview Brooke Hansen is a cultural and medical anthro-

pologist with specialties in contemporary Native
Press.
American and Hawaiian culture, food studies, an-
thropology of tourism, medical pluralism, integra-
Young, D.E. & Goulet, J.-G. (Eds.) (1994).
tive medicine, applied anthropology and public an-
Being changed: The anthropology of ex-
thropology. She teaches field classes in both Native
traordinary experience. Peterborough,
America and Hawaii during summer and winter ses-
Canada: Broadview Press. sions. She co-founded both Native American Stud-
ies and Integrative Health Studies and has served as
Watt, Caroline and Richard Wiseman. 2009. coordinator of both programs. Other administrative
Forward. In H. Irwin The psychology of positions include Chair of the Anthropology De-
paranormal belief: A researcher’s hand- partment and Chair of the Pre-doctoral Diversity
book (pp. vii-viii). Hertfordshire, Eng- Fellowship Program. She teaches a course on ‘An-
land: University of Hertfordshire Press. thropology and the Paranormal’ at Ithaca College.
NEW PUBLICATION
It is from the paranormalʼs multifaceted nature that

the title of this book takes its meaning. Throughout
its pages we encounter, time and again, talk of a
wide variety of dimensions, levels and layers, from
social, cultural, psychological and physiological di-
mensions, to spiritual, mythic, narrative, symbolic
and experiential dimensions, and onwards to other
worlds, planes of existence and realms of con-
sciousness. The paranormal is, by its very nature,
multidimensional.
"Once again, Jack Hunter takes us down the pro-

verbial rabbit hole, here with the grace, nuance and
sheer intelligence of a gifted team of essayists,
each working in her or his own way toward new
theories of history, consciousness, spirit, the imagi-
nation, the parapsychological, and the psychedelic.
Another clear sign that there is high hope in high
strangeness, and that we are entering a new era of
thinking about religion, about mind, about us."
- Jeffrey J. Kripal, author of Authors of the Impossi-

ble: The Paranormal and the Sacred.
Vol. 6 No. 2 49
Experiential Skepticism and an Exploration of

Mediumship and Life After Death
Elliot Benjamin
Abstract
This article describes a “researcher-based experiential research” approach to an exploration

of mediumship and life after death. More specifically, the qualitative research methodology
of autoethnography, as used by the author in his Ph.D dissertation and previous post-
dissertation research in the above topic, is described, followed by an illustrative description
of the author’s more recent related experiential research. The twofold nature of skepticism
involving “the most skeptical scrutiny of all hypotheses that are served up to us and at the
same time a great openness to new ideas,” a quote taken from a lecture on skepticism given
by Carl Sagan in 1987, is the core premise of this essay. Along these lines, another quote
from Sagan, this one involving his belief that certain aspects in the field of extrasensory
perception (ESP) “deserve serious study” is described, in a context that may shed some light
on possibly gaining more understanding of what may take place in communications from
some mediums some of the time. This essay advocates that skeptics thoroughly investigate
high quality parapsychological research, with the kind of openness that Sagan suggested.
In the inscription to Michael Shermer’s

It is in this demanding context of skepti-
book Why People Believe Weird Things, the
cism that I consider myself to be a skeptic
following quote from Carl Sagan’s 1987 The
when it comes to investigating some of the
Burden of Skepticism Pasadena lecture is in-
popular current trends in religion and
cluded:
spirituality throughout the world. The title
of my 2012 Ph.D dissertation is An Experi-
It seems to me what is called for is an
ential Exploration of the Possibility of Life af-
exquisite balance between two con- ter Death Through the Ostensible Communica-
flicting needs: the most skeptical scru- tions of Mediums with Deceased Persons (Ben-
tiny of all hypotheses that are served jamin, 2012), and my approach was a reflex-
up to us and at the same time a great ive open-minded agnostic investigation that
openness to new ideas (Shermer, 2002, I believe was entirely consistent with the
inscription).
Vol. 6 No. 2 50
above context of skepticism as described by traditional quantitative and qualitative re-

Sagan. search approaches to the same research
However, an essential ingredient in my question, I believe that this inclusion adds
agnostic/skepticism investigative research is an extremely valuable dimension to an ex-
to make use of my own experiences as part tensive exploration of what is being
of my research exploration. This can be researched.4
considered to be an extension of the quali- The basic theme of this research meth-
tative research methodology of participant odology is an important part of what
observation (Creswell, 2007). In particular, I philosopher/psychologist William James
used this form of qualitative research in my (1912/1976) described in his theory of “radi-
dissertation in the context of autoethno- cal empiricism” over a hundred years ago.
graphic research. Autoethnography was ini- The following quote from William Braud &
tially developed in the 1970s largely Rosemary Anderson (1998) gives a good il-
through the efforts of sociologist Carolyn lustration of what James had in mind:
Elis (2004; 2009), and it involves “the inter-
play of introspective, personally engaged Any and all sources of evidence, ways
self-reflections with cultural descriptions of knowing, and ways of working with
mediated through language, history, and and expressing knowledge, findings,
ethnographic explanation” (Chang, 2008, p. and conclusions can be brought to
46). The basic idea of autoethnography, and b e a r o n t h e i s s u e s b e i n g r e-
the term I have coined as “researcher-based searched—There is an epistemological
experiential research” (Benjamin, 2012),2 is stance of what William James (1912/
to complement more traditional quantita- 1976) called radical empiricism—a
tive experimental research, as well as more stance that excludes anything that is
traditional qualitative research that focuses not directly experienced but includes
on the experiences of others, with the re- everything that is directly experienced,
searcher’s own relevant experiences in re- by anyone involved in the research
gard to what is being researched. effort. Thus, the research participants’
Autoethnographic research allows for subjective experiences and self-
the researcher’s deep relevant experiences perceptions are treated as valid data,
to be expressed, formulated, analyzed, and as are the experiences and percep-
evaluated. Needless to say, this enters the tions of the investigator. There is an
subjective territory of the researcher.3 important place for intuitive, tacit, and
However, with the assumption that the re- direct knowing; for various arational
searcher has been thoroughly trained in ways of processing information; and
both research methodology and self- for a variety of forms of creative ex-
awareness, along with a balancing of more
Vol. 6 No. 2 51
pression in conducting and communi- tific models to explain the hypothetical

cating research (p. 241) phenomenon of life after death
However, I am very aware of my own in-
MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENTIAL clinations in this regard, and I thoroughly
MEDIUMSHIP RESEARCH discuss my thoughts and feelings in Part 4,
as part of my autoethnographic, heuristic,
To give an illustration of my motivation in
and intuitive inquiry self-reflections. And I
utilizing my own research experiences in
will add that I believe my mathematical and
the context of autoethnography in explor-
scientific state of mind is an excellent bal-
ing mediumship for my dissertation re-
ance for my philosophical/spiritual inclina-
search, I am including the following excerpt
tions; a balance that has enabled me to ac-
form the Personal Background section of
quire a penetrating and effective agnostic
my dissertation.
perspective to explore my research ques-
My personal background lends itself
tions (Benjamin, 2012, p. 13).
well to my research question, as I have a
I summarized the conclusions to my
longtime intensive interest in understand-
dissertation research in regard to my sec-
ing the nature of life, whether there is a
ond research question pertaining to the
God, and the question of what happens to
possibility of life after death being a bona
us when we die. This was undoubtedly pre-
fide phenomenon, as follows: Fraud per se is
cipitated by the death of my father before I
not in general a viable explanation of the
was 2 years old. I refer to my agnostic per-
alleged afterlife communications of the par-
spective on the veracity of the possibility of
ticipant mediums who were involved in this
life after death as that of a “spiritual agnos-
research. Thus, in conclusion, the results of
tic.” This means that although I do not have
my dissertation research regarding my sec-
beliefs per se in the veracity of life after
ond research question lend themselves
death, I do have a spiritual/philosophical
most strongly to an interpretation of sen-
inclination that there is more to life than
sory cues, subjective evaluation, generic
merely our physical/chemical material bod-
statements, and coincidence, while socio-
ies, formulated and developed primarily by
cognitive and fantasy proneness factors ap-
blind random evolutionary chance patterns
pear to have been commonly used by the
through natural selection mechanisms over
participant mediums.
unfathomably long periods of time. I am
A secondary possible interpretation in
also extremely interested and intrigued
some instances is that of some form of psy-
with the scientific research and findings of
chic communications. However, further re-
parapsychology, and with the possibility of
search in this researcher-based experiential
utilizing parapsychological data and quan-
research context in a variety of set-
tum physics theory, as well as super-psi and
tings—both with mediums involved in
energy field explanations, to furnish scien-
Vol. 6 No. 2 52
Spiritualism and with independent medi- he was saying had much personal impact
ums—is needed in order to establish a on me and that I needed to feel a connec-
strong “extended science” experiential basis tion with a deceased person to feel open to
of knowledge in this elusive realm of in- the “spirit world,” Medium W took my
quiry. My conclusion doesn’t mean that hands again and said he would try to make
there is no afterlife, nor that there are no this connection for me.
Spiritualist mediums who are capable of When he went off on a tangent that was
authentic communications via a “spirit far removed from anything “real” for me, I
world” from people who have died. But it tried once more to convey to him what I
does mean that I have not experienced this needed and wanted, even offering to tell
for myself as part of my dissertation re- him about the “coincidental” meaningful
search (Benjamin, 2012a, pp. 211-212; example he had happened to use in his
2014a, pp. 217, 219). morning workshop that had such strong
The following illustrative account from impact on me. There were actually three or
my 2011 individual medium session with four times that I interrupted Medium W
Reverend Steve Hermann, which con- and conveyed to him how lacking his com-
cluded my experiences with mediums for munications had been for me...and in
my dissertation, conveys how I experienced which I requested “more personal” infor-
a high level of personal involvement in re- mation that I could relate to. To his credit,
lation to my autoethnographic study of Medium W didn’t want to hear this more
mediumship and the ostensible phenome- personal information, and I knew that I was
non of life after death. In this excerpt, I re- going way past the boundaries of not feed-
fer to Steve Hermann as ”Medium W” ing the medium “information” by offering
where the “W” stands for “White Crow” this.
and refers to William James’ dictum that to But I wanted so much to believe that
prove that not all crows are black, it is suffi- Medium W could be my White Crow Me-
cient to find “one” white crow (James, dium, and I truly wanted to attend his
1896). My personal motivation in engaging follow-up psychic workshop. However, I
in my dissertation research was very much also knew that what was really happening
based on wanting to know if my deceased was that Medium W was “failing” for me—
brother Fred could possibly still be “out in spite of all his eloquence and worldwide
there,” and this becomes apparent in the fame as a medium.
course of my session. Then suddenly, after my last interrup-
Medium W had held my hands to begin tion, Medium W blurted out something
with, to help him feel a connection to me, about “Uncle Fred,” and I perked up and
and when half-way through the session I immediately asked him to say more about
forced myself to convey to him that nothing what came to him about this. Medium W
Vol. 6 No. 2 53
proceeded to say something about “Havana White Crow. I have found no White Crows
cigars” and how this person was very fussy in my dissertation research with mediums.
about his cigars and liked his cigars to be of This is not what I wanted to end up
the best quality (yes my brother was quite feeling and concluding from the
fussy about his “cigars” and went through researcher-based experiential component of
much pains to obtain his Robert Burns Ti- my dissertation research. But this is my
parillos). But then Medium W got back to truth. How do I, as an agnostic researcher,
his more generic and removed communica- experience the exploration of life after
tions that quickly lost meaning and interest death from the communications of medi-
for me. Medium W returned to the same ums? The crux of what I have discovered
kind of philosophical communications, now from my research is that I have not experi-
focusing on how my wanting specific in- enced much of anything. That is, I have not
formation from the spirit world as a re- experienced much of anything in regard to
searcher was not helpful to me—which re- the alleged phenomenon of life after death
minded me of his “trance” communications becoming more real to me.
in his “other voice” from one of the previ- Whatever I have experienced can be
ous nights. I had no choice but to decide to easily explained by the arguments of skep-
conclude my dissertation research and not tics as I have frequently alluded to, and I
attend Medium W’s follow-up psychic won’t repeat the details of the skeptics’ ar-
workshop. The fact that Medium W finally guments here (Benjamin, 2012, pp. 303-305;
came out once again with saying “Uncle 2014a, pp. 151-153)
Fred” and followed it up with “Havana ci- Nearly 3 years after my dissertation re-
gars” could be explained as mere coinci- search was completed, I engaged in a
dence or by the triggering of his memory Mediumship Mastery workshop facilitated
(perhaps unconscious), of what he might by Steve Hermann, who ended up writing
have overheard from his morning work- the foreword to my Life after Death book
shop, mixed with associations of “cigars” (Benjamin, 2014a), which is essentially a
with “uncles,” stimulated by my repeated condensed and updated version of my dis-
intensive requests for more personal in- sertation. I concluded a description of my
formation from him. Stretching things a experiences in this Mediumship Mastery
bit, perhaps one could utilize some kind of workshop with the following statement:
telepathy or even access to universal energy
fields to explain this, but I do not believe Perhaps I need to “raise my vibra-
that a personalized afterlife communication tions” in Steve’s language, in order to
interpretation from my brother is war- connect to the “spirit world” if a spirit
ranted here. No, Medium W is not my world truly exists. And then again
perhaps the skeptics’ interpretation of
Vol. 6 No. 2 54
coincidence, sensory cues, suggesti- will next examine the case for considering
bility, and subjective validation is all psychic phenomena to be a legitimate area
that is going on here. My inclination is of inquiry for a reflexive open-minded
that the skeptics are right, but at this skeptical investigator.
point I will open myself to Steve’s in-
terpretation that there is an actual PSYCHIC PHENOMENA AS
LEGITIMATE SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY
spirit world that survives death—but
that I need to meditate and engage in
In 2009 I attended a Soul Survival work-
healing energy work to connect to it.
shop at Omega Institute for Holistic Stud-
Why? Because it feels “right” to my
ies, as a preliminary part of my informal
inner deeper self to engage in this
Ph.D dissertation investigations. One of the
kind of activity. (Benjamin, 2014b, p. 4)
speakers was Raymond Moody, who initi-
ated the currently popular study of near-
My dissertation experiential research with
death experience through his world-
mediums included my having engaged in a
changing book Life after Life (Moody, 1975)
number of individual sessions (known as
nearly 40 years ago. Moody talked about the
“readings”), with them, as well as having
true meaning of the word “skeptic,” dating
attended many Spiritualist camp séances,
back to ancient Greece; he explained that it
workshops, group sessions, and church
meant having an open mind to alternative
services, supplemented by my experiential
conclusions through a heightened and
research with psychics, shamans, stage me-
more developed sense of logic. This sounds
diums, and at afterlife conferences (Benja-
to me now like it is quite consistent with
min, 2012, 2014a). However, based upon
Sagan’s above quote about skepticism.
what I experienced in my autoethnographic
However, as Moody went on to describe his
dissertation and post-dissertation research,
expectation that it may eventually be possi-
as described above, the prospect of life after
ble to scientifically “prove” the veracity of
death in the form of some kind of personal
life after death and that his research into
consciousness did not appear likely to me.
near-death experience was in this context, I
At the same time, I believed that there was
knew I had “skeptical” reservations.
justification to consider what has been re-
One may “believe” that there is some-
ferred to as “Anomalous Information Re-
thing “anomalous” happening in the com-
ception” and “Living Agent Psi” (better
munications of some mediums some of the
known as “Super-ESP”), as a “possible”
time, as described in a number of essays in
partial explanation for what may be tran-
Adam Rock’s (2014) edited book The Sur-
spiring in some communications by medi-
vival Hypothesis. However, it appears that it
ums some of the time (Braude, 2014; Sud-
is in all likelihood not possible to “prove”
duth, 2014; Beischel, 2014). Consequently I
that these communications are coming
Vol. 6 No. 2 55
from a “spirit world” involving an “afterlife” book The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a
as opposed to some form of Living Agent Candle in the Dark he says the following:
Psi (Braude, 2014; Sudduth, 2014). As it
turned out, I was given the microphone to At the time of writing there are three
ask the last question of the evening, and I claims in the ESP field which, in my
asked Raymond Moody why he did not dis- opinion, deserve serious study: (1) that
cuss the possible theory of Super-ESP as by thought alone humans can (barely)
an alternative to his Life after Death formu- affect random number generators in
lation, that related to his near-death experi- computers; (2) that people under mild
ence research. Moody replied that he did sensory deprivation can receive
not place any stock in parapsychology and thoughts or images “projected” at
that he furthermore considered it to be them; and (3) that young children
“bogus” science, explaining that he did not sometimes report the details of a pre-
think its laboratory methods were able to vious life, which upon checking turn
give us any real knowledge. out to be accurate, and which they
It struck me as hypocritical for Moody to could not have known about in any
view parapsychology in such a closed- other way than reincarnation. I pick
minded and narrow-minded perspective, in these claims not because I think
comparison with how he had described a they’re likely to be valid (I don’t), but
true skeptic as being open to alternative as examples of contentions that might
conclusions by means of a heightened be true. The last three have at least
sense of logic. However, I realize that al- some, although still dubious, experi-
though most skeptics would certainly dis- mental support. Of course I could be
agree with Moody’s belief that near-death wrong. (Sagan, 1996, p. 302)
experience is related to a bona fide phe-
nomenon of life after death (see for exam- Carl Sagan was practicing what he was
ple Shermer, 2002, pp. 77-82), most skeptics preaching in regard to what he believed it
would agree with Moody in his discounting means to truly be a skeptic, and I very
of psychic phenomena and his belief that much respect him for this. There is a great
parapsychology is “bogus” science (Sher- deal of research in parapsychology out
mer, 2002, pp. 68-72). However, if we go there, with of course different perspectives
back to Sagan’s above quote, it is apparent regarding its legitimacy and accuracy (see
that Sagan is true to his quote when it Cardeña, Lynn, & Krippner, 2000; Irwin &
comes to keeping an open-minded perspec- Watt, 2007; Krippner & Hoffman, 2010;
tive in regard to parapsychology, at least in Radin, 1997, 2006; Targ, 2012).5 I very
some areas, that I consider to be a hallmark strongly believe that this research needs to
of being a “true skeptic.” In Sagan’s (1996) be extensively studied and taken seriously
Vol. 6 No. 2 56
by skeptics, rather than simplistically dis- GARDNER’S FIDEISM AND

missing parapsychology completely as “bo- BEISCHEL’S AFTERLIFE RESEARCH
PROTOCOL
gus science” without bothering to discuss
some of the most impressive research re-
In regard to my openness to continue to
sults in the field, some of which Carl Sagan
explore the possibility of a bona fide phe-
alluded to as examples.
nomenon of life after death, as I described
Furthermore, I believe that our current
above at the conclusion of my Mediumship
quantum physics mainstream science-
Mastery workshop, I will say that much of
framework is at least consistent with the
my openness is not entirely unlike the
basic theme of psychic phenomena, i.e. it is
openness to a belief in God that prolific
“possible” for thoughts to have effects irre-
and well-respected skeptic Martin Gardner
spective of distance, as described in the
surprisingly maintained, as described by
first two claims stated above by Sagan
Michael Shermer:
(Bockris, 2004; Hawking & Mlidinow, 2010;
Krauss, 2012; Stapp, 2010; Tart, 2009). Re-
Fideism refers to believing something
lated to this, there is a particular scientific
on the basis of faith, or emotional rea-
speculation that I believe one should also
sons rather than intellectual reasons.
keep an open mind to, about a possible bio-
As a fideist I don’t think there are any
logical human brain mechanism involving
arguments that prove the existence of
“microtubules” that could have the poten-
God or the immortality of the soul.
tial to have effects irrespective of distance.6
More than that I think the better ar-
And I will add that an alternative explana-
guments are on the side of the athe-
tion to that of reincarnation per se for Sa-
ists. So it is a case of quixotic emo-
gan’s third claim that he describes, may
tional belief that really is against the
very well be in this context of mind to mind
evidence. If you have strong emotional
influence, although admittedly we would
reasons for metaphysical belief and
now need to enter even more controversial
it’s not sharply contradicted by sci-
parapsychology realms, such as for example
ence or logical reasoning, you have a
Rupert Sheldrake’s (1981, 1995) theories
right to make a leap of faith if it pro-
about morphic resonance. Of course these
vides sufficient satisfaction (Shermer,
are nothing more than speculations at this
2002, p. 276).
time, but my main point is that one should
at least keep an open mind and seriously
Now I would not go as far as Gardner in
study the research in parapsychology that is
“believing” in something that is “against the
out there if one is a true skeptic.
evidence,” but the emotional needs that
Gardner refers to is something I completely
understand. This is very much why I was
Vol. 6 No. 2 57
open to Steve Hermann’s above advice that the target reading as their own 76 per-
“I need to meditate and engage in healing cent of the time. (Beischel, 2014, pp.
energy work,” because it “feels right” to my 185-186)
inner deeper self to engage in this kind of
activity. But in regard to evidence that there MY RECENT EXPERIENTIAL
MEDIUMSHIP AND AFTERLIFE
is “something” going on in some communi-
RESEARCH
cations by some mediums that cannot be
described by our current state of knowl-
I would like to now illustratively describe
edge in science or psychology, I find the re-
my recent experiences at a series of work-
search protocol of afterlife researcher Julie
shops and at a Spiritualist church service,
Beischel to warrant serious investigation.
all of which were conducted by Reverend
Beischel described the “blinding” of
Steve Hermann (see above) at Temple
various constituents in her mediumship re-
Heights Spiritualist Camp.
search: sitters, mediums, sitter-raters, and
My descriptions of these activities are
research investigators, meaning not having
once again given in the context of
access to feedback that could lend itself to
researcher-based experiential research and
skeptical interpretations of mediumship
autoethnographic research (see above). I
communications (Beischel, 2014). This in-
attended the following six events con-
volved Beischel acting as a “proxy sitter” for
ducted by Steve Hermann during the last
all the phone readings, not interacting with
day of August and first week of September,
the sitters prior to their scoring of the read-
2014:
ings, and the mediums only being given the
first names of the deceased persons at the
--Sunday afternoon workshop entitled
start of the readings (Beischel, 2014). Al-
“Reiki, Jesus and Beyond: Healing
though Beischel may not be unbiased in
Mastery and the Aura”
her research, as she is frequently featured
--Sunday afternoon church service
on a prominent internet site as a scientist
--Tuesday late night workshop entitled
promoting the belief in life after death7, I
“Psychic Surgery and Spirit Opera-
believe that her research, in the words of
tions”
Carl Sagan, “deserves serious study,” as
--Thursday late night workshop enti-
some of her results indicated the following:
tled “Let’s Have a Séance: Experimen-
tal Trance and Physical Phenomena”
Scores given by blinded sitters to tar-
--Saturday morning workshop entitled
get readings were significantly higher
“Mechanics of Mediumship: Receiving
than those given to decoy readings in
Spirit Communications
terms of item accuracy...and overall
- - S a t u r d ay a f t e r n o o n M e d i u m /
score...In addition, sitters have chosen
Agnostic Lunchtime Dialogue10
Vol. 6 No. 2 58
However, the individual reflections I wrote REIKI, JESUS AND BEYOND:

soon after the Sunday church service and HEALING MASTERY AND THE AURA
WORKSHOP
Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday workshops
have been misplaced, and therefore I will
I attended this workshop with my “signifi-
be describing what I experienced in these
cant other” Dorothy, and it was good to see
events from my recollections from my pre-
Steve again and have Dorothy meet Steve.
sent frame of reference. This way of de-
Steve was very friendly to me, and Dorothy
scribing my experiences is what Carolyn
and I both appreciated the opportunity to
Ellis (2009) has referred to as “meta-
meditate and unwind from how busy and
autoethnography,” which she has described
fast-paced we each had been living the past
as follows:
few weeks. Yes we both agreed that the
workshop had beneficial healing effects for
To connect the past to my life now, I
us, but not anything different from what
add current reflections, narrative vi-
one could experience at a typical medita-
gnettes, and analyses, which I call
tion or Reiki8 or mindfulness9 workshop
meta-autoethnographies, that fast-
that has nothing to with mediums or Spiri-
forward these stories to the present.
tualism. Steve did his thing and talked rap-
There are occasions in which I revisit
idly and enthusiastically about connecting
my original representation, consider
with our “spirit helpers” for healing, but
responses, and write an autoethno-
once again I interpreted this as getting in
graphic account about autoethnogra-
touch with my own deep self resources, and
phy. My meta-autoethnographic
I believe that Dorothy experienced this
treatments provide opportunities to
similarly.
alter the frame in which I wrote the
original story, ask questions I didn’t CHURCH SERVICE
ask then, consider others’ responses
to the original story, and include vi- Steve had urged me to come to one of his
gnettes of related experiences that church services at Temple Heights after he
have happened since I experienced read about my disappointing experiences at
and wrote the story and now affect the Temple Heights church services in my dis-
way I look back at the story. (pp. 12- sertation (Benjamin, 2012; 2014a). I did not
13). have high expectations of having much of a
different experience with Steve leading the
The following accounts are my meta- service, but I wanted to at least give it a
autoethnographic reflections for the first chance, and therefore Dorothy and I stayed
four of the six events I attended. for the Sunday afternoon church service
that was scheduled to begin soon after our
Vol. 6 No. 2 59
“Reiki, Jesus and Beyond” workshop readings at this church service looked to
ended. We moved to the more formal me, a 50% hit mark was pretty good—and
church building for the service, and we sat all things considered, both Dorothy and I
in rows, everyone singing church hymns, were impressed with what Steve came up
followed by most people (including myself with—and I must admit that a part of me
and Dorothy) going up to designated heal- was rooting for Steve.
ers for what was essentially Reiki healing. But did this give me any substantial rea-
Then Steve gave his church sermon in his son to increase my openness to a bona fide
typical fast-talking charismatic style, and afterlife interpretation? Even if Steve did
followed up with giving a number of “read- accurately pick up something meaningful
ings” to selected individuals in the audi- about Dorothy’s aunt (which is certainly
ence. quite debatable, as I think the combined
Steve’s readings appeared very hit or factors of subjective validation and coinci-
miss to me, full of all what I have previously dence have at least equal merit here), it is
described in my dissertation and book virtually impossible to distinguish between
(Benjamin, 2012; 2014a) and summarized the explanations of super-psi and a bona
above: sensitivity cues, reading body lan- fide afterlife (see above). Yes, it was interest-
guage, subjective validation, generic state- ing, and I was glad Steve had some benefi-
ments, and coincidence (Carroll, 2005; Hy- cial impact on Dorothy, though it was also
man, 2003; Jinks, 2014; Roe & Roxburgh, apparent to me that Steve very much
2014; Sagan, 1996; Shermer, 2002). “wanted” to have this kind of impact on
But then Steve chose Dorothy for his Dorothy, to continue his efforts of persuad-
last reading, and I must admit that Steve ing me that mediumship and the spirit
came out with some interesting bits of in- world was “real.” Nevertheless, Steve’s read-
formation. Steve focused on an elderly ing of Dorothy helped me keep an open
woman in the spirit world who he said had mind to what I was investigating. But it cer-
been very persistent and industrious, had tainly stopped short for me of anything ap-
written some books, and that Dorothy was proaching “evidence” of afterlife communi-
something like her, but not to the same ex- cations from a deceased spirit.
tent. I knew that Dorothy’s aunt would As Steve concluded the service, he
come to her from Steve’s description, and ended up describing “me” and my book-
this was certainly the case, as we discussed Benjamin (2014a) in the context of my “ex-
afterwards. Steve also said a number of cellent research” and open-minded agnos-
things that had no meaning to Dorothy at tic explorations of Spiritualism, and pro-
all, and we ended up giving Steve a 50% hit moted our medium/agnostic lunchtime dia-
mark for his performance with Dorothy. logue that we were planning on doing the
Actually, compared to how Steve’s other following Saturday (see below). I certainly
Vol. 6 No. 2 60
appreciated Steve keeping his word about workshop that I had attended in April, 2014
promoting my book, and this actually re- (Benjamin, 2014b).
sulted in me selling one of my books a few I find these Reiki/healing sessions to be
minutes later. I would have even made a relaxing and meditative in a good way, but I
second book sale if I had not been detained certainly do not feel any inclination to
by someone Steve sent over to me to con- think they are performed by “spirit doctors”
vey to me how meaningful the church serv- doing “psychic surgery” on me. However,
ice reading he gave to her a little while ago this is what Steve apparently believes, and
had been to her. At any rate, Steve sug- his charismatic convincing way of explain-
gested that I bring my books to all the ing things appeared to be influencing most
workshops I would be attending over the of the people at this workshop to believe
week, and I agreed to do so. this as well.
One rather humorous component of the
PSYCHIC SURGERY AND SPIRIT workshop is that during my meditation I
OPERATIONS WORKSHOP fell asleep. Not just quiet non-intrusive
sleep, but I was actually snoring. I could
I began my Fall semester teaching with a
somehow hear myself snore and quickly
long evening math class on Tuesday, and
woke myself up, but when I shared about
then got home and ate a quick dinner and
my meditation experience and mentioned I
drove to Temple Heights for Steve’s late
dozed off, both women on either side of me
night Psychic Surgery and Spirit Opera-
laughed and said I was snoring. Steve made
tions workshop, carrying with me my books
a joke of it and it was rather funny, but I
to sell. I was particularly interested in the
also realized how tired I was and not able
“psychic surgery” part of this late night
to be fully there. Steve made a pitch for my
workshop, as I had a great deal of skeptical
book and our Saturday medium/agnostic
reservation about this and it was not some-
lunchtime discussion at the end of the
thing I had heard Steve talk much about
workshop, but I felt rather embarrassed and
before—and certainly not attempt to per-
people did not seem particularly interested.
form. However, it turned out that basically
I began to feel concerned that this whole
Steve did more of what he had done at his
idea of promoting my book and our
Sunday Reiki/Jesus/Healing workshop—ex-
medium/agnostic lunchtime discussion at
cept that this time a few people chose to lie
Temple Heights did not look very promis-
down on Steve’s Reiki/massage table and
ing.
receive what appeared to me to be a
straightforward Reiki treatment 8 from
Steve. This did not look any different to me
than what I experienced as Reiki treat-
ments in Steve’s Mediumship Mastery
Vol. 6 No. 2 61
EXPERIMENTAL TRANCE AND lieve, or that I would witness something
PHYSICAL PHENOMENA WORKSHOP stupendous happen and transform myself
into a “believer.”
This late night Thursday workshop was the Well neither of the above happened.
workshop I was most anticipating, as What happened is that we first sang a
Steve’s description in the Temple Heights bunch of children’s songs, commonly done
brochure included the following: in physical mediumship workshops and
something I had previously experienced in
“...see, hear, and feel the reality of one of Steve’s workshops (Benjamin, 2012;
spirit materializations and physical 2014a), and then Steve talked and talked
manifestations. Topics to be explored and talked. Yes that was pretty much it—S-
include: Materializations, Levitation, teve talked all about how physical manifes-
Ectoplasm, Trumpet and Independent tations could happen, how he had previ-
Voice, Transfiguration and Spirit ously emitted the mysterious physical/
Chemists.”10 mental substance of ectoplasm, how the
atmosphere in the room needed to be very
Once again my skeptical reservations were open and receptive to the spirit world in
in full force, especially from the disappoint- order for the physical manifestation effects
ing experiences I had previously encoun- to take place, etc. Then Steve turned out the
tered with table-tipping and transfiguration lights and sat in the chair and we all
sessions at Temple Heights (Benjamin, watched him, looking for spirit manifesta-
2012; 2014a). Supposedly mediums are able tions to take over his facial features. Steve
to incorporate spirits of the deceased to had encouraged us to be light and merry
take over their facial features so that they and call out whatever came to us, but peo-
look like these former deceased people, ple were not saying very much. However,
which is what is called Transfiguration. I this was actually a relief to me, as at least I
knew that Steve shared some of my own could not say that Steve was committing
reservations about famous historical figures fraud or pretending to manifest spirits. In
like Abraham Lincoln and George Wash- actuality Steve said that this was a very
ington appearing in a transfiguration, but good group and we had a welcoming spirit
apparently Steve also believed that all the atmosphere, but that it takes time for spirits
different manifestations of physical to emerge and that groups often sit in cir-
mediumship described in his workshop cles every week for long periods of time be-
had the potential to actually take place. fore they experience physical spirit mani-
And I figured that this time either I would festations. Of course I could picture all the
see Steve conducting outright fraud, which social influence, wishful thinking, subjec-
I truly did not want to either observe or be- tive evaluation mechanisms at work here,
Vol. 6 No. 2 62
but I was still very glad that I did not have And the skeptic in me once again takes
to conclude that my friend Steve was a the lead as my mediumship exploration
fraud. week with Steve comes to its close. My ex-
Yes I consider Steve to be “my friend” perience of Steve’s Saturday morning Me-
and I know the feeling is mutual for Steve. chanics of Mediumship workshop was basi-
I like Steve, and I choose to believe that cally similar to my description of my
Steve believes what he conveys to people Mediumship Mastery weekend workshop
even though I think it is not true, as I have with Steve in Massachusetts a few months
frequently conveyed to him. Once again ago (Benjamin, 2014b; see above). Steve
Steve tried his best to promote by book and teaches prospective mediums to develop
our upcoming planned Saturday medium/ their imagination and visualizing images,
agnostic lunchtime discussion at the end of and to have the confidence to convey what-
his workshop. However, I felt increasingly ever creative images they are visualizing, as
uncomfortable; I had the feeling that some- veritable messages from the “spirit world.”
thing was not quite right: with Steve pro- He says not to worry if people don’t “un-
moting me and my book to this Temple derstand” these images—that people will
Heights audience of mostly aspiring medi- likely eventually discover that they are ac-
ums. But I was less tired at this workshop curate. I perceived that what people came
than I was at the previous late night work- up with in our mediumship exercises with
shop. one another, a good portion of which could
When he began the workshop Steve not be subsequently established by the re-
looked at me and in good humor said “no cipients, was not at all impressive as an il-
sleeping”; I was glad that I at least stayed lustration of either psychic abilities or tap-
awake for the whole workshop. ping into the “spirit world.” But once again
I will give Steve the benefit of the doubt
“MECHANICS OF MEDIUMSHIP” and conclude that he truly believes what he
WORKSHOP, MEDIUM/AGNOSTIC preaches to people about this being the way
LUNCHTIME DISCUSSION, AND CON-
to tap into communications from the “spirit
CLUSION OF MY SERIES OF TEMPLE
world.”
HEIGHTS EVENTS WITH STEVE
And then we had our lunchtime
The following is the description of my Sat- medium/agnostic discussion. Steve tried his
urday morning Mechanics of Mediumship best to promote me, and the atmosphere
workshop, Saturday afternoon medium/ was initially light and social, in the open
agnostic lunchtime discussion, and conclu- dining room of the Spiritualist camp. Steve
sion of my series of Temple Heights events managed to get four people from our morn-
with Steve that I wrote soon after these ing group of nine to sit at the dining room
events took place. table with us, with a fifth person standing
Vol. 6 No. 2 63
up and suspiciously (as it appeared to me) ship—for educational reasons. But I believe
watching me. Some of the Temple Heights t h a t my a p p r o a ch o f ex p e r i e n c i n g
workers were curiously observing our in- mediumship through an open-minded ag-
teractions and occasionally chiming in, and nostic perspective is an important illustra-
it looked to me like some of them had con- tion of an authentic skeptical approach to
cerns about how appropriate it was for this studying mediumship.
to be taking place at a Spiritualist camp. My conclusions from my past week of
This was not what I had in mind, but I did experiential mediumship exploration have
the best that I could to present my agnostic reinforced my conclusions from both my
perceptions of my week with Steve, and I dissertation research as well as from my
took out all of my Life after Death books. post-dissertation mediumship workshop
The upshot was that we had a discus- (Benjamin, 2014a; 2014b). I lean toward the
sion that lasted over an hour and a half, skeptic perspective of explaining medium-
which was primarily a dialogue involving ship—creative imagination, subjective vali-
me, Steve, and a woman from the morning dation, environmental influence, and pla-
group who was a very responsive, curious, cebo effect (see the references listed above).
talkative, friendly, and mystical neophyte However, some things still whet my appetite
medium-in-training. At the very end of the to leave a bit of room open for other possi-
discussion, one of the men from our morn- ble explanations—such as Steve’s 50% ac-
ing group who was sitting at the table the curate reading of my “significant other”
whole time without saying a word, asked Dorothy at the Sunday church service. Do I
me not to leave yet, and then shared with know for sure that Steve did not somehow
me his own agnostic perspective to medi- “psychicly” sense from Dorothy the accu-
umship—both his openness to his experi- rate information he conveyed to her? And
ences as well as his doubts and conflicts. I stretching myself even more, do I know for
appreciated this, and it was a good ending sure that Steve did not somehow convey a
to my mediumship exploration week. message from Dorothy’s deceased aunt? No
I believe my experiential exploration of I do now know anything “for sure.”
mediumship—at least in the context of the My best guess is that Steve used his
mediumship of Reverend Steven Her- psychophysical sensitivity to Dorothy,
mann—has finally come to its natural end. whom I am quite sure he had no bio-
As I always thought, mediums and prospec- graphical knowledge of, to come up with
tive mediums are not a good audience to his creative images, and interpreted this as
listen to my agnostic approach to studying a message from the afterlife.
mediumship, in spite of Steve Hermann’s But when I put on my philosopher hat,
noteworthy perspective of openness to in- if all there is to life and the universe are
clude alternate perspectives of medium- psychophysical perceptions, and we can
Vol. 6 No. 2 64
trace the origin of the universe to some logical philosophical interpretation of all
kind of physical matter in the form of suba- this, and my very human need to find
tomic particles, then where did these first meaning both in life and in death? No I do
subatomic particles come from? My logical not know anything for certain, including
philosophical mind tells me that either the validity of my own philosophical specu-
these subatomic particles were “always” lations—in consideration of my human
there, or they came from some kind of “en- subjective needs. But in conclusion, in all I
ergy,” or they came from “nothing.” Now have learned from my experiential study of
something coming from nothing implies mediumship, I now consider myself to be
there was already a “potential” for some- an agnostic skeptic, at least at this point in
thing to occur (Krauss, 2012); so where did time.
this “potential” come from? Coming from
some kind of “energy” leaves the same puz- CONCLUSION
zling questions—where did this “energy”
In conclusion, I am advocating for skeptics
come from? Being “always there” contra-
to retain an open mind in regard to re-
dicts our whole mainstream science frame-
search in parapsychology in general, and in
work of the universe beginning some 14
particular in mediumship research that in-
billion years ago with the Big Bang. Thus
volves the kind of controls as described in
the philosopher in me is not at all satisfied
the research of Julie Beischel (2014). I be-
with the materialist explanation of the uni-
lieve it is important for skeptics to thor-
verse—as I conveyed to the mediums and
oughly study and evaluate this research be-
prospective mediums during my medium/
fore concluding uniformly that parapsy-
agnostic lunchtime discussion.
chology is “bogus science.” Furthermore, I
And this is essentially why I cannot
believe that a variety of research ap-
completely rule out the possibility of some
proaches in parapsychology and
kind of “spiritual intelligence” to explain
mediumship research is optimal, inclusive
the formation of the universe; and perhaps
of a trained researcher’s experiential re-
if there is some kind of “spiritual intelli-
search in the natural field setting. It is in
gence” then it is not impossible that there
this context, specifically as I have described
is some kind of “spirit world.” But this is
for authoethnographic research, that I am
p r e c i s e l y w h a t t h e fo u n d a t i o n s o f
advocating for “experiential skepticism,”
mediumship are based upon, of course
where a skeptic may be experiencing (or
along with the belief in the possibility of
not experiencing) in his/her observations
receiving communications from this hypo-
what he/she is researching, but with the
thetical spirit world for people who have
heights of rational and logical thought that
“left their physical bodies behind.” But
follow Carl Sagan’s advice, where skeptics
where are the lines drawn between my own
Vol. 6 No. 2 65
exercise “the most skeptical scrutiny of all 7) See Victor and Wendy Zammitt’s life af-
hypotheses that are served up to us” while ter death website at:
simultaneously maintaining “at the same http://victgorzammit.com
time a great openness to new ideas.”1 8) For information about Reiki see Doi
(2000), Rand (1991), and the Reiki
NOTES sections in my Modern Religions book
(Benjamin, 2013).
1) See Shermer, 2002, inscription, for this 9) For information about mindfulness see
quote, which was taken from Sagan’s Kabat-Zinn (1990).
1987 Pasadena lecture: The Burden of 10) See http://www.templeheightscamp.org
Skepticism. for a description of all of Steve Her-
2) McLeod (2010) has used the term “per- mann’s 2014 Temple Heights work-
sonal experiential methods” to describe shops.
similar research methods to what I am
describing.
3) See Lawton (1932), Meintel (2007), Em- REFERENCES
mons & Emmons (2002), and Hunter
(2009) for previous researcher-based Beischel, J. (2014). Advances in quantitative
experiential accounts of mediumship. mediumship research. In A. Rock (Ed.),
The survival hypothesis: Essays on
4) See Benjamin, in press, for a more ex-
mediumship (pp. 175-195). Jefferson, NC:
tended description of how I used
McFarland.
autoethnography as a research meth-
odology in my experiential disserta-
Benjamin, E. (2012). An experiential explora-
tion research on mediumship and
tion of the possibility of life after death
the ostensible phenomenon of life through the ostensible communications of
after death. mediums with deceased persons. (Doctoral
5) For more information about peer- dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest
reviewed articles on psychic phe- Dissertations and Thesis Database.
nomena see : (UMI 3509443)
http://deanradin.com/evidence/evide
nce.htm). Benjamin, E. (2013). Modern religions: An ex-
6) For information about microtubules see periential exploration and analysis.
(http://www.quantumconsciousness.o Swanville, Maine: Natural Dimensions
rg/penrose-hameroff/quantumcompu Publications.
tation.html
Benjamin, E. (2014a). Life after death: An ex-
periential exploration with mediums by an
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agnostic investigator. Swanville, ME:

Natural Dimension. Chang, H. V. (2008). Autoethnography as
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with mediumistic abilities: My reflections at Press.
a Mediumship Mastery workshop. Re-
trieved from www.integralworld.net Doi, H. (2000). Modern Reiki method for heal-
ing. Coquitham, BC: Canada. Fraser
Benjamin, E. (in press). Transpersonal psy- Journal Publishing.
chology and an experiential exploration Ellis, C. (2004). The ethnographic I: A met od-
of mediumship and life after death. In- ological novel about ethnography. Walnut
ternational Journal of Transpersonal Psy-
Creek: CA: AltaMira.
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Bockris, J. (2004). The new paradigm: A con- Ellis, C. (2009). Revision: Autoethnographic
frontation between physics and the para- reflections in life and work (Writing lives).
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D & M Enterprises.
Emmons, C. F., & Emmons, P. F. (2003).
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mediumship: Philosophical considera- the medium. New York: Writers Club
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Hawking, S., & Mlodinow, L. (2010). The
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Cardeña, E., Lynn, S. J., & Krippner, S.

Hunter, J. (2009). Talking with the spirits:
(Eds.). (2000). Varieties of anomalous
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With_the_Spirits_More_Than_a_Social
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Irwin, H., & Watt, C. (2007). An introduction Meintel, D. (2007). When the extraordinary
to parapsychology. London: McFarland. hits home: Experiencing Spiritualism.
In A. Goulet & B. Granville Miller
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Press. (Original work published 1912) Lincoln, NE and London: University of
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(Ed.). The survival hypothesis: Essays on
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A practical guide to meditation, mindful- Rock, A. (Ed.) (2014). The survival hypothesis:
ness, and healing. New York: Delacourte. Essays on mediumship. Jefferson, NC:
McFarland.
Krippner, S., & Friedman, H. (Eds.). (2010).
Debating psychic experience: Human po- Roe, C. A., & Roxburgh, E. C. (2014). Non-
tential or human illusion? Santa Barbara, parapsychological explanations of the
CA: Praeger. data of mediumship? In A. Rock (Ed.).
The survival hypothesis: Essays on
Krauss, L. (2012). A universe from nothing: mediumship (pp. 21-39). Jefferson, NC:
Why there is something rather than noth- McFarland & Co.
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Shermer, M. (2002). Why people believe weird Tart, C. T. (2009). The end of materialism.
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other confusions of our time. New York: St.
Elliot Benjamin has a Ph.D. in mathematics from the Uni-
Marin’s Griffin. (Original work pub-
versity of Maine, and a Ph.D. in psychology from Saybrook
lished 1997) University with a concentration in Consciousness and
Spirituality. He is the director of the Transpersonal Psy-
chology Program at Akamai University
Stapp, H. (2010). Compatibility of contempo- (www.akamaiuniversity.us), and teaches psychology and
rary physical theory with personality mathematics at Husson University and CALCampus. El-
survival. Retrieved from : liot was a mathematics professor for 21 years, and has
published four books and over 120 articles in the fields of
http://form.mind.energy.net.local_links.
humanistic and transpersonal psychology, spirituality and
php?linkid=67&catid=11 awareness of cult dangers, parapsychology, the creative
artist and mental disturbance, progressive politics, pure
mathematics, and mathematics enrichment. His books Life
Sudduth, M. (2014). Is postmortem survival after Death: An Experiential Exploration with Mediums by an
the best explanation of the data of Agnostic Investigator, Modern Religions: An Experiential
Analysis and Exposé, and The Creative Artist, Mental Distur-
mediumship? In A. Rock (Ed.), The sur-
bance, and Mental Health are currently available at
vival hypothesis: Essays on mediumship www.lulu.com and www.amazon.com Elliot lives in Maine
(pp. 21-39). Jefferson, NC: McFarland. and enjoys playing the piano, tennis, and ballroom danc-
ing, and has an author’s website that can be viewed at
www.benjamin-philosopher.com
Targ, R. (2012). The reality of ESP: A physi-
cist’s proof of psychic abilities. Wheaton,
IL: Quest Books.
NEW PUBLICATION
Psychedelic means “mind manifesting.”
It seems likely that psychedelic agents have profoundly influenced the

evolution of our most important civilisations and the development of
our collective psyche. The use of psychedelics as cultural drivers and
creativity enhancers in the modern era has shaped music, art, litera-
ture and depth psychology. Psychedelics have acquired a certain repu-
tation and polarise opinion.
*Are they sacred medicine or a threat to society?

*Do they lead us towards a deeper truth or immerse us in our shadow?
*Why are there such formidable barriers hindering scientific research
into their possible benefits?
http://psychedelicpress.co.uk/products/out-of-the-shadows
Vol. 6 No. 2 69
Psychedelics and the Future of Religion:

A Review of Breaking Convention
Jules Evans
These are exciting times for psychedelic

I spent the last few days at a weird and
research. Rick Doblin, founder of the Mul-
wonderful conference. It was called Break-
tidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic
ing Convention 2015, the third conference
Studies (MAPS), said to the youngish audi-
on ‘psychedelic consciousness, culture and
ence: ‘This is the first generation where you
clinical research’ at the University of
can say: ‘I want a career in psychedelics.’
Greenwich. There, in the regal litoral digs
and that’s a reasonable thing to say.’ After a
of the university, facing the steel snarl of
50-year hiatus, scientific research into psy-
Canary Wharf, 800 ‘breakeroos’ gathered,
chedelics has restarted, and is finding re-
dreadlocked witches, underground psyche-
markable results.
delic therapists, mainstream scientists, Pe-
For example, researchers at John Hop-
ruvian shamans and long-haired barefoot
kins Medical Hospital found that, after
beatniks, to attend lectures, open their
three doses of magic-mushroom drug psi-
minds, explore light shows and virtual real-
locybin, 80% of smokers in a trial gave up
ity spaces, sign up to workshops on sha-
smoking and had still given up six months
manic drumming or psychedelic orgasms,
later. The most successful anti-smoking
and dance away at the ‘Nite of Eleusis’
therapy programmes at the moment have
after-parties.
success rates of 30-35%. Several other re-
The conference was a unique marriage
cent studies have found psychedelics to be
of science and spirituality. You could see
successful in treating addiction to alcohol,
chemist David E. Nichols presenting on the
cocaine and heroin.
molecular structure of LSD-type com-
LSD, psilocybin, ketamine and MDMA
pounds (while DIY chemists scribbled
have also been found to be effective in the
notes in the audience), then go to see sha-
treatment of depression, anxiety and PTSD.
mans talking about ayahuasca ceremonies,
An ongoing study at Imperial College has
or classicists talking about the rites of Ele-
given psilocybin to seven volunteers with
usis and Dionysus. How many conferences
chronic depression – four are currently in
go from the cellular to the celestial in one
remission. Several trials have also found
session?
psychedelics reduce depression and anxiety
Vol. 6 No. 2 70
in people with terminal illnesses. Roland Personally, I had a bad trip on LSD
Griffiths, lead researcher at the Johns Hop- when I was 18 which left me with post-
kins psychedelic research project, says: ‘A traumatic stress symptoms for five years.
single moderate-high dose of psilocybin Looking back, I was too young, and had no
can produce substantial and enduring de- sense of the proper ‘set and setting’ for a
creases in anxiety and depression in pa- trip. I took it at a techno warehouse party
tients with life-threatening cancer diagno- and then went to an after-party where I
sis. There’s nothing else like that in psy- didn’t really know anyone, and intense
chopharmacology.’ paranoia ensued. I then didn’t speak to
The conference’s optimism and energy anyone about my traumatic experience for
arose from the sense that the more proof several years. Not very smart. The symptoms
there is of the therapeutic benefits of psy- did eventually pass, but I’m not the same
chedelics, the more likely they will be legal- person I was before the experience – I’m
ized for therapeutic use in clinical settings. more introverted, probably more neurotic,
Attendees spoke of the ‘post-prohibition though also perhaps more compassionate
era’ as if it was just over the next hill. But and able to help others.
David Nutt, former chief drugs advisor to Apparently, I’m one of the unlucky
the UK government, warned the conference ones: a survey by Johanson & Krebs of
not to be too complacent, particularly when 130,000 people found that the 15% of the
our government is poised to pass the Psy- US population which has used psychedel-
choactive Substances Bill, banning people’s ics have better mental health than the rest
ability to make and sell ‘legal highs’. of the population, and there was little or no
evidence of any long-term psychological
WHEN PSYCHONAUTS GO problems among them. Roland Griffiths of
PSYCHONUTS John Hopkins did his own survey, where
1993 respondents reported distressing psy-
The main barrier to decriminalization is the chedelic experiences, and some were hospi-
sense – which I happen to share – that psy- talised – though most saw them as good in
chedelics are risky, that when you open the the long-term. Only 10% of respondents
door to the unconscious you are dicing said the negative experiences had long-
with your health and sanity. Ernst Junger term consequences. He thinks the experi-
wrote to the discoverer of LSD, Albert ence can be made almost completely safe in
Hoffman, in 1948: ‘These are experiments a clinical setting.
in which one sooner or later embarks on I would suggest that the reason psyche-
truly dangerous paths, and may be consid- delics can be so therapeutic is also the rea-
ered lucky to escape with only a black eye.’ son they can potentially be harmful: they
Vol. 6 No. 2 71
lead to what Imperial College’s Robin But, as Jungian psychologist Scott J. Hill
Carhart-Harris calls ‘ego dissolution.’ noted, ego-dissolution can also be terrify-
As we become adults, our construction ing – our ego resists dissolution. We are
of self and of reality is rendered into a sta- confronted with trauma or darkness, and
ble configuration, an automatic programme we can’t handle it. We run and hide, and we
that starts running the moment we wake can keep running for a long time. 62% of
up. Our construction can be bad for us. We Griffiths’ participants also said their trip
may have integrated very negative beliefs or was one of the most difficult or challenging
traumatic memories, which have become experiences of their life.
habituated into unconscious, physical, That’s why it’s important to have guides
autonomic and even molecular patterns. – friends, doctors, nurses, caregivers – to
Psychedelics dissolve this rigid construc- help you through any dark patches. I was
tion, or bring the automatic to conscious- impressed with the work of ‘psychedelic
ness. They ‘lower the threshold of con- harm reduction’ organizations like Kosmi-
sciousness’ as Carl Jung put it, enabling us care, who provide support to trippers at fes-
to re-encounter traumatic or repressed tivals and help them to accept that ‘difficult
memories, to re-consider habitual or arche- trips are not necessarily bad trips’ as Rick
typal patterns and choose new patterns, to Doblin put it. Too often, if someone is hav-
alter autonomic processes like auto- ing a ‘transient psychotic episode’ on psy-
immune illnesses, perhaps even to inter- chedelics, the reaction of health profes-
vene in our bodies at the cellular level. We sionals is to tranquilize and hospitalize
can see the stitching in our reality- them – denying their experience any kind
construction and we can unstitch and res- of spiritual meaning or worth, and perhaps
tich. even slamming a psychotic or schizo-
That can be liberating. We can have a phrenic label on them for life. That’s a
sense of ego-dissolution into the blissful curse. Trying to talk people through diffi-
ocean of our creative unconscious. The un- cult phases of trips so they find a therapeu-
conscious that we meet on psychedelics is tic or transcendent interpretation seems a
more the benign archetypal fairy-land of much, much better approach.
Jungian therapy than the nihilistic jungle
of sexual violence that Freud suggested. We REVEALING SPIRITUAL REALITY?
descend into that underworld, and can
emerge with a sense of rebirth. In Griffiths’ Psychedelics, then, reveal very interesting
studies at Johns Hopkins, 60% of partici- things to us about the mind, consciousness,
pants said their psilocybin trip was one of unconsciousness, the ego, and how we can
the most meaningful experiences of their change the ego’s beliefs and behaviour. Do
life.
Vol. 6 No. 2 72
they also tell us interesting things about the necessarily becomes convinced there’s an
nature of reality? afterlife, but quite often they become open
Participants at the ancient Greek rites of to that possibility for the first time. That’s a
Eleusis came away thinking they would ‘die big change to the total certainty they are
with a better hope.’ Is that, I wondered, why facing annihilation.’
psychedelics decrease anxiety and depres- Of course, a new experience-based be-
sion in the terminally ill? Do they come lief in the afterlife is not scientific proof.
away from the experience with a new belief But it’s interesting. And it’s also interesting
in the afterlife? I asked Thorsten Passie that decreased anxiety and an increased be-
from Harvard, who has studied how LSD lief in the afterlife is a reliable consequence
reduces anxiety in those with life- of near-death experiences.
threatening illness. He replied: ‘We didn’t Another common phenomenon in psy-
ask them, but I think so.’ I also asked chedelic experiences is a sense of encoun-
Roland Griffiths, who has undertaken a ter with spirits, deities, or creatures from
similar study. He replied: ‘Not everyone another universe or dimension. A survey of
Vol. 6 No. 2 73
800 psychonauts by Fountonglou and Frei- ‘flooded’ by any and every spirit. Indeed,
moser found that 46% of ayahuasca-takers several of the speakers and participants, in-
reported ‘encounters with suprahuman or cluding Hunter and the author Daniel
spiritual entities.’ as well as 36% of DMT- Pinchbeck, reported having felt possessed
takers, 17% of LSD takers, and 12% of during or after a psychedelic experience –
psilocybin-takers. Similar percentages re- they felt they had been invaded by a spirit
ported ‘experiences of other universes and which was not entirely friendly (Albert
encounters with their inhabitants.’ Hoffman had a similar experience on the
This raises an interesting question for first ever LSD trip in 1943). We need to
psychedelic academia – how to make sense know not just how to open the doors of our
of these spirits? There was a whole after- mind, but also how to close them.
noon session devoted to the question of the This is the conclusion psychedelic re-
‘elves’ or ‘little people’ which takers of searcher Rick Strassman arrived at, follow-
DMT regularly report encountering. Inter- ing his landmark study in 1990, in which 60
pretations ranged from the purely material- participants took DMT, and many reported
ist (it’s a brain-trick), to the Jungian (they’re encountering alien or insectoid beings, who
archetypes from the collective unconscious) were not all benevolent. He said at the con-
to the literal (they’re really real). As the an- ference: ‘How can we tell if these beings are
thropologist Jack Hunter noted, that last for us or against us? Will we try to weapon-
assertion is somewhat taboo in academia, ize them, or will they try and weaponize
which tends to be committed to naturalist us?’ This reminded me of the film Prome-
materialist explanations. You can be any- theus, in which humans search for contact
thing in academia, from transgender to with higher beings, only to discover the
post-Lacanian, as long as it’s materialist. higher beings are utterly contemptuous of
The academics at this conference (David us.
Luke, Dave King, Jack Hunter and others)
showed a brave willingness to go over that PSYCHEDELIC CHRISTIANITY?
naturalist barrier and open themselves to
the possibility that the discarnate entities Strassman concluded: ‘When opening
they encounter are ‘really real,’ Hunter yourself to spiritual worlds, it’s not all love
called this ‘ontological flooding.’ and light. It’s important to know how to
But I think we need to go further than protect yourself, how to pray.’ He has ended
that. We need to recognize not just that up going back to his Hebrew upbringing,
there may be discarnate entities out there, and to the Bible, for guidance. Certainly,
but also that not all of them are benevolent. both Hellenic and Judeao-Christian culture
That means opening the door to the spirit- developed advanced techniques and prac-
world, but not leaving it wide open to be tices for the ‘discernment of spirits.’ to pro-
Vol. 6 No. 2 74
tect practitioners against both bad spirits In any case, the sense I got from Break-
and their own hyperactive imagination. ing Convention was that psychedelic cul-
But Strassman’s return to our Judaeo- ture hopes to spread beyond the counter-
Christian heritage went down like a shit culture and ‘go mainstream.’ Imperial’s
balloon with the New Agers of the confer- Robin Carhart-Harris said: ‘I like the vision
ence, who tended to embrace an ABC men- of controlled places where people can have
tality: Anything But Christianity. You were controlled psychedelic experiences.’ Con-
much more likely to hear enthusiastic dis- trolled places to lose control – this is what
cussions of the Maenads, or wicca, or Peru- the best rites are.
vian shamanism, or sex magick, or Aleister
Jules Evans runs the Well-Being Project at the Centre for
Crowley. The dominant tone was anarchic, the History of the Emotions at Queen Mary, University of
liberationist, transgressive, trickster, mar- London. He is a co-organiser of the London Philosophy
Club, the largest philosophy club in the UK, and gives
ginal, counter-cultural.
talks and workshops on practical philosophy around the
I think this snobbery towards Christian- world. He is the founder of www.thephilosophyhub.com, a
ity is a mistake – you ignore 2000 years of project funded by the UK's Arts and Humanities Research
Council. He writes for publications including the Wall
ecstatic culture and philosophy, and end up Street Journal, The Times, the Spectator, Prospect and
in the intellectual and artistic shallows with Psychologies, and has worked with organisations includ-
ing the New Economics Foundation, the Rockefeller
mediocre ego-maniacs like Crowley or Wil-
Foundation and the School of Life, the philosophy school
liam Burroughs. Psychedelic culture can in London. His blog, www.philosophyforlife.org, enjoys a
end up all about transgression, and not loyal following around the world.
about trying to create integrated, wise, safe,

moral, prosocial, mainstream cults which
last for thousands of years, as Eleusis and
Christianity did. You need not just just cul-
tural transgression at the margin of society,
but wise cults at the centre. At the moment,
we have counter-cultures but no central
cult.
I wonder if, in a hundred years, some
form of psychedelic Christianity will have
emerged, like the Santo Daime church in
Brazil, which combines ayahuasca cere-
mony with Christianity’s rituals and em-
phasis on virtue, love, beauty, forgiveness,
humility and rebirth. Is that possible or
conceivable?
Vol. 6 No. 2 75
REVIEW:
N.J. UFO/Paranormal Spring Conference April 11th,
at the Hamilton Garden Hilton
T. Peter Park
Walton’s celebrated weird encounter and

A couple of weeks ago, on Saturday, April
its aftermath, with Walton himself person-
11th, 2015, I attended the all-day 57th New
ally answering questions about his experi-
Jersey UFO and Paranormal Spring Con-
ence and the film. Stinnett got Walton to
ference at the Hamilton Garden Hilton in
speak at the November 2011 NJ UFO Con-
Hamilton NJ. The NJ UFO, ET, and Para-
ference, and again this April.
normal Conferences have been held twice a
I myself have previously attended the
year in the Trenton area for 29 years, since
November 2004, April 2006, November
1986, for many years in Bordentown and
2011, April 2013, and April 2014 Confer-
more recently in Hamilton. The conference
ences, as a "mental amphibian" equally at
was hosted by Pat "Dr. UFO" Marcantillio,
home in "mainstream" academic scholar-
founder and President of the New Jersey/
ship (as a student of modern European in-
Pennsylvania UFO Paranormal Study
tellectual and cultural history with a PhD
Group meeting monthly at the Hamilton
in European History from the University of
Township Free Public Library, who has
Virginia in 1970), and also in paranormal
hosted the NJ UFO Conferences for many
and Fortean inquiries. I attended this
years, and directed by biomedical engineer
April’s conference as an observer, though I
Dave Stinnett. A 35-year veteran of UFO
have also given talks on various ufological
field and archive research, Stinnett is active
and paranormal topics at some of the ear-
in worldwide UFO studies and in Eastern
lier conferences. Another observer, whose
U.S. ufology, with research interests in an-
name and writings may be familiar to many
cient Biblical and extra-canonical texts, an-
students of the paranormal and anomalous,
cient civilizations, astronomy, physics and
was sociologically and anthropologically
other topics relating to the UFO phenome-
oriented parapsychologist George P. Han-
non. The high point and final presentation
sen, author of The Trickster and the Paranor-
of the conference was a screening of an
mal (Philadelphia: Xlibris, 2001), devoted to
award-winning new documentary film on
his theories of the "tricksterly," "liminal"
famous 1975 Arizona UFO abductee Travis
(socially marginal and boundary-crossing)
Vol. 6 No. 2 76
character of the paranormal and its mar- fer W. Stein’s 90-minute documentary
ginalization in modern society through Travis: The True Story of Travis Walton. Before
German sociologist Max Weber’s historical and after the conference’s formal programs,
processes of "rationalization" and "disen- participants also relaxed, socialized, and ex-
chantment" (Entzauberung). Hansen did not changed paranormal and personal views
speak himself at this conference, but ex- and experiences at a party on Friday eve-
changed views on the paranormal and its ning the 10th at Dave Stinnett’s friend and
social & cultural context in lively private conference co-organizer Patty Maxwell’s
conversations with myself and with many house, and at a concluding dinner Saturday
other conference attendees. His concept of night at Mastoris Diner-Restaurant in
a "Betwixt & Between" intermediate or nearby Bordentown. At Patty Maxwell’s Fri-
liminal zone between opposites as the do- day night’s party. I got to chat briefly with
main of the paranormal was also invoked by Travis Walton, and also with a couple of
photographer Shannon Taggart in her own women abductees whose eerie experiences
conference presentation on the late Mi- were described at length, under pseudo-
chael Jackson as a boundary-crossing limi- nyms, in historian and abduction re-
nal figure whose personality, career, and searcher David Jacobs’ Secret Life–experi-
image blurred or crossed a number of op- ences that I felt may well have played a role
positions like Life/Death, Child/Adult, in their becoming sensitive "free spirits"
MaleFemale, and Black/White. aware of "something more" to life rather
The speakers this April were (in order of than "bourgeoises" enmeshed in the quo-
appearance) Philadelphia-based UFO blog- tidian and mundane! (Or were they already
ger Frank Stalter, professional photogra- somewhat "liminal" to begin with?)
pher and student of Spiritualism Shannon Frank Stalter, owner since 2009 of "The
Taggart, paranormal radio personality UFO Partisan" blog devoted to UFO’s, his-
Karyn Dolan, audio engineer David Roun- tory, and astronomy, was the conference’s
tree, and abductee Travis Walton. Stalter first speaker, on the theme of "UFO’s:
spoke on "UFO’s: There’s Nothing New in There’s Nothing New in the World Except
the World Except the History You Don’t the History You Don’t Know." Stalter first
Know," Taggart on "Michael Jackson became interested in space late during the
Betwixt/Between," Dolan on "Crossover Gemini program and all through the Apollo
Cases–When UFO’s and Paranormal Phe- moon missions, and first became interested
nomena Coincide," and Rountree on in UFOs during the flap of the early 1970s,
"Hauntings: Science and the Paranormal," with the 1973 Pascaguola, Mississippi ab-
while Walton concluded the day’s and eve- duction of fishermen Charles Hickson and
ning’s program by presiding over the Calvin Parker being the most famous case
screening of independent filmmaker Jenni- of those days. He watched many cable tele-
Vol. 6 No. 2 77
vision UFO documentaries over the fol- in UFO witnesses. Discussing the July 1952
lowing years but began to take an active in- Washington, D.C. visual and radar sight-
terest in the phenomenon after the public- ings, he noted that this was the closest that
ity surrounding astronaut Edgar Mitchell’s UFO’s ever came to landing on the White
appearance at the National Press Club in House lawn. Experienced radar operations
the spring of 2009. About six months after there at the time, he emphasized, definitely
Mitchell’s appearance, Stalter started his identified the "unknowns" over our nation’s
own blog, "The UFO Partisan." capital as real physical flying objects, and
Stalter developed a particular interest in not as ground clutter or atmospheric
UFOs during the Truman presidency, and weather effects, inspiring real concern
started exploring the Web. He enjoyed among our highest military. Of particular
some beginner’s luck, finding items of in- interest, Stalter noted, was a special Sep-
terest on the Internet that the established tember 3, 1952 meeting of the 80-member
UFO community had overlooked or under- inter-service and inter-agency National Se-
valued. These finds included a specifically curity Resources Board to discuss defense
documented White House meeting regard- of the capital, attended by President Tru-
ing the July 1952 Washington D.C. UFO man himself, according to the Truman Li-
sightings, the interest taken in UFOs by brary website. The U.S. Air Force and the
two-time Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling, Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC),
and the solution to the April 1964 Socorro Stalter revealed, were the official behind-
(New Mexico) landing case, found to be a the-scenes catalyst for Robert Ginna and
hoax. Stalter has heavily researched the H.B. Darrach’s famous April 7, 1952 Life
very curious founding of the commercial magazine article "Have We Visitors from
titanium industry in December 1948, a year Outer Space?," arguing for the definite re-
and a half after the alleged Roswell UFO ality and probable extraterrestrial origin of
crash. the "flying saucers."
Stalter’s talk focused mainly on UFO Coming closer in time from the Truman
sightings, and high-level serious govern- administration to the present, Stalter
ment interest, during the Truman admini- named Gordon Cooper and Deke Slayton
stration, 1947-1953. Stalter repeatedly in- as American astronauts who have reported
sisted that there is indeed plenty of physi- seeing UFO’s, in addition to Edgar
cal evidence for UFO’s, in the form of radar Mitchell’s 2009 National Press Club inter-
sightings, citing Stanford University Peter view. The twice Nobel Prize-winning
Sturrock (one of the few eminent scientists (Chemistry 1954, Peace 1962) chemist and
openly interested in UFO’s) who declared peace activist Linus Pauling (1901-1994),
"Yes–radar is physical evidence." He like- Stalter emphasized, was intensely inter-
wise also reiterated that he has lots of faith ested in UFO’s, and wrote a lengthy, de-
Vol. 6 No. 2 78
tailed UFO research project proposal. the "King of Pop" as a liminal figure blur-
Stalter also discussed the debunking of the ring binary oppositions like Life/Death,
famous April 1964 Socorro NM UFO land- Child/Adult. Black/White, Male/Female, and
ing by Pauling’s good friend and regular Good/Evil. Ms. Taggart is a photographer,
correspondent the physicist Stirling Col- researcher and Programmer-in-Residence
gate (1925-2013), President of New Mexico at the Morbid Anatomy Museum in Brook-
Tech in Socorro from 1965 to 1974, endors- lyn , N.Y., whose photographs have been
ing Colgate’s view that the incident was a exhibited internationally and published in
prank conducted by a couple of college Time, Newsweek, The New York Times Maga-
zine, The Wall Street Journal, Discover,
students and that the "UFO" was a balloon.
Reader's Digest, Psychology Today, Prevention,
Stalter concluded and climaxed his presen-
and New York Magazine. She has worked
tation with his account of the very curious
since 2001 on a photography project on the
exponential growth of the titanium industry
religion of Spiritualism, frequently visiting
beginning in December 1948, a year and a
the Spiritualist colony at Lily Dale in up-
half after the Roswell crash, after a previ-
state New York, and has also photographed
ously negligible and very gradually growing
Vodun ("voodoo") ceremonies among Hai-
production of the metal so vital for the
tian immigrants in Brooklyn.
modern aerospace industry. Comparing the
Shannon Taggart began to contemplate
sudden accelerated post-1948 growth of ti-
the curious life and afterlife of Michael
tanium production to the government-run
Jackson, and probing his oppositions-
forced-draft acceleration of atomic research
blurring liminal character, after photo-
in the Manhattan Project, he cautiously
graphing a number of Spiritualist mediums
suggested that we might well have here an
who reported channeling the spirit of the
actual case of reverse engineering from
King of Pop and supernaturally materializ-
alien technology sparked by the Roswell
ing physical "apports" of Jackson memora-
crash, trying to duplicate and mass-produce
bilia. Basing herself on the work of cultural
the metal of the downed "saucer"! Perhaps
anthropologists Arnold van Gennep (1873-
a bit more cautiously, he also ended his talk
1957) and Victor Turner (1920-1983), and on
by noting that Clarence "Kelly" Johnson,
discussions with her friend George Han-
the founder of Area 51, the Groom Lake
sen, she examined Michael's ambiguous
secret aircraft development center for the
dead/alive status, exploring him as the ulti-
Government, was also himself a UFO wit-
mate liminal figure, one blurring a number
ness.
of binary oppositions.
Stalter was followed by Brooklyn-based
Exhibiting and explicating a copy of
photographer Shannon Taggart exploring
Hansen’s diagram of binary oppositions in
"Betwixt/Between: The Curious Life and
The Trickster and the Paranormal, also used
After-Life of Michael Jackson," describing
in Hansen’s March 2014 Gettysburg College
Vol. 6 No. 2 79
"Exploring the Extraordinary" conference AD: After Disclosure: The People’s Guide to
talk on the "Betwixt and Between" inter- Life After Contact (2010), herself hosted the
mediate zone generating the paranormal, popular internet radio show, "Through the
she showed how Jackson’s life, career, and Keyhole," on the Paranormal Radio Net-
image blurred the normal binary opposi- work from 2007 to 2012, and served as Me-
tions of life/death, child/adult, Black/White, dia Relations Director for the International
male/female, good/evil, human/non-human, UFO Congress in Laughlin, NV during that
and reality/fantasy. In blurring, transcend- time. In 2015 she returns to the airwaves as
ing, or transgressing all such oppositions co-host of Beyond the Edge Radio's Creature
and inhabiting a kind of "betwixt and be- Features, with Eric Altman. Ms. Dolan has
tween" intermediate zone, she argued, Jack- spoken at conferences and events across
son showed clear parallels with the gods, the country on topics ranging from the
saints, and shamans of the past, indeed was Roswell UFO events to the Amityville Hor-
himself a modern shaman. He was clearly a ror haunting, and has written articles for
psychic, himself reporting paranormal ex- Spirit Digest magazine, Fate magazine, and
periences, such as a premonition of Prin- the Women of Esoterica blog.
cess Diana’s death, conversations with Lib- Ms. Dolan’s talk stressed the complexity
erace’s spirit, and visions of ghosts. She and ambiguity of many paranormal phe-
played a video of Jackson’s "moonwalk" in nomena, which often seem to blur clear
his "Billy Jean," the song that marked his hard-and-fast categories of "UFO," "alien
transformation into a superstar–a "moon- abduction," "ghost," "mystery beast," etc.,
walk" performance where he struck me as with more than one strange thing going on.
bearing an uncanny resemblance to the Contact with other-worldly beings can be
"slenderman" figure of the last couple of terrifying, she emphasized, partly because
years’ on-line paranormal urban legendry! we don’t understand it and partly because
Ms. Taggart was followed, after the lunch it can change one’s entire world-view in an
break, by paranormal researcher and radio instant. Encountering any such experiences
personality Karyn Dolan, speaking on or phenomena is transformative, making us
"Crossover Cases: When UFO’s and Para- more tolerant, less judgmental, she not-
normal Phenomena Coincide," discussing ed–which, I suspect, may perhaps have
the frequent overlap of UFO encounters saved some of the people I myself met at
with other weird, paranormal, or anoma- the conference and accompanying festivi-
lous phenomena such as ghosts, polter- ties from becoming "bourgeois" yuppies or
geists, and mystery animals (Bigfoot, etc.) housewives, careerists or shopaholics, all
Ms. Dolan, the former spouse of ufologist too easy pitfalls for "flatlanders" totally
Richard Dolan, author of UFO’s and the Na- immersed in the mundane and quotidiam!
tional Security State (2 vols., 2000, 2009) and Many UFO reports, Ms. Dolan felt, do have
Vol. 6 No. 2 80
mundane explanations like swamp gas, the winged flying humanoids like the 1966-67
planet Venus, etc. Paranormal researchers, Point Peasant W.Va. "Mothman" studies by
she noted, are not primarily looking for John A. Keel in his classic The Mothman
physical evidence, as there usually is not Prophecies, and the pterodactyls (prehistoric
much physical evidence. flying reptiles) also reported from Point
There is no single unified method for Pleasant. Discussing the Point Pleasant
studying the paranormal yet, Ms. Dolan ar- phenomena studied by Keel in the 1960's,
gues. Study of paranormal phenomena has she noted Men in Black encounters along
included scientific efforts with EVP (Elec- with "Mothman," and Keel’s experiences
tronic Voice Phenomena), infrared photog- with tapped and interfered telephones even
raphy, etc., and also the use of clairvoyants, at home in New York. Like Keel, she
sensitives, and psychics. Study of the para- claimed (perhaps not too accurately) that
normal includes subfields like cryptozool- there were never had been any Native
ogy (the study of reported anomalous ani- Americans in West Virginia, the red men
mals like Bigfoot, Yeti, Nessie, sea serpents, allegedly seeming to avoid the area of the
chupacabras, "Thunderbirds," Black Dogs, 20th century "Mothman" manifestations in
mystery big cats, etc.), geobiology (the study pre-Columbian times for some unknown
of ley lines and earth energies), and cereol- reason. Likewise, she noted, Utah’s Skin-
ogy (the study of crop circles and "saucer walker Ranch area was marked by cattle
nests.") She mentioned interference with mutilations, huge wolves, Bigfoot encoun-
broadcasting or sending, and possibly gov- ters, UFO’s, orbs, a curious sky-portal, and
ernment interference with research on ley incidents where unattended unpacked gro-
lines. Ufologists, she noted, want to be ceries were repacked a few minutes later.
taken seriously, to end the cover-up and Ms. Dolan’s most curious and interest-
publicize possible advances in technology. ing paranormal case, however, was the pol-
There has been to much compartmen- tergeist haunting with suggestions of com-
talization in UFO research in the past, Ms. puterized time-travel experienced in 1984-
Dolan felt. As illustrations of her belief in 1985 by English hypnotist Ken Webster and
the overlap of various types of paranormal two housemates in Meadow Cottage in the
and anomalous phenomena straddling village of Dodleston, Broxton Hundred,
categories, she cited the Skinwalker Ranch Cheshire, described in Webster’s 1989 book
in Utah, the alien ghosts (as well as alien The Vertical Plane and in a chapter of Ross
bodies) reportedly seen at Roswell NM, the Hemsworth’s The Dead Are Talking (2007).
alien abductees who have frequently devel- Webster received messages in Middle Eng-
oped psychic abilities, the Men in Black lish on his computer, purportedly from one
(MIB) often reported in connection with "Tomas Harden," who described himself
UFO encounters, UFO’s sighted along with not as a ghost but as a flesh-and-blood
Vol. 6 No. 2 81
Englishman living in Meadow Cottage in ing his background of audio engineering

the 16th century, and accused by his con- and psychoacoustics. In 2005 he linked
temporaries of witchcraft for his "light electromagnetic fields (EMF) as the primary
box," as he called the computer! Webster source of EVPs, while in 2010 he discov-
and "Tomas" enjoyed two years of seem- ered that paranormal-related EMF was an
ingly time-crossing communication emergent phenomenon. This has led him to
through the computer, along with another develop a wormhole hypothesis associated
person or entity on the computer calling with a paranormal event horizon.
himself "Lucas." Webster and his house- Mr. Rountree began his research into
mates also observed 6-toed footprints in the paranormal professionally in 1976 and
Meadow Cottage. has investigated cases scientifically from
The conference’s next-to-last speaker Rhode Island to Key West , Florida . He has
was Hackettstown NJ audio and acoustics experimented with both scientific and
engineer David Rountree, author of Para- metaphysical techniques in studying unex-
normal Technology: Understanding the Science plained occurrences. Over the course of his
of Ghost Hunting (2010), with "Hauntings: research he showed that EVP was not re-
Science and the Paranormal," attempting to lated to sound by the use of a Bell Jar, a
link paranormal phenomena like hauntings vacuum pump, a Shure dynamic micro-
and EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) to phone and a TEAC A-4010S Reel to Reel
advanced frontier concepts of physics, par- recorder. Due to several encounters of a
tucularly to "wormholes" in space-time. very negative nature from 1985-87, Mr.
Rountree represents himself as receiving Rountree made the decision to concentrate
his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engi- on the scientific research concerning the
neering in 1973, while serving in the U.S. phenomena, and not the metaphysical as-
Air Force, and his Masters in Electronic pects of the events. The 1985 encounter is
Engineering in Digital Signal Processing in the subject of his book, Demon Street USA
2007. However, George Hansen informed (2014), co-authored with chemical spectra
me after the conference that there appar- analyst and marketing manager Robbie
ently have been some questions about his Lunt. In 1992 Mr. Rountree formed a new
military service and his educational creden- organization, Scientific Paranormal Investi-
tials. Such "tricksterish" ambiguity and de- gative Research Information and Technol-
ceptiveness, as Hansen himself has often ogy (S.P.I.R.I.T.), and began a long and
stressed, is very common among people in- painstaking process of collecting, building
tensely involved in the paranormal, and focusing a battery of hi-tech instru-
whether as zealous proponents or aggres- mentation to concentrate on laboratory and
sive skeptics. Rountree's primary focus field experimentation to search for the
since 1998 has been EVP research, employ- cause of paranormal phenomena. By 1998
Vol. 6 No. 2 82
his focus of research had narrowed to phe- Where do these EMF signals come
nomena specific to "Hauntings." David from?, Rountree asked. The paranormal is
Rountree is a professional member of the very localized, he found, the environment
American Association for the Advancement altering dramatically in a very small area.
of Science, the Audio Engineering Society, The EMF causing EVP is emergent infor-
the International Frequency Sensor Asso- mation coming from somewhere else.
ciation, and is also affiliated with the Insti- Rountree thus relied on Einstein-Rosen
tute of Electrical and Electronics Engi- Bridges or "wormholes" connecting remote
neers. He was recently invited to join the points in space-time to explain EVP, stress-
Mathematics Association of America. ing his observation of a variety of environ-
Rountree’s talk, in contrast to Ms. Do- mental changes in a small localized area,
lan’s inter-disciplinary, humanistic ap- and citing Stephen Hawking’s belief that
proach, heavily emphasized "hard science," "wormholes" are everywhere around us. A
of admittedly rather "far-out" and specula- wormhole is a short-cut between distant
tive kind, involving space-time "worm- points in space and time, Rountree noted,
holes" and the use of sophisticated tech- and leaves a dramatic signature. He noted
nology, as might be expected from an engi- finding time speeding up in a small area or
neer. He began paranormal research in volume, and brief bursts of intense local-
1976 at the Rhine Research Center at Duke ized gamma radiation in places of intense
University, with William Roll and Hans paranormal activity, as in haunted or
Holzer. He focused especially on "Raudive poltergeist-afflicted houses, suggesting that
Voices," as EVP were then called, after such intense gamma ray bursts may explain
Konstantin Raudive (1909-1974), a Latvian- what he considered the high rate of cancer
born parapsychologist and student of Carl deaths among paranormal researchers. He
Jung who pioneered in studying these also suggested that researchers investigat-
sound phenomena which he believed were ing hauntings or poltergeists should check
produced by the spirits of the dead. Roun- for radioactivity, to warn owners and resi-
tree eventually concluded that these dents of such houses about possible health
"voices" were not so much sounds as prod- hazards.
ucts of electronic forces, finding that EVP Turning to wider paranormal questions,
were still available through vacuums in bell Rountree discussed Ray Moody’s finding
jars, as vacuums obviously cannot transmit that people with near-death experiences
sound, but do transmit electromagnetic (NDE’s) often develop new talents or gifts.
fields. Around 2002, he began arguing that He mentioned he subject of the world’s 10
EVP were electromagnetic forces (EMF), "Vile Vortices," the sites of numerous un-
with audio and EVP wave-forms always in- explained disappearances, noting that these
variably matched. "Vortices" are all located in a regular
Vol. 6 No. 2 83
alignment around the globe. He speculated turning to the scene, and were accused of
about exotic matter, with a negative mass, foul play in his disappearance by suspicious
that annihilates regular matter on contact. law-enforcement authorities. Walton turned
Rountree likewise touched on the topic of up 5 days later in a small nearby town, con-
intertwining double helices, such as the fused and distraught but with fleeting
DNA double helix underlying the genetic memories of humanoid entities. He was
code, and the phenomenon of vortices in later subjected to several polygraph tests,
smoke. including one on November 15, 1975,
The conference’s climax and final pres- evaluated for APRO (Aerial Phenomena
entation was 1975 UFO abductee Travis Research Association) director James Lo-
Walton’s screening of Jennifer W. Stein’s renzen by University of California (Ber-
90-minute commentary Travis: The True keley) engineering professor and UFO re-
Story of Travis Walton on his abduction and searcher James Harder (1916-2006). Walton
its aftermath. Arizona logger (now lumber was mercilessly harassed for years (along
mill manager)Travis Walton's November with his co-workers) by Aviation Week and
1975 abduction near Snowflake, Arizona is Space Technology editor and zealous UFO
one of the most famous abduction stories skeptic Philip Klass (1919-2005), deter-
known to the public, next to New Hamp- mined to discredit him at all costs. Walton’s
shire couple Barney & Betty Hill’s Septem- 1975 logging crew co-worker Steve Pierce
ber 1961 "Interrupted Journey," and was recalled his own years of what he described
described by UFO historian Jerome Clark as vicious hounding by Klass at the No-
as one of "the very few alleged alien abduc- vember 2011 NJ UFO conference where he
tion cases with some corroborative eyewit- spoke along with Walton, in Pierce’s first
nesses." It was the subject of Paramount public appearance after years of desperately
Pictures' 1993 drama, Fire in the Sky. seeking anonymity and shunning publicity.
As most paranormal researchers know, Filmmaker Jennifer W. Stein, Executive
Walton, then 22, was working with 6 other Producer of Onwinges Productions and Di-
young men in a logging crew in Arizona’s rector of Main Line MUFON serving the
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest near "Main Line" suburban Philadelphia PA
Snowflake on November 5, 1975 when he UFO research community, graciously al-
was stricken by a brilliant beam of bluish- lowed the Conference to screen her new
white light from a glowing disc-shaped 90-minute documentary on this case, which
craft, hovering over a forest clearing, that recently won two EBE awards at the Open
he and his crew had driven over to investi- Minds film festival in Scottsdale, Arizona.
gate, initially thinking it was a forest fire. Travis: The True Story of Travis Walton, pro-
Walton’s co-workers fled in panic, then duced by Jennifer W. Stein and by Pennsyl-
found him nowhere to be seen upon re- vania artist and film & video producer Bob
Vol. 6 No. 2 84
Terrio, was three years in the making. Wal- debunker in the 1950's and 1960's, and
ton attended the screening and took ques- Klass’s extensive correspondence with
tions from the audience. Ms. Stein herself, Menzel. Perhaps the most interesting part
whom I myself once met and talked with at of the film was the description of the
the November 2011 conference, where I greatly enhanced growth rings found in
first "came out" as a "mental amphibian" to trees cut down at and near the original
her, George Hansen, and a couple of others, 1975 encounter site, possibly stimulated by
was presiding that weekend over another radiation from the UFO. In the question
screening of her film in Los Angeles. and answer period following the screening,
The film featured all of the still living Walton expressed his own belief that we
members of the original 1975 logging crew, are being gradually conditioned by the
including Walton himself, along with inter- UFO’s and their makers in an educational
views with UFO researchers James Harder program to broaden our mental perspec-
and Stanton Friedman, both long-time tives about Humanity’s place in the uni-
champions of Walton’s story. Friedman, a verse, a hypothesis similar to that of UFO
nuclear physicist turned ardent UFO re- researchers like Jacques Vallee and Leo
searcher, called Philip Klass the greatest Sprinkle.
late 20th century propagandist. Friedman As I’ve noted, the conference’s formal
and other film interviewees described Klass programming was followed that evening, as
as very well connected to top government in the case of many previous NJ UFO con-
and military circles, with a mysterious slush ferences in the area, by a group dinner at
fund of money from unknown sources. Mastoris popular Diner-Restaurant in
Klass conducted a long-time personal ven- nearby Bordentown. There we all got a
detta against Travis Walton though he never chance to relax, socialize, and exchange fur-
contacted Walton himself, and perhaps con- ther paranormal and personal views and
tributed through his character assassina- experiences, as we likewise did at the party
tion to the suicide of physicist, UFO re- the previous evening at Dave Stinnett’s
searcher, and outspoken 1969 Condon re- friend and conference co-organizer Patty
port critic James E. MacDonald (1920- Maxwell’s house.
1971). The FBI apparently considered Klass
not in full possession of his mental facul-
ties, with what they considered his near- T. Peter Park is an historian, a former librarian,
paranoid harassment and defamation of and a prolific Fortean commentator on anoma-
UFO witnesses! The film likewise discussed lous phenomena. According to Chris Perridas,
Park is "a foremost Fortean authority on H. P.
the apparent close top-secret government
Lovecraft and the cultural impact his writing
connections of astrophysicist Donald Men-
has had on our culture through folklore.”
zel (1901-1976), America’s foremost UFO
Vol. 6 No. 2 85
ABSTRACTS:
‘The Emerging Field of Paranthropology’:
Panel at 58th Annual Parapsychological Association/39th
Annual Society for Psychical Research Conference, Univer-
sity of Greenwich, 18th July 2015
Methodology of Doing Psi Research in Other Cultures and the Effect of Cultural Beliefs -
Serena Roney-Dougal, Psi Research Centre (Chair)
Taking a parapsychology experimental procedure and adapting it to the culture in which one is
working is tricky and takes time. The experimenter needs to live for a sufficiently long period of time
with the participants in order to begin to appreciate their perspective and gain their confidence. The
experimental methodological rigour needs to be maintained whilst one works within the partici-
pants’ cultural experience. In my research in India with Yogis and Tibetans it took two years to create
a procedure with which the participants were comfortable. An example from the Yogic research: in
the first year the students scored in the psi0missing direction. Discussions with them revealed that
compliance is very important for students with a teacher. They knew that the hypothesis was that the
swamis would score better and so they had unconsciously attempted to comply with this. Bringing
this unconscious factor into the open resulted in chance scoring by the students the following year -
an improvement on the psi-missing.
With the Tibetans, the methodology was similar to their practice of mirror Mo divination. How-
ever the targets had to be specially prepared for them as appropriate for their life experience which
was without radio or television. Therefore static targets of Tibet were too uniform. However, even
though the Tibetans were now living in India, some of the targets were outside of their life experi-
ence. For example, one monk during the session saw a flower filled meadow. When he was viewing
the four pictures one was of a rock pool. He had never seen the sea. He explained that these were
underwater flowers, e.g. Sea anemones, and he immediately identified this as the target, sine it was
the closes to his meadow!
Two More Sessions with Amyr Amiden, a Brazilian Claimant Medium - Stanley Krippner,
Saybrook University
In 1994, I was a member of an interdisciplinary team that spent eight days studying Amyr Amiden, a
Brazilian claimant medium. During 20 sessions, 97 possible anomalous events were observed, 91 of
which were rated “apparent anomalies” on the basis of a 5-point rating scale filled out by 3 members
of the team. When the mean ratings per event were correlated with physiological and geomagnetic
Vol. 6 No. 2 86
readings, 2 of the 10 correlations were statistically significant: elevated diastolic blood pressure and
elevated geomagnetic activity (using the geomagnetic index for the Southern Hemisphere). My
follow-up visit the following year was marked by additional apparent anomalies as was an additional
visit in 2014. One of the most unusual apparent anomalies was the sudden appearance of a pair of
linked metal rings. Brazilian culture in general and Amiden’s family background in particular were
felt to be conducive to his behavior.
Exploring the Apparently Psi-Conducive But Methodologically Elusive Nature of Ritual

Psychedelic Use - David Luke, Greenwich University.
Field reports from explorers, anthropologists and ethnobotanists have long since attested to the ap-
parent psi-inducing properties of shamanic plant psychedelics, such as the Amazonian decoction
ayahuasca and the mescaline-containing cacti San Pedro and peyote. After reviewing the literature
an initial experimental precognition under the influence of ayahuasca, nevertheless a number of
methodological issues became apparent from conducting the study that may account for the find-
ings. Taking into consideration problems identified with the test protocol a new experimental design
was developed and was planned for se with participants under the influence of San Pedro cactus in a
ritual context, however the implementation of the second protocol was hampered by cultural rather
than internal design factors and an alternative solution was sought by testing the protocol in princi-
ple using just one participant, with encouraging findings. The process of, and problems associated
with conducting and developing experimental field research with participants utilizing plant psy-
chedelics in a ritual context are discussed and proposals for future research are put forward.
A Brief History of Paranthropology - Jack Hunter, University of Bristol.
A brief overview of the fields of transpersonal anthropology, the anthropology of consciousness, and
the most recent development in this lineage, paranthropology will be presented. It will outline the
contributions of these fields to the development of a new approach to the investigation of so-called
non-ordinary realities which emphasises the need for ethnographers to participate in the transper-
sonal practices and experiences of their fieldwork informants. In the words of Edith Turner, the an-
thropologist must learn ‘to see at the Native sees’ in order to truly grasp the experiential foundations
of religious and spiritual belief, and escape from the hegemonic dismissal of alternative ontologies.
This talk will explore the limitations of traditional anthropological approaches to the sturdy of relig-
ion, which often fall-short of providing a satisfactory account of the richness and complexity of eth-
nographic reality, and will offer suggestions for ways to overcome such problems.
Vol. 6 No. 2 87
Vol. 6 No. 2 88

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Paranthropology: Journal of Anthropological Approaches to the Paranormal

ISSN: 2044-9216 Vol. 6 No. 2

Experiential Skepticism Taking Soul Birds Seriously: Paranormal Beliefs in

Vol. 6 No. 2 (July 2015)

Honorary Members of the Board

Taking Soul Birds Seriously:

A Qualitative Investigation of United States Mediums’

Keywords: mediumship; qualitative investigation; IPA; spirits; afterlife

150 years from a variety of approaches.

ences, often related to Spiritist practices phenomenological analysis of mediums’

interpretations mediums give to their expe-

gradually “acclimate,” although they em- caused them to commit suicide. . .

Several mediums mentioned they experi-

cally mentioned spiritual energy related to addressing mediums’ unusual perceptual

Other mediums in the United States are REFERENCES

Questions about the Spirit World 2. What aspects of physical embodiment

From the chain-rattling ghost of Plinyʼs first cen-

This unique book examines that fascination and

It explores the physics and the psychology of

Taking Soul Birds Seriously:

of what was happening in my life at the a few miles to a spot suggested by my

My records show that I hadn't seen a king-

figurines or icons...these two aspects of the I wonder, therefore, whether objections

Bouchard, D.F. (1977) Language, Counter-

Curry, P. (2010) Divination, Perspectives for a Greenwood, S. (2009) The Anthropology of

Marzluff, J and Angell, T (2005) In the Com-

Tylor, E.B. (1871/1913) Primitive Culture, 2

A gaggle of Jackdaws chatter their way along the top of

This book presents an interdisciplinary selection of 23 essays first pre-

Neurotransmissions spans the sciences and humanities, from philosophy

Cross-cultural approaches explore the use of psychedelics in New

The journey ends with an exploration of the role of psychedelics in artistic

Paranormal Beliefs in College Culture:

Brooke Hansen, Luke St. Clair & Jessica Mancuso

lation, Big Foot, UFOs, ghosts, crop circles

ined, real, a form of mental illness or other.

aggregate of seven commonly mentioned 2 Spiritual 61 49%

self?” and produced over one hundred de- • Pagan

• I follow Jesus; it's a lifestyle • I believe in an overarching God that is

• A ghost is the remnant of a person once • A ghost is someone/something that has

universe. On the other hand, I do feel consideration, anthropology will have

fordshire, England: University of Hert-

Peterborough, Canada: Broadview Brooke Hansen is a cultural and medical anthro-

It is from the paranormalʼs multifaceted nature that

"Once again, Jack Hunter takes us down the pro-

- Jeffrey J. Kripal, author of Authors of the Impossi-

Experiential Skepticism and an Exploration of

This article describes a “researcher-based experiential research” approach to an exploration

In the inscription to Michael Shermer’s

above context of skepticism as described by traditional quantitative and qualitative re-

pression in conducting and communi- tific models to explain the hypothetical

by skeptics, rather than simplistically dis- GARDNER’S FIDEISM AND

However, the individual reflections I wrote REIKI, JESUS AND BEYOND:

agnostic investigator. Swanville, ME:

Cardeña, E., Lynn, S. J., & Krippner, S.

Radin, D. (2006). Entangled minds: Extrasen-

Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full-catastrophe living:

Sagan, C. (1996). The demon-haunted world:

Psychedelic means “mind manifesting.”

It seems likely that psychedelic agents have profoundly influenced the

*Are they sacred medicine or a threat to society?

Psychedelics and the Future of Religion:

These are exciting times for psychedelic