Coming soon: Peer Reviewed Papers
For now, here are a few recently published papers from others.
2025
Murphy-Morgan, Claire; Smith, Lesley-Ann
A Critical Discourse Analysis of Public Perspectives of Parapsychology on Facebook Utilising Graham's Hierarchy of Disagreement Journal Article
In: Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 2025, ISSN: 1541-4477.
@article{Murphy-Morgan2025,
title = {A Critical Discourse Analysis of Public Perspectives of Parapsychology on Facebook Utilising Graham's Hierarchy of Disagreement},
author = {Claire Murphy-Morgan and Lesley-Ann Smith},
doi = {10.1177/02762366251384885},
issn = {1541-4477},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-12-17},
journal = {Imagination, Cognition and Personality},
publisher = {SAGE Publications},
abstract = {
Examining Facebook's role in public discourse about parapsychology is important when considering how science vs pseudoscience is widely understood. Graham's Hierarchy of Disagreement is used to assess an existing Facebook thread led by the question ‘
is there any real evidence of psychic powers?’
250 posted responses are examined for
type
. Critical Discourse Analysis applying scientific constructivism as a theoretical approach is used to examine most frequent types of commentary. Ad Hominem, Contradiction and Responding to Tone were the 3 most frequently recorded types. Comments evidence perceptions of educational institutions as vanguards of ‘good science’ with less consideration given to scientific rigour. Scepticism is identified as desirable when assessing research but is poorly conceptualised. Further research recommends 1) comparing parapsychology across social media platforms to assess how affordances shape debate; 2) exploring the role of scepticism and 3) examining the public's understanding of parapsychology in the context of science communication.
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Examining Facebook's role in public discourse about parapsychology is important when considering how science vs pseudoscience is widely understood. Graham's Hierarchy of Disagreement is used to assess an existing Facebook thread led by the question ‘
250 posted responses are examined for
. Critical Discourse Analysis applying scientific constructivism as a theoretical approach is used to examine most frequent types of commentary. Ad Hominem, Contradiction and Responding to Tone were the 3 most frequently recorded types. Comments evidence perceptions of educational institutions as vanguards of ‘good science’ with less consideration given to scientific rigour. Scepticism is identified as desirable when assessing research but is poorly conceptualised. Further research recommends 1) comparing parapsychology across social media platforms to assess how affordances shape debate; 2) exploring the role of scepticism and 3) examining the public's understanding of parapsychology in the context of science communication.
Ouellet, Eric
Parapsychology and Researching the UAP Experience Journal Article
In: World Futures, pp. 1–18, 2025, ISSN: 1556-1844.
@article{Ouellet2025,
title = {Parapsychology and Researching the UAP Experience},
author = {Eric Ouellet},
doi = {10.1080/02604027.2025.2592182},
issn = {1556-1844},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-11-25},
journal = {World Futures},
pages = {1--18},
publisher = {Informa UK Limited},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Chang1, Albert So2 3 Yi-Fang
Full Electromagnetic Spectrum of Parapsychology Journal Article
In: ISRG Journal of Arts Humanities & Social Sciences (ISRGJAHSS), vol. III, no. VI, 2025.
@article{yi_fang_chang13_albert_so23_2025_17758072,
title = {Full Electromagnetic Spectrum of Parapsychology},
author = {Albert So2 3 Yi-Fang Chang1},
url = {https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17758072},
doi = {10.5281/zenodo.17758072},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-11-01},
journal = {ISRG Journal of Arts Humanities & Social Sciences
(ISRGJAHSS)},
volume = {III},
number = {VI},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
King, Robert A.
Out-of-Body Experiences and Threat Sensitivity Journal Article
In: Percept Mot Skills, 2025, ISSN: 1558-688X.
@article{King2025,
title = {Out-of-Body Experiences and Threat Sensitivity},
author = {Robert A. King},
doi = {10.1177/00315125251362319},
issn = {1558-688X},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-08-10},
journal = {Percept Mot Skills},
publisher = {SAGE Publications},
abstract = {
An out-of-body experience (OBE) can be defined as having the impression of being consciously aware and out of one’s physical body in an extrapersonal location. Recent research has suggested that OBEs are often a response to physical and/or psychological threat. However, because the OBE does not occur for everyone even when in the same type of threatening situation, it has been further postulated that such an experience is associated with the differences of each individual psyche interacting with differing circumstances. This includes a possibility that perhaps a higher sensitivity to threat might be one important idiosyncratic factor in some cases. This paper describes research based on this hypothesis. The Threat Sensitivity Scale (TSS) was utilized to compare 105 participants who have had at least one OBE in their life in which they had the impression of seeing their physical body from an extrapersonal location (referred to as an
autoscopic
OBE) with 150 who have not. It was found that there was a significant higher mean score on the TSS between those who have had an autoscopic OBE and those who have not, which remains the case even if having experienced one or more imminent life-threatening situations is also considered as a variable. These findings suggest that autoscopic OBEs are associated with higher levels of threat sensitivity.
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
An out-of-body experience (OBE) can be defined as having the impression of being consciously aware and out of one’s physical body in an extrapersonal location. Recent research has suggested that OBEs are often a response to physical and/or psychological threat. However, because the OBE does not occur for everyone even when in the same type of threatening situation, it has been further postulated that such an experience is associated with the differences of each individual psyche interacting with differing circumstances. This includes a possibility that perhaps a higher sensitivity to threat might be one important idiosyncratic factor in some cases. This paper describes research based on this hypothesis. The Threat Sensitivity Scale (TSS) was utilized to compare 105 participants who have had at least one OBE in their life in which they had the impression of seeing their physical body from an extrapersonal location (referred to as an
OBE) with 150 who have not. It was found that there was a significant higher mean score on the TSS between those who have had an autoscopic OBE and those who have not, which remains the case even if having experienced one or more imminent life-threatening situations is also considered as a variable. These findings suggest that autoscopic OBEs are associated with higher levels of threat sensitivity.
Tressoldi, Patrizio
Publication Bias dataset
2025.
@dataset{tressoldi_2025_16947132,
title = {Publication Bias},
author = {Patrizio Tressoldi},
url = {https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16947132},
doi = {10.5281/zenodo.16947132},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-08-01},
publisher = {Zenodo},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {dataset}
}
Parra, Alejandro
Spiritualism and Psychology in Argentina: The Inception of Parapsychology in the Scientific Mainstream (1948–1955) Journal Article
In: J History Behavioral Science, vol. 61, no. 4, 2025, ISSN: 1520-6696.
@article{Parra2025,
title = {Spiritualism and Psychology in Argentina: The Inception of Parapsychology in the Scientific Mainstream (1948–1955)},
author = {Alejandro Parra},
doi = {10.1002/jhbs.70035},
issn = {1520-6696},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-07-00},
journal = {J History Behavioral Science},
volume = {61},
number = {4},
publisher = {Wiley},
abstract = {ABSTRACT In the mid‐1940s, Argentine spiritualism faced a crisis in the context of cultural changes where they sought to install parapsychology as a valid area of inquiry within the emerging psychology as a science. The 1950s represented a transformation of the intellectual field for the so‐called “conjectural sciences” and a form of psychologization of spiritualism. In fact, the appropriation of J.B. Rhine's test results in the United States proved useful to spiritualists. However, in the late 1940s, enthusiasm emerged among mathematicians to learn about Rhine's statistical procedures and tests. The aims are to analyze the emergence of parapsychology and the controversies surrounding its acceptance/rejection, to examine the emphasis of parapsychology on distancing itself from spiritualism to integrate into the Argentine psychological community, and to evaluate the strategies of Argentine spiritualists to validate their theories based on the works of J.B. Rhine. A historiographic analysis will be conducted through the compilation of relevant documents, books, magazines, and correspondence with authors and researchers from the period between 1945 and 1953. A process of demarcation between psychology and spiritualism in Argentina sought to purify parapsychology towards a position less contaminated by belief systems, in favor of the application of statistical and mathematical procedures of Rhinean orientation. },
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Simione, Luca; Pagani, Camilla; Denovan, Andrew; Dagnall, Neil
Editorial: Emerging research: self-ascribed parapsychological abilities Journal Article
In: Front. Psychol., vol. 16, 2025, ISSN: 1664-1078.
@article{Simione2025,
title = {Editorial: Emerging research: self-ascribed parapsychological abilities},
author = {Luca Simione and Camilla Pagani and Andrew Denovan and Neil Dagnall},
doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1596390},
issn = {1664-1078},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-04-10},
journal = {Front. Psychol.},
volume = {16},
publisher = {Frontiers Media SA},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Brewer, Mark A.
Quantum Foundations of Consciousness: A Reformulated Framework Miscellaneous
2025.
@misc{pittphilsci25942,
title = {Quantum Foundations of Consciousness: A Reformulated Framework},
author = {Mark A. Brewer},
url = {https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/25942/},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-04-01},
urldate = {2025-04-01},
journal = {Cosmos and History: The Journal of Natural and Social Philosophy},
volume = {21},
number = {1},
pages = {326–359},
abstract = {This paper proposes a theory-neutral formal framework designed to accommodate data that implicates consciousness in anomalous observer-linked phenomena, including structured accounts sometimes interpreted as involving alleged non-human intelligence.
Motivated by growing empirical reports in which observer phenomenology appears coupled to system behavior, the paper introduces an explanatory workspace that expands the standard quantum state space to include a phenomenal dimension.
Specifically, it augments the conventional Hilbert space Hphysical with an orthogonal tensor factor Hphenomenal, allowing conscious states to be structurally represented without reducing them to conventional observables.
The goal is not to offer a reductive theory of consciousness, but to supply a lawful representational space into which empirically grounded anomalies–such as psi effects, attentional modulation, or UAP-linked phenomenology–might coherently fit.
The framework is grounded in an epistemic tradition articulated by Newton, Eddington, Russell, and Chomsky, all of whom emphasize the distinction between the structural apparatus of science and its ontological reach.
It does not seek to redefine physics, but to expand its structural vocabulary–offering a formal arena in which observer-linked anomalies may become empirically visible and testable.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {misc}
}
This paper proposes a theory-neutral formal framework designed to accommodate data that implicates consciousness in anomalous observer-linked phenomena, including structured accounts sometimes interpreted as involving alleged non-human intelligence.
Motivated by growing empirical reports in which observer phenomenology appears coupled to system behavior, the paper introduces an explanatory workspace that expands the standard quantum state space to include a phenomenal dimension.
Specifically, it augments the conventional Hilbert space Hphysical with an orthogonal tensor factor Hphenomenal, allowing conscious states to be structurally represented without reducing them to conventional observables.
The goal is not to offer a reductive theory of consciousness, but to supply a lawful representational space into which empirically grounded anomalies–such as psi effects, attentional modulation, or UAP-linked phenomenology–might coherently fit.
The framework is grounded in an epistemic tradition articulated by Newton, Eddington, Russell, and Chomsky, all of whom emphasize the distinction between the structural apparatus of science and its ontological reach.
It does not seek to redefine physics, but to expand its structural vocabulary–offering a formal arena in which observer-linked anomalies may become empirically visible and testable.
Motivated by growing empirical reports in which observer phenomenology appears coupled to system behavior, the paper introduces an explanatory workspace that expands the standard quantum state space to include a phenomenal dimension.
Specifically, it augments the conventional Hilbert space Hphysical with an orthogonal tensor factor Hphenomenal, allowing conscious states to be structurally represented without reducing them to conventional observables.
The goal is not to offer a reductive theory of consciousness, but to supply a lawful representational space into which empirically grounded anomalies–such as psi effects, attentional modulation, or UAP-linked phenomenology–might coherently fit.
The framework is grounded in an epistemic tradition articulated by Newton, Eddington, Russell, and Chomsky, all of whom emphasize the distinction between the structural apparatus of science and its ontological reach.
It does not seek to redefine physics, but to expand its structural vocabulary–offering a formal arena in which observer-linked anomalies may become empirically visible and testable.
Escolà-Gascón, Álex; Dagnall, Neil; Denovan, Andrew
Increase in reported anxiety and anomalous experiences in paranormal believers following Ouija board play. Journal Article
In: Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice, 2025, ISSN: 2326-5531.
@article{Escolà-Gascón2025,
title = {Increase in reported anxiety and anomalous experiences in paranormal believers following Ouija board play.},
author = {Álex Escolà-Gascón and Neil Dagnall and Andrew Denovan},
doi = {10.1037/cns0000415},
issn = {2326-5531},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-02-27},
journal = {Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice},
publisher = {American Psychological Association (APA)},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Cardeña, Etzel
What psi research can – and cannot – say about ‘mind beyond the brain’ Journal Article
In: International Review of Psychiatry, pp. 1–5, 2025, ISSN: 1369-1627.
@article{Cardeña2025,
title = {What psi research can – and cannot – say about ‘mind beyond the brain’},
author = {Etzel Cardeña},
doi = {10.1080/09540261.2025.2466485},
issn = {1369-1627},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-02-21},
journal = {International Review of Psychiatry},
pages = {1--5},
publisher = {Informa UK Limited},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Cypert, Rick; Petro, Marilyn S.
A faith in science: Gardner Murphy and parapsychology Journal Article
In: History of the Human Sciences, vol. 38, no. 1, pp. 78–98, 2025, ISSN: 1461-720X.
@article{Cypert2024,
title = {A faith in science: Gardner Murphy and parapsychology},
author = {Rick Cypert and Marilyn S. Petro},
doi = {10.1177/09526951241280534},
issn = {1461-720X},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-02-00},
journal = {History of the Human Sciences},
volume = {38},
number = {1},
pages = {78--98},
publisher = {SAGE Publications},
abstract = {Historians have noted that many 19th-century founders and members of psychic societies were clergy, or had fathers who were clergy, seeking evidence for the survivalist hypothesis. One such member, psychologist Gardner Murphy, was influenced in childhood both by the Episcopalian faith of his father and the Transcendentalism of his mother's hometown, Concord, Massachusetts. We propose that these religious and philosophical influences, as well as his childhood experiences informed his life's work. They also prompted Gardner Murphy to focus on the survivalist hypothesis and commit to discovering a scientific approach that might yield evidence of paranormal phenomena. Murphy was highly respected for his biosocial theory of personality and his contributions to the discipline of psychology, even while he persisted in studying parapsychology, an area of contention in the relatively new science of psychology. He drew on the potential synergy of world religions and philosophical traditions as a means of understanding human behavior – in each case revealing him as the polymath and ethical humanist for which he is remembered. Like William James, he viewed reported psychic experiences as simply another human phenomenon to be examined using the scientific method. His ability to entwine these interests seems motivated by his religious upbringing and academic training in the sciences. },
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
2024
Storm, Lance
2024.
@{Storm2024,
title = {A New Approach to Psi},
author = {Lance Storm},
doi = {10.4324/9781003561323},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-11-18},
publisher = {Routledge},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {}
}
2023
Narmashiri, Abdolvahed; Hatami, Javad; Khosrowabadi, Reza; Sohrabi, Ahmad
The Role of Cognitive Control in Paranormal Beliefs: A Study Based on Performance in Go/No-go Task Journal Article
In: Basic Clin Neurosci, vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 411–417, 2023, ISSN: 2008-126X.
@article{pmid38077178,
title = {The Role of Cognitive Control in Paranormal Beliefs: A Study Based on Performance in Go/No-go Task},
author = {Abdolvahed Narmashiri and Javad Hatami and Reza Khosrowabadi and Ahmad Sohrabi},
doi = {10.32598/bcn.2021.923.3},
issn = {2008-126X},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-01-01},
journal = {Basic Clin Neurosci},
volume = {14},
number = {3},
pages = {411--417},
abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Cognitive control plays a role in human behavior and mental processes and affects paranormal beliefs. This study aims to investigate the role of cognitive control in paranormal beliefs using the go/no-go task.nnMETHODS: A total of 92 people were selected based on low, middle, and high scores in the revised paranormal belief scale (R-PBS) and assigned to 3 groups. The groups included 30 severe paranormal believers (13 females with a mean age of 25.3 years), 31 mild paranormal believers (14 females with a mean age of 26.4 years), and 31 skeptics (16 females with a mean age of 25.8 years). All participants were tested on the go/no-go task. A multivariate analysis of variance was conducted with the given groups (severe paranormal believers, mild paranormal believers, and skeptics) as the independent variable and the go/no-go subscales scores as dependent variables.nnRESULTS: The findings showed a significant difference between the mean scores in errors of go (F=7.20, P=0.01), errors of no-go (F=11.81, P=0.01), and reaction time (F=21.46, P=0.01) between the groups.nnCONCLUSION: The severe and mild paranormal believers had lower accuracy and slower reaction times than the skeptics group. Therefore, severe paranormal believers and mild paranormal believers had a weakness in all go/no-go subscale scores. This finding suggests that paranormal beliefs may be related to poor cognitive control.nnHIGHLIGHTS: Believers show weak cognitive control.Skeptics perform better in accuracy and reaction time.Paranormal beliefs linked to poor cognitive control.nnPLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: This study explores why some people strongly believe in paranormal phenomena while others don't. This study investigated the connection between cognitive control (our ability to manage thoughts and behavior) and paranormal beliefs. They found that individuals with stronger paranormal beliefs had poorer cognitive control, as they made more errors and had slower reaction times compared to skeptics. However, it's important to note that this study doesn't prove causation; it only highlights a potential link that needs more research. Understanding this connection is important because it helps us grasp why some people are more prone to believing in paranormal events. It also opens up avenues for studying how cognitive control affects human behavior and thinking. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the relationship between cognitive control and paranormal beliefs, contributing to our understanding of human behavior and belief systems. More research can further deepen our knowledge of why people hold different beliefs and how cognitive processes influence those beliefs.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
INTRODUCTION: Cognitive control plays a role in human behavior and mental processes and affects paranormal beliefs. This study aims to investigate the role of cognitive control in paranormal beliefs using the go/no-go task.nnMETHODS: A total of 92 people were selected based on low, middle, and high scores in the revised paranormal belief scale (R-PBS) and assigned to 3 groups. The groups included 30 severe paranormal believers (13 females with a mean age of 25.3 years), 31 mild paranormal believers (14 females with a mean age of 26.4 years), and 31 skeptics (16 females with a mean age of 25.8 years). All participants were tested on the go/no-go task. A multivariate analysis of variance was conducted with the given groups (severe paranormal believers, mild paranormal believers, and skeptics) as the independent variable and the go/no-go subscales scores as dependent variables.nnRESULTS: The findings showed a significant difference between the mean scores in errors of go (F=7.20, P=0.01), errors of no-go (F=11.81, P=0.01), and reaction time (F=21.46, P=0.01) between the groups.nnCONCLUSION: The severe and mild paranormal believers had lower accuracy and slower reaction times than the skeptics group. Therefore, severe paranormal believers and mild paranormal believers had a weakness in all go/no-go subscale scores. This finding suggests that paranormal beliefs may be related to poor cognitive control.nnHIGHLIGHTS: Believers show weak cognitive control.Skeptics perform better in accuracy and reaction time.Paranormal beliefs linked to poor cognitive control.nnPLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: This study explores why some people strongly believe in paranormal phenomena while others don't. This study investigated the connection between cognitive control (our ability to manage thoughts and behavior) and paranormal beliefs. They found that individuals with stronger paranormal beliefs had poorer cognitive control, as they made more errors and had slower reaction times compared to skeptics. However, it's important to note that this study doesn't prove causation; it only highlights a potential link that needs more research. Understanding this connection is important because it helps us grasp why some people are more prone to believing in paranormal events. It also opens up avenues for studying how cognitive control affects human behavior and thinking. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the relationship between cognitive control and paranormal beliefs, contributing to our understanding of human behavior and belief systems. More research can further deepen our knowledge of why people hold different beliefs and how cognitive processes influence those beliefs.
2020
Reber, Arthur S.; Alcock, James E.
Searching for the impossible: Parapsychology’s elusive quest. Journal Article
In: American Psychologist, vol. 75, no. 3, pp. 391–399, 2020, ISSN: 1935-990X.
@article{Reber2020,
title = {Searching for the impossible: Parapsychology’s elusive quest.},
author = {Arthur S. Reber and James E. Alcock},
doi = {10.1037/amp0000486},
issn = {1935-990X},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-04-00},
journal = {American Psychologist},
volume = {75},
number = {3},
pages = {391--399},
publisher = {American Psychological Association (APA)},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
2018
Freedman, Morris; Binns, Malcolm; Gao, Fuqiang; Holmes, Melissa; Roseborough, Austyn; Strother, Stephen; Vallesi, Antonino; Jeffers, Stanley; Alain, Claude; Whitehouse, Peter; Ryan, Jennifer D.; Chen, Robert; Cusimano, Michael D.; Black, Sandra E.
Mind–Matter Interactions and the Frontal Lobes of the Brain: A Novel Neurobiological Model of Psi Inhibition Journal Article
In: EXPLORE, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 76–85, 2018, ISSN: 1550-8307.
@article{Freedman2018,
title = {Mind–Matter Interactions and the Frontal Lobes of the Brain: A Novel Neurobiological Model of Psi Inhibition},
author = {Morris Freedman and Malcolm Binns and Fuqiang Gao and Melissa Holmes and Austyn Roseborough and Stephen Strother and Antonino Vallesi and Stanley Jeffers and Claude Alain and Peter Whitehouse and Jennifer D. Ryan and Robert Chen and Michael D. Cusimano and Sandra E. Black},
doi = {10.1016/j.explore.2017.08.003},
issn = {1550-8307},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-01-00},
journal = {EXPLORE},
volume = {14},
number = {1},
pages = {76--85},
publisher = {Elsevier BV},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
2008
BRUGGER, P; MOHR, C
The paranormal mind: How the study of anomalous experiences and beliefs may inform cognitive neuroscience Journal Article
In: Cortex, vol. 44, no. 10, pp. 1291–1298, 2008, ISSN: 0010-9452.
@article{BRUGGER2008,
title = {The paranormal mind: How the study of anomalous experiences and beliefs may inform cognitive neuroscience},
author = {P BRUGGER and C MOHR},
doi = {10.1016/j.cortex.2008.05.008},
issn = {0010-9452},
year = {2008},
date = {2008-11-00},
journal = {Cortex},
volume = {44},
number = {10},
pages = {1291--1298},
publisher = {Elsevier BV},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
