I have been reading the book:
Harvey J. Irwin and Caroline A. Watt (2007): An Introduction to
Parapsychology. 5th edition, illustrated. McFarland, 312 pages.


An excellent book, comprehensive and highly recommended. But in the end of
the book there is alarming information: parapsychology must be abandoned as
a separate discipline and become assimilated in other sciences. It is
impossible to study psi-phenomena because one cannot be certain there are
any such natural phenomena at all. The object of the research in the future
must be parapsychological experiences, because such phenomena certainly
exist.

Some relevant quotes from the book:

- - -

"Perhaps the ultimate survival of parapsychological research will rest on
the demise of parapsychology as a discipline. Stevenson suggests that in the
future, parapsychological issues might best be pursued within the framework
of the orthodox sciences such as psychology and physics."

"This is not to assert that parapsychology should be totally immersed in the
world of human consciousness. Under a phenomenological definition of the
discipline, the performance of psi experiments still is appropriate because
some types of subjective parapsychological events might well prove to have
an objective foundation, a basis rooted in the physical world."

"In purely pragmatic terms, parapsychology is in crisis because new
researchers and research funds are not being attracted into parapsychology
to the degree necessary to sustain it as a discipline."


"In some respect this scenario for the future seems like a meek capitulation
to the skeptical attacks on parapsychology. Certainly it would entail the
abandonment of some hard-won, academically sound graduate programs in
parapsychology. But the viability of contemporary parapsychology is under
serious threat, and the underlying problems need to be addressed in a
realistic manner."

- - -

Having read all that, my background in natural sciences makes me think that
parapsychology ought not to be left to scholars only. They are studying only
what people are thinking and doing and too often they have a rather dim idea
of the physical world.

How is parapsychological experience defined? What about videos showing spoon
bending or swinging ceiling lamps or a swinging picture on the wall? What
about chart recorder papers showing unexplained spikes or metal pieces
showing unexplained metallurgical effects? Are they parapsychological
experiences?

The writers, Irwin and Watts, are psychologists. It is obvious that they
have not understood the importance of physical traces in PK research,
although those traces are the most convincing evidence possible showing that
psi is a real phenomenon. The traces can be studied with sophisticated and
very reliable scientific methods so that no one having necessary knowledge
can say the effects are not there. Remember the CSI TV series. It is a pity
how much scholars and theoretical physicists have left aside and partly
destroyed first-class parapsychological evidence that has already been
obtained.

- Olavi