Approved For Release 2003/09/10
: CIA-RDP96-00792R000700620001-2
"Anglo-Saxon”
vs.
"Latin"
Parapsychology:
Underlying
the Communication Barrier
Mario
P.
Uarvogl is
Laboratoire
de Recherche
sur
les
Interactions Psi
Based
on
interviews
D-f
French-speaking
researchers,
an
attempt
is made
to
determine some
of
the
issues which
may
contribute
to
communication
and
collaboration problems
in
parapsychology.
It
is argued
that
these
problems
reflect
broader
issues
than
just
language
barriers.
American
parapsychologists are
the
most
"successful"
of
parapsycho-
logists,
in
terms
of
organization,
recognition,
funding,
and
social
standing.
Insofar
as
they
are
in
a
leadership
position,
they
are
largely responsible
for
defining
the
field’s subject matter
and
methods,
as well
as
qualitative
standards
for
experimentation,
journal
reports,
and
PA
membership.
The situation
has contributed
to
the creation
of
hierarchical,
rather
than
peer-like,
relationships
within
.the
field,
in which
"Anglo-Saxon"
parapsychology
dominates.
This
tends
to alienate foreign researchers who disagree with
some
of
the
priorities
or approaches
of
their
American
colleagues,
and
who
do
not
wish
to
fe.el
inferior
to
them.
It
is suggested
that,
if
we
truly wish
to
improve
international
communication
and
collaboration,
we
must come
to
recognize
the socio-economic,
cultural
and
philosophical
relativity
of
cvw
own approach,
and
thus
be more
open
to divergences
m
style
and
philosophy within
the
field.
316
Approved For Release 2003/09/10
: CIA-RDP96-00792R000700620001-2
Approved For Release 2003/09/10
: CIA-RDP96-00792R000700620001-2
"Anglo-Saxon"
vs.
Underlying
the Communication Barrier
"Latin"
Par apsycho
ogy:
Mario
P.
Varvogii B
Laboratoire de Recherche
Bur
les
Inter act ions
Psi
Problem? What
problem?
In
his jp
psLner-
«TKn
*
con!b
d °
t deplQres
the
ar,
?ow
9e
ievJI
ri
of
par
a
P«ycho 1 ogy
collaboration
i n
internatiml!^
*
f
communication
L
Americans'
limited
awareness n*
par apsychology,
citir
IZ%T
COU " t ’' i *s - «nor;"q
°'
rB
r
f5
fL"
Ch r P^liciuo^’
miL
and
in Anglo-Saxon
psi
Tournaf!
u
par 1 1
c
i pat i on
i
easures
to counteract
these
S
!
He
P r °Poses
severs
travel
grants
to encouraan
k
,ehds/»
including
the use
conventions,
and
increased
' eff
iC ipat lon
in
u * s
tore i gn
publications.
to
lDcate
and
translat
w h i
1 e
"f
r
1 c i m n
i
Alvarado
also
* r9ely
U PP»
these
"-formal"
Philosophical
issues ‘may obstruct^*
k
ba5iC
cu 1 tura^"^^
instruct i've^as
’ * h
QPeni "9
°* ht^ar U c 1^
‘
‘^ *
L
lve >
as
they
exemplify
the
w
ar ticle are
quite
colifbn°
Pf
an
Perspect i ves
on
the stat.^
9e
^ ce
in
American
collaboration
in
the field
t
r L
tus
of
international
a
sp i r i t
and vitality
Tn
the
^ States
that
there
fi
international
and
in
=
th
Searc h
that
is general
darkly observes
that
"=
nse
localized"
whi?e
Tert
??
chauvinistic
and
seern
tJTbeU lv
*
and
Amer
i cans)
seem 'very
R
d
h°?„V: %%
a-
-L
"
Thus^
Wew
of t^™^^
oi
implying ^Lt^a^n^
h^T^t'o
be"
My own
interactions
with
a
>
•KrKrr/;;:r:CK^S£h
«
pr“e
p
;rr":
,o9yi ‘"—“
it
ts~r
t,op
p™bf« ti
317
Approved For Release 2003/09/10
: CIA-RDP96-00792R000700620001-2
Approved For Release 2003/09/10
: CIA-RDP96-00792R000700620001-2
So
in
this presentation
I
would
like
to analyze some
of
the
conflicts which
may
underlie
the
communication
barrier.
Toward
this
end,
I
compare
the situations and mentalities
of
two groups
-
American
vs.
French-speaking
-
in
hope
that
this will
also clarity
issues dividing broader groups
in our
-field
("Anglo-Saxon"
vs.
"Latin",
or
"Northern"
vs.
"Southern").
I
must
apologize,
in
advance,
-tor
the
stereotyping
and
"flattening”
of
individual
differences
associated with
this
kind
of
work.
In order
to render
my
communication manageable
and
relatively clear,
I
present
global
trends which
inevitably caricaturize reality?
I
hope
to be
excused
for
the multiplicity
of
exceptions
to
the
trends described.
In order
to
gain some
perspective on
the
French views,
I
exchanged with
a number
of
researchers who are
specifically
familiar with American
parapsychology.
These exchanges
were
informal,
two-way discussions,
in which
I
first
presented
the
theme
of
this symposium,
and
then asked
individuals
to
present
their
opinions
on
two
questions:
what
specific
issues,
if
any,
might
exist
between
American
(or
Anglo-Saxon)
and
French
(or
Latin)
parapsychologists,
and
what
factors
or dynamics may underlie
these
issues.
In
all,
I
was
able
to exchange
with
9 researchers:
Pierre
janin,
Remy
Chauvin,
Jean Dierkens,
Michel
Ange
Amorim,
Christine Hardy,
Jean-Remi
Deleage,
Francois Favre,
Yvonne
Duplessis,
and
Yves Lignon.
Given space
limitations,
I
must
offer
my
own synthesis
of
what
they
have
said,
focusing upon
a few
global
areas which,
I
believe,
contribute most
to
the
communication barrier.
?
Socio-economic constraints upon research
After
a year
or
two
in France,
one cannot
help but
feel
that
French
parapsychology
is decades
behind
its counterpart
in
the U.S.?
indeed,
it
is
not clear
if
it makes sense
to refer
to
a
"field"
of
parapsychology
in
this country.
Recognition
of
scientific
parapsychology
is
very
limited,
and
external
support
practically
non-existent.
Research
efforts,
involving
a few
isolated
investigators
dispersed over
the
country,
are
largely
self-funded,
personal
affairs.
Little
distinction
is made between
a parapsychologist
and
psychics,
clairvoyants
or
healers:
the
term
" parapsychologue"
can
be
used
liberally
by
any
"practician"
who wants
to
attract
clients,
and
the media further
confuse
issues by
presenting
a parapsychologist
on
the
same
level
with
an
astrologer,
medium,
or
dowser.
Predictably,
scientists
in various fields
tend
to dismiss
as
unimaginable
the possibility
of
serious
parapsychological
research.
The
situation
is
so bad,
that
the French scientific
journal
of
parapsychology
is
called
"Journal
de
Recherche
en
Psychotr on i que"
-
"psychtronics"
being
seen
as
less provocative
a term
than
"parapsychology".
318
Approved For Release 2003/09/10
: CIA-RDP96-00792R000700620001-2