Psi
researcher Robert Van de Castle also analyzed different case collections to see whether
there are some general "meta-patterns" characterizing spontaneous psi
experiences as a whole. One of the most clear-cut findings was the import of dreams in
real-life psi: between one third and two thirds of the total number of psychic experiences
reported are mediated by dreams- another 10% of these come from the "twilight"
state between wakefulness and sleep. Van de Castle emphasizes that "paranormal dreams
are described as being unusually vivid and intense, and they have a peculiarly tenacious
quality to them after the dreamer awakens." Also of note: in nearly half the cases,
telepathic dreams involved family members- death was the pre- dominant theme in about half
the cases; and women were "receivers" (twice as often as men), whereas in 60% of
the cases men were "senders" (i.e., the person actually undergoing the life
experience picked up by the receiver).
The study of spontaneous cases has been somewhat eclipsed by the growth of experimental
parapsychology. Nevertheless, in recent years there's been a resurgence of interest in
nonexperimental, field-approaches. Rhea White, a psi researcher who has introduced a
number of innovative ideas in the field, argues that scientists must return to a much
closer study of the phenomenology of psi - an intensive, detailed observation of its
real-life manifestations. Her Exceptional Human Experiences Network
is currently among the most active centers for the investigation and understanding of
spontaneous psi. |
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