Parapsychology, Science or Magic?: A Psychological Perspective (Foundations & Philosophy of Science & Technology.)

Alcock, James E.

Religion & Spirituality

Pergamon Pr

A Textbook Of Social Psychology

A Textbook of Social Psychology

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Psychology & Counseling

Prentice Hall PTR

Is there more to our existence than modern science can measure? For more than a hundred years, parapsychology - the scientific study of paranormal phenomena - has tried to find the answer to this question. In Science and Supernature, psychologist James E. Alcock presents a critical evaluation of parapsychological research and reviews the current status of the evidence. The book is divided into two parts. In Part 1, Dr. Alcock discusses a number of key questions: - What are "psychic" phenomena? - If they exist, how can they be detected? - What is the evidence for "psi"? - Does parapsychology follow the rules of science? - Are the critics fair? He concludes that, to accept the reality of psychic phenomena, "we must accept that some force or process exists that cannot at this time be described in terms of positive properties, but only in terms of what it is not; a force that is capable of allowing for direct communication between two brains, regardless of the distance between them, and that allows the mind . . . to influence matter in such a way as to gain some desired goal." Part 2, "Psi in the Laboratory," is adapted from the Background Paper Dr. Alcock was commissioned to write for the National Academy of Sciences for its now controversial report "Evaluating Human Performance." Here, Alcock reviews two areas of research that are considered by parapsychologists to be among the "best cases" in the field: the study of psychokinesis (mind over matter) and/or clairvoyance using random-event generators, and the study of remote-viewing by physicists Russell Targ and Harold Puthoff at the Stanford Research Institute. Alcock's judgements are stimulating and fair-minded. This is an important book for everyone interested in the study of psychic phenomena.

Science and Supernature

New Age & Spirituality

Prometheus

An expert on the psychology of belief examines how our thoughts and feelings, actions and reactions, respond not to the world as it actually is but to the world as we believe it to be.This book explores the psychology of belief - how beliefs are formed, how they are influenced both by internal factors, such as perception, memory, reason, emotion, and prior beliefs, as well as external factors, such as experience, identification with a group, social pressure, and manipulation. It also reveals how vulnerable beliefs are to error, and how they can be held with great confidence even when factually false. The author, a social psychologist who specializes in the psychology of belief, elucidates how the brain and nervous system function to create the perceptions, memories, and emotions that shape belief. He explains how and why distorted perceptions, false memories, and inappropriate emotional reactions that sometimes lead us to embrace false beliefs are natural products of mental functioning. He also shows why it is so difficult to change our beliefs when they collide with contradictions.Covering a wide range -- from self-perception and the perceived validity of everyday experience to paranormal, religious, and even fatal beliefs--the book demonstrates how crucial beliefs are to molding our experience and why they have such a powerful hold on our behavior.

Belief: What It Means to Believe and Why Our Convictions Are So Compelling

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Books by Alcock, James E.