Lance Storm

A meta-analysis with nothing to hide: reply to Hyman (2010).

In our article (Storm, Tressoldi, & Di Risio, 2010), we claimed that the ganzfeld experimental design has proved to be consistent and reliable. However, Hyman (2010) argues that the overall evidence for psi is, in fact, contradictory and elusive. We present a case for psi research that undermines Hymans argument. First, we give examples from parapsychologists who do not outrightly dismiss psi, despite appearances, but actually support it. Second, we claim that Hyman does not tell the full story about the ganzfeld meta-analytic findings and thus presents a one-sided account. Third, we argue that our meta-analysis has followed standard procedures, that we have not broken any rules but have found a communications anomaly, often referred to as psi. Though we may be in agreement that the evidence is largely statistical, the evidence suggests that concealed targets are actually identified rather than guessed. We argue that further research is necessary.

Archetypes, symbols and the apprehension of meaning

C.G. Jung proposed that archetypal symbols carry implicit meanings. We therefore hypothesised that symbol cueing facilitates memory and subsequent recall of meaning words associated with symbols. In the present study, participants either freely generated, or selected from a list, one meaning word for each of 30 symbols presented on screen. As expected, results showed little evidence of conscious knowledge of meaning words. Upon presentation of two sets of symbols and meaning words (15 pairs matched; 15 pairs mismatched), words from the matched-pairs set were correctly recalled significantly more often than words from the mismatched-pairs set. Our findings were considered from a cognitive and clinical perspective.

Randomized expectancy-enhanced placebo-controlled trial of the impact of Quantum BioEnergetic distant healing and paranormal belief on mood disturbance: a pilot study.

CONTEXT Previous research has demonstrated the effects of ostensible subtle energy on physical systems and subjective experience. However, one subtle energy technique that has been neglected, despite anecdotal support for its efficacy, is Quantum BioEnergetics (QBE). Furthermore, the influence of paranormal belief and experience (either real belief/experience or suggested belief/experience) on subtle energy effects remains unclear. OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study was to investigate experimentally the effects of distant QBE healing, and paranormal belief/experience, on mood. DESIGN A randomized expectancy-enhanced placebo-controlled design was used. SETTING Data were collected at the QBE Centre, Melbourne. PARTICIPANTS Participants were students from Deakin University and from the general public. METHODS Snowball sampling (ie, word-of-mouth) and convenience sampling using a ballot box placed in the university library. OUTCOME MEASURES Profile of Mood States-Short Form was used to quantify positive and negative mood states. RESULTS The QBE condition was associated with (1) significantly less Tension-Anxiety compared with the placebo and control condition; and (2) significantly less Anger-Hostility and Total Mood Disturbance compared with the control condition (but not the placebo condition). Furthermore, there was an interaction of condition and paranormal belief/experience with regard to Depression-Dejection, with believers assigned to the placebo condition scoring lowest on this Mood variable. CONCLUSION Findings suggest that the use of QBE by an experienced practitioner reduces mood disturbance. In addition, the placebo condition may have evoked suggestibility effects in believers, which would mean that they may be more likely than nonbelievers to believe that they were receiving healing, thus resulting in lower Depression-Dejection scores.