1991 stin- nade racts con- ‘rent cur- sical mon 2r is tical Ous- lical ther psi ap- New sical -er’s and ole" 1 a5 iew, is ‘ves xity des: tike we our lest in- the ink ims 311). ira- 989 the iair test he n& ale In- 2di- ira- one nat 69), ion ful by ive to ew ar- in Approved For Release 2000/08/15 : CIA-RDP96-00792R000700910001-0 Exceptional Human Experience spite of major tributes in thé Journal of Parapsychol- ogy and Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, Rodger Anderson’s entry is reasonably up to date. My own entry had been updated in a skewed manner. None of my articles in the Journal of Religion and Psychical Research and Christian Para- psychologist are mentioned. It is not noted that I have edited the Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research since 1983. I am listed as manag- ing editor of a publication I never heard of. Only the first of 5 bibliographies I have published in Advances in Parapsychological Research is mentioned. No mention is made that I was president of the Parapsychological Association in 1984 nor of a major paper in the 1985 Parapsychology Founda- tion conference proceedings. And the title given for the book I wrote with Michael Murphy is the working title, not the one under which it was pub- lished in 1978 Carlos Alvarado is not even in- cluded. If these examples are any indication, these volumes still have far to go. Systematic checking of the major parapsycholog journals and con- ference proceedings would bring new names to light and provide excellent sources for updating these volumes. I hope there will be a 4th edition, and that these suggestions will be followed. - GEOGRAPHIC ASPECTS 7 Parapsychology in Australia falls into three eras. During the spiritualistic phase (1860-1920), the emphasis was on investigating spirit communica- tion through mediums (mainly direct voice and materialized apports). During the early experimental phase (1920-1960) the experimental approach of J.B. hine had little impact in Australia, except for a few individuals. The contemporary era (from ‘about 1960) is marked by the rise of scientifically based psychic research societies, university courses in parapsy hology, and by systematic scientific research, despite tough opposition. Australian research has been hampered by a number of fac- tors. Firstly, our geography meant that individual investigators have been isolated from each other and from their overseas colleagues, Secondly, un- til recently, most Australian psychic research (and psychological research in general) was conserva- tive in that it copied that done overseas. An in- Hovative style relevant to Australia was lacking. - 04406. Keil, Jiirgen. Parapsychology in the Sovict Union. Zeitschrift fiir Parapsychologie und Grenzgebiete der Psychologie, 1984, 26(1-4), 191-210. 3 figs; 42 refs The author summarizes his numerous travels to the Soviet Union both with regard to general observations of daily life (the role of bureaucracy, etc.) and an evaluation of parapsychological research in that country. It is evident that, on a popular level, Soviet citizens show a distinct inter- est in paranormal phenomena. However, “official” support for parapsychological research seems to depend on the practical applicability of its results. The author also discusses “Kirlian photography,” exaggerated accounts of which frequently have filled the pages of the popular press in the West. ey. Parapsychology in Australia. : 8 (Jan), No. 11, 1-8 1 illus; 46 refs” . 83 Vol. 9, No. 1 June 1991 In the concluding section, he discusses work with Nina Kulagina; on the basis of the experimental data from investigations by both Soviet and West- ern scientists (including the author’s own observations), he reviews the arguments that have been advanced for and against the genuineness of the phenomena produced by Kulagina. He con- cludes that the paranormal abilities of this physi- cal medium may well stand up to skeptical scrutiny. - DA/G.H. HISTORICAL ASPECTS 04407. Le Maléfan, Pascal. Beginning of para- psychological concept by Max Dessoir (physician- philosopher, 1867-1947). Revue Francaise de Psychotronique, 1988 (Jul-Sep), 1(2), 5-14. This is one of the fullest treatments of Max Dessoir’s introduction of the term Parapsychology in an article in the Sphinx for July 1809. The relevant portions of the text of the article is given in French. This is followed by a biographical sketch of Dessoir, who was a German physician (1867-1947). The next three pages are devoted to a description of the context of the publication of Dessoir’s article. The piece closes with the author’s commentary on Dessoir’s introduction of the term, parapsychology, which was done in order to differentiate the study of psychic phenomena from that of the abnormal psychology of Lombroso and others. - R.A.W. METHODOLOGY 04408. Beloff, John. The Rhine legacy. Philosophical Psychology, 1989, 2(2), 231-239. 22 refs An attempt is made to examine the main prin- ciples that underlie the "Rhinean” school of parap- sychology. Five such principles are discussed: (1) that psi can best be assessed usin uantitative measures and forced-choice tests; (2) that psi is a function of the unconscious with the implication that objective performance alone is important, not the state of mind of the subject; (3) that psi ability is, to some degree, present in everyone; (4) that only those problems deserve attention for which an unambiguous answer is attainable, with the im- plication that survival research should be shelved indefinitely; and (5) that psi is nonphysical. These five principles are then reviewed from our present vantage point and all are found to require qualification to a greater or lesser extent. Some critics, however, want to go further and allege that Rhine led psychical research into a blind alley and that the time has come to revert to the earlier in- vestigative tradition. This, we contend, is defeatist, the more especially since the advent of computers has greatly extended the scope and power of the experimental approach. Despite its inherent difficulties, it remains the indispensable mainstay of our continuing efforts to make sense of the paranormal. - DA 04409. Sornette, Didier, Lagier, Michel, and Sornctte, Thierry. Parapsychology: Point of view by physicists. Revue Francaise de Psychotronique, 1988 (Oct-Dec), 1(3), 3-9. 7 refs ‘ We examine the role of physics in parapsychol- ogy, stress the importance of defining simple and _....Approved For Release 2000/08/15 : CIA-RDP96-00792R000700910001-0