Current Research:
Survival of Consciousness Research

An Introduction to Survival Research
Historically, although "the concept of survival was basic for the beginning and development of such key moments in the history of parapsychology as the early work of the Society for Psychical Research and the work of J.B. Rhine and his associates at Duke University" (Alvarado 2003, p. 68), progress in the quantitative evaluation of the information provided by mediums "has been slow compared to developments in other areas of parapsychological research" (Schouten 1994, p. 223). "Since interest shifted towards psychic abilities such as telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition in the 1930s, scientific research into mediumship has steadily declined" (Fontana 2005, p. 226). Furthermore, several authors have commented that historical mediumship research lacked the proper research design, statistical power, and elimination of potential sources of error for current researchers to value even "positive" studies (Lester 2005, p. 210; Schouten 1994, p. 245; Scott 1972, p. 88).

Despite the obstacles encountered by historical mediumship research, the studies performed in the last decade do generally confirm and extend the conclusions from those performed over the last century: certain mediums can report accurate and specific information about the deceased loved ones (termed discarnates) of living people (termed sitters) even without any prior knowledge about the sitters or the discarnates and in the absence of any feedback-a phenomenon called "anomalous information reception" (see Beischel 2007). Moreover, the accuracy of the information cannot be explained as a result of fraud or "cold reading" (a set of techniques used by psychic entertainers in which feedback from the sitter is used to fabricate "accurate" readings).

The source of the information as well as the details of the mediumship process, however, are still not well-understood. We still do not know:

- Do mediums get their information telepathically/psychically or are they communicating with the deceased?

- Does participating in a mediumship reading help in the grief recovery process?

- Is a medium's neurophysiology different than a non-medium's?

- Can mediumship be learned?

- What is the afterlife like?

In addition, controlled research involving communication with the deceased without the aid of mediums is just beginning. For example:

- Do measurable changes occur in the environment when a discarnate is present?

- Can any measurable changes be translated into technologies allowing the deceased to communicate with us?

These and similar questions can only be answered with further research. For more information, click here.

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Survival Studies

Anomalous Information Reception II: A quintuple-blind replication and extension of a previously published triple-blind study investigating anomalous information reception by mediums (Beischel 2007).

Research Question: During telephone readings, can mediums report accurate and specific information about particular discarnates when the sitter (the living person wanting to hear from the discarnate) does not hear or participate in the reading and the medium only interacts with an experimenter blinded to the information about the discarnate and the sitter?

Status: Data collection is underway.

Phenomenology of Mediumship II: A quantitative study regarding mediums' experiences during purported communication with discarnates.

Research Question: Is a medium's experience during discarnate communication different than during a control condition?

Status: Data collection is underway.

Phenomenology of Mediumship III: A qualitative study regarding mediums' experiences during discarnate communication as well as during psychic telepathy readings.

Research Question: Is a medium's experience during discarnate communication different than during a psychic telepathy reading for a living person?

Status: Protocol design is underway.

Note: The Phenomenology of Mediumship I study (a qualitative study regarding research mediums' experiences during discarnate communication) is in press (Rock 2007).

Mediumship and Grief: A pilot study regarding the effects of mediumship readings on the grief recovery process.

Research Question: Does receiving a reading from a medium help or hinder the sitter's grieving process?

Status: Protocol design underway.

Technology-Enhanced Communication (TEC): A pilot study regarding direct discarnate interaction and communication.

Research Question: Can technology be used to enhance the ease, frequency, and/or accuracy of communication with discarnates?

Status: Pilot data collected; full protocol design underway.

References
Alvarado C. The concept of survival of bodily death and the development of parapsychology. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research. 2003; 67.2(871): 65-95.

Beischel J, Schwartz GE. Anomalous information reception by research mediums demonstrated using a novel triple-blind protocol. EXPLORE: The Journal of Science & Healing. 2007; 3(1): 23-27.

Fontana D. Is There an Afterlife? A Comprehensive Overview of the Evidence. Oakland, CA: O Books; 2005.

Lester D. Is There Life After Death? An Examination of the Empirical Evidence. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc.; 2005.

Rock AJ, Beischel J, Schwartz GE. Thematic analysis of research mediums' experiences of discarnate communication. Journal of Scientific Exploration. 2008; in press.

Schouten SA. An overview of quantitatively evaluated studies with mediums and psychics. The Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research. 1994; 88: 221-54.

Scott C. On the evaluation of verbal material in parapsychology: A discussion of Dr. Pratt's monograph. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research. 1972; 46(752): 79-90.

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