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PARAPSYCHOLOGY IN JAPAN
Introduction
In 1992, Lhe Japanese Society for Parapsychology celebrated its 25th anniversary with a three-
day conference in Tokyo.
This society was founded by Professor Snji Otani, an academic
psychologist at the Japanese Defense Academy
.
It has been the mainstay of responsible
parapsychology in Japan, and lias its intellectual roots both in traditional Japanese approaches
and in the American experimental approach uf J.B Rhine. The latter influence is largely due to
the time spent by Otani in Rhine’s lab in the mid 1960’s, and more recently by Dr Shigeki
Hagio, an academic psychologist from Kagoshima Keizai University, in the southern part of
Japan. The Society has a small membership, with relatively lew empirical contributions,
averaging about seven research-related reports each year.
Separate sections below will cover
this year’s JSP convention, as well as research recently initiated at Sony.
Before considering tkcent research and researchers, some general comments on the social
context Of parapsychology in Japan may he helpful.
All are a mix of subjective impressions
from the author's visit. Japan is a very polite, socially structured society.
Criticism is indirect,
inferred and often rather gradual.
Confrontation or dehate at conferences or in the media has
been quite rare although that is changing.
Researchers acknowledge that they obtain more
direct and detailed criticism when they present their work internationally.
This is unfortunate,
for parapsychology, where critical feedback is necessary to avoid the many pitfalls of design,
methodology, analysis and interpretation that can so easily arise, especially with novice
researchers, Some Japanese research projects appe ar to suffer from lack of critical feedback.
Ir
has often been said that when people do not like an idea they will ignore it rather than confront
it. There has been very little public criticism of parapsychology by skeptical groups or
academics, therefore, which probably is not a good thing.
It means that the topic has been and
can he safely ignored by the academic/intellectual community. This is reflected in the dearth of
bona tide academicians currently involved and in the relative lack of student involvement.
It is
difficult if not impossible to interest university senior staff and administrators. There is
insufficient precedent and universities are very conservative, and reluctant to take on new
ideas.
"The nail that stands out gets hammered down" is a well-known proverb, frequently
cited in conversation. The lack of academic involvement and other public discussion means
that serious public assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of parapsychological research is
greatly reduced. This in turn further marginalises the subject for potential serious researchers.
An additional consequence is that the media themselves have no real guidelines for
distinguishing between competent ami sloppy research, in their own country and elsewhere.
Many programs are made which describe research activities in China, Russia, North America
and Europe, which are very popular but have little quality control.
Japanese psychics are
pre,tented primarily through televised demonstrations which arc often poorly controlled,
This
situation is amenable to some change, however, as Japanese media are eager to avoid mistakes
or being regarded after the fact as foolish. But when they seek advice, they have little idea
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themselves of lire decree of expertise of those they consult.
This is not unique to Japanese
media, of course. A recent example of media conflict over psychic claims is mentioned in the
attached article by James McClenon,
Japanese society as a whole is very open to parapsychology and to intelligent research in such
areas. Survey figures show that only 10% of Japanese claim religious belief,
yet 80% claim to
practice Buddhism and 80% claim to practice Shinto. Most Japanese actively practice both,
and frequently engage in rhuals of various sorts which imply direct interaction between their
own mental activities and the surrounding environment, including interaction with spirits.
Supplicatory prayer is common, even by those who would claim that it’s only a placebo, or that
they are engaging in a social act to show their peers how dedicated they are towards various
goals. The idea of using modem tools to explore ancient claims is acceptable to most, because
Japanese society emphasises tire integration of the old with the new in so many ways,
Current
imerest in exploring psychic powers seems currently to focus on China and Russia/Siberia,
generally held by academies to be the two main an cient sources of Japanese, spiritual tradition.
Siberia is less frequently acknowledged by the public as a whole, but evidence of Siberian
shamanism as well as Indochinese shamanism (via Okinawa) can be. seen in the forms of Shinto
practices in less developed regions (occasionally referred to as Mountain Shinto or "mountain
religion".
Included are various mediumisrlc and healing practices, as well as ideas of the
concentration of mental energy later incorporated
i n the mountain-based Ninja naming centres
and in the Chinese tradition of Qi.
As a result of various factors including the above, serious psychical research in Japan tends to
be practised by a handful of academics, hy a few members of the medical community, and by
individuals or small groups within industry.
The most impressive example of the latter are the
research facilities at the Sony Research Center in Yokohama.
Parapsychology Research at Sony
Professor Sqji Otani and the author visited the Sony Research Center in August,
1992, where
there are two laboratories involved in parapsychological research. Our hosts were three
electrical engineers;
Dr Toshiro Terauchi, Senior Manager of the ESPER Laboratory; Dr
Yoichiro Sake, Representative of the ESPER Laboratory;
and Dr Mitsuru Takashima,
Assistant Manager of the l’ulscgraph Laboratory.
Although all three spoke English, Dr
Terauchi served as our primary translator. We were given u brief history and introduction to
the research of the two labs.
Seven years earlier, Mr Ibuka, Honorary Chairman of Sony Corporation, established a lab with
Dr Takashima, to explore the mind-body aspects of oriental medicine.
After three years the
Pulscgraph Lab was formed, to examine Eastern approaches through the tools of Western
medicine.
This has involved working with Chinese Qigong practitioners, primarily Mr
Nagoya who has joined them. They study interactions between healers and non-ciinical
volunteers, focussing on the physiology of both healer and client. Measures are taken while the
healer becomes relaxed and while the healer gives and receives energy. These measures so far
have been token on people in the same room; no remote influence studies as yet.
They intend
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to look at differences in healers, both Japanese and Chincscc, as well as differences in healing
environments. Although they employ a variety of measures including EEG, body temperature
and
standard plethysmography, their muin innovation so far is the development of the
pulsegraph, an instrument for measuring pressure in the arteries at three adjacent locations,
primarily in the left and right wrists. The device pl aces pressure on the artery at three adjacent
sites, varying the amount of pressure from hard to merely "floating".
This gives a totai of 12
readouts, six from each hand, and enables assessment of vasomotor activity, heart rate, heart
beat amplitude, binod flow, viscosity, vessel elasticity and heart valve, movement.
Professor
Otani and i both went through this procedure and our polygraph records were examined
afterwards by Mr Nagoya. He examined the raw w ave foims themselves as well as the various
digitised readings provided, focussing on various patterns. He then gave a description both of
the cardiovascular health of the individual, plus a character reading based on an assessment of
what the body-mind interaction was likely to be, c.g. I'm a nice person because my body isn’t
giving my viscera a hard time. This procedure seemed to represent their main accomplishment
so far, and they felt that they had devised a scientifically solid procedure for measuring
processes suggested by Eastern technique.
The author has since learned that Chineses
practitioners routinely put three fingers on each pulse for several minutes, first one then the
other, and that this constitutes a major medical observation for them. The Pulsegraph Lab,
then, had been primarily a lab for development of psychophysiological measurements so far,
and their research was only gradually turning toward procedures that would enable
measurement of remote influence within a medical context.
On the other hand, the ESPER Lab, less than a year old at the time, was to be dedicated to more
directly pajapsychulogical procedures,
its origins had apparently come from a major
reassessment of Sony priorities For the 21st century by the R aiul D Corporate Planning Group.
Tn debating between "outer space” and "inner space" they had selected inner space as less
expensive and as less likely to be done better in 'Western society. A Human Science Working
Group had identified four areas of interest:
brain sciences, social science, highly creative
individuals (artists and producers of impressive works), and special mental abilities, including
psi and Qigong practice. They had decided to emphasise China, as country of origin, and
through Mr Ibuka and the Chinese government, Sony representatives were allowed to meet
Qigong practitioners. They were impressed and reported to the Chairman of Sony, Mr Merita,
who set up the ESPER lab in response. One of the First projects was to follow up on some
demonstrations filmed in China by TVS of children who can apparently read hidden characters.
A joint project was being designed with media people such that part of the incentive for
participants would be to appear on TV.
Their tests were not well described, and sounded
somewhat informal, so we could not assess how likely the results are to be due to some sort ot
trickery by the children.
Characters from books as well as those written on paper were used.
They estimate that at present they had worked wiili over 100 children, with one in ten doing
well, and some showing stable abilities,
In conversation, they seemed reluctant to consider the
possibility that some or ail of their successful parti cipants might just be skilled uicksiem, but
3eemed open to the Idea of safeguarding against external criticism. Given the general attitudes
toward actual public criticism, it is hard to say how seriously they took this possibility.
In
general, they seemed more interested in presenting their work rather than discussing it
Their
stated general goals for the ESPER Laboratory are to conduct research with children and adults,
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to verify the existence of such special skills, developing theory, systems and applications.
In
general the Pulsegraph Lab research seems more advanced and on a solid basis;
the E5PER
research seems in
i is early stages and we could not get a good feel for how well it was currently
being conducted,
All duee researchers seemed intelligent and interested In doing good science.
We only saw the Pulsegraph Lab, and its facilities seemed quite adequate for the job. We were
told that in all there were ten individuals employed in the two labs combined. Sony does seem
to have a commitment to research in this area with support at the highest administrative levels.
THE JAPANESE SOCIETY FOR PARAPSYCHOLOGY ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The annual meeting of the IPS normally lasts for two days but was extended for a third day so
that its one-day summer tutorial session could he combined. Attendance was approximately 25
people, all male save for a student, a spouse and one of the demonstrators. Some attendees
were researchers in corporations such as NEC, Fujitsu, Hitachi and IEM, who were able to do
some small amount of research but only in their spare time,
generally something involving
RNG's and computers.
Atiueiled are cards from some of the attendees, plus the three Sony
researchers who did not attend. A few of the presenters seem well worth further interaction,
and condensed versions of their papers arc enclosed.
Professor Sojl Gtani (address in PA Directory) is the leading figure in the Society. Now retired
from the Defense Academy, he no longer conducts research but remains active in writing,
editing and administration. He has many contacts with academia, industry (including Sony)
and the major media, especially television.
Attached is a paper by him summarising the
Society’s research activities over the years.
Dr Masayuki Hirafujl is a young cognitive psychologist with the National Agriculture
Research Center, in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. He presented two
papers, one a cuuneedonist model of ESP, the ocher an attempted derivation of a precognition
model.
Ilis current job restricts him to model construction with no empirical testing, although
he would in principle be quite happy to do both. He seems very articulate and has some
working knowledge of parapsychology.
Mr Hideyuki Kokubo is a young computer specialist with Sanseido, a publishing company.
He gave a paper using signal detection theory in a novel application, but also finds that he is
constrained to model construction rather than empirical testing.
Professor Sblgeki Hagio, a psychologist at Kagoshima-Keizai University, is now the most
acilve experimentalist and follows the classical Rhinean strategies of psi testing.
Enclosed are
brief descriptions of several recent studies, involving the local student populations. He has
spent time in the Slates as well as in Britain, occasionally attends PA conferences and is a PA
associate member. He is fairly knowledgeable about modem parapsychological methods. His
university is in the southern part of Japan.
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Dm loshiaki Imamimi and Osamu Imada are young psychiatrists in Kachi Hospital, whose
paper on beliefs about the nature of spontaneous oases is enclosed. They seemed intelligent
and with knowledge of research design and parapsychology.
Dr Akiro Ouda is a retired specialist in Buddhist philosophy, who is a PA member and has
been active in the Society from the beginning.
Others presented on the programme as well, but were less involved in research-related topics.
SUMMARY
The researchers named above seem responsible and good starting places for exploring serious
Japanese, parapsychology. There is much popular interest in Japan and many groups who bleml
claims of special mental power and spiritual practice. Some of these have dubious reputations,
within the parapsychological community as well as the public. Most younger Japanese can use
English adequately.
Older Japanese can read it but often have trouble with spoken English,
Japan is a country with considerable potential for parapsychology, but they need more
information about Western techniques fox assessment.
In turn their culture has many practices
which should be explored more systematically and may contribute substantially to our
understanding.
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General Review
of Rtsdardi
in J5PJ*
Soji Ohi«ni
Academic research
in parapsychology
in Japan started
after World War
II, beginning
with the introduction of the works of Parapsycholoby Laboratory , Duke University directed
by Dr.J-B.Rhine.
A
thesis written by Ohtnni was published
in the
Journal of Parapsychology
in
1955.
Research in Japan has been strongly influenced
by the Laboratory since then.
In 1%3,
“ Parapsychology Studying Group"
was established, and they presented
their nmidi
in
the
Japanese Society
lor Psychology and
the Japanese Society
for Applied Psychology.
In
1961,
the
Gist convention of the Group was held, followed by the establishment of
the Japanese
Society
for Parapsychology"
.
This offered
researchers the opportunities to exchange
iufonnaiiou ami
to
pic&cnt their sophisticated
research annually.
More than
180 researches have been
presented at the Annual Convention.
As for those
on ESP, we have
the one on
the relationship with some psychological uats<Ohtani, Nomura,
Talwshimo), the ones on
the
relationship with
physiological vuriubles<Ohiani, Omnia,
Matsumae. Nagashitna, Sugistuta, Kusunoki, Salto, Foltuda), the ones on the relationship
with environmental condition(Ohtani, Matsuda, Kurihara, Yamaguchi, Ito), the ones on the
relationship with
imagery(Hayase).
As for those on PK, wc have the ones using now
materials(Takahashi), the ones on
effects to
living organ isms(Ohtani
, Haruki), the ones on metal beading with
gifted
subjeci5(Ohianl, Kasahara, Koori, Ro).
We have an
international research on remote viewing(Ohrani, Minnkami, Dean).
Also,
wd have many researches on spontaneous cases(Qtrtani, Kurihara, Watanabe, Koori, Hagio,
Wada).
As for theoretical research, we have the one an
precognition concerned with the time
issuc(Kanazawa).Kome of us have tried
to
establish models on
the process of ESP(Kokubo,
Hirafuji. Sakurai).
Besides, wc have the one on
the relationship between the structure of call and the
scoreR(Kcucfe), the ones on
the
credibility of ESP targetsiKuroda, Hagio). the one with
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same ™*"ipiinrmn of ESP
uugets/LUgio), the ones on
the analyst of the data(Maruyama).
At the same time wn have some researches related to the concerning
fields: the
surveys on NDE(Beckcr), the one on the relationship between
creativity and
ESPfOnria), the
one on
Kiriian phoiOgrapiisfFuJita)*
We have two long-lasting researches: the one
is about the theory on precognition
(Kaaaaawa). and the other is about psi securing around older mental patient^Nagashima).
We have received no
direct and decisive criticism.
I think
it necessary
for us ui
publish our rcscachca in many ways and, exposed
to
constructive eritidsm, improve them.
SG1B
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Connectioni$t Made! of ESP
Masayula Hifkfuji
1 the Amount of Information Transmitted with ESP
In an ESP experiment using forgets whose
hit rate
is 1/2, the amount of information
transmitted
in a
trial is shown
In
the formula in the next page.
At least i/TESP
tunes of trials arc needed
to
get
I
bit of information!shown
in
Kg.l).
This means we can
get a
significant result with
a
large number of trials even
if the
hit
rate
in ofoao
to
the diauue
level. The amount of iniormatfon
transmitted
in a
trial in a
trial is quite small, as seen from
the fact that most ESP experiments with significant
results have a large number of trials.
That is. the capacity nf ESP
is quite small.
Based on
the idea that this is because signals of ESP occurs at a level weaker
noises, I establish my model of ESP.
2 ESP and the Process of Cognition
As seen in the Law
of Waver, normal senses, such as sight, auditory seme, *rPK! of
touch, produce relatively simple responses against stimuli. On the Other hand, ESP
produces rather complexed responses which seem
deeply related
Lu
ihc subjects' process Of
cognition, as seen
in shccp-and-goat and pnze
effect.
Tf ESP
is closely related
to
the
process, we need a model, including
it to understood ESP.
I combined the model of Cognition and a model in which
information
is extracted from
weak ESP
signal below
the noise level, and established an ESP model(Sbown in
Fig.2).
3 Neural Network
Neural network
is a model which
consists of combined models of nerve
rails whose
functions are simplified.
Because of the differences among the simplification or the combination, several
kinds of neural networks have been proposed. The most basic functions related to
cognition, such as recognition, memory, association, learning, can he expressed with
combination of the network.
Judging from
the fact that BP model resembles the actual brain
function so much, the
model in which information
is coded or decoded by combining neural networks can be
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applied to
brains if the trapsmission
with
signals wenkce than aoiw k pattilde.
4 ESP
Signal Detective Theory
We have no
idea which organ senses ESP
signal as we don't know what conics ESP
signals.
But they must be
transmitted
into
neural Impulses,
if wc
put it that we have
a
certain organ which
senses them.
I presume that ESP
signal is micro
electrical charge is
neural impulses.
Can human
beings transmit concepts with electromagnetic waves, at presumed that ESP
is a kind of electromagnetic wave and
nerve cells ore antennas?
It is true
that there
are some
parts in
our brains and
ceils which
are
eiectriolly
i
Charged, and
those
parts certainly
radiate electromagnetic waves,
(t doesn't matter that
the amount of the radiated energy
is small. The point is that the waves have complicated
phase differences-
Because the phases change timewise and spaccwise in n complicated
manner, they dismiss each other so that we can’t detect them.
Therefore, a simple
biological model can't stand.
In the conoectiouist modal of ESP, t regard the each dedjicaily-dmged part as
the source and the receiver of electromagnetic waves.
That is, each pushes its own
frequency and phase simultaneously.
Thu. resembles a huge number erf transmission
machines functioning without confusion, but in the model the transmitted information
is
always homogeneous and can be controied intentionally.
theoretically,
it is possible
to
transmit information even
in
a
poor system, only
if
tile information
is coded in a proper way which
fits the feature of the system.
Thus, ESP
can transmit information, even
if the singal is quite weak, once we have proper coding
method. The process is expressed by the Formula (1) to
(6).
5 Coding in Neural Network
When an agent have a target in his mind, the concerned neuron it activated.
By
association, other neurons concerned with what is related to the target are activated
consequently. Thus the brain eMiblishta the pattens to send the information.
This
process biases the information timewise and spacewise.
The percipient follow
the same process to the opposed direction. The more decoding
he doean ins neural networks, the
less noise and more accurate information he can get.
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