Fringe-ology (44 page)

mediums.
See
psychics

memory loss, 40

Mendeleyev, Dmitri, 220

mental telepathy.
See
telepathy

meta-analysis, 60

micro- and macro-worlds, 102–104

microtubules, 89–91, 93, 94, 101, 109

MILD technique, 228–29

military, 58–59, 105, 154, 159, 260

IADC therapy for vets, 233–35, 238–43, 246, 247–50

UFOs and, 113, 116, 120, 123–24, 128–29, 131, 134–35

Mindful Awareness Research Center, UCLA, 199

mindfulness, 226, 227

Mitchell, Edgar, 153–75, 179

The Way of the Explorer
, 166

Molloy, Doreen, 77–81

Moody, Raymond, 35

Life After Life
, 23, 46–47

Moore, William, 124

Mousseau, M. C., 65–66

Munk, Dr. William,
Euthanasia or Medical treatment in the Aid of Easy Dying
, 33

Murphy, Mark, 133–34

music, 193–94

Musk, Elon, 174

Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), 114, 120, 125, 132

mysticism, 11, 13, 17, 47, 199, 265

Nagel, Lynn, 212, 214

NASA, 3, 106, 156, 160, 161

near-death experiences (NDEs), 4, 21–51, 149

description of, 33–34, 39

history of, 33–34

Kübler-Ross and, 23–25, 29–32, 34, 35, 40, 44–51

in Vietnam soldiers, 35

neurons, 12, 41, 42, 43, 84, 89, 90, 91, 92, 109, 110

neuroplasticity, 196, 223–24

neuroscience, 6, 11–12, 16, 55, 85, 195, 201, 265

neurotheology, 178–204

New Age, 75, 94, 100, 107, 156, 173, 174

New Atheists, 15, 16, 178, 182–83, 186–88, 200, 201

Newberg, Andrew, 177–204, 207, 209, 221, 223, 226, 264

Why God Won't Go Away
, 180

Newton, Isaac, 6, 76, 92, 94, 95, 96, 154, 202

New York, 76, 183

New York Times
, 14, 42

NPR, 157

Obama, Barack, 44, 177, 200

occult, 6

Oracle at Delphi, 54

Orch-OR theory, 101–102, 107

outer space, 153–75

out-of-body experience, 33–34, 39, 40, 149

overview effect, 161, 172–74

Overview Institute, 171–72

Oxford University, 93, 94, 103

oxygen, lack of, 39–40

pain, 5

Pape, Robert A.:

Cutting the Fuse
, 187

Dying to Win
, 187

parallel worlds, 106

paranormal, 1–19, 266

belief vs. skepticism, 53–81

definition of, 4–5

ghosts and, 139–52, 251–54

induced after-death communication and, 233–50

lucid dreaming and, 205–231, 255–66

near-death experiences, 21–51

neurotheology and, 177–204

outer space and, 153–75

quantum consciousness and, 83–112

UFOs, 113–37

Paranormal Challenge, 72–73

Paranormal Taint, 61–62, 63, 76, 212, 217, 221, 235

Parapsychological Association (PA), 55–59, 63, 71, 74

Seattle conference (2009), 55–59, 74–75

parapsychology, 55–81

Parnia, Sam, 39

What Happens When We Die?,
39–40

Pastoral Psychology
, 185

peace, 198

Penrose, Roger, 84, 91–95, 100, 103, 107

The Emperor's New Mind
, 83, 91–93, 94, 103

Penrose-Hameroff theory of consciousness, 83–112

People
, 49

Perceptual and Motor Skills
, 214

Persinger, Michael, 61, 148

Philadelphia, 128, 144

Philadelphia Weekly
, 131, 152

photons, 96, 97, 103–104

photosynthesis, 103

physics, 9, 12, 53–55, 76, 89, 92, 94–100, 106, 202.
See also
quantum mechanics

Piaget, Jean,
Play, Dreams and Imitation in Childhood
, 142

Pinch, Trevor, 64–65

placebo effect, 5, 12, 167–68

Planck, Max, 95

Planck Scale, 102

Plato, 6, 85

Playfair, Guy Lyon, 60, 70

Plutarch, 33

politics, 4, 14, 17, 44

poltergeists, 140–41, 146, 152, 251.
See also
ghosts

Popular Mechanics
, 132

possibilianism,
14

post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 235, 237, 238, 246

Powell, Robert, 132, 133

power of suggestion, 5

prayer, 177–204

neurological effects of, 177–204

precognition, 57

Pressman, Zev, 70

Pribram, Karl, 9

Price, Pat, 59

Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research (PEAR), 63

probability, 59

pseudoscience, 65, 66

pseudoskeptics
, 67

psi, 53–81, 168–69

remote viewing, 55–60

research, 57–81

telepathy skeptics vs. believers, 53–81

psychiatry, 26–27

psychics, 47–48, 69, 76–81, 149, 151, 163–64

psychokinesis (PK), 57, 156

psychology, 6, 211, 237, 238

Psychology Today
, 44

public opinion, on paranormal activity, 74

PubMed, 214–15

Pyszczynski, Tom, 193

quantum consciousness, 83–112

quantum cryptography, 105

quantum mechanics, 9, 12, 53, 54, 57, 84, 85, 92, 94–112, 127, 202

many-worlds theory, 98–99

quantum tunneling, 54

Quincey, Thomas de,
Confessions of an English Opium Eater
, 33

Rabbinical Alliance of America, 198

radar, 124, 133

Radin, Dean, 60, 61, 78, 168–69, 197

radio, 54, 114, 157

Randi, James, 54, 66, 68, 69, 70–74, 151

Flim-Flam!
, 70

Raub, L. David, 98

Rawlins, Dennis, 67–68, 69

religion, 4, 5, 8, 11, 14, 15, 16, 29, 34, 43, 84, 85, 206, 264, 265

fundamentalist, 182, 198

neurological effects of prayer, 177–204

outer space and, 153–75

See also specific religions

Religulous
(film), 186

Remote Viewing (RV), 55–60, 63, 75, 81

REM sleep, 212, 214, 216–17, 246, 249

Rendlesham Forest case, 123–24

Robertson, Pat, 14, 182, 183, 198, 265

Roebke, Joshua, 104

Ron, Yuval, 194

Rosenblum (Bruce) and Kuttner (Fred),
Quantum Enigma
, 106

Ross, Colin, 6

Ross, Ken, 24, 45, 48, 50

Ross, Manny, 26, 27, 31, 48

Roswell, New Mexico, 121, 158–59

Royal Mail, 53

Russert, Tim, 130, 131

Rutan, Burt, 174

Sabom, Michael, 39

Sagan, Carl, 63

Saint-Denys, Marquis d'Hervey,
Dreams and the Ways to Direct Them: Practical Observations
, 212, 214

schizophrenia, 26, 46, 150, 186

Schlitz, Marilyn, 175

Schulze, Glen, 132, 133

Schwartz, Gary, 73

Schweickart, Rusty, 161, 162, 163

science, 5–6, 8–9, 11, 12–13, 17, 32, 54, 58, 64, 65, 72, 74, 81, 84, 92, 94–100, 105–106, 126, 217, 259, 260, 262, 264

neurological effects of prayer and meditation, 177–204

outer space and, 153–75

séance, 47, 48

Seattle, 2009 Parapsychological Association conference in, 55–59, 74–75

Seed
magazine, 104

Sejnowski, Terrence, 85, 86, 126

September 11 terrorist attacks, 44, 183

sex, 50

Shapiro, Francine, 236–40

EMDR
, 236

Sheldrake, Rupert, 72, 73

Siegel, Jerry, 218

Sightings
(TV program), 122–23

Skeptical Inquirer
, 65, 71

skepticism, 53–81, 141, 151, 174, 251

belief vs., 53–81

ghosts and, 143–44, 146–52

UFOs and, 123–28

Skeptiko
, 13, 44, 72

Skeptoid
, 13

skiing, 196, 197

sleep, 205

lucid dreaming, 205–231, 255–66

REM, 212, 214, 216–17, 246, 249

Smalley, Susan, 199

Smith, Paul H., 56–57, 70

Society for Neuroscience, 201

Society for Psychical Research, 152, 212

Solomon Islands, 4

Sony, 81

Sorrells, Ricky, 113–15, 119–20, 130, 134–35

Soviet Union, 59

space tourism, 171–74

space travel, 153–75

speaking in tongues, 184–85

SPECT scan, 180, 185

spirituality, 84, 85

Stanford Research Institute (SRI), 69, 70, 164, 165

Stanford University, 205, 211

statistical significance, 75

Stephenville Lights, 8, 113–23, 124, 133–37

Stoneham, Marshall, 109–110

stress, 197, 198, 199, 236, 237, 238, 246

suicide bombings, 187

supernatural, 4

definition of, 4–5

surgery, 86–87

Switzerland, 25

Szent-Györgyi, Albert, 126

Tamil Tigers, 187

Tart, Charles, 74–75

The End of Materialism
, 74

technology, 5, 12, 23, 54

Tegmark, Max, 101, 102

telepathy, 4, 13, 53, 57, 99, 101, 156

skeptics vs. believers, 53–81

television, 4, 40, 62, 99, 114, 122, 157

terrorism, 44, 174, 183, 187, 188, 198

terror management theory (TMT), 193

Texas, 113, 114, 132

Stephenville Lights, 8, 113–23, 133–37

Thespesius, 33

Tibetan meditation, 179, 180, 184, 195–96, 199

time, 9, 17, 34

Time
magazine, 49

Tollaksen, Jeff, 9

Tolle, Eckhart, 199

Tolstoy, Leo,
War and Peace
, 109

tourism:

space, 171–74

UFO, 120–22

Truzzi, Marcello, 63, 67

Tsakiris, Alex, 13–14, 44, 72

Tuszynski, Jack, 101, 111

twins, 60

UFO Magazine
, 134

unidentified flying objects (UFOs), 3, 4, 8, 17, 113–37, 150

media on, 114, 117, 118–20, 128–35

Roswell, 121

skeptics, 123–28

Stephenville Lights, 113–23, 124, 128–37

tourism, 120–22

University College London, 109

University of Arizona, 86, 109

University of Chicago, 27

University of Pennsylvania, 177–78, 183, 184

Utts, Jessica, 62–63, 168–69

Seeing Through Statistics
, 62

van der Kolk, Bessel, 250

van Eeden, Frederik,
The Study of Dreams
, 212, 214

Vanilla Sky
(film), 206, 210

Veteran's Administration (VA) Hospital, Chicago, 238–40

vets, IADC therapy for, 233–35, 238–43, 246, 247–50

Vietnam War, 35, 154, 233

IADC therapy for vets, 233–34, 238–43, 246, 247–50

Virgin Galactic, 171–74

visual perceptions, 190–92

Waggoner, Robert, 259

Waldman, Mark Robert, 194–202

Wall Street Journal, The
, 131

Washington, D.C., 124, 183

Webster's Third New International Dictionary
, 4

What the Bleep Do We Know?
(documentary), 100–101, 102, 106, 108, 186

Wheeler, John, 97

White, Frank, 161–64, 172–73

Wilber, Ken, 17, 201

Wilson, Sheryl, 148

Windbridge Institute, 77–78

Wired
, 41, 174

Wise, Jeff, 44

Wiseman, Richard, 55, 61, 72

Woerlee, G. M., 38, 39

Woolf, Nancy, 111

yoga, 209

Zeilinger, Anton, 104–105, 106, 110

Zetetic, The
, 67

Zurich, 25

A
FTER HAVING SPENT MANY
years working on this book, in one form or another, I have a lot of people to thank.

My agent, Andrew Stuart, for all his support and advice.

My editors, Eric Brandt, who handled this book at its inception, and especially Roger Freet, who steered it home with wit and an evident passion to serve both me and, more importantly, the reading public. Thanks for making this book better. Also Amanda Wood, Christina Bailly, and Darcy Cohan for all their help.

I'd also like to thank all my sources for this book, from those who shall remain nameless to those who gave so generously of their time to make this book possible. I'd like to single out Dianne Gray, Willoughby Britton, Stuart Hameroff, Jim Trolinger, Jack Tuszynski, Angelia Joiner, Dean Radin, Jessica Utts, Edgar Mitchell, Andrew Newberg, Mark Robert Waldman, Keelin, Stephen LaBerge and Allan Botkin for reading over select portions of this manuscript.

My colleagues in Philadelphia and elsewhere, who have contributed to my career in various ways: Theresa Conroy, Will Bunch, Stu Bykofsky, Sasha Issenberg, Benjamin Wallace, Jessica Pressler, Lee Gutkind, Liz Spikol, Brian Hickey, Brian McManus, Jeff Barg, Chris McDougall, Ralph Cipriano, and Kia Gregory. Of course, those with whom I have shared the most beers and long conversations belong in a special category in my heart, mind and liver: Chris Brennan, Mike Newall, Dan Kennedy, Rich Rys, Jason Fagone, Jeff Deeney, Chris Thompson, Jonathan Valania and Michael Rosenwald.

To all those who have ever hired me to work in journalism, including Sara Kelly, Tim Whitaker, Larry Platt, and Tom McGrath, you have my eternal gratitude.

To Tim Haas, for his help with nettlesome technology.

Stephen H. Segal belongs in his own category, for all his help in the writing and thinking that went into this book. So does Lou Gentile, who got me started on this book and unfortunately did not live to see it. Thank you both for your friendship.

To my family, both blood and in-laws, for all the good times, advice, support and love; for the days that have already been and the days yet to come.

To Lisa Stachler Volk, my wife, for the best years of my life and a honeymoon that will never end.

And my father, Gerald Volk, for teaching me that “Life is good.”