Neurobehavioral and Neurometabolic (Spect) Correlates of Paranormal Information: Involvement of the Right Hemisphere and Its Sensitivity to Weak Complex Magnetic Fields

For over a century, evidence has been gathered to indicate that the two cerebral hemispheres of the human brain each tend to have their own behavioral specializations. An issue that has long been of interest to parapsychologists is whether the ostensibly anomalous behavioral phenomenon of "extrasensory perception" (ESP), in which a person seems to obtain veridical information about other people, objects, places, or events beyond the range of the body's sensory-motor system, may be a specialized function of either of the brain hemispheres. To address this issue, a review of parapsychological experiments designed to explore the potential relevance of cerebral lateralization to ESP performance was initially conducted by Broughton in 1983. He generally concluded that, although there was some possible indication of a contribution to ESP by the right hemisphere, the results were mixed and possibly confounded by issues of interpretation. In a more concise review conducted in 2002, Alexander found that a limited number of experiments continued to indicate a right hemispheric tendency, although certain others separately indicated left hemispheric involvement. Thus, the issue is still clearly unresolved. This paper seeks to build upon these two previous reviews by providing an updated and broader review of the various findings obtained in the experiments that have been conducted up to the present time. Although several experiments continue to offer modest support for a right hemispheric contribution, general interpretation of the current database remains hindered by a wide degree of variability in experimental methods and outcomes, potentially confounding factors, and the scarcity of additional clarifying data. Thus, while the issue remains unresolved, there appear to be at least some potential avenues for progress in future experiments.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Hemispheric-related Studies With Psychic Claimantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Hemispheric-related Studies With Psychic Claimantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Extrasensory Perception and the Brain Hemispheres: Where Does the Issue Stand Now?

Williams¹

2012

“…Right hemispheric anomalies, discernable by electroencephalographic, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or Single Photon Emission Computerized Tomography (SPECT) have been shown in exceptional individuals whose behaviors suggest entanglement (Persinger et al, 2002b;Roll et al, 2002). Many of these experiences involve "the intrusion" of experiences and a sensed presence into awareness, a process that has been hypothesized to be the person's experience of the right hemispheric equivalent to the left hemispheric sense of self (Persinger, 2003b).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhanced Power within a Predicted Narrow Band of Theta Activity During Stimulation of Another by Circumcerebral Weak Magnetic Fields After Weekly Spatial Proximity: Evidence for Macroscopic Quantum Entanglement?

Persinger

Tsang²,

Booth³

et al. 2007

We tested if "entanglement" could be demonstrated between two nonsibling brains with only a history of spatial proximity if one brain was exposed to a consciousness-structured, continuously accelerating, circumcerebral magnetic field to access this connection. Four pairs of strangers met and remained within one meter of each other for one hour, twice per week, for four weeks. After this period the brain of the stimulus person of the pair, who was seated in a closed chamber, was exposed successively to six (5 min each) different complex circumcerebral magnetic fields that were rotated counterclockwise. Quantitative monopolar electroencephalographic measurements over the frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes were collected by computer for the response person of the pair who was seated in another room. The predicted increase in electroencephalographic power within the 5.0 Hz to 5.9 Hz band over the temporal lobes (but none of the other lobes), similar to that observed previously for siblings, was noted for the response persons when the stimulus persons received frequency modulated, circumcerebral magnetic fields at 20 msec rates of change per solenoid. The response persons also reported unusually intense "sensed presences", anger, and sexual arousal during these periods.

“…During 1996 a complete neuropsychological, intellectual, and personality assessment was completed for SH when he first visited our laboratory (Roll et al, 2002). Clinical interpretation of the approximately 100, norm-referenced, performance based standardized scores suggested mild hypofunction within the left prefrontal region and the left superior temporal gyrus as well as a gross structural anomaly within the right parietooccipital region.…”

Section: The 1996 and 1997 Visitsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Harribance Effect as Pervasive Out-of-Body Experiences: NeuroQuantal Evidence with More Precise Measurements

Persinger

2010

A historical summary is presented of the published and unpublished measurements of the physical changes associated with Sean Harribance while he accurately discerned recondite information about others. Reports of his subjective experiences as well as the quantitative electroencephalographic (QEEG), sLORETA, SPECT, and neuropsychological data support the occurrence of measurable and specific out-of-body like states that are strongly correlated with independent ratings of his accuracy of people he does not know but with whom he is spatially proximal. Coherence between theta (Schumann resonance) and gamma activity within the right temporoparietal and frontal regions and his left temporal region is congruent with information acquired by his right hemisphere and interpreted by the left. The quantitative values of the emissions of photons and alterations in the intensity of the geomagnetic field (both equivalent to energies of about 10 -11 J/s or 10 pW/m 2 ) around his head during this state were congruent with the estimated numbers of neurons responsible for the QEEG coherence and are strongly indicative of neuroquantological processes that allow an interface between extracerebral energies, neuronal membrane function, and his accurate experiences.