Neuroimaging Studies of Psi – Expanding Our Research

The research faculty at the Division of Perceptual Studies are seeking grants and private funding to support the following research initiatives regarding the research into neuroimaging studies of psi.  The term “psi” as used here denotes various kinds of anomalous interactions, not presently explainable in conventional scientific terms, between human individuals and their environments. Your generous donations make our on-going research possible. We thank you for your interest in and support of our research. Below are some of the psi research projects we are planning to pursue in our neuroimaging lab once funding is secured.

The hardware in our new laboratory facility enables synchronous sampling of up to 128 channels of EEG, together with additional physiological signals and signals derived from specialized sensors of various kinds. Extensive and sophisticated software resources have also been developed in-house for analysis and modeling of the resulting multichannel data.

• Neuroimaging studies of psi processes to identify conditions that lead to greater success on ESP and Psychokinesis tasks
• Experimental studies of psi-conducive altered states of consciousness such as deep meditative states, hypnotic and mediumistic “trance” and controlled “out-of-body” experiences
• Field studies of group psi effects that can occur with peaks of emotional intensity in group settings of various kinds such as in the group focus cultivated during improvisational singing or toning.

Phenomena of this sort figured prominently in the early history of psychical research, but fell into neglect with the rise of experimental parapsychology in the narrow forms introduced in the early part of last century. We see important possibilities for studying these highly psi-conducive phenomena using modern experimental and neuroimaging technologies.

• Study of mediums which would include eeg and other physiological measurements while the medium is receiving information for a sitter.

This study would occur outside of the lab, but we would be gathering information on the occurrence of spontaneous psi activity related to information about the survival of some aspect of human consciousness post mortem. The study of the occurrence of spontaneous experiences relevant to the question of survival of consciousness after death has been an important focus of the research at UVA DOPS since its inception in 1967. An example of one type of spontaneous case is the witnessing of lifelike apparitions of remote persons or loved-ones undergoing severe injury or death. These cases often have multiple credible witnesses who have experienced this phenomena in various locations simultaneously.

• Creation of a composite data base of well-researched spontaneous cases to conduct statistical modeling and analysis.
• Survey of spontaneous experiences in a large random sample.