#122 Edwin C. May - Psychics in Space, Dream Telepathy and Remote Viewing Saturn
In this episode of the Shawn Ryan Show, Shawn interviews Edwin C. May, a physicist turned parapsychology researcher who worked on the U.S. government's "Stargate" program studying extrasensory perception (ESP) phenomena. May discusses how rigorous scientific protocols were implemented to study psychic abilities like remote viewing, as well as the challenges involved in consistently replicating results with those exhibiting psychic talents.
The conversation explores May's theories on the underlying mechanisms of psychic perception and potential neurological correlates. It also touches on the comparison between the U.S. and Russia's extensive psychic research programs in their pursuit of military applications. Overall, the episode delves into the scientific study of psychic phenomena, its implications, and the key observations from May's career in this field.
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1-Page Summary
Edwin May's Background in Parapsychology
Shawn Ryan introduces Edwin C. May, an experimental nuclear physicist who transitioned into parapsychology research, as the director of U.S. government's 'Stargate' ESP program. May was initially skeptical of parapsychology, but was drawn in by researchers like Charles Honorton who applied scientific rigor. May was motivated by an interest in spiritually oriented questions.
Remote Viewing at SRI and Stargate
At SRI International, May developed protocols to minimize sensory leakage in remote viewing experiments. The Ganzfeld technique helped create a sensory-deprived state for participants. May used fuzzy set methods for quantitative analysis, evaluating significance against statistical principles.
Remote Viewer Capabilities and Limitations
May notes only around 1% of participants exhibited exceptional remote viewing abilities. Some develop an emotional attachment to their abilities, risking psychological distress from failure. Unfounded claims, like a comet spacecraft, demonstrate potential dangers. Overall performance is inconsistent and difficult to reproduce.
Comparisons to Russian Remote Viewing
May reveals Russia's extensive remote viewing program with over 120 trained viewers integrated into military intelligence. Specifics are lacking due to Russia's unwillingness to declassify information or share results with U.S. researchers.
Theories on Psychic Phenomena
May proposes "decision augmentation theory" - psychic abilities shouldn't determine decisions due to unreliability, but can subtly enhance decision-making. He explores entropy changes triggering psychic perception and investigates neurological correlates like heightened white matter connectivity in psychic individuals, collaborating with Brazilian researchers using MRI scans.
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Counterarguments
- Skepticism about the scientific rigor in parapsychology:
- Despite May's efforts, many in the scientific community remain skeptical about the application of scientific methods to parapsychology, arguing that the field lacks empirical evidence and falsifiability.
- Concerns about the reproducibility of remote viewing experiments:
- The inconsistency and difficulty in reproducing remote viewing results raise questions about the validity of the experiments and the reliability of the findings.
- Statistical significance versus practical significance:
- Even if statistical methods like fuzzy set methods are used, critics argue that the practical significance of the findings in parapsychology is often negligible or unclear.
- The rarity of exceptional remote viewing abilities:
- The fact that only around 1% of participants exhibited exceptional abilities could suggest that such occurrences are statistical outliers or the result of chance rather than evidence of psychic phenomena.
- Emotional attachment and psychological distress:
- Critics might argue that the development of emotional attachment to remote viewing abilities and subsequent distress could be indicative of a placebo effect or self-deception.
- Comparisons to Russian remote viewing efforts:
- Without verifiable evidence from the Russian program, comparisons and conclusions drawn about the effectiveness or scope of their remote viewing capabilities remain speculative.
- Decision augmentation theory:
- Some might argue that incorporating unproven psychic abilities into decision-making processes, even subtly, is unscientific and could lead to poor outcomes based on unreliable information.
- Entropy changes and psychic perception:
- The hypothesis that entropy changes could trigger psychic perception is speculative and lacks empirical support, making it a target for criticism from the scientific community.
- Neurological correlates and psychic abilities:
- The search for neurological correlates, such as heightened white matter connectivity, may not necessarily imply causation, and findings could be coincidental or related to other factors.
- Collaboration with Brazilian researchers and MRI scans:
- The use of MRI scans to study psychic individuals may not yield conclusive evidence of psychic abilities, as brain imaging can be open to interpretation and may not directly link to psychic phenomena.
Actionables
- You can explore your own potential for remote viewing by practicing visualization exercises in a quiet, distraction-free environment to see if you can enhance your mental imagery skills. Start by visualizing familiar places or objects in great detail and gradually progress to unknown targets provided by a friend, noting any accuracy in your descriptions compared to the actual locations or objects.
- Develop a personal decision-making process that includes a moment of intuition-checking, where you pause to consider any gut feelings or hunches before making important choices. This doesn't mean relying solely on these feelings, but rather acknowledging them as one of many factors in your decision-making toolkit.
- Engage in mindfulness meditation to potentially increase your white matter connectivity, which has been associated with psychic individuals. Regular meditation practice can not only improve your mental health and cognitive abilities but may also, as a side benefit, create conditions that some believe are conducive to psychic experiences.
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Edwin May's background and entry into parapsychology research
Shawn Ryan introduces us to Edwin C. May, an experienced experimental nuclear physicist who underwent a unique career transition into the realm of parapsychology.
May's training in experimental nuclear physics and gradual transition to parapsychology
Having spent 12 years in experimental nuclear physics, Edwin May's interest in the scientific exploration of uncharted territories intrigued him. A physics class during his senior year at a boys' boarding school set him on a path towards a degree in experimental nuclear physics.
May's career led him to become the executive director of the Cognitive Sciences Laboratory, the director of the U.S. government's ESP program, 'Stargate,' and a participant in the ESP program at SRI International.
May's initial skepticism towards parapsychology, but was drawn in by the scientific rigor of leading researchers like Charles Honorton
Despite his initial skepticism towards parapsychology, a flyer at UC Berkeley's cyclotron lab would lead him to attend a talk by Charles Honorton. Intrigued by Honorton's application of statistics and scientific rigor to the study of ESP, May found a mentor and began to see parapsychology as a field ripe with potential for exploration.
Edwin May's dedication to the field was driven by his interest in spiritually oriented questions, such as survival after death and the nature of consciousness.
May's early work with SRI on psychokinesis experiments
May's early professional steps in parapsychology involved both the refinement of experimental measures and a recognition of the untapped possibilities of psychic phenomena.
Debugging issues with experimental equipment and realizing the potential for psychic phenomena
Working as a consultant for Hal Puthoff at SRI International, May was tasked with debugging a magnetometer involved in experiments with fame ...
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Edwin May's background and entry into parapsychology research
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Counterarguments
- Parapsychology is not widely accepted as a scientific field due to a lack of replicable evidence and methodological issues, which could call into question the scientific rigor of the field despite May's and others' efforts.
- The transition from a conventional field like experimental nuclear physics to a controversial field like parapsychology might be viewed skeptically by the scientific community, raising questions about the motivations and scientific standards applied.
- The involvement in government programs like 'Stargate' could be criticized for spending public funds on research areas that many consider to be pseudoscientific.
- The scientific community often requires peer-reviewed evidence and replication of results, which has been a challenge for experiments in parapsychology, including those involving psychokinesis.
- The use of psychokinesis experiments, such as those ...
Actionables
- Explore a new field by volunteering at a local research institution or university to gain exposure to different scientific disciplines and methodologies. By offering your time to assist with ongoing studies, you can immerse yourself in a new area of research, much like someone transitioning from one scientific field to another. This could involve tasks like data entry, literature reviews, or observing experiments, which don't require specialized skills but allow you to experience the scientific process firsthand.
- Start a journal to document and reflect on experiences that challenge your current beliefs or understanding. This practice can help you approach new topics with an open mind, similar to how a skeptic might become intrigued by the rigor of a new field. You can write about documentaries you watch, articles you read, or conversations you have that introduce you to new concepts, noting your initial skepticism and how your perspective evolves over time.
- Engage in mental exercises to develop cognitive fle ...
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Remote viewing experiments and protocols at SRI and Stargate
Edwin C. May speaks on his involvement in parapsychological research at SRI International and Stargate, focusing on developing reliable remote viewing experiments and understanding the parameters that affect them.
Developing protocols to minimize sensory leakage and background noise in remote viewing trials
Efforts were made to reduce internal noise and potential sensory leakage in remote viewing experiments to allow any genuine psychic abilities to emerge more clearly.
Using the "Ganzfeld" technique to create a sensory-deprived state in participants
The Ganzfeld technique was employed to create a state of sensory deprivation. Participants had halved ping pong balls placed over their eyes to deliver a uniform visual field, and quiet white noise fed through headphones to reduce auditory stimulus. This led to an altered state of consciousness within 20 minutes, which is conducive to remote viewing tasks. General Ratman funded the research with stipulated oversight protocols. This included three committees: a scientific oversight committee, a policy oversight committee, and medical oversight. The scientific oversight committee's role was to review study protocols to ensure no cheating affects the results, addressing potential issues of sensory leakage and crosstalk between the experimenter and the sender.
Quantitative analysis of remote viewing data using "fuzzy set" methods
The conversation with May progresses into the handling of data collected from remote viewing sessions.
Incorporating statistical principles to evaluate the significance of remote viewing results
May describes the process of fuzzy set analysis to encode descriptions from remote viewing so that they can be computed. Specific elements mentioned by the participant, such as buildings and trees, are inputted into the computer, which independently matches these with a target picture. The figure of merit, a metric described by May, is used to determine ...
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Remote viewing experiments and protocols at SRI and Stargate
Additional Materials
Counterarguments
- The efficacy of the Ganzfeld technique for inducing a state conducive to remote viewing is not universally accepted, and there is debate over whether it truly enhances psychic abilities or simply induces a relaxed state.
- The use of oversight committees, while intended to ensure the integrity of the research, does not guarantee the absence of methodological flaws or biases in the experimental design.
- The figure of merit as a metric for determining the accuracy of remote viewing has not been widely accepted or validated in the scientific community, and its significance threshold of 0.452 may be arbitrary.
- Fuzzy set analysis, while innovative, may not be the most appropriate statistical method for analyzing remote viewing data, and its results could be influenced by subjective interpretation of the data.
- The claim that remote viewing can be used operationally, such as in market predictions, is highly controversial and lacks substantial empirical support within ...
Actionables
- You can enhance your focus and creativity by creating a sensory-deprivation space in your home using household items. Find a quiet room and use a blindfold or sleep mask to block out visual stimuli, and play white noise through headphones to minimize auditory distractions. This setup can be used for meditation, brainstorming, or problem-solving sessions, allowing you to tap into deeper levels of concentration and potentially access more creative ideas.
- Experiment with your own informal 'figure of merit' system to track personal goals. For instance, if you're trying to improve your fitness, define specific elements like workout frequency, diet adherence, and sleep quality. Assign scores to each element after a week of tracking, and calculate an overall score to gauge your progress. This method can help you quantify subjective areas of your life and make adjustments based on concrete data.
- Use fuzzy logic principles ...
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Capabilities, limitations, and psychological impacts of remote viewers
Edwin C. May sheds light on the unpredictable nature and inherent challenges that accompany remote viewing abilities, emphasizing the importance of understanding both its potential and limitations.
Variability in remote viewing abilities, with only about 1% of participants demonstrating exceptional skill
Edwin C. May recognizes the variability in remote viewing abilities, noting that even remote viewing experts like Joe McMoneagle don't consistently experience clear remote views and often feel as if they are guessing. May points out that approximately 1% of a selected population possess the native skill necessary for effective remote viewing. Despite extensive testing across various groups, including Stanford alumni and Mensa members, this 1% with exceptional skill remained consistent throughout his research.
Emotional attachment to remote viewing abilities and the risk of psychological distress from failure
May discusses the emotional dimensions of remote viewing, indicating that those involved often have differing levels of tolerance for unsuccessful sessions. He references individuals like Angela Ford, who is content with a 20% success rate, while contrastingly, figures like Ingo Swann exemplify the deep emotional attachment participants can develop—and the psychological distress that can ensue when things go awry.
Moreover, he reflects on the dangers of unfounded claims in remote viewing, connecting an instance where a remote viewer's unsubstantiated comet spacecraft claim correlated with the Heaven's Gate mass suicide. This highlights the ...
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Capabilities, limitations, and psychological impacts of remote viewers
Additional Materials
Counterarguments
- The 1% figure for effective remote viewing skill might not be a fixed statistic and could vary depending on the methods of selection and training provided to participants.
- The feeling of "guessing" by remote viewing experts like Joe McMoneagle could be a subjective interpretation of their intuitive process rather than an indication of the unreliability of remote viewing.
- Emotional attachment to remote viewing abilities might not always lead to distress; for some individuals, it could be a source of motivation and personal growth.
- The risk of psychological distress from failure in remote viewing is not unique to this field and can be found in any high-stakes or high-pressure discipline.
- Unfounded claims in remote viewing could be mitigated by better education and critical thinking skills among the public, rather than attributing the issue solely to the remote viewers themselves.
- Equating self-worth with success in any field is a broader psychological issue that extends beyond remot ...
Actionables
- You can start a reflective journal to monitor your emotional responses to successes and failures in new endeavors, similar to how remote viewers might assess their attachment to their abilities. Write down your feelings and thoughts after each significant attempt at something new, whether it's a hobby or a work project. This will help you understand your emotional investment and guard against tying your self-worth too closely to outcomes.
- Develop a personal risk assessment checklist to evaluate the potential psychological impacts of high-stakes activities. Before diving into activities that require a high level of skill or have uncertain outcomes, like remote viewing, list the possible emotional and psychological risks. This can help you make informed decisions about whether to proceed, how to prepare mentally, and when to seek support.
- Create a balanced goal-setting framework that includes both performance and learning objectives ...
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Comparisons between US and Russian remote viewing programs
Edwin C. May's perspective unpacks the intrigue and competition between the United States and Russia regarding remote viewing programs, touching upon the scale, secrecy, and the integration of these efforts into military operations.
Scale and scope of the Russian remote viewing program, with over 120 trained remote viewers
May reveals that Russia has shown considerable interest in remote viewing, with a spying program that ran 120 remote viewers—far surpassing the numbers in the U.S. program. Alexey Yurvitch-Savin, who led the Russian remote viewing efforts, welcomed May and Joe McMoneagle as honorary members of the Russian remote viewing group, 1003. The Russian remote viewing program was not only extensive but also closely integrated with military intelligence, reporting directly to the head of the general staff. Remote viewers even found themselves in live combat situations during the Chechnya War, implying significant military reliance and motivation for these programs.
Closer integration of remote viewing into Russian military intelligence operations
The GRU, Russia's military intelligence agency, favored the remote viewing program. This level of endorsement by the military hints at the reliance Russia placed on these psychic efforts within their intelligence and combat practices.
Difficulties in obtaining information about the specifics of the Russian program
Lack of transparency and unwillingness to share results from the Russian side
May notes a pervasive lack of transparency in Russian remote viewing initiatives, evidenced by Victor Rubel's statement that the Russians never declassify anything. Despite having a substantial team of remote viewers, no results have been publicly shared with U.S. researc ...
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Comparisons between US and Russian remote viewing programs
Additional Materials
Counterarguments
- The number of trained remote viewers does not necessarily correlate with the effectiveness or success of a remote viewing program.
- Integration with military intelligence and direct reporting to the head of the general staff could be indicative of the program's perceived importance but not its actual utility or results.
- Involvement in live combat situations does not confirm the efficacy of remote viewing, as there could be other factors at play in such complex environments.
- Support from the GRU might reflect institutional interest but does not validate the scientific credibility of remote viewing.
- Lack of transparency and unwillingness to share results could be due to state security protocols rather than evidence of a successful program.
- Selective release of information ...
Actionables
- You can explore the concept of remote viewing by starting a personal journal to document any intuitive or spontaneous impressions you have about distant or unseen places. This could be as simple as taking a few minutes each day to relax, visualize a place you've never been, and write down any details that come to mind. Over time, you might notice patterns or accuracies that could be intriguing to explore further.
- Develop critical thinking by analyzing the selective release of information in various media. Choose a current event and compare how different sources report on it. Note any discrepancies or omissions and consider their potential impact on public perception. This exercise can sharpen your ability to discern bias and recognize incomplete narratives, which is a skill that extends beyond the realm of remote viewing.
- Enhance your understanding of the role of secrecy in ...
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Theories and potential mechanisms underlying psychic phenomena
Exploring the uncharted territory of psychic phenomena, researchers like Edwin C. May are proposing and testing theories to understand the underlying mechanisms that could make such abilities possible.
Proposal of "decision augmentation theory" to explain how psychic abilities can enhance but not determine decision-making
Edwin C. May discussed a theory known as "decision augmentation theory," suggesting that while psychic abilities should not be used to make major decisions due to their unreliability, they can be used to subtly augment decisions in the right direction. Stemming from an experiment where participants attempted to psychically influence the mutation rates of bacteria, it seemed they were using psychic abilities not to affect mutation rates directly but to identify test tubes that were already mutating at a faster rate. May’s dismissal of a claim about remote viewing Mars suggests that credible psychic phenomena require verifiable outcomes to enhance decision-making, rather than baseless assertions without physical evidence.
Exploring the role of entropy changes in target systems as a potential trigger for psychic perception
May focuses on entropy changes within a target system as a potential trigger for psychic perception. He explains that entropy, a measure of chaos, might be correlated with the quality of remote viewing. This is evident from a study involving an “entropy bomb,” where the rapid evaporation from liquid nitrogen poured into a bucket full of balls created a stark contrast, much like a flashlight in a dark room, aiding remote viewing. To ensure accuracy, participants are tasked to describe the first thing they see once a blindfold is removed, a technique that has proven highly effective.
Investigations into potential neurological correlates of psychic abilities, such as heightened white matter connectivity
A significant clue about psychic phenomena, according to May, resides in the condition of synesthesia, where there’s crosstalk between different sensory systems in the brain. He observed that participants displaying significant psychic abilities, including individuals like Joe and Angela, exhibited s ...
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Theories and potential mechanisms underlying psychic phenomena
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Clarifications
- Decision augmentation theory, proposed by Edwin C. May, suggests that psychic abilities can subtly enhance decisions without being relied upon for major choices. Psychic abilities are seen as tools to influence decisions in a positive direction rather than as definitive decision-making tools. May's theory emphasizes the importance of verifiable outcomes in psychic phenomena to aid decision-making effectively. Psychic abilities, according to this theory, are more about guiding decisions based on existing information rather than making decisions from scratch.
- Entropy changes as a trigger for psychic perception suggest that variations in disorder or chaos within a system could influence psychic abilities. In this context, entropy is used as a measure of the system's randomness or unpredictability. The theory proposes that higher entropy levels might enhance psychic perception, possibly making it easier for individuals to access or perceive information beyond their immediate physical surroundings. This concept implies a potential link between the level of disorder in a system and the ability to tap into psychic phenomena.
- Synesthesia is a neurological condition where stimulation of one sensory pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory pathway. For example, a person with synesthesia may see colors when they hear music or associate specific colors with numbers. Some researchers suggest that individuals with synesthesia may have heightened connectivity in the brain's white matter, which could potentially be linked to psychic abilities. This heightened connectivity might facilitate the cross-activation of different brain regions, potentially enhancing certain cognitive processes related to psychic phenomena.
- White matter connectivity in the brain plays a crucial role in transmitting signals between different regions. Heightened white matter connectivity is associated with faster and more efficient communication within the brain. In the context of psychic abilities, researchers suggest that individuals with significant psychic skills may exhibit a hyperconnectivity in the brain's white matter, potentially facilitating enhanced informa ...
Counterarguments
- The "decision augmentation theory" lacks empirical evidence and is not widely accepted in the scientific community, which generally requires replicable and falsifiable experiments to validate theories.
- The use of psychic abilities to influence decision-making is controversial and not supported by the majority of psychological and decision-making research, which emphasizes rational and evidence-based processes.
- The experiment involving the mutation rates of bacteria and psychic abilities could be criticized for not having a clear mechanism of action and for the difficulty in controlling for all variables that might influence mutation rates.
- The emphasis on verifiable outcomes in psychic phenomena could be seen as an attempt to align with scientific rigor, but it also raises the question of confirmation bias, where only positive results are noted, and negative ones are dismissed or overlooked.
- The concept of entropy as a trigger for psychic perception is speculative and not grounded in established scientific understanding of entropy, which is a thermodynamic property, not typically linked to cognitive processes.
- The methodology of asking participants to describe the first thing they see after removing a blindfold could be criticized for being susceptible to suggestion and interpretation bias.
- The neurological correlates of psychic abilities, such as heightened white matter connectivity, have not been conclusively demonstrated, ...
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1-Page Summary- Edwin May's background and entry into parapsychology research
- Remote viewing experiments and protocols at SRI and Stargate
- Capabilities, limitations, and psychological impacts of remote viewers
- Comparisons between US and Russian remote viewing programs
- Theories and potential mechanisms underlying psychic phenomena
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