THE MAGAZINE OF THE SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH www.spr.ac.uk Issue 80 Autumn 201 6 £5.00 ParanormalRevieQ w Rupert Sheldrake Creatures Caught on Unexplained on Film b Animal Powers Onocentaurs, Human–Animal Horned Hares & s Communication Eight-Legged Horses Animals in the The SPR’s b Séance Room New Home Alien Big Cats { p p m p h z Autumn 201 6 Issue 80 Paranormal Review 1 ParanormalReview Qbsb{ppmphz Publisher The Society for Psychical Research 1 Vernon Mews London W1 4 0RL 1 4 UNEXPLAINED ANIMAL 020 7937 8984 20 CREATURES CAUGHT ON www.spr.ac.uk POWERS FILM? Editor Dr Rupert Sheldrake presents Dr Melvyn Willin investigates the Leo Ruickbie compelling evidence for the alleged photographic evidence [email protected] psychic abilities of animals. for zoologically unclassified Proof Readers organisms. David Ellis and John Hornyak 1 6 CAN YOU HEAR US NOW? Subscriptions Dr Deborah Erickson looks at 22 ‘PLAY THEM OUT, Paranormal Review is sent free to members of the Society for Psychical Research. It is also available recent research on ALIEN BIG CAT’ to non-members for a yearly subscription of £20.00, animal–human communication. Do paranormal pussies prowl including post and packing in the UK. Contact [email protected] the countryside? Dr Alexander 1 8 ‘CREATION IS ONE’ Back Issues Hay grapples with media Members have access to previous editions of the Dr Zofia Weaver explores sensationalism and rural Psi Researcher and Paranormal Review via the animal materializations alleged online library. Some back issues are also available unease. for purchase at £5.00 per copy, including post and to have occurred during Franek packing within the UK (outside the UK additional 25 WHEN ANGELS ENCOUNTERED postage costs apply). Contact [email protected] Kluski’s séances. 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Printed in Great Britain by Premier Print, London The Society for Psychical Research The SPR was the first organisation established to examine allegedly paranormal phenomena using scientific principles. Our aim is to learn more about events and abilities commonly described as 'psychic' or 'paranormal' by supporting research, sharing information and encouraging debate. The SPR is a Registered Charity, established in 1 882. Membership 14 The SPR welcomes members of the general public, as well as students and researchers in all disciplines, to join. Membership does not imply acceptance of any particular opinion concerning the nature or reality of the phenomena examined, and the Society holds no corporate views. The minimum age for joining is 1 6, with reduced subscriptions for students, couples and senior citizens. To renew or apply for membership please visit the website at www.spr.ac.uk, telephone the Secretary, Peter Johnson, on 020 7937 8984, or email [email protected]. ISSN: 1 369-0426 Copyright © 201 6 The Society for Psychical Research 16 20 Cover: Lepus Cornutus 1 © Leo Ruickbie. This Page: Grey Parrot CC 3.0 L. Miguel Bugallo Sanchez; Fake ‘Mermaid’, 1 923. Dog's Paw © Shutterstock. Opposite: Bust of D.D. Hume in the SPR Library © Leo Ruickbie; Lajos Pap, c.1 935, courtesy of the College of Psychic Studies. Human–Animal Communication Research DEBORAH ERICKSON here are several examples in production specializations of the as ‘a natural gift or faculty of the the non-human animal world of dolphin, and concomitant animal mind, which is largely Tselected individuals possessing developments in auditory cortex.’[2] unconscious, and it is from the animal advanced skills to communicate For over 120 years a small group mind that we inherit it […] that the verbally with humans. Alex the grey of scientists has been investigating animals inherit this power of silent parrot (Psittacus erithacus) exhibited telepathy, often obtaining significant communication over great distances is cognitive capacities comparable to results. In 1985, a meta-analysis occasionally manifest even among our marine animals, such as bottlenose covering twenty-eight half-natural domestic creatures.’[7] dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), Bonobo parapsychological studies showed a A small group of scientists apes (Pan Paniscus), and sometimes hit rate of 37 per cent. A leading conducted psi research with kittens four to six-year-old children. ‘Of member of the Committee for (Felis catus) beginning in the 1950s particular interest is that his [Alex’s] Scientific Inquiry performed a meta- and continuing through the focused abilities are inferred not from operant analysis of the same data and also period of experimental tasks common in animal research, but found that the odds against chance parapsychology research in the 1960s from vocal responses to vocal were extremely high.[3] Quantum and 1970s. Exploratory trial results questions; that is, he demonstrates physics research of the last twenty showed above-chance scoring, but only intriguing communicative parallels years has discovered that physical for some of the kittens; one of the with young humans, despite his objects are not as separate as we once best-scoring kittens had a close phylogenetic distance.’[1] Without thought they were. At the quantum relationship to Osis and his family. training and on his own initiative, particle level, all separateness Another series of trials using an Alex also appeared to transfer his disappears and everything is independent experimenter showed no ability to use ‘none’ to comment on the connected. Schrödinger and Born positive deviation from chance, and absence of an attribute described this process as the electric shock trials showed a (different/same or smaller/bigger) to entanglement.[4] However, Einstein significant psi-missing effect – in the absence of a specific quantity, as more descriptively called it ‘spukhafte other words, obtaining scores in zero. Fernwirkung’ or ‘spooky action at a significantly below chance levels.[8] The bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops distance’.[5] He believed that Long’s writings were the truncatus) is known for a high level of quantum entanglement would inspiration for animal telepathy language competency. Herman’s study someday be seen as a mathematical studies by Sheldrake.[9] Several proposed that the dolphin’s cognitive error in calculation. thousand people wrote to Sheldrake structures for the interpretation and Instead, scientists continue to be reporting the remarkable telepathic manipulation of auditory information baffled by repeated discoveries at the behavior of their pets, particularly are highly developed. The study subatomic level that simply do not dogs, that seemed to know when their included an exploration of the subscribe to the previously-known owners were coming home. A detailed dolphin’s specializations in auditory laws of physics. ‘Reality is woven from study completed with a domestic dog information processing, language strange, “holistic” threads that aren’t named Jaytee and his guardian comprehension, sentence located precisely in space or time. Tug showed positive results of the animal’s understanding (relational sentences, on a dangling loose end from this behaviour prior to the guardian structurally novel sentences, co-joined fabric of reality, and the whole cloth arriving home.[10] sentences), and generalization and twitches, instantly, throughout all Wiseman, Smith and Milton representation of meaning. ‘Overall, space and time.’[6] disputed Sheldrake’s results with a the positive findings on the ability to Animal telepathy was first supposedly similar study with the process and manipulate auditory written about by William J. Long, who same animal, guardian and materials complexly is in keeping with was a minister and well-known methods.[11] However, Sheldrake the expectations based on the naturalist of the early twentieth criticized the Wiseman study, citing a extensive auditory and sound century. He accepted animal telepathy flawed use of criterion and data 16 Paranormal Review Issue 80 Autumn 201 6 plotting.[12] Wiseman, Smith and N’kisi had awakened her by not known by Erickson in advance of Milton countered with a defence of commenting on the actions in her the session. After the session, the their version of the study. However, in dreams.[15] guardians received a link to the a later interview Wiseman admitted, More recently, Dutton and recording and a web survey form that ‘It depends how the data is collected, Williams published an exhaustive included all of the questions asked so I don’t think there’s any debate, but meta-analysis review of animal psi and all of the answers received from the patterning in my studies are the research that explored two main canine, then independently ranked same as the patterning in Rupert’s threads.[16] The first was the accuracy of the information studies. That’s not up for grabs. That’s experimental research that has been telepathically received during the fine. It’s how it’s interpreted.’[13] generally conducted within a classical session. Using a ranking scale of 1 Clearly, controversy surrounding conditioning paradigm: animals can (entirely inaccurate) to 6 (entirely parapsychology research is never far be trained to respond to a stimulus accurate), the guardians’ average behind a published study that and a baseline response is measured accuracy ranking across all fifty supports a psi hypothesis.