Participate in PSI Studies
The Paranormal Science Initiative is building a small, serious research program in New Hampshire to study unusual experiences and reported anomalies using the tools of science. Volunteers are essential to this work– both as research participants and as community partners helping us understand what people are actually experiencing.
All human‑participant studies will be reviewed by an independent Institutional Review Board (IRB), and participation will always be voluntary and based on informed consent.
Current Status: No Studies Enrolling
We are currently not recruiting new volunteers for any research studies.
- Our first generation of protocols is under development and ethical review.
- Once we receive IRB approval and have fully tested our procedures, we will open specific projects to volunteers and list them on this page.
You are welcome to check back periodically or join our email list to be notified when new studies open.
What Participation Will Look Like (When Studies Are Open)
When projects are active, opportunities may include:
- Lab‑based studies
- Visiting our Southern New Hampshire lab for sessions involving guided relaxation, imagery tasks, and simple computer‑based tasks under controlled conditions.
- Remote Studies
- A lot like our lab-based studies, we hope to include opportunities to join us from wherever you are. These will usually involve video chats as well as interactions in your web browser. They may also include offline components where you report back to us.
- Field investigations
- Helping us gather structured observations and environmental measurements at locations associated with hauntings, unusual experiences, or anomalous events, using standardized tools and protocols.
- Surveys and interviews
- Sharing your experiences or beliefs through structured questionnaires or recorded interviews so we can better understand patterns and contexts.
Every study will provide:
- A plain‑language description of what the research is about.
- What you would be asked to do and how long it takes.
- Any risks or discomforts, and how we minimize them.
- Whether there is compensation for your time.
- How your privacy and data will be protected.
You will always have the right to say no, to skip any question, and to stop participating at any time without penalty.
How We Protect Volunteers
Our human‑participant work will follow established ethics guidelines for research, including:
- Independent ethics review by a recognized IRB before a study begins.
- Informed consent, using materials that are clear and understandable rather than overly technical templates.
- Confidentiality and data security, with coded IDs, secure storage, and strict limits on who can see identifiable information.
- Respect for limits, including the option to pause or stop a session and to decline specific procedures or recordings.
Recruitment materials and ads are treated as part of the consent process: they will be honest, balanced, and will not promise benefits or outcomes that the study cannot deliver.
Stay Informed
If you would like to hear when new volunteer opportunities become available:
- Join our email list. (COMING SOON)
- Follow our official announcements on the website.
- Check this page for specific project listings once they are IRB‑approved and ready to enroll participants.
When studies open, each project listed here will have a short description and a link to detailed information, including eligibility criteria and contact details for the research team.
