Stacy Horn

Reality Sandwich

January 15, 2013June 16, 20130

Reality Sandwich is a website that I thought would be of interest to people who stop by this blog. From their About section:

“Reality Sandwich is a web magazine for this time of intense transformation. Our subjects run the gamut from sustainability to shamanism, alternate realities to alternative energy, remixing media to re-imagining community, holistic healing techniques to the promise and perils of new technologies. We hope to spark debate and engagement by offering a forum for voices ranging from the ecologically pragmatic to the wildly visionary (which, to our delight, sometimes turn out to be the one and the same). Counteracting the doom-and-gloom of the daily news, Reality Sandwich is a platform for voices conveying a different vision of the transformations we face. Our goal is to inspire psychic evolution and a kind of earth alchemy.”

They have a regular section called Psi in the News, which is written by David Metcalfe, “a Contributing Editor to Reality Sandwich and Books Editor for The Revealer, the online journal of NYU’s Center for Religion and Media.”

In other news: here is a list of courses that are being offered at the Rhine Education Center Winter Session, 2013. Loyd Auerbach is teaching a class titled, Investigating Apparitions, Hauntings, and Poltergeists.

J. B. Rhine, teaching class at Duke University (I believe). This picture makes me think of that scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark, when Indiana Jones is teaching an archaeology class.

Happy Holidays!

December 21, 20120

The very charming drawing below is the work of the late Dr. Elizabeth McMahan—BettyMac to her friends. BettyMac was a scientist and a researcher at the Duke Parapsychology Laboratory from 1943 to 1954 (and she died in 2009).

When I was researching the history of the former Duke Parapsychology Laboratory, BettyMac’s letters were my favorites to read because she always included personal details and I feel like I got to know the lab scientists, many long gone, through her.

I couldn’t find a list of illustrations to explain this drawing, but I believe she made it in 2001, and I’m guessing it was for her nieces and nephews. Thank you for sharing your wonderful drawings BettyMac, and Happy Holidays everyone!

ESP Cards – A Great Stocking Stuffer

November 24, 20120

I was browsing the Rhine Research Center website and I noticed again that they have ESP Cards for sale. “The set includes a box of 25 cards, a manual written by Dr. Louisa E. Rhine and a packet of standard ESP record sheets. Cost is $25.00/set includes shipping & handling. International orders please contact us first.

“Zener cards is the original name given to the ESP cards, named after the perceptual psychologist Karl Zener, a colleague of JB Rhine’s who suggested the five symbols to be used on the cards.”

If you haven’t been to the Rhine website in a while, it’s worth revisiting. The latest Rhine Newsletter is available for download, and I also learned that they plan to start live streaming their lectures and presentations.

Here is a picture from the Rhine Research Center archives of Gaither Pratt with ESP cards. I don’t know who the woman is, but if someone can identify her I will update this post.

Old photographs of Mediums

October 28, 20121

I love old photographs of mediums, they’re usually so beautiful. The pictures below are from The Perfect Medium: Photography and the Occult. This one is from 1921, the photographer was Staveley Bulford, and the medium was Miss Evans.

This is from 1925, and it’s of Mina Crandon, aka Margery. There are many posts here about Mina. If you put Margery in the search box on the upper right you’ll find them. The photographer is only credited as Gerke, and the pictures show ectoplasm coming out of Mina’s nose and ear.

Do Tables Tilt, Turn And Float? Table Levitation Phenomena, 1850-2006

October 1, 20120

A free lecture examining the photographic and video evidence for table levitation phenomena, 1850-2006, including experiments in which the presenter, Walter Meyer zu Erpen, BA, MAS, President, Survival Research Institute of Canada, participated.

Thursday, October 4, 7:30 to 9:00 pm
University of Manitoba Archives
Room 330 – Elizabeth Dafoe Library,
Fort Garry Campus, Winnipeg

More information here. The picture below is from The Perfect Medium: Photography and the Occult. The photographer credited is Sven Turck, and it is dated 1940-1945.

Near Death and Immortality

September 4, 20120

An interesting piece in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience called, Near-death experiences between science and prejudice.

And, an article about a 5 million grant from the John Temple Foundation to UC Riverside philosopher John Fischer for research on aspects of immortality. Here is his website, The Immortality Project.

Scientists at the former Duke Parapsychology Laboratory. The original immortality project (in America).

Parapsychological Assn. 55th Annual Convention & Other Links

July 25, 20120

I’ve been so behind posting here I have a few links I want to share. First up, the Parapsychological Association is holding their 55th Annual Convention. “Leading scientists and other academics from around the world will gather to present the latest parapsychological research into psi and related phenomena, such as extra-sensory perception, psychokinesis, psychic healing, altered states of consciousness, mediumship and possible survival of bodily death. Hosted by the Rhine Research Center and Atlantic University, the event will be open to the public and academics alike.”

There’s going to be a panel honoring the work of Dr. William G. Roll (pictured below, in a photo by Susan McWillams).

I also wanted to link to this blog post on the Scientific American’s website, titled: Brilliant Scientists Are Open-Minded about Paranormal Stuff, So Why Not You?

In the comment section there was a reference to another blog post titled: An alternative take on ESP which seemed thorough and fair to me, but I would love to get a take on it from someone who is more knowledgable about these things.

There was also a reference to this piece in frontiers in quantitative psychology and measurement, but I didn’t read this one yet. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence: the case of non-local perception, a classical and Bayesian review of evidences.