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Members' News and Notices Dean Radin Members' News and Notices Dean Radin ‐ Appeal to support a challenge to the principles of academic freedom David Lorimer writes: I received the following note from Dean soon after the publication of his seminal book The Conscious Universe, which will be reviewed by Dr. Richard Broughton in the April issue. He writes: Two weeks ago, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the largest public university in the State of Nevada, decided to dismiss scientists who conduct research on certain topics, to terminate funded projects in process, and to reject any future funding obtained for the study of these topics. No explanation was given for this unprecedented decision, which disavows commonly‐ accepted principles of academic freedom and specifically repudiates UNLV's own Code of Academic Freedom. The topic in question is parapsychology, the scientific study of psychic phenomena and evidence suggestive of survival of bodily death. The university's decision affects a recently endowed Chair at UNLV, which will support a visiting professor (currently Prof. Charles Tart) to teach topics in consciousness studies, including parapsychology; and a research scientist, Dr Dean Radin, who has been Director of the Consciousness Research Division of the Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies at UNLV since 1993. Radin's research program had been supported entirely through private grants. A class he was scheduled to teach this semester was cancelled without explanation. While UNLV has provided no explanation for its decision, it closely follows the publication of Radin's recently published book, The Conscious Universe. This book has gained widespread critical acclaim for its scholarly treatment of the scientific evidence for psychic phenomena (1997, HarperCollins). See http://hrcweb.lvhrc.nevada.edu/crd/book.html Prior to joining UNLV, Radin had conducted research on psychic phenomena at Princeton University and Edinburgh University, Scotland. He was twice elected President and is currently President‐Elect of the Parapsychological Association, an affiliate of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Ironically, the origins of academic prejudice against the scientific study of psychic phenomena, and the reasons this prejudice persists with such vigour, are among the topics discussed in Radin's new book. But regardless of the reasons for prejudice, as the late Carl Sagan said at a UCLA Commencement Speech in 1991, It is the responsibility of scientists never to suppress knowledge, no matter now awkward that knowledge is, no matter how much it may bother those in power. We are not smart enough to decide which pieces of knowledge are permissible and which are not. Whatever your opinion about psychic phenomena, if you agree that academic scientists must be free to conduct research on any topic without fear of censorship or loss of one's position, then please send a fax or email note stating your support to Dr. Dean Radin at [email protected] Fax +1 (702) 895 1602 or alternative fax +1 (702) 895 3094. UNLV's President is Carol C. Harter; the Provost is Douglas Ferraro. I have privately appealed to the President of UNLV to provide an explanation for this decision, and I have received no response. I have no desire to be a martyr, but the principles of academic freedom are so important that I simply cannot remain quiet and let this decision stand without letting the administration know that it is wrong. Editorial postscript. The Senate is now investigating charges brought by Dean Radin against the university administration, who have not backed down on their actions despite the adverse publicity they have generated. Dean I. Radin, Ph.D., Consciousness Research Division, Harry Reid Center, Univ. of Nevada, Las Vegas, Box 454009 Las Vegas, NV 89154‐4009 USA. Tel (office) +1 (702) 895 1454. Fax: (702) 895 1602. E‐mail: [email protected] Web site:hrcweb.lvhrc.nevada.edu/crd/cogno.html Also: PsiResearch.org Cyril Forssander ‐ The Sixth Sense This small book by Cyril Forssander opens with a quotation from John Constable: 'Painting is but another word for feeling'. It advances a theory of knowledge based on participation, coupling consciousness with imagination to make one pragmatic self‐preserving reflex device which he calls the sixth sense. It is 'a faculty of thinking with the whole body; it maintains the correspondence between internal and external environment which relates an organism to other things than itself'. He proceeds by way of artistic experiment and analysis, drawing on wide reading to expose the subtlety of our self‐regulating interaction with the environment. He sees the process as 'endeavours to shape the meaningless world into optimum significance'. The book will interest anyone concerned with the interface between physiology, perception and art. Details: Cyril Forssander, 18 rue Rouzig, 22700 Perros‐Guirec, France. Marcus Schmieke ‐ Consciousness within Science This is the title of a new booklet produced by Marcus and containing three papers presented over the last two years, including his presentation at last year's AGM in Venlo. These represent an attempt to integrate Western physics and Indian Vedic philosophy. The paper presented recently in Budapest drew our attention to the work of Burkhard Heim with his unified field theory. This can be found in H. Beck and Illobrand von Ludwiger: Basic Ideas of Burkhard Heim(MUFON‐CES Report No. 11, 1993). The booklet costs DM10 and can be obtained from Marcus at Schloß Weißenstein, 73111 Lauterstein, Germany. Tel: +49 7332 921191. E‐mail: Marcus.Schmieke@T‐Online.de Dr Margaret Colquhoun ‐ The Pishwanton Project The Life Science Trust is a charity aiming to research, develop and promote sustainable interaction between human beings and the natural environment. It is inspired by Goethe's scientific work. Its primary objective is to establish a pilot project on 60 acres of relatively unspoiled and rather neglected land at Pishwanton Wood near Gifford in East Lothian, Scotland. The Trust puts on courses on landscape, medicinal plants, bio‐dynamic gardening and forestry. They are also engaged in remedial land work and have plans for building studios and craft workshops. A most informative brochure is available from the Trust at Kirk Bridge Cottage, Humbie, East Lothian EH36 5PA, Scotland. Tel/fax: 01875 833654. Yvan Rioux ‐ Protection against EM Stress The Live Water Trust has being conducting research on the adverse effects of EM radiations for a number of years and has come up with a protective device: a vortex unit whose key active component is powdered silica. It is designed to transform negative fields coming from the environment or electrical devices by blocking the harmful effects of EM fields on water. Readers wishing to know more should contact Yvan at Amberside, 45 Bisley Road, Stroud, Glos. GL5 1HF. Tel: 01453 753043. Roy Ridgway ‐ International Integrated Health Association The IIHA believes that health is a fundamental human right and regards as important social goals the promotion of healthy lifestyles and the prevention of ill health brought about through poverty, poor nutrition and environmental pollution. It is currently mainly working with children with chronic illnesses and their families in the former Soviet Union. Their approach is community‐based and multi‐disciplinary. They publish a small newsletter. Details: 26 St. Thomas Street, Winchester, S023 9HJ. Tel/fax: 01962 868858. E‐ mail: [email protected] John Crook ‐ Western Ch'an Fellowship Retreats John provides a progressive range of retreats designed to deepen self understanding on the Buddhist path. They include Exploring Meditation, Western Zen Retreats, Ch'an retreat and Introduction to Tantra. They take place in Wales. He will also be leading a pilgrimage to Western Himalaya in the late summer of next year. Details from John at Winterhead Hill Farm, Shipham, Somerset BS25 lRS. Tel/fax: 01934 842231. John Papworth ‐ Fourth World Review Catering for 'small nations, small communities and the human spirit', Fourth World Review reminds us of the importance of human scale, contending that the institutions of our civilization are out of control owing to their excessive size. The radical Review features articles (the current issue has one by Teddy Goldsmith on 'Politics, Religion and the Cosmos'), correspondence, book reviews and wonderfully written observations by the editor, which are always a pleasure to read. Also available for £1 are copies of John's new handbook for revolutionaries entitled Shut up and Listen. Among the aphorisms are 'An expert is a person who makes bigger mistakes', 'A community is a social unit in which the personal relationships of its members constitute the strongest force determining its pattern of life', and 'When Lincoln declared that you can't fool all the people all the time he did not foresee the emergence of television'. Details: 24 Abercorn Place, London NW8 9XP. Dr Ikram Azam ‐ Pakistan Futuristics Foundation and Institute The PFI was founded as an independent body by Dr. Azam in 1986 and is devoted to Pakistan Futuristics in the regional and global context. It now runs conferences and academic courses. The latter are underpinned by what Dr Azam calls basic life skills that aim at the development of the whole human being and their capacities. This includes the nurturing of individual conscience and equipping people with communication skills and the ability to cope with the constantly changing demands of life. A special booklet describes the history, programmes, plans and vision of the PFI. Details: House 37, Street 33, F‐8/1 Islamabad, Pakistan. Ron Pearson ‐ Progress by Critique Update Following the article and notice about this new initiative, Ron has sent in the following modified guidelines: Authors are encouraged to submit articles limited to three A5 pages, i.e., standard A4 sheets cut in half with typescript on one side only. These can contain anything inclusive of drawings and adverts. The latter may be required for providing more detail than can be covered in the allocated space, by providing pamphlets which authors make available.
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