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Science and Psychic Phenomena: The Fall of the House of Skeptics Hot

Editor rating

4.7

User rating

5.0 (1)

March 03, 2012 265 0Add

Science and Psychic Phenomena: The Fall of the House of Skeptics

Chris Carter

Format

Paperback

Number Of Pages, Discs, Etc.

320

Publisher

Inner Traditions

Date Published

February 22, 2012

ISBN-10

159477451X

ISBN-13

9781594774515

ASIN

159477451X

A factual and conscientious argument against materialism’s vehement denial of psi phenomena

• Explores the scandalous history of parapsychology since the scientific revolution of the 17th century

• Provides reproducible evidence from scientific research that telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, and psychokinesis are real

• Shows that skepticism of psi phenomena is based more on a religion of materialism than on hard science

Reports of psychic abilities, such as telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, and psychokinesis, date back to the beginning of recorded human history in all cultures. Documented, reproducible evidence exists that these abilities are real, yet the mainstream scientific community has vehemently denied the existence of psi phenomena for centuries. The battle over the reality of psi has carried on in scientific academies, courtrooms, scholarly journals, newspapers, and radio stations and has included scandals, wild accusations, ruined reputations, as well as bizarre characters on both sides of the debate. If true evidence exists, why then is the study of psi phenomena--parapsychology--so controversial? And why has the controversy lasted for centuries?

Exploring the scandalous history of parapsychology and citing decades of research, Chris Carter shows that, contrary to mainstream belief, replicable evidence of psi phenomena exists. The controversy over parapsychology continues not because ESP and other abilities cannot be verified but because their existence challenges deeply held worldviews more strongly rooted in religious and philosophical beliefs than in hard science. Carter reveals how the doctrine of materialism--in which nothing matters but matter--has become an infallible article of faith for many scientists and philosophers, much like the convictions of religious fundamentalists. Consequently, the possibility of psychic abilities cannot be tolerated because their existence would refute materialism and contradict a deeply ingrained ideology. By outlining the origin of this passionate debate, Carter calls on all open-minded individuals to disregard the church of skepticism and reach their own conclusions by looking at the vast body of evidence.

Editor reviews

Science and Psychic Phenomena: The Fall of the House of Skeptics 2012-06-07 01:47:01 Miriam Knight

Overall rating		4.7
Style		4.0
Content		5.0
Consciousness		5.0

Reviewed by Miriam Knight June 07, 2012
Last updated: June 16, 2012
Top 10 Reviewer - View all my reviews

I really disliked Philosophy in college, not seeing the point in all the hair-splitting going nowhere. Chris Carter's book brought it all back to me, but thankfully his talent for lucid explanations and his ability to connect the different schools of thought to their attitudes towards scientific enquiry vs psychic phenomena made all the difference. (College teachers take note!)
Skepticism toward the unknown, and perhaps unknowable has been central to philosophical debate since the 1700's. It has certainly been a hallmark of the modern era when reproducible, evidence-based experiments became the gold standard of "truth." The core argument in the book rests on affirming the logic of a conceptual shift from observation and replication of a phenomenon, therefore inferring that that is absolute proof of truth, to a more empirical approach of acceptance of an observation as a valid phenomenon, putting forth a tentative explanation of how it might have come about until a better explanation comes along.

This distinction is profound, because science was, and still is, riddled with the attitude of rejecting inconvenient phenomena that don't fit into the accepted theory of the day. This attitude still has reverberations into all of society, and spawns ridicule of uncomfortable truths in journals and in the media, as well as ostracism of any researchers prepared to swim against the tide of conventional wisdom.
In the case Carter makes for the reality of psychic phenomena, the anecdotal evidence is overwhelming; quantum physics implies the action of consciousness.

This book is important because it suggests that we could or should be on the threshold of mainstream acceptance of psi phenomena, which implies the primacy of consciousness in the manifestation of physical reality. Like most scientific books or papers the evidence takes up 98% of the book before you get to the conclusion, but you can either skip to the end or enjoy the ride like I did.

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Overall rating		5.0
Style		5.0 (1)
Content		5.0 (1)
Consciousness		5.0 (1)

Science and Psychic Phenomena: The Fall of the House of Skeptics 2012-05-12 22:28:38 Testimonials

Overall rating		5.0
Style		5.0
Content		5.0
Consciousness		5.0

Reviewed by Testimonials May 12, 2012
Top 10 Reviewer - View all my reviews

“Chris Carter is a one-man wrecking crew for the time-worn, tedious, petulant, and often flimsy complaints of the die-hard skeptics. A science of consciousness is doomed to be incomplete without taking Carter’s keen insights into account.”
(Larry Dossey, M.D., author of Healing Words and The Power of Premonitions )

“Carter confronts legitimate criticism with solid scientific evidence and deftly exposes the anti-science stand of the dogmatic skeptics. He makes a compelling case for taking the science of parapsychology seriously. . . . A must-read for anyone interested in the true state of this important debate.”
(Richard Broughton, Ph.D., author of Parapsychology: The Controversial Science and senior lecturer in psychology, The University of Northampton )

“The controversy surrounding psychic phenomena (psi) is both long and complicated. Chris Carter reviews the many elements of the controversy in great detail, but in a manner that is also readable and entertaining--a difficult feat. I found his explanation of quantum theories of psi, for example, exceptionally clear, and it resolved some confusion I had about these theories from reading other sources. Carter adheres strictly to valid scientific and philosophical principles in arguing for the reality of psi and the legitimacy of parapsychology as a science--no retreat into New Age metaphysical mumbo jumbo--and he doesn’t overstate his case. Any reader who can approach this controversial subject with an open mind will find Carter’s book immensely rewarding.”
(John Palmer, Ph.D., editor of Journal of Parapsychology and coauthor of Foundations of Parapsychology )

“I highly recommend this book to anyone who is truly open-minded about whether or not psychic abilities exist. Chris Carter takes the reader on an insightful journey that weaves together history, scientific data, modern physics, psychology, and philosophy of science. He convincingly shows that it’s now possible to replace belief-based opinion with solid science when discussing the possible reality of psychic phenomena.”
(Jessica Utts, Ph.D., professor of statistics, University of California, Davis, and author of An Assessment of the Evidence for Psychic Functioning )

“Chris Carter has put together quite a treatise. In thoroughly readable, engaging, and clear prose, he provides an erudite and comprehensive review of the skeptical and scientific studies of events that don’t fit present paradigms. Despite having researched the subject extensively myself, I found a deep well of new information. Carter’s book is both scholarly and entertaining.”
(Robert S. Bobrow, M.D., clinical associate professor of family medicine at Stony Brook University and author of The Witch in the Waiting Room )

“This book is a must have for any serious paranormal researcher and I would recommend it to anyone to open their eyes and learn about why the paranormal always seems to be getting such a bad wrap. It was an eye opener of education and wisdom and knowledge and I could easily read it again and again...”
(Examiner.com )

“Carter methodically and masterfully reveals that the skeptic’s position is increasingly untenable. . . . A refreshingly rational and well written investigation of the science of psi.”
(Dean Radin, Ph.D., senior scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences )