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special gifts to help other people even though their efforts are often expressed in an envelope of
superstition.
^
Thus, while rejoicing in the encouraging progress of parapsychological studies in China, we
hope cordially that more, purely scientific and robust achievements will come in
its culturally
distinctive way from this great oriental nation.
Appendix
Psi Studies with "Chinese Characteristics"
Chinese
leaders
have
often
said
that
their
goal
is "modemizadon
with
distinct Chinese
characteristics."
The generally favorable response to psi research by these leaders may stem in
great part from the fact that Chinese "somadc science" is not perceived as an adjunct to Western
science but as a peculiarly Chinese endeavor.
The following ideas would seem to support this
point of view.
.
Historical foundations of somatic science
As previously stated, the three disciplines, Exceptional Functions of the Human Body, qigong,
and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) are considered to have risen from a common back-
ground.
The ancient Chinese theory of qi, and its systematic approaches constitute most of the
foundation. For instance, EFHB is thought to depend on the presence of qi in appropriate parts of
the body, and "jinluo" (the traditional "meridian lines network") is the claimed channel for qi.
Evidence for the physical existence of meridian lines was recently reported by medical groups
(Zhu, 1986; Zhu, et al., 1986; Feng, 1988).
These lines are thought to be the basis upon which
TCM acts to adjust the human system to fight disease or to improve health, as in acupuncture
practice. The theories of TCM, which espouse the interaction of several basic elements such as
qi
, "xue (blood)", "yin (negative)", and "yang (positive)", can be used to explain many diseases
and symptoms at a descriptive level and to provide guidance for treatment. The theory is some-
what
idealistic, and
its various elements are not measurable.
(Unfortunately, Western para-
psychology has no better theory to offer.)
Dr. Qian Xuesen, who thinks of qi as a kind of
informational continuity of essential importance to all living things, emphasizes the necessity for
psi researchers to study TCM theory and qigong practices.
2.
Avoidance ofcomplex instrumentation
Many Chinese researchers do not like to use complicated scientific instruments directly in
front of their subjects because, reportedly, in many cases, subjects have demonstrated their ability
to act upon an instrument itself instead of through its sensing element, so that what really happens
is never known. Therefore, the design strategy of experimenters has been: the simpler, the better.
For example, a majority of PK tests are done with simple targets without the involvement of any
electronic apparatus to directly monitor the results.
These targets, however, must satisfy "three
requirements," which have been widely adopted:
1. Targets must, in general, be unique so as to be impossible or extremely difficult to duplicate.
2. Targets must be sealed using tamper-proof methods~"irreversible" is the Chinese term.
3. There must be continuous, on-site, multi-angle observation by experimenters or by video tape.
These requirements have led researchers to believe that their results are real, and that the effect
is PK acting on the target.
When the use of modem instruments becomes unavoidable,
it is
believed that the experimental protocol must be arranged so that the instruments are "off" when
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the subject is acting, and while the instruments are "on," the subject must be away from the site
and without any knowledge of when, where, or how the analysis is being performed.
3. Emphasis on gross ("macro") effects.
The availability of many able subjects as well as qigong masters who are said to produce gross
P?^
eCtS alm0St Up°n demand seems t0 have eliminated the need for statistical analysis in much
of Chinese somatic science research.
Statistical treatment
is often used, however,
in healing-
related studies.
Many Chinese researchers are seemingly a
little reluctant to conduct Western-
style micro-PK experiments, e.g., with random event generators.
4. Psi as a personally developable skill
It is assumed as a matter of course in P.R.C. that psychic ability, as well as other benefits, can
be developed through the practice of qigong.
In the West, by contrast, the literature on improving
one s
longtime
psi
ability
is
sparse,
although
the
importance
of immediate
perfonnance-
enhancing techniques is generally acknowledged.
5.
Search for practical applications
Great attention is being paid to possible applications of parapsychology.
Qi-emission healing
is akeady widely used with reported clinical effectiveness.
Various qigong-imitating mechanical
heatog devices have been proposed.
It is hoped that blind people can be trained to see the world
by ESP.
Trials m other directions are being carried out with intimations of success.
When
exposed to qi emissions, Japanese mushrooms reportedly grew 35 percent heavier, on average
in
a large scale test m Yunnang Provice.
No one knows
if any practical breakthrough related to
national defense has been achieved.
6.
Areas not studied
Although investigations of apparitions, poltergeists, hauntings, and survival of death (including
mediumship, channelling, and reincarnation) are not formally banned in P.R.C., these topics are
often considered to be sensitive, and thus are not reported as being formally studied because of
concern about their ideological inappropriateness under the compelling guidelines of Mantist
materialism.
Moreover,
researchers
are
comparatively
ignorant
concerning
these
psychic
research topics
Some experimenters briefly investigated such areas earlier, but soon became
targets for attack by Mr. Yu Guangyuan and others.
It seems that no one has mentioned these
topics openly since then.
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Department ofPhysics andAstronomy
University ofPittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260
Computer Engineering Center
Carnegie Mellon Research Institute
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
t
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