DOCSLIB.ORG

A Comparative Study of Exceptional Experiences of Clients Seeking

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Comparative Study of Exceptional Experiences of Clients Seeking View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE published: 18provided February by 2013 Frontiers - Publisher Connector doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00065 A comparative study of exceptional experiences of clients seeking advice and of subjects in an ordinary population 1 1,2 3 3 2,3 W. Fach , H. Atmanspacher *, K. Landolt ,T.Wyss and W. Rössler 1 Institute for Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health, Freiburg, Germany 2 Collegium Helveticum, Zurich, Switzerland 3 Psychiatric University Clinic Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland Edited by: Exceptional experiences (EE) occur frequently within the populations of many countries Francesco Pagnini, Catholic University and across various socio-cultural contexts. Although some EE show similarities with men- of Milan, Italy tal disorders, it would be a mistake to identify them in general as disorders. In fact, the vast Reviewed by: Francesco Pagnini, Catholic University number of individuals reporting EE includes subclinical and completely healthy subjects. of Milan, Italy We conducted a comparative empirical study of several characteristics of EE for two sam- Colin M. Bosma, Harvard University, ples – one from ordinary population and the other from clients seeking advice. We found USA surprisingly similar phenomenological patterns of EE in both samples, but the frequency *Correspondence: and intensity of EE for clients seeking advice significantly exceeded those for the ordinary H. Atmanspacher, Institute for population. Our results support the hypothesis of a continuous spectrum between mental Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health, Wilhelmstr. 3a, 79098 health and mental disorder for the types of experiences analyzed. Freiburg, Germany. Keywords: continuum hypothesis, exceptional experiences, mental disorders, phenomenological patterns e-mail: atmanspacher@ collegium.ethz.ch 1. INTRODUCTION temporary states whereas beliefs are usually regarded as persistent Exceptional (or extraordinary) experiences (EE) are usually under- traits. stood as deviations from what might be referred to as ordinary Numerous studies have shown that belief in EE is correlated experiences, i.e., experiences consistent with typical “reality mod- with high scores on scales measuring dispositions for absorp- els” (Metzinger, 2003) that individuals develop to cope with their tion (Tellegen and Atkinson, 1974), fantasy proneness (Wilson socio-cultural environment. In modern societies, basic elements and Barber, 1983; Rao, 1992), field dependence and suggestibility of such models are established epistemological concepts (such as (Hergovich, 2003), transliminality (Thalbourne, 2000), hypnotiz- cause-and-effect relations) and scientific principles and laws (such ability (Hilgard, 1974; Lynn and Sivec, 1992), imagination (Lynn as gravitation). Experiences inconsistent with those basic elements and Rhue, 1986, 1987), anxiety (Wolfradt, 1997), or dissociation are considered exceptional. (Spiegel and Cardeña, 1991; Frischholz et al., 1992). A well-known example of EE is the meaningful coincidence of Individuals reporting EE and altered states of consciousness events with no causal connection which Jung (1955) referred to also show tendencies toward schizotypy (Pizzagalli et al., 2001), as synchronistic. Another example, widely studied recently (cf. dissociation (Richards, 1991), transliminality (Sherwood and Mil- Metzinger, 2005) concerns out-of-body experiences, where an ner,2004–2005),hypersensibility (Thalbourne,2000; Jawer,2006), individual’s material body is typically “seen” by the same indi- and “thin-boundariedness” (Hartmann, 1991). However, it is vidual from outside his body. The entire spectrum of EE is more unknown what type of precise relationship a particular EE may comprehensively introduced in Sec. 2.1. have with particular beliefs and personality traits. Contrary to naive expectations, EE are not rare but abundant. Both EE and magical beliefs may be associated with phases Several studies (Greeley, 1975; Gallup and Newport, 1991; Harald- of mental disorder (Eckblad and Chapman, 1983; Thalbourne son and Houtkooper, 1991; McClenon, 1994; Newport and Straus- and Delin, 1994; Berenbaum et al., 2000). Nevertheless, even if berg, 2001; Schetsche and Schmied-Knittel, 2005; Belz, 2009) have there is a substantial overlap with many symptoms and diagnoses estimated frequencies of 30–50% for populations inWestern coun- of mental disorders, EE per se must not be categorized as such. tries, and higher than that within other cultural contexts. It is For instance, schizotypy is not necessarily connected with mental unclear, however, how the willingness of individuals to reveal EE health problems, and hearing voices is not psychotic in general can be faithfully assessed. (Romme and Escher, 1989, 1996; Bentall, 1990, 2000). An over- EE as such, and their phenomenology in particular, must be all survey of published studies has shown that the evidence for a systematically distinguished from the belief in experiences, such relationship between mental disorders and EE is inconsistent and as magical ideation (Eckblad and Chapman, 1983). Although ambiguous (Belz and Fach, 2012). experiences and beliefs are correlated, individuals with strong It has recently been proposed (van Os et al., 2000; van Os, 2003) beliefs in non-causal influences or unknown physical forces that a continuous spectrum – from sound mental health to men- (Lindeman and Aarnio, 2006) do not necessarily report EE tal disorder – reflects the situation more properly than a discrete (and vice versa). Moreover, EE tend to be more or less distinction between them. Support for this continuum hypothesis www.frontiersin.org February 2013 | Volume 4 | Article 65 | 1 Fach et al. Exceptional experiences in clients and ordinary population derives from several studies, as reviewed by van Os et al.(2009). images, affects, and fantasies from their perception of material Accordingly, EE may or may not be symptoms of mental disorder; events in the external world. 1 similarly, they may or may not even be indicators or precursors EE typically appear as deviations in a subject’s reality model. of such disorders. Although significant relationships can be found This entails a classification of EE based on two pairs of phenomena between EE, critical life events and traumatic experiences (Irwin, (cf. Fach, 2011; Belz and Fach, 2012). One pair refers to deviating 1992, 1993, 1994; Perkins and Allen, 2006), or even between actual experiences within the subject’s self model and world model, while life conditions and specific patterns of EE (Belz and Fach, 2012), the other refers to the way in which elements of those models are the conditions for such correlations are still unknown. merged or separated above or below ordinary (“baseline”) corre- Here we present additional evidence, based on particular types lations. The resulting four classes of EE can be characterized as of EE, for the continuum hypothesis. Different from van Os follows: et al.(2009), who focused on severely and less severely disordered individuals, we are concerned with the “healthy” side of the spec- 1. External phenomena are perceived in the world model. Their trum. We examined the phenomenology, frequency, and intensity referents are conceived in the material environment of a sub- of EE within ordinary population as well as in subclinical (i.e., ject. This class comprises visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, and non-diagnosed) individuals seeking advice. kinetic phenomena, the impression of invisible but present The following section 2 provides some theoretical and empiri- agents, inexplicable changes to the body, phenomena concern- cal background for a systematic classification of the phenomenol- ing audio or visual recordings or the location, structure, or ogy of EE. Section 3 presents the empirical basis for our study. composition of material objects. Section 4 describes the resulting classes of EE and the contexts 2. Internal phenomena are perceived in the self model. They within which they occur. We compare their frequencies and inten- include somatic sensations, unusual moods, and feelings, sities and discuss some conclusions and implications of our results thought insertion, inner voices, and intriguing inner images. in Section 5. As in class (1), the affected subject is convinced that famil- iar explanations are suspended, and the experiences appear 2. BACKGROUND egodystonic. 2.1. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 3. Coincidence phenomena refer to experiences of relations A recently proposed classification of EE (Fach,2011; Belz and Fach, between the self model and the world model that are not 2012) is based on a few key postulates of Metzinger’s(2003) theory founded on regular senses or bodily functions, but instead of mental representations. These representations are elements of exhibit connections between ordinarily disconnected elements a model of reality that subjects create, develop, and modify during of self and world. Typically, these relations are assumed to their lifetime. Two fundamental components of this model, or two be non-causal, often experienced as a salient meaningful link major representations within it, are the self model and the world between mental and material events. model. (Contrary to Descartes’ ontologically conceived dualism, 4. Dissociation phenomena are manifested by disconnections of Metzinger’s distinction is explicitly epistemic.) ordinarily connected elements of self and world. For instance, The world model contains all representations
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Shakespeare's Ghosts Live
    Shakespeare’s Ghosts Live “Gradually, but surely, modern neuroscience is transitioning to a perspective that includes consciousness as a fundamental element in our worldview and not an incidental by-product of the brain. Along with this shift is a new appreciation of the complexity of the psyche, and the realization that many of our forebears understood aspects of consciousness that we unfortunately have shunned. Dr Annekatrin Puhle and Dr Adrian Parker-Reed have combed Shakespeareana and modern consciousness research for evidence of the richness of the psyche in the form of ghosts, spirits, and psychical phenomena. They show that these happenings remain an essential part of who we are, and are manifestations of healthy human function. This wonderfully illustrated, eloquent book is a reclamation project for the human psyche, an effort to take back what we have forfeited in our modern era. After reading Shakespeare’s Ghosts Live, you will never think of Shakespeare, ghosts, or yourself in the same way.” —Larry Dossey, MD, author, One Mind: How Our Individual Mind Is Part of a Greater Consciousness and Why It Matters “Talking about psychic phenomena in academia is still not regarded as politically ‘correct’, say the authors of this meticulously researched and engagingly written study of a long neglected area of Shakespeare’s vast survey of the totality of the human condition. This attitude, they add, amounts to ‘wilful disregard of current interest in exploring altered states of consciousness’. It has led to attempts to replace the term ‘parapsychology’ by ‘anomalistic psychology’, implying this to be no more than a ‘deviant belief’.
    [Show full text]
  • Psychic Phenomena and the Mind–Body Problem: Historical Notes on a Neglected Conceptual Tradition
    Chapter 3 Psychic Phenomena and the Mind–Body Problem: Historical Notes on a Neglected Conceptual Tradition Carlos S. Alvarado Abstract Although there is a long tradition of philosophical and historical discussions of the mind–body problem, most of them make no mention of psychic phenomena as having implications for such an issue. This chapter is an overview of selected writings published in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries literatures of mesmerism, spiritualism, and psychical research whose authors have discussed apparitions, telepathy, clairvoyance, out-of-body experiences, and other parapsy- chological phenomena as evidence for the existence of a principle separate from the body and responsible for consciousness. Some writers discussed here include indi- viduals from different time periods. Among them are John Beloff, J.C. Colquhoun, Carl du Prel, Camille Flammarion, J.H. Jung-Stilling, Frederic W.H. Myers, and J.B. Rhine. Rather than defend the validity of their position, my purpose is to docu- ment the existence of an intellectual and conceptual tradition that has been neglected by philosophers and others in their discussions of the mind–body problem and aspects of its history. “The paramount importance of psychical research lies in its demonstration of the fact that the physical plane is not the whole of Nature” English physicist William F. Barrett ( 1918 , p. 179) 3.1 Introduction In his book Body and Mind , the British psychologist William McDougall (1871–1938) referred to the “psychophysical-problem” as “the problem of the rela- tion between body and mind” (McDougall 1911 , p. vii). Echoing many before him, C. S. Alvarado , PhD (*) Atlantic University , 215 67th Street , Virginia Beach , VA 23451 , USA e-mail: [email protected] A.
    [Show full text]
  • Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America by Robert Whitaker
    Journal of Scientifi c Exploration, Vol. 25, No. 2, pp. 343–424, 2011 0892-3310/11 ESSAY REVIEW Medicine To Make You Mad Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America by Robert Whitaker. Crown Publishers, 2010. 404 pp. $26 (hardcover). ISBN 9780307452412. If you want to make someone cry, have them read Chapter 12 of this book: A doctor decided that a child’s bed-wetting warranted treatment with a tricyclic antidepressant. That drug’s “side” effects were then “treated” with further neurologically targeted (psychotropic) “medications,” and 20 years later the formerly bed-wetting child is a permanently “mentally disabled” adult (p. 248 ff.). Anecdotes, individual cases, prove nothing, of course, at least not scientifi cally. But this story comes in Chapter 12, which has been preceded by fully documented accounts of the widespread damage done to tens of thousands of adults and children during the last half century, as psychiatry came to assert that all behavioral, emotional, or mental “problems” stem from drug-reversible biological dysfunctions of the brain. The mainstream research literature is cited by Whitaker on the following points: — The terminology of “anti-psychotic,” “anti-depressant,” “mood stabilizer,” and the like is fundamentally misleading, because the drugs do not have such specifi c, targeted effects. — Instead, these drugs “muck things up” by interfering in a blunderbuss way with various neurotransmitters: They convert normal brain functioning into non-normal functioning. When given to emotionally or mentally disturbed people, they do effect a change of some sort—which can easily be misinterpreted as ameliorating the perceived problem.
    [Show full text]
  • Final Thesis
    University of Huddersfield Repository Marsh, Hannah An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of Post Bereavement Apparitions (PBAs) Original Citation Marsh, Hannah (2019) An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of Post Bereavement Apparitions (PBAs). Masters thesis, University of Huddersfield. This version is available at http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/35029/ The University Repository is a digital collection of the research output of the University, available on Open Access. Copyright and Moral Rights for the items on this site are retained by the individual author and/or other copyright owners. Users may access full items free of charge; copies of full text items generally can be reproduced, displayed or performed and given to third parties in any format or medium for personal research or study, educational or not-for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge, provided: • The authors, title and full bibliographic details is credited in any copy; • A hyperlink and/or URL is included for the original metadata page; and • The content is not changed in any way. For more information, including our policy and submission procedure, please contact the Repository Team at: [email protected]. http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/ The school Of Human & Health Sciences An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of Post Bereavement Apparitions (PBAs). Hannah Marsh Word Count:26,655 Supervisor(s): Professor Nigel King & Dr Ruth Elliott & Dr Suvi-Maria Saarelainen Dissertation submitted for Master by Research University of Huddersfield, [January] [2019] An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of PBAs. Acknowledgements I would like to take the time to express my appreciation to those who have played a significant part in the process and completion of this research project.
    [Show full text]
  • The Third Secret of Fatima
    Fatima Apparitional Experiences Dr James Paul Pandarakalam An apparition may provide evidence of the authenticity of its manifestation at a physical site by offering predictions that are to be fulfilled at a later date. One of the distinctive features of the events at Fatima in Portugal in 1917 is the fulfilment in our own time of the predictions made. Ever since the occurrence of these famous visionary experiences, among observers and believers there has been an exponential interest in the third secret. Voice phenomena observed during Marian apparitions such as those at Fatima have analogies with externally controlled recurrent spontaneous psychokinetic (RSPK) activity, and visionary experiences involving RSPK or RSPK-like activity may be instances of apparitions at a physical site. The voice extinction and sensory disconnection demonstrated in the Fatima percipients could be explained as psychokinetic-like activity on the part of the apparition. True apparitional experiences prove the existence of psi-like phenomena and discarnate survival. In general, paranormal phenomena involve non-physical, physical and social events. Only physical events are accessible to scientific study. Marian apparitional experiences may be subjected to scientific analysis, but Marian apparition is beyond the scientific realm. The Fatima apparitional events inform research into post-mortem existence and offer a complementary insight into our current knowledge of the discarnate realm. Marian apparitions may be regarded as an antidote to the afflictions of the present century. Introduction Several hundreds of apparitional experiences have been claimed to have occurred in the twentieth century. Marian apparitional experiences have been reported in nearly all the continents of the world in the later half of that century.
    [Show full text]
  • Six Modern Apparitional Experiences
    Journal ofScienti$c Exploration, Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 351-366, 1995 0892-33 10195 0 1995 Society for Scientific Exploration Six Modern Apparitional Experiences Dept. of Psychiatric Medicine, University rfl Virginia, School of Medicine, Chcrrlottesvillr, Virginia 22908 Abstract - The early investigators of paranormal phenomena, in the late 19th century, gave much attention to "hallucinations" occurring in ostensibly healthy persons. The term "apparitions" became applied to perceptions of persons who were not physically present to the percipient. The investigators attached special importance to apparitional experiences that either coincided with the death of the perceived person or contained verified details of which the percipient had no normal knowledge. In recent decades interest in appari- tions on the part of investigators has greatly diminished, but this is not be- cause the experiences no longer occur. A 1948 survey in Great Britain report- ed that 14.3% of respondents had had such an experience and a 1979 survey in the United States gave an even higher figure of 17%. This paper reports the investigations of six modern apparitional experiences occurring in the United States and the United Kingdom between 1955 and 1989. The percipients were interviewed in the 1980s and 1990s. Corroboration before verification was only obtainable in one case. Other confirmatory information, such as death certificates, was, however, obtained for some cases. In four of the six cases the experience coincided with the death of the perceived person or oc- curred close to the time of the death. In the other two cases the percipient saw a deceased relative of a dying person just before the death of that person.
    [Show full text]
  • The Claim to Bilocation (Or Multilocation) Is Made by Many Individuals
    Bilocation Written by K B Napier Monday, 09 March 2015 14:29 The claim to bilocation (or multilocation) is made by many individuals. It means they are in two or more places at exactly the same time. So they say. This should not be confused with the instance of the disciple Philip suddenly being relocated by God, from the bank of a river to a city, in which was an element of time. The claim to this phenomenon is made by many cults and occults, such as pagan witches, spiritualists, shamans, Theosophists, Buddhists, Jewish and Christian mystics, Hindus, and others. I think you can see, from this short list, that it is not a Biblical concept! The concept is slightly different from ‘teleportation’, which involves an element of time, between one location and another (and made popular by sci-fi programmes such as Star Trek). Paranormal psychologists believe this kind of activity to be an ‘apparitional experience’, which they see as some kind of perceptual disturbance rather than as a genuine occultism. It is also how they describe ghosts, etc. Another explanation they give, is that the same person is not in two places at exactly the same time. Rather, they say that the second person is a doppelgänger, or ‘lookalike’. Those with spiritualistic leanings think that doppelgängers are a sinister form of bilocation, because they tend to bring ‘bad luck’, such as illness, accident, or death of the person who the lookalike represents. Thus, the lookalike is not a separate person, but a reproduction of the original person. This is all recorded in a variety of historical narratives in different parts of the world.
    [Show full text]
  • “Do Ghosts Exist?”: a Summary of Parapsychological Research Into Apparitional Experiences
    In Newton, J. (2002). Early Modern Ghosts. Durham: Centre for 17th Century Studies, University of Durham Contemporary examinations of Ghosts 107 In Newton, J. (2002). Early Modern Ghosts. Durham: Centre for 17th Century Studies, University of Durham 108 In Newton, J. (2002). Early Modern Ghosts. Durham: Centre for 17th Century Studies, University of Durham “Do ghosts exist?”: A summary of parapsychological research into apparitional experiences Ian S. Baker University of Edinburgh Synopsis “Apparitions are wavering, uncertain, semi-intelligent things, and the majority of people still regard it as ludicrous to spend time in examining them, while science thrusts them aside as empty stories.” Tyrrell’s “Apparitions”(1973), p. 40 This paper was written in order to provide a summary of research into people’s contemporary experiences of apparitions. The material presented here is different to material presented in other papers at the conference in two main respects: firstly, the majority of material examines experiences from a psychological or parapsychological perspective; and secondly, most of the material covered here, whether it is from an experiment or an account of an experience, is from present-day sources, as opposed to the early modern period that most of the papers from the conference were covering. The aim of this was to provide the delegates at the conference with an idea of how present-day apparitional experiences are actively researched, in the hope that this might provide fresh perspective on historical and literary accounts of apparitional experiences. Introduction The first major research into the existence of apparitional experiences and the explanations of the causes of apparitions was a census conducted by some of the earliest members of the Society for Psychical Research (SPR)1, and the traditions of scientific enquiry that they used to research this continues today.
    [Show full text]
  • Apparitional Experiences Primer 1
    Williams, Ventola, & Wilson: Apparitional Experiences Primer 1 Apparitional Experiences: A Primer on Parapsychological Research and Perspectives BRYAN WILLIAMS1, ANNALISA VENTOLA2, & MIKE WILSON3 1University of New Mexico 2 Center for Research on Consciousness and Anomalous Psychology, Lund University 3Psi Society (http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/Psi_Society/) Summary: We present here a basic and accessible primer for paranormal enthusiasts on what has generally been learned about apparitions by parapsychologists and psychical researchers since the late 19th century. Topics such as the types and possible characteristics of apparitions, experimental approaches, theories and perspectives, and witness characteristics are covered, and are supplemented with illustrative examples and anecdotes from the published case literature. We wish to dedicate this primer to the memory of Dr. Gertrude R. Schmeidler (1912 – 2009), one of the leading female parapsychologists in the field, who, in 1966, had devised an ingenious method of applying the statistical techniques of laboratory tests to the field study of ghosts, apparitions, and hauntings. 1. Introduction Stories about ghosts and apparitions of the dead have long been the basis for much myth, fantasy, and folklore in human culture. But is there really something to them beyond pure imagination and superstition? According to a Gallup survey conducted in June of 2005, just under one-third of the 1,002 adult Americans surveyed (32%) had answered affirmatively to the question, “Do you believe that ghosts/spirits of dead people can come back in certain places/situations?” (Lyons, 2005). A poll of 808 Americans by CBS News in October of 2005 indicated that just over one- fifth (22%) have seen or felt the presence of a ghost (Alfano, 2005).
    [Show full text]
  • Garabandal Visionary Experiences
    Garabandal Visionary Experiences Dr James Paul Pandarakalam Introduction Five years of regular and sporadic apparitional occurrences challenge the materialistic views of mind currently prevailing in cognitive sciences, pointing towards a spiritual dimension co-existing with the human mind. Voice phenomena observed during Marian apparitions have analogies with externally controlled recurrent spontaneous psychokinesis (RSPK activity), and visionary experiences involving RSPK-like activity may be instances of apparitions at the physical site. The voice extinction and sensory disconnection demonstrated in the Garabandal percipients could be explained as probably due to psychokinetic-like activity of the apparition. The alleged apparitional experiences at Garabandal are probably going to challenge the corollary of materialistic sciences, ushering us into new theoretical models of mind. In the past, transcendental experiences have been reduced to neurophysiological anomalies but medical tests on Garabandal percipients prove their neurological health. Investigations into the circumstances of apparitional events in general have been focused on Marian manifestations. They present us with an opportunity to substantiate a correlation between science and religion. The events at Garabandal in particular reveal significant elements of paranormal phenomena. We need to suspend our scientific scepticism towards the apparitions occurred there and instead implement a more directed approach. Ostensibly, an active apparition inserted herself harmoniously into our three dimensional world, manifesting at Garabandal. Unlike with the generic apparitional experiences reported in the scientific literature of parapsychology, there was two-way communication between the percipients and the apparition at Garabandal for extended period of time. Scientifically minded investigators have had the opportunity to follow up these events as they relate to current world events and they offer an opportunity for sceptics to gain fresh insight into mystical-cum-paranormal phenomena.
    [Show full text]
  • Understanding Medjugorje Apparitional Experiences: Medical and Parapsychological Perspectives
    American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience 2019; 7(4): 126-141 doi: 10.11648/j.ajpn.20190704.17 ISSN: 2330-4243 (Print); ISSN: 2330-426X (Online) Understanding Medjugorje Apparitional Experiences: Medical and Parapsychological Perspectives James Paul Pandarakalam Department of Psychiatry, Hollins Park Hospital, Warrington, UK Email address: To cite this article: James Paul Pandarakalam. Understanding Medjugorje Apparitional Experiences: Medical and Parapsychological Perspectives. American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience. Vol. 7, No. 4, 2019, pp. 126-141. doi: 10.11648/j.ajpn.20190704.17 Received : November 16, 2019; Accepted : December 5, 2019; Published : December 11, 2019 Abstract: Background. The continuing apparitional events at Medjugorje in Bosnia offer an opportunity for sceptics to gain fresh insight into an alleged mystical-cum-paranormal phenomenon. Initially, the apparitional experiences occurred in a collective manner ruling out the possibilities of psychological and spiritual artefacts. Ostensibly, according to the percipients, an active apparition—that has inserted itself harmoniously into our three-dimensional world—is manifesting itself at Medjugorje. In this respect, science is hindered by the lack of both theoretical tools and the vocabulary to handle mystical and paranormal events. Apparitional occurrences involve apparitional experience, the apparition and social events. The apparition is beyond the parameters of science and only apparitional experience can be scientifically studied; social events are more important to social sciences and theology. Aim. To test the postulation that visionary experiences involving RSPK, or RSPK- like activity may be instances of apparitions at the physical site and find the results applying this criterion along with other distinguishable features specific to Marian apparitional experiences.
    [Show full text]
  • The Contribution of Apparitions to the Evidence for Survival 1
    The Contribution of Apparitions to the Evidence for Survival 1 IAN STEVENSON 1 INTRODUCTION This paper is avowedly polemical. I shall review sympathetically the evidence that favors interpreting some veridical apparitions as providing evidence for survival after death and compare this in­ terpretation with those that account for them in terms of extrasen­ sory perception on the part of the percipient or percipients. I feel justified in attempting this because among parapsychologists gener­ ally in recent years, the Whig interpretation of apparitions has prevailed, and it is fitting to have the Tory position kept visible. I do not think that my bias, frankly stated, needs to prevent other persons from reaching different conclusions. For the most part I shall be using published reports of cases, which others can examine as easily as I can. And I shall be naming advocates of views opposed to mine so that readers who disagree with me can easily find expositions of the problem more congenial than this one. I shall not present a significant body of new data, although I shall allude to a recent analysis (conducted at the University of Virginia) of cases in Phantasms of the Living (Gurney, Myers, and Pod­ more, 1886) and also refer to some reports of apparitions related to cases of the reincarnation type. I must first discuss authenticity. The great majority of experi­ ences that might be regarded as apparitional are not veridical; they are nonveridical and often, although by no means always, psychopathological. Parapsychologists are only concerned with those that convey information not normally available to the percip­ ient.
    [Show full text]