40
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PEMLrUS MWELIPHY 1Y 91, 1973
(Translated frv= the Humaian by Maria iAihxjlovivzsic
and Chxiztuph*r Bird)
Paramycholomy: Fiction or ReslitX?
V. P. Zinchanko, "nber of the Academy of
PecLrg(.,gical ",-ievcvz of U.S.S.R.- A. 11. 1^ontinv,
Corraap@Gnding XuT46ar of the Aca"my of Pedz(Zogical
Sciences; B. F. Lomov, Ramber of the Acadnuy of
Pedagugical ScieDtGa, and A. R. Luria.
The question put forv rd in tho title cf thiu article
Ims ti-een discussed fur decadon In world scientific aud populsr
literature. periods ct calm have alternated with pario@
cot agit%t1(,n with respect to dinclocures on thits ur ttmt pars-
niurnal phencimenon. Ths Authors of the present articlo du nQt
regard themselveb as speciAlists in the field of par-Apaychology.
However, the incroaso in the number of articlms (matly in
p,.,pular scientific publications) b@uth in our country and abroad,
fin parapsychological Gbeervations an well as rozoarch conduct*d
on perso" having paranorr4l abilities, have forood us to
address Gurselves tQ this irmue. One aunt strfviss that the orer-
vhslaing majority of articlem on this topic are authored by
jourualists and (.tnly in certain instances are articles by
proftzaioml ociamtiatz, zurb as and pbysiolosints.
publivhad. Though the JournAliztic publications often b&V0
publicity valual t1"y do not co-we up to thm gotDarzlly Acceptad
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N"*r-tb-6 loss' they
r4-gorGus stan"rds
are often NyMVRth0tJ-CA ily re*aiyed by eci@uti8ts Gf various
,dinciPlIDOM Pnot toIspask of thoir fAvomble recvkptiLn by the
general public*
I
in conducted in 1972
of pol
in this MBPOC't, tbO r9oults
and MadO public in January, 1973, by the editurial board of
tbe British i1vurnalo, AftV "a-l"t'st, are eignificant. In 211,
72,000 vu4mtiOnnAirca wOrO 8*nt 4Duts V1 tk* 10500 *Cientists
vh4, responded, about 70 per cent were of the opinion that par&-
nurmal yhenGmena are either firmly estAbliched (25 per cant) cr
entirely prfibable (42 per cant).
We have ot, similar data indicating th& attitude of Boviot
ocientists turard this topict but nany irresponzible publica-
tious havo treated parapsyc4ology iD tur country in A "y vbich
deeply cvn"rns us. For thin Zar."u, we beliare that the tim*
in ripe to expreas the viewpoimt of tba U.B.S.R. 3ociety of
Paycholosleta tovard parapsytbology, the status of which vm-3
discu"ad at one of ths z"tirgs of the Society's Prouldiun.
The Field 0 Pzrzpaycho logics 1 Resp*-arch
In of Philosiophy, parapsycbology is
defined as a fiold of research which bAsically atudiou (1)
forms of perception affording a mozrz of roceiving information
which cannot be explainod by,the !mown uvndAm, and (2) correspond-
iu@ forme of ths iuyaet v! an orZaniou ca pUy6lcal p:Lzacaaua
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occurring outoids the organism without ansistance of uuscular
efforts, by intent, mental influenc-e, Ste,
The majority of contemporary parapsychologists distinguiub
the following categories of phenomena:
r- I It,, f nq r1rq2OV1 15 Y*@
11sitputhZ: Mentsl conmunication betve-in a per-sun trans-
mitting information and one receiving information (referred to
a.s the sender and the recipient)-@ With the belp of telepathyq
two persons exchange information with no action of the known
sense organs. In essence, telepathy in tha ability-to obtain
informatiQn from another living being.
vllt@@ltirv?yjnco: Perception of certain events, phenowenat
and objects, which providon an individual knovledge witbout the
participation of the known senzo orguns.--
1>rec6nition: The foretelling of events based on the
reception of informatiou from the future which cannot be based
on the laws of reaaon. This may be a particular type of clair-
voyance*
Dowsing: Ths means.by which yersoun vitb the help of an
antenna or rod (a beat metallic vire, brranch from a tree, etc.)
can allegedly detect tho presence of underground vater,, ores,
voids and other target objects. This is often referred to in a
"biophysical. effect."
11@1 , I @
Paradiagnostics. Madic%l'diagnosiv baaed o@n clairvoyance
in-which thore in no-contact with tt@o patient.'
_J
The above forms of connitivity are ofton lumpad togeth-ir
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un der the term "extrasensory perception" or ESP. Hovevery
there AlSo exist a Cl&gg Of 4 nfluencen on physical phenomena:
T
Psychokinesis'.-The- fmental inf luence on
surrounding objects,- -for--inrtance, (in--the--normal--electrical
&c_t:LvIty._of..& plant, or on the position in space 'of -various
itemsAganerally ligbt v*igbt objects).
..@X oychtphotography: A specific case of psychokinesis,in
FL, , CA Q "\Lc
CX. C C 6-@,+o
which &--p40'reon -staring into -the--Icnz--of--a-camera--impri-nts-on
t,h"-i_Im__a-me n ta 1 -- represent sk t ion of an object that he imagines
but which is in reality not present,
111aramedicino: A--f -ie Id- connected- with-- parapilyd-b-o-rog"hich
kavr.4vas uuexplainod methods of -t-reatmen-t-suc-b-" healing by
the-laying on of hands and a form of mental muggestion-Ir, vhich
-hea-ling in attempted without immediate contact, sometimes at a
...great distance.
All these phenomena are studied by the field described
as "parapsychology," and vometimes termed "psychotronics," or
."payeboanergetica," Not long ago, hypnotic phenomena were
unjustifiably regarded as parapsychological. Today, in the
context of parapsychology, hypnosis in used an one of the metbods
by which paranormal phGnomena are allegedly pr(,duced, but ift
not considered to be paranormal, Often the abilities of yogis
are.incorrectly 6onsidered to be paranormal. Sow*times even
astrology is included in the "discipline" of parapsychology.
To some observers, thzro is a siztgle underlying mysterious
W
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"furce" or anie=tlc "principle"' that zerves an the basis 'for
uniting and explaiain@ thene phonovwna, Hcnmyer, to consider
such a siDgla bi-sin as adaquate fcor explaining all the phenone"
in such a complex field of scientific research in, in principle,
aiwplistic and incorrect,
Brief Historic Ovorviev And ths Status of Parsp3rhol2ff Abroad
Since ancient times, paranormal abilitlen have bein
ascribed to shauans, mizards, laws 9 yogis, and tha like.
Howevor, we will not survey that topic but will nove to the
scientific. In Europe, parapaychtlogy, as a -M4Bt)wd of nyat4@axtic
experit*ntul research and oba4ryatitn, cam into being in 1882
with the orsxnixation, in Londong Gf the Society for P-aychical
"xearch. This @urganixation, which is still in existencel, was
the first parapsych-ological remarch society. Since that tin*,,
numerous analvg4jun cociatiou have been organized in rany countries,
most lut Wbich lasted Qnly a shT@rt period of tim. At tho pmeaut
time, there exist many parapsycbological societies; %*gt of then
are non-prafessional in nature and enroll only a evaill nosber-
ship. Bcima of thA societies ar-a provided witb mall labcratories
by private funds and by the duc@a collected from tho orS@anixationzl
"aborehip. 6cientifically-oriontad mmbers of the profftmioval
societios are affiliated vith tbie ParApoycholcgical A-saociation,,
an international organiratioarbich kto Ito boadquarters in ths
United Statca. In IC499 tLo Anarlazz Azzociation for the
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AdYaDce"nt of SciODCOP which unit" various scientific
af,@cjetjex in the United States, admitted the Parapsycht,109iC&I,
ass"istion tc- Its rembership.
Pampoychological research isL the U.S.A. is carried on
at A limited number of univvraitioz and Gther scientific re-
search centers. Accordia3 to unofficial nuurc*s, the AmAtrican
federal government apvwla betw"n.one-half and cone milli-un
dtillars a year on parapsycholcSical research. Saaw largo firus
atlu4u land fixancial aupport to the research, (in* such now
urganizatiou ia the corporation recently croated by Edgir Mitebell,
the American astronaut who vmw involved iu four een3iono of
attempted telepathic cauzunication during bin flight to the wuGu.
(A definitive, credible result vms not Gbtainod frcm this study.)
11be goal of Mitchell's corporation la to develop paramroal
huamn abilities and to carry fin resoarch in ouch areas as pars-
aopav to make his corp-oration
medicine and poyebokiDesiso Uitcholl L
self-supporting. Among its ccnmultants Are the well-known
-space "ientist Warner Yon Brnuj2,, as well as several sciontinta
from fairly reopootable research coultaTs. An Academy of
Parspaycholrgy and Medicine In Also active In the United Stateso
vith its beadquurtara in California.
According to atzt1stics compiled by pArxpaychologints,,
there exiat more than 240 laixiratories zmA sociatles in 30
countries of tha rorld. Horever, tkis outivato zignifi"ntly
iuve=tatea tba ociontifle.work beirg done tu parzpaychology.
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Furthermore, tha majority of the" orgsknizations exist in Ow U.3.A.
Independent and, as a rule, small-scale scientific re-
search projects tf a parapsycholGgical nature are undertaken
from time to time in the medical lab-uratories of the t.B.A. It
is hncwn that in these labcratories, computer-assieted rusearch
aimed at eatablishing the existence at extravens ory perce ption
in being performed.
la@i n Publications
Results cf paralmychological research are usually pub-
liabed In specialized journals in a number of countries. In
America there are uore than ten sucb journals, as well as five
in tho United Kingdom, six in Italy, and tvo in France. Several
of tbewo publicativns incorporate parapsychology and astrology.
There are Also publications in "ny cther European countrien and
iD Jnpaa. In additiun, some scientific publishing houmes pub-
Ilish a large number of parupsychobugical mnographs as well an
'prt,ceedlngs of parapsychological conferences and syvposiz.
gaterial cn parapsycholGgy,.expeclally of a Vensationa.1
nature, is given broad ox-posure In such publicAtiuns as Look
and Stern. @,ccasionally, such respectable scientific JournAls
as Science and Nature publish articles about parapay-chology. As
a rule, h,@wever, scientific Journals in the fields of pisychology,
VLytsi1*4.,1,_,dy,, mwi the other scienceis ou not publish articlem on
parapaychological renearrh. "e-twopp 1960 and 1970 t%,- wtirld'a
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scientific psychological journals published only 13 experimental
paraptycbolugical investigations. C-f that number, positive
results were reported in eight cases, the existence of pars-
normal phenomena in the other five being uncontirmed, It in
interesting that during the same period, the world's parapsy-
chological J@uurnals published 143 experimental research projects
with positive results, and 19 vitb negative ones (Billig, 1972).
This number dLes.not include surveys, critical notest and ro-
p<;ftu abiut uncontrolled observations. A large number of hand-
b"ka and textb4.jcks on how to conduct parapsychological research
have been p@ublished as well, the latestp a study guide by R. H.
Ashby, appearing in 1M.
The Internati(@nal Union ul Psycholcgical Science hae not
accepted reports cn parapsychological research for presentation
at its Cungreenes. A sole exception was made at the 20th
luternational Congress of Psychology, hold in Tokyo in 1972,
when a report by the American parapsychologist S. Krippner, was
presented.
While discussing publications, one should not omit certain
attempts at political gain connected with parapsychology. We
have iL mind primarily a book by S. Ostrander and L. SchrGadar,
Psychic Discuveries Behind the Iron Cur.tain. This book was
written as a result of the authors' visit in 1@j68 to the U.S.S.R.,
Bulgar.in, and Czechoslovakia. The Authors (who are not scientintz-)
compGsed a low-level vurk with cheap publicity as its main.goal.
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"ParapsychaIGgy" in their Nok is used to adverti" striti-
Sovietism and vice-veraA. The wbole effort was very s"censful
cf.@Umercially and in less than two years the Nok went through
five printings. 11owever, the bt.,,Lic.is written It a very low
professic.nal level, abounds in factual ermrs, and contains
overtly anti-Suviet st2itemonts. Furthertao.re, it exaggerztes
the "achievements 7 of Stxiet 1`p&rapSycbo1Ggizt9." bne often V.00, tv
with sisilar exrtggerations un Soviet "parapsycholtgical achieve-
Ments" in the Western taedia, especially in parapsycholo-gical
publicatiGns and the mana press, but usually without such openly
auti-sf-yiet overtGnea. Frequentlyp t'rne encounters qVi6culativne
oL the tbeme ut parapsychGltgy and nAtiLaial defense, pnychol('gical.
vurlnre, intelligence gathering, etc. All this speculation
prubably "ryes as a means cf Gbtaining financial support for
yarsL@sychtliugical research. Htwever, the general stream of part-
psychf-iugical literature simply d"a not contain evidence that
these applications of parapaycholcgy are frequontly "do.
Parapsychology In the U.S.S.jz"
1n the lts2G9, Pmfesz,@,r L. L. Naniliev, a student of
Academician V. M. Belliktarev, conducted resoarch in Leningrad in
the areas of telepathy and clairvoyance. Bohkterev originally
joined Vasiliev in tble work. SinilAr research v@as conducted in
the Ukraine by U. B. K&Zhi"ky; b4.)tb Yasiliev and Kazhinsky
act furth the ravults of tLair ramazrch in mcientifIc moDograph-s
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and booka (e.f. , Vafiliev, Mo64)
in the U.S.S.R. there in no society which unites para-
psychologists. The propoDents of this kind of research have
fromi time to time joined together to work within eectio" of
other s"isties which have usually been scientific and tochni-
ca.1 in chiracter. In 1965, a bioinformatiGnal section was
organized within the MoacGw Division Gf the Popov Scientitic-
Technical ;@ociaty for Radio-Enatn&vring and Electro-Communication.
The 6aic area inveatiented. by that Crcup has been telepathic
covaunicatic,n.
In 1967, an All-Union Settion for To@chnical Parapsycholvgy
and BitintrQscopy was organized within the Central Administration
of the Sciontific-Technical Society of the In2trumant-Building
Industry. In 1966 and 1fd71 two scientific technical semi"rs on
the "bl(,physical effect" (eq., dcmsing) were held under its
Rusp4coo; in additioup a joint co-mmiexion for coordinating work
on the problem (if the "biuphysical effect" was elected. There
-are utber individuals and miall gmupa working in various reazarch
institutiuns and scientific organizAtions who, either during
their working tiwe or their apare time, conduct re"arch on para-
psychological effects.
In Nizhr-ii Tagil and other cities in the Uralz, resaarch
on the "dorual-r,.@ptiexl effect" (tho@v*--cstlled "effect of RoZA
r ") h.-n been ccrdAuctod. fi@r a a@tuaLor cf yvare. 'Darmal
U
E
vision" io often inclwdAd in -the circle cit parapsycbological
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7 In coniho
y"vo"na; Actually, it 'hais tio n Taking
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into account the results of numerous verifications and analogous
canos observed both nbroad and, more recently, in 908*cov, it
would seem that the "dermal vision" ph-enumenon actu,ally OXists
and requires caroful study, For the time being, however, it is
certainly difficult to make definite conclusions about its
mechAnismu.
Publications In the U.S.S.R.
In the U.S.S.R., materials concerning parapsychology are
usually published in cullections of abstracts and the proceed-
ings of different conferences and symposia. Thus, in 1972, five
reports on psychokinesix were published in the proceedings of a
conference-entitled "Some Questions on the Biodynamics and Bic-
energetics of the Organism in Normal and Pathological States;
Diostimulation by Laser RRdiation," bold at KazrAkh State University.
@Svviet parapsychologists occasionally publish their resulto in
technical journals (a,g., Radiotachnology) but, for the uost part,
they appear in popular science magazines with mass circulation
(targeted mainly at young people) and in newspapers. Usually
theme articles prasent reports about foreign accomplishmentm.
A great number of stories are written by journalists who,
with their characteristic penchant for exaggeration and sen-
sationalism, sometimes describe barely positive reaults an entirely
credible. These kind of publications are numerous. It will
JaC V Youth,
suf f iA*r4ecF1P&VeW&s§1A@2/"qf @"6PAVRDM
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12*
Tbeluung Naturalist, and KnGwIedge is Puver. In lU73, Socialist
IndustrZ alxo begAn to treat parapsycholtgical themes. The
popular media uzually do not pay nny attention to the negati"
results published by parapsychclogical specialists in scientific
journals.
In both Soviet and tGreign publicutions on* way typically
find exaggerations of the results-obtained. Thus, judging by
reports In the American press, long distance telepathy experi-
wents were crganized in 1966 between Moscow nna Ncvcsibim, k, and
between Kuscuv and Leningrad, which achieved positive and
reliable results. All of this in pure fictic'n. In the U.S.S.R.,
K@.,msowol Truth reported that in the telepathy tests betveon
Earth and "ApollQ 14," reliable results were obtained. Edgar
Mitchell, an organizer and participant in these experiments,
wrote that the experiments were primarily done for public
relations purp4uses, that the results were equiv@ucal, and viore--
over, that the number vi successes "a much lower than the'theory
of probability wQuld predict. The latter conclusion would have
deserved more attention v*re it not for Miteball's statement
atK.,ut tho "public relatio"" aerA3-ct of the experiments. Our
press alou devoted special attention to Nina Kulagina, vho has
bocc-me 2 universal object of telepathic and psychc@kinetic research,
In the past decade, no lose than 500 articles treating
vari4jus' aspects of parapsycholtgy vere published In the U.S.3.R.
MC-st of th repurts about poorly ccn"ived "experiments"
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which deserv* na serious attention. Their autbors ta*k no
I
account GI the standarda of precision formulated for there ex-
perineuts by tho leading parapsychQlugists themmlves.
Who are the ParzRsychc1L,_gi9ts?
The majority of purapsychologinto are individuals Vh*
bave had no training in biology @r psychology. Among than are
a significuntly large number uf workers in the exact sciences:
engine*rs, mathematicians, and physicists who,- as sL rule, have
no psychc-lcgical training. In the last decade, the" specialints
very often (and withtut sufficient reason) changed their jobs
for positicna in medical, physiulcogical, Gr psychological
institutiQnm. A number of them desired to plungo into re-search-
ing the acst vaysterious and most interesting things, An a rule,
these parapsycho14,girts are eithor persons qualified in their
CAM fieldx but unqualified in paycholcgy, who bAppeD to bave
observed otze "amazing" psychological phanomena, or they are
perzcjas whv have becc)%* victims of fraudulent charlatans.
Parapsychologists often have an entirely practical.
motivatic>D, for insta=e, to dix6cover th-rough their otudies of
telepathyt a new means vf communication in ordar to be able to
transmit imptortant informatic-n, or through their studies of
psychokiuesis, tv diacover a.nav foru of evorgy in ord9r to trip
.,@JZZ &V4,ICII r
thc dCtCrZ-- f ar. 1;.atru"at fr,-,w A L:istaaca, Straugely
enough, some.sciontists often show themoolves to be childirhly
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credult,us and naive. Amcng parapsycholc@gistSt one can find
psychiatrists and doc-tors of luther specialtios who in their
practice actualiy do Lbserve ancmalous phauowenA which are hard
to explain. Furtheraure, they appear tv obServa these phencAmens
more cften than their c@ulieagubs.
There also exists a category of rather clever persona who
4uften have afj serious background of 'any kind. Theo* are the very
pecple.vho nasuw tho role of prc)pagandists and Impresarlus for
those vho nctually poazoes unusual ahilities. Usmillyl they aro
the ones vho. insint that parapaychology be recognized ax a spocial,,
independent science.
Thus, among parapsychQIGgists and their adherents are both..
serious specialints and charlatans. It in necessary to protect
the furmer from pe-re-vas who are scientifically unscrupulcus and
who use specialists for their own purpLsen.
The subjects of parapsychological racearch are usually
individuals whQ pvaseso'heightened sausitivity. However, sGinetimee
they are simply sick people who suffer from disea9*9 of the nervoua
system. For instance, peoplo vho have "d-ermal vision" way also
have distinctly expreased cerebral pathologies, fits of hyateria,
etc.
During tbo firat decades of parapsychology's existent*
rather yrimitive w*thcoda of receazvh and proof vera used ouch as
card Sueasing, tb* auZvgeation of dreams or thoughts, etc. But
oIcy to ooarch for nv7,
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and more reliable means of protf.
A stream of engineerm and physicists had a great influence
on revearch methodology. Assuming that the human brain operates
like an electronic apparatus and that it is ptasible to apply
to its study concepts taken from correspunding branches of
physics, tboy brought into parapsychology new methods of research.
This accuunts for the use of a vhole series (it the modern
technical xethods, particularly computer and laser techniques.
Many workers in parapsychulogy regard the paranGrmal
phenomena they are studying as ordinary physical phencmena based
on el@ctrQuiagnetic radiations. They are also cf the opinion that
this energy, despite its small quantity, can lend itself to
calculation and measurement. The search for and the %easurement
of electromagnetic fields c(.,ntinue, These fields are called by
different names ("bioplasma," "electrogram," "biopoteintial," etc,)
and ard cGmbined with'the different traditional nethods of
research (fQr instance, the guessing of one of five Zener cards,
.hypnosis at a disttnce, mving objects without contact).
In the framework of parapsychology, fine progress has been
made with instruments (irkcluding the most sf.)phisticated devices)
to apprai-se the functicnal state of individuals. For instancel,
the "Kirlion effect" (photography of live tissues expcsed to
high frequency current) was used by parapsychologists before it
was use,d by physiologists and psycbolvgists. Thus, soza
individual research motbods doveloped in parapsychology sencti"s
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166
turn out tQ be ugleful for Psychophysiology an Id e"rimental
I -
Psychology, even if they were not successful in revealing the
nature of parapsychological phenomena.
Non-instrumental methods of parapsychology are also being
perfected, Ten years ago, L. L. VRSiliev wrote about experi-
ments. with "free material" in which the subject attempts to
find out something about a given object among a great number of
possible cibjects, the given object being unknown to him at the
moment uf the experiment. Vasiliev (1964:134-13@) wrote:
"The unavoidable shortcoming in such experiments lies in the
fact that their evaluation in subjective but it is hRrdly possible
to remove this subjectivity." Since that time, a method of
analyzing results with the help of a "Jury" was worked out. The
"jury" knows what wao"received," what could have been transferred,
and from what was received, they attempted to find out what was
actually transferred. If this is putsible, then the existence
of a channel of communication between the points of transmission
and reception is proven. X. M. Bongard and V. S. Smirnov (1967)
wrote about this and other necessary or useful methods in an
article on the requirements for telepathic experimenta,
The Problem of Credulity in Parapaychological Research
The history of parapsychology is a.histr-;ry of the unmask-
ing of fraud in which world-famous scientists such as Dmitri
JAendeleyov, tho American physicist, Robert Wood WaOMO&Ri ra
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C.Ccasionally participated, This nstura IIly halc engendered dim-
trust of pam, p9YchfJlc,9i9tf' as wOl' as irrit2tion un the part
GI the speciuji.9to themselv0D. I*he distrunt ix incl-eaving be-
causet all ttu utten, instances uf outright mystificatiou and
fraud during de-mcnstrattins of parapsychvIeugical phanowens are
observable. 1he second reascru for distrust iS the fact that
paranformal phenomena caLnut be reproduced. Therefore, they do
nfdt weet require"nts for scientific acceptance.
Tbe impusel-bility of reproducing parspsychol(,glcal
phenGweua is explained by pointing tG difficulties in setting up
Adequate experiwents due privaarily tc, the pecullarity cf the
phencimena thomselves. Since th6y arise duriLg special states
and c4,nditif-us tu roal life, it in diMcult to recreate tbmwo in
the laborat-ury. The pheniumona described by parapsychologists
....are frustratiLgiy uiiatable; they vanish assoon an externil or
Internal ctinditions become unfav(,rable. 86me, parapsycholugintx
-W'ate thnt even vhen favorable conditiGns are present, it in
still not ponsible to preserve for long period@of time tbose
stateo during which parapsychological phenomena can occur.
This ccnatitutes the main difficulty in interpreting
parapsychological phenumena. Paraptsycholugical literature is
full rf excessively "nsstiotml descripticna, like tbuse about
Ted Berton (the subjact of the Anerican psychiatrist, Jule
Y
sonhud) who purportedly visualized and then psychokinetically
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There bave broan da"S wtom SWO14=i0ml er" YCrfwtw"*.
dammmtratio" of fraod ean LaImmae *mVizeed pmpm-Mts Ot
th3 vtlidity of dublaza rtsrse=nz. An witt religle-n. Va VAM
U* ParrZOR 1. "faith" 10 owe lx-7,ortast tbta the 2"149 TtA
actfrowiTO Srz* -to yramsm4ime Partmor"Al Pbaftmons as well am
a tvw:*n*7,t*vxrd am4 frumft of vv*r7 hlmd w-V
liakod preaLemly to that "faith."
It in f ittirs to qmta C V. EW2091 zmtt*T all
an isporuat aritisal book on Fzb1imlod im 1=0
19, the V.D.O.A. nmwal (10701295) vrotao "Ow emumv-1 cst*@Qrldw
eally 41mim tbAt tba 700mlle ot tbmm enpo7im=to ara ouTlalmml
by fr*rA, but aloo me ewuwt telie" that tb*y offfor 21=2 rmaVi
of Vercaptics,"
actually 60 kappeae mmbvewr th* VZIS atoft4LO to On
of their "lot-3=9 In t&A- finot ttM* It* for tMPDa&SU-mj
icgorcAtlom of to w.,*mt-mme At thz. P=,z-Om4 ti"C"
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electroangnetic field ef Grganisms as a biolcgical link or
carrier of iLformation, The research is being conducted on
insects, animals, and humans, but many Lf the researchers do not
cGnnect their work t4u parapsychult-gy, at least not cvertly. The
physical basis for these phenomena still revinins to be di"Gvered,
Mauy VRrapsychiulogists huld that the physical basis for
the phenLmena eludex study because serious "ience stands aloof
fr%,m parapsychulagical research. However, it seems to us that
a great deal of the blame sh4--uld be assumed by the parapsycholci-
gists thetasolves fQr engaging in many activities'which set them
apart frtm serious scieuce.
Bowe Results
In the field of parapsychology, onG must differentiate
between iwagined "supernatural" ph-anomena tGuted Vy mystics and
charlatans tin the t@ne hand and phenozena which really exist Init
hzve not yet been satisfactorily explained scientifically, eithe.'r
psychol4ugically or physiCR11y, on the other. The first require
expocure and demystification. As for the second, it is necessary
to ccntinue their study iu psycholiugical, physiolugical, bio-
physical,medical, and other scientific in&titutions. However,
the disaeminati(,@n of the t(,tality of parapsycholugicnI ideas In
aspects and fortas that often aim principally at pu blicity play
a negative rfle, and feed the needs (.;f unstable persons who tz&ek
scientifically inscrutable principles.
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An anaIVsin of the status Lit parapsychology indicates
that it is polluted with anti-scientific conceptiona and, that,
to a great degree it has become a field of activity for would-be
"experts." Some of those "experts" dec'lare themselves to be
leaders of groups and collaborators in organizations vbicb have
never existed in our country. '.The Institute of Technical
Parapsychology" is an example of such an organization. It is
necessary tu put an end to the activity of poorly qualified but
militant parapsychological "experts" who take upon themselves
the role of voluntary and far frum unselfish propagandists and
who issue numerous reports and give lectures on parapsychology
for audiences vhich even include scientists. These lectures
offer an unscrupulous mish-mash of fantASY and fRCt.
The non-critical Gtand toward parapsychology on the part
of s(..,me serio"s scientists can be explained only by a lack of
concern fcr scientific theory and for a sound philosophy of
science. Thus, there in no need for the existence of para-
PtIcholugy as a special diocipline since the only factor that
unites parapsychologists is the mynterious, enigmatic nature
surrounding the pheno-nena they study. We also hold that the
practice of publishing sensational material on parapsychology
which lacks any scientific basis in newspapers, magazines and
popular books, cannot be tolerated. A tradition which self-
rewp@octing 'scientists normally follow in for some reason being
broken by many parapsychulL@giats. They need to adh,@5re to the
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practice uf "ri@uus scientific achievements being published first
In the spocialized literature and (,nly afterwards in pcopular
editions.
Certainly the time his come ti. bring tirder into the
scientific researcb and study uf t@e phen(,mena described in
parapsych@uLugy. Lluch of the research in the field L;f par*-
psychuli,gy ia being dune by physicists and engineers. Therefore,
It would be expedient tu assess, at the lastitute for Bi(,physico
L,f the U.S.S.R. Academy if Sciences and at the Institute for
Problems @f Transmitting laformation -uf the U.S.S.R. Acadamy c-f
Sciences, tbk- diroctitn and scientific level the study of
the "W4,pbyvical effect" (d-cwving). The alectr(,zagnetic fields
gener2'ted.by living organisms could be likevine assessed an a
PqLwsslble means Gf bioli.5gical inforwaticn (telepathy), an well
as many other phenomena. lf attontiin is paid to theee@phen@,mena
lrt,sa the pkint of biophysics and inforination theory, these
effortfi will help tQ demystify them.
. The psychvlo.,gical institutes cf the U.S.S.R. Academy cf
Sciences and cf the U.S.S.R. Academy @,f Pedagogical Sciences
and other psychological institutions should a1su give considera-
tilun tL the p(,saibility Gf mounting programs for a strictly
scientific reeearch into those phenomena. Evidently it would
be advisable to organizo a laboratory within one of the
psyc"logical inatitutiona vhich would study pernons vhc, roally
do pcsssas unuaual abilitioz. It may be found that mny of
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theme unusual abilities are nut necessarily paran4urmal in.nature.
The results uf such renearch after vieticultus verification
should naturally be publisbed first in.the scientific literature
and only afterwards In the popular press.
We believe thlat the attentiGn of serious scientific
organizati(ins toward the phenomena described in parapsychology
(C .70
could help tc discover their true. nature an well as to thwart
the.charlatans, who are taking advantage of an understandably
natural iiitereat on the part of a wide audienoe.toward many
.unresolved iinysteries if the human psyche. Such an effort could
ale;, help t(, discredit the myth ab(,u-t the existence of a major
"parapsycholQgical movement" in the U.S.S."t,
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23,
Ashbyt R. H. Guidebook fs@r the Stud of Pnycbical Research.
Nov York: 2avuel Weizer's, 1972.
Bill.i6p U. Positive und negative eApwritwntal psi rasults In
pwycbolQgy and parapsycholo97, Journal c,;f tht nielt@
for Pacbical Revqzrch, 1972, 46.*
H&wwlq C. Z. X. X5P: A 04iontific EvaluAtion. N" York;
Scribner's, 1964. Publickod in the U.S.S.R.- undar t hq,
title Parzerychology, Hascew: Mir Publishing Houze, 1970.,
Krippaer, S. Parancrmal of fects in altored otAtez of ccw;ciVU9nOf.TV:
An experimental approach. In kbztract Guide, Twntiath
InternAtional Cany%rofta of RuSLVIM (Organizing Coinxit%vK
of the T'Wentieth International Congress of R2ychology, ad.).
Tukyo: N. Sasaki, 1972. p. 579.
Ustrander, B., & Schioedor, L. EpjShic Diacciveriou Fohind tk@-a
Iron Curt-ain. Engl&vood Clifft, N.J.: pmntice-Hall, 197P.
VA"ilievo L. L. Hysterious Phenotena of tbl@ lkzwa* 2En1-h*-
Third edition. Hacccov: P@ullticxl Literature PublinhiM
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