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62 www.parapsych.orgMindfield Volume 5 Issue 2

Thattheirscientificstudyisgainingacceptancemaybepartlybecauseimprovedexperimentationproce-duresandnewinstrumentationhaveyieldedbetterconfirmedresults.Itisprobablyevenmoreaconsequenceofculturalchangesthatallowthesephenomenato“fitin”toadegreethatwouldhavebeenhardtoforeseeeventwentyyearsago.Thusitwillnotdotoexaminethe

impactofpsychicphenomenainiso-lationfromthechangingparadigmofscientificunderstandingandtheculturalmovementsevidentinrecentyears.Iusethewordparadigm,inthesensemadepopularbyThomasKuhn,torefertothebasicpatternofper-ceiving,thinking,valuing,andactingassociatedwithaparticularvisionofreality.Thewholesocialorganismmovestogether,andappearstobefastapproachingametamorphosisin

whichthefieldofparapsychologyisdestinedtoplayasignificantrole.Parapsychologyandthekindred

consciousnessstudiesarenotjustanemergingsetofnewfindingsandtheories,aboutwhichwemaycon-jectureastosocialimpacts.Wehaveinsteadtoask,“Whatnewpatternisthisapartof?”Watt’sinventionofthesteamengineprovidesaparallel.Thenarrowqueryastosocialimpactofthesteamenginemighthaveledtotheanswerthatitwouldmakepossi-blethepumpingofwateroutofdeepcoalminesandhencewouldfacilitatetheshiftfromwoodfueltocoal.Butthequestion,“Whatnewpattern?”yieldstheanswer,theIndustrialRevolution.

The Discomforts of ScientistsWebeginoursearchforcluesastotheformofthisnewpatternbyre-

by alEJandro Parra, Instituto de Psicología Paranormal

Message fromthe President

MetamorphosisApproach ing a

in Parapsychology

Foratleastacenturyandahalfpsiphenomenahaveheldafascinationforsomescientists

andhavebeenanathematoothers.

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63www.parapsych.org Volume 5 Issue 2 Mindfield

callingafeweventsinthepastcen-turyandahalfofscientifichistory.Allsocietieshavetheirofficialorrecog-nizedtruth-seekingandtruthvalidat-ingactivitiesandinstitutions;intheWesternworldthishasbeenscience.Accordingly,whatcametobeaccept-edinthescientificcommunityastruthhashadimportantconsequencesforthebasicbeliefsoftheculture.Thereareanumberofinstructiveinstanceswherescientistshavestumbledforawhileoversomeawkwarddataandthenrecoveredfromtheirtemporarydiscomfortsandincorporatedthenewwithlimitedstrain.Oneoftheoldestareasofpsy-

chologicalknowledgehastodowiththosestrangephenomenagroupedtogetherundertheterm“hypno-sis.”Hypnotismhasbeenstudiedsystematicallyforoveracenturyandahalf,althoughithasbeenadmittedtoscientificrespectabilityonlymuchmorerecently.Amongthescientifical-lydemonstratedaspectsofhypnosisarethathypnoticsuggestioncanbringaboutanesthesiaandanalgesia,localorgeneral;positiveandnegativehallucinations;regressiontoanear-lierage;unusualmuscularstrength,rigidity,resistancetofatigue;andorganiceffectsnormallyoutsidevoluntarycontrol.Forexample,ahypnotizedsubjectmaybeinducedtoperceiveanimaginarykittenplacedinherlap.Sheexperiencesstrokingthekittenandhearingitpurr;thesensesofsight,touch,andhearingseemtocorroboratethehypnotist’ssugges-tion.Yetthisisa“positivehallucina-tion”thereisnokittythere.Otherexamplesarefamiliar.Asub-

jectacceptsthesuggestionthataper-sonsittinginaparticularchairreallyis

reactiontothehypothesesofFreudandotherpioneersinthisareawasoneofdiscomfort,rationalizedinanumberofingeniousways.Tobesure,thesearestrangeideas-thatofmentalprocessesoverwhichIexertnocontrolandofwhichIhaveonlysporadicorinferredknowledge;theconceptofmyselfrepressinginforma-tion,distortingitorhidingitfrommyconsciousawareness,andlyingtomyself;thewholesenseofonepartofmyselfdeceivingorsendingcrypticmessagestoanotherpartofmyself.Butthestrangebecamefamiliar,theuncomfortablebecamecomfortable,andunconsciousprocessesbecameausefulandlegitimatedconcept.Similarly,theconceptsofpsycho-

somaticillnessandaccidentprone-ness,thepowerofself-suggestion–theideathatmentallyIcausemyownheadachesandstomachulcers,ordisturbmyownkidneyfunctioning,orunconsciouslycontrivemy“acci-dentally”brokenleg,orself-suggestmysuccessesandmyfailures-wereextremelydiscomforting.Theybe-cameacceptableonlyafteraninitialrejection.WhenF.W.H.Myers’sHuman Per-

sonalitywaspublishedin1903,sum-marizingpreliminaryexplorationsoftabooareasofextraordinarypsychicphenomena,includedinthisforbiddencategorywerenotonlyunconsciousprocessesandhypnosis,butsleepanddreams,andcreativity(“inspira-tion”).Theuniversaltestimonyofhighlycreativepersonshasbeenthattheircreatedprojectsaretheresultofhigher,unconsciousprocessesoverwhichtheyhaveonlylimitedcontrol.Myers’svanguardparapsychologi-

caltreatisestressestheessential

notthere;heperceivesanemptychair.Ahypnotizedpersonispersuadedthatasmallwastebasketisfastenedtothefloor;strugglingmightily,heisunabletoliftit.Asubject’sbodyisrenderedrigidbyappropriatesuggestions;heisthenusedtobridgethespacebetweentwochairs,andoneormoreindividualsmountandstandontopofhisunsup-portedchestandabdomen.Blistersandburnedspotscanbeproducedbyhypnoticsuggestion;orapersonmayberenderedunsusceptibletoheatthatordinarilywouldproducesevereburns.Theanalgesicandanestheticpo-

tentialitiesofhypnosisweredem-onstratedacenturyagoinhundredsofapparentlypainlessmajoropera-tions,somewitnessedbyscoresofphysicians.Yetthepossibilityofthephenomenon’sexistencewasdeniedandmedicaljournalsrefusedtopub-lishpapersdocumentingthework.Patientswereaccusedofdeludingorcolludingwiththeirdoctorsinpre-tendingtofeelnopainwhilelimbswerecutofforabdominaloperationswereperformed.Hypnosisclearlyhasalonghistory

ofirrationalopposition.Itislessclearjustwhatwassodiscomfortingaboutthesephenomena.Perhapsitisthattheysoobviouslyraisedoubtsthatweknowwhatisreal.Buttheimportantpointinourcontextisthatscientistsoncefeltveryuncomfortablewithhypnosisandnowfeelquitecomfort-able–althoughtheyarereallynotmuchbetteroffintermsofanysortof“mechanism”or“explanation.”Thephenomenaremainmysterious;how-ever,itisnowacomfortablemystery.Theconceptofunconsciouspro-

cesses,too,becameacceptabletoscientistsonlyrecently.Theinitial


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similaritiesbetweensuchpsychicphenomenaastelepathyandclair-voyanceandtheexperiencesofcre-ativegeniusesandofmathematicalprodigies.Threequartersofacenturyagocreativitywaspartofthedomainof“psychicalresearch”–hardlysci-entificallyrespectable.Biofeedbacktechniquesandthe

relatedexplorationsofthepastquar-tercenturyprovidedstartlingreve-lations.Subjective,innerstateshavephysicallymeasurablecorrelates–rapideyemovement,changesinskinresistance,muscletensions,EEG(brain-wave)components,electricandmagneticfieldsaroundthebody.Furthermore,whentheseindicatorsarepickedupbysensorsandreturnedtothebodyasinputsignals,allsortsofinvoluntarybodilyprocessesandstatescanbebroughtundervolun-tarycontrol.Herewasanewbasisforlegitimationofstudiesofhuman’sinnerworldofexperience(sinceatleastsomeaspectsofthephenomenaaresubjecttophysicalmeasurement)

andalsoawholenewkitoftools.Againtheimplicationsareprofound.ApparentlyIdoknow,insomesense,howIgrowmyhairandassimilatemyfoodandconstructafetus–exceptthatbecauseoftheabsenceofsuit-ablefeedbacktheprocessesgoontotallyoutsidemyrealmofordinaryconsciousness.AndtheIndianyogiswhoclaimedcontroloverinvolun-taryprocesseswereontosomethingWesternsciencehasmissed.Again,scientistsexperiencedsomediscom-fortoverimplications,intimebecom-ingcomfortable.

The Domain of “Ordinary” Science and the “Private” World of Subjective ExperienceNowallthatpreliminarydiscussionwaspreparationforthepointthattherearepresentlytwoareasofre-searchaboutwhichthemajorityofscientistsstillfeelsomediscomfort–discomfortwhichwemayassumewillintimegoaway.Oneoftheseisthebeginningsofasystematizationofknowledgeaboutdifferentstatesofconsciousness,includingthosein-nerexperienceswhichhaveformedthebasesfortheworld´sreligionsandoutofwhichhavecomehuman-ity’sdeepestvaluecommitments.Theotheristheimportanttestinggroundofparapsychology.Thelatterisacrucialareaprecisely

becauseitliesmidwaybetweenandlinkstheobjectiveworldofpublicobservation,thedomainof“ordinary”science,andthe“private”worldofsubjectiveexperience.Thephenom-enaofpsychicresearchareanoma-lous–theiroccurrenceiswidelyattestedto,yettheydonot“fitin.”Stilltheyspeakclearlytothepointthatsomethingisfundamentallyin-

completeaboutaworldviewwhichcannotaccommodatethem.Theyalsoserveasasortofrealitytestfortheuniverseofinnerexperience.Theyarenotwhollyinner–theyarecharac-terizedbysomethingbeingpubliclyobservable.Neitheraretheywhollyouter,sincesomeactivityofthemindisclearlyinvolved.Thefollowingpartiallistwillserve

todelineatetheterritoryunderdis-cussion:telepathy,theapparentlyextrasensorycommunicationofonemindtoanother;clairvoyance,theapparentlyextrasensoryperceptionofaspectsofthephysicalworld,asin“remoteviewing”or“outofbody”experience;clairvoyantdiagnosisofillness;clairvoyantperceptionofinformationaboutapastowneroruserofaphysicalobject;rapid“faith”healing;retrocognition,the“remembering”ofeventsthathap-penedtosomeotherperson,orpriortothebirthofthe“rememberer”;precognition,the“remembering”ofeventssometimeinthefuture;psy-chokinesis,theapparentinfluencingofthephysicalworldthroughmentalprocessesotherthanbytheusualpsychomotorprocesses(e.g.levita-tion);unusualcontrolofinvoluntaryprocesses(e.g.stigmata,firewalk-ing);thoughtphotography,theap-parentproductionofanimageonaphotographicfilmthroughmentalprocessesalone;andunusualmentalabilities(e.g.speakinginunknowntongues,thepowersofmathemati-calprodigies).Evidencemountsthatthesesorts

ofpreternormalknowingsandabili-tiesarelatentinallpersons,buttypicallyhighlyrepressed.Onesortofexperimentthathasbeenper-formedinvariousversionsmakes

T h e B u l l e t i n o f t h e

P a ra p s y c h o l o g i ca lA s s o c i a t i o n

Approaching a Metamorphosis in Parapsychology

And the Indian yogis who claimed control over involuntary processes were onto something Western science has missed. Again, scientists experienced some discomfort over implications, in time becoming comfortable.

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useofastimulusthatproducesasubliminaleffect(e.g.,aflash-ingstroboscopiclightwhich,whentheflashingfrequencyisnearthealphafrequency,around10cyclespersecond,inducesadistinctivecomponentintheEEGwave).Thestimulusisappliedtoonepersonandtheresponseispickedupfromasecondperson,remoteandiso-latedfromthefirst.Thesecondper-sonistypicallyunabletoguessatbetterthanachancebasiswhetherornotthestimulusisappliedtotheotherpersonduringagiventimeinterval–buthissubliminalre-sponseindicatesthatunconsciouslys/heknows.(Anecessaryconditionseemstobethatthetwopersonsareinsomerapport,thatoneispayingattentiontotheother–butthenwehavenoadequateexplana-tionforwhatitmeansto“payat-tention.”)Theimplication,ifweextrapolatebeyondthisparticularsituation,isthatprobablywewilleventuallydiscoverthatallper-sonshavethefullrangeofpsychicphenomenaaspotentialities,allunconsciouslyunderstoodandallthoroughlyrepressed.

The Extent of the ChallengeItisimportanttounderstandbothwhythesetworesearchareasofcon-sciousnessexplorationandpsihavecausedscientistssuchacutediscom-fortandalsowhythereconciliationseemsnowcloseathand.Theextentofthepotentialimpactoftheseareasonthescientificworldviewissug-gestedbythefollowinglistofpremis-eswhichthescientificparadigm,untilrecently,hastendedtoimply:

(7)Thenatureoftimebeingwhatitis,thereisobviouslynowayinwhichwecanobtainknowledgeofthefutureotherthanbyrationalpredictionfromknowncauses.(Thusitisimpossibleforanyoneto“remember”aneventhappeningthreeweekshence.)

(8)Sincementalactivityissimplyamatteroffluctuatingstatesinthephysicalorganism,itiscompletelyimpossibleforthismentalactiv-itytoexertanyeffectdirectlyonthephysicalworldoutsidetheor-ganism.

(9)Theevolutionoftheuniverseandofhumanshascomeaboutthroughpurelyphysicalcauses,throughrandommutationsandnaturalselection.Thereisnojusti-ficationforanyconceptofuniversalpurposeorteleologicalurge,eitherintheevolutionofconsciousnessorinthestrivingsoftheindividual.

(10)Theindividualdoesnotsur-vivethedeathoftheorganism,orifthereisanysenseinwhichtheindividualexistsafterthedeathofthephysicalbodywecanneithercomprehenditinthislifenorinanywayobtainknowledgeregardingit.

Thereasonconsciousnessresearchissuchabitterlycontestedbattle-groundisthatthedataintheseareaschallengealloftheabovepremises.Yetitwasonthebasisoftheseposi-tivisticpremisesthattheincreasinglyprestigiousscientificworldviewwasable,inthepast,todismissasofsecondaryconsequencethereligious,aesthetic,andintuitiveexperiences

(1)Theonlyconceivablewaysinwhichhumanscometoacquireknowledgearethroughthephysicalsensesandperhapsthroughsomesortofmemorystorageinthegenes.

(2)Allqualitativepropertiesareultimatelyreducibletoquantitativeones;thatis,colorisreducedtowavelength,hateandlovetothechemicalcompositionofglandularsecretions,etc.

(3)Thereisacleardistinctionbe-tweentheobjectiveworld,whichisperceivablebyanyone,andsubjec-tiveexperience,whichisperceivedbytheindividualalone,inthepri-vacyofthemind.

(4)Theconceptofthefreeinnerpersonisaprescientificexplanationforbehaviorcausedbyforcesim-pingingupontheindividualfromtheenvironment,interactingwithinter-naltensionsandpressurescharac-teristicoftheorganism.“Freedom”isbehaviorforwhichscientistshavenotyetfoundthecause.

(5)Whatweknowasconsciousnessorawarenessofourthoughtsandfeelingsisreallyonlyasideeffectofphysicalandbiochemicalpro-cessesgoingoninthebrain.

(6)Whatweknowasmemoryissimplyamatterofstoreddatainthephysicalorganism,strictlycomparablewiththestorageofinformationinadigitalcomputer.(Thusitisimpossibleforapersonto“remember”aneventthathap-penedtosomeoneelse,inadiffer-entlifetime).


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ofhumanity,andhencetoerodethevaluepostulatesbasedinthosesub-jectiveexperiences.Thereasonthatalltheseinter-

relatedresearchareas–alteredstatesofconsciousness,hypnosis,psychosomaticillness,unconsciousprocesses,psi–havetendedtobediscomfortingisthattheysoevident-lyimplicatetheultimatequestion:“HowdoIknowwhatIknow,andhowdoIknowitistrue.Saint-Exupèrylaiddown(inhisbookWind, Sand, and Stars)thefundamentaldefini-tionoftruth:“Truthisnotthatwhichisdemonstrable.Truthisthatwhichisineluctable”thatwhichcannotbeescaped.HowdoIknowwhatisineluctable?

Thisquestionistheheartofthedisci-plineofepistemologyandtoonewiththestaminatopursueitthere,muchexaminationofthesubjectcanbefound.Essentiallytherearetwoquite

differentformsofknowing(modernwritersarefondofassociatingthesewiththeleftandrightsidesofthebrain),andweallusebothdaily.Oneis“knowingabout”thingsintheman-nerofscientific“facts”;theotherisknowingbyintuitiveidentificationwith,asinknowinganotherperson.Thissecondkindofknowingiswhat

thepoetArchibaldMacLeishreferredtowhenhewrote:“Wereallyknowathingonlywhenwearefilledwithawonderfullyfull,newandintimatesenseofitand,aboveall,ofourrela-tionwithit.Thissense–thisknowl-edge–artcangivebutabstraction(science)cannot.“TheIndianscholarRadhakrishnandescribedperceptioninthehigherstagesofconsciousnessthus:“Theconsciousdivisionandsep-arationof[...]theobjectfromthesub-ject,whichisthenormalcondition,isbrokendown.Theindividualsurren-derstotheobjectandisabsorbedbyit.Hebecomeswhathebeholds.”Bothkindsofknowingaresubject

tothepossibilityoferror.Thesci-entificwayof“knowingabout”in-volvesmeticuloustestingtoensurethatwhatisclaimedasfactcanbevalidatedbyotherscientistsmakingsimilarexperimentsorexplorations.Intuitiveknowingalsodemandsthemostcarefulcheckingagainstself-deception.Theastonishingex-tenttowhichmymentalprocessesarediscoveredtobeoutsideofcon-sciousnessshedsdoubtonhowwellIknoweventhatmostintimatebe-ing,myself.AtbestIseemtorevealtomyconsciousselfonlyasmallandbadlydistortedfragmentofthewholenessthatis“me”.Neverthe-less,thetaskofself-knowledgeisnotfutile;fromeachnewvantage

pointIseemtobeabletolookbackandobservehowIhavefooledmy-selfinapreviousandlesserstateofawareness.Thusinopeninguptheexplora-

tionofconsciousness,scientistsareforcedtoconfrontquestionsthattheyhave,throughoutmostofthehistoryofscientificactivity,managedtoputasideforthephilosopherstopuzzleover.Whataretheessentiallimitationsof“knowledgeabout”?Whataretheultimatecapabilitiesofthemindasobservinginstrument,discerningintuitiveknowledgeoftheuniverse,andofminditself?Whatarethewaysinwhichthelatterknowl-edgeisbestsharedandconsensu-allyvalidated?Insomesenseallknowledgeisultimatelysubjective,sincetherootofallexperienceiscon-sciousness;consequently,thesenewexplorationsthatprobetheproblemofconsciousnessarefundamentalindeed.Thisiswherescience,religionandphilosophymeet.Wecanhardlyblamethescientistsifatthispointtheirresolutionquaversandtheiranxietiesbecomemoreevidentthanusual.Inpaperscurrentlypresentedat

scientificmeetingsandinarticlespublishedinthemostprestigiousscientificjournalsareindicationsthat,withregardtobothconsciousnessresearchandparapsychology,thetransitionfromdiscomforttocomfortmaybeathand.Thisisonlypartlybecauseofthepsychologicaleffect,notedearlier,ofhavingsomephysicalandphysiologicalcorrelatestoin-nerexperience,servingtolegitimatetheinquiryintoconsciousness.Moreimportantly,ithastodowiththegrowingrealizationwithinscience



Thus in opening up the exploration of consciousness, scientists are forced to confront questions that they have, throughout most of the history of scientific activity, managed to put aside for the philosophers to puzzle over. What are the essential limitations of “knowledge about”?


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thatitdealsnotwithrealityinsomeultimatesense,butwithmodelsandmetaphors.Thishasbroughtachangeinattitudeandamorepromisingcli-mateforexplorationofinnerexperi-encethanheretofore.Theprecursortothatrealization

camewiththeresolutionofthebattleinphysicsoverthewaveorparticlenatureoflight.Thiswasessentiallyresolvedthroughrecognitionthatbothareonlymetaphors(asisthemathematicalequationthatincorpo-rateselementsofboth)eachbeingusefulforexpressingcertainaspectsofthetranscendentalnatureoflight.Certainphotoelectriceffectshaveno“explanation”intermsofthewaveimageoflight.Ontheotherhand,theelectronmicroscopeis“unexplain-able”throughaparticlemodelofelectronsandisunderstoodthroughawaveimage.Theresolutionofthisissuesetapatternforothers.Otherfacets,especiallyofdeeperinnerexperience,demandotherkindsofmetaphors.Wehaveyettodiscoverwhatparticularmetaphorswillbemostusefulforourtime;manyofthosethathadthepowertomovepeople’sheartsinthepastseemlessusefulnow.Eventhoughthesefrontierscientific

developmentshavenotprogressedveryfar,itispossibletoinferinwhichdirectiontheywillpushtheimageofhuman-in-the-universe.Whereverthenatureofhumanhasbeenprobeddeeply,inEasternorWesterntradi-tions,theparamountfactthathasemergedisthedualityofexperience.Humansarefoundtobebothphy-sicalandspiritual,bothaspectsbeing“real”andneitherfullydescribableintermsoftheother.“Scientific”and

ofBeing,Brahman,Godhead).Fromthisvantagepointone’sowngrowthandcreativity,andone’sparticipa-tionintheevolutionaryprocess,areseentobeundertheultimatedirectionofahighercenter(Atman,theOversoul,the“trueSelf”).IntheUpanishadsitisput,“Aninvisibleandsubtleessenceisthespiritofthewholeuniverse.Thatisreality.Thatistruth.Thouartthat.”Thepowerofsuggestionissuch

thatpeopleareliterallyandines-capablyhypnotizedbythesugges-tionstheyhaveabsorbedfromtheirculturesinceinfancy.Thushumansgothroughlifeinasortofhypnoticsleep,feelingthattheyaremakingdecisions,havingaccidentshappentothem,meetingchanceacquain-tances,etc.WithmoreawarenessthedirectionofthehigherSelf,“supraconsciouschoosing,”be-comesapparent.PeoplefindthatdecisionstheyfelttheyhadcometologicallyorthroughintuitionwerereallyreflectionsofchoicesmadeonthehigherleveloftheSelf;thattheir“inspirations”or“creativity”isessentiallyabreak-ingthroughofthesehigherpro-cesses;thatexperiencesandrela-tionshipsneededforgrowthwereattractedtothembytheSelfandwerebynomeanssoaccidentalastheyhadassumed.Withincreasingawarenessthe

pullofmaterialandegoneedsisgreatlylessenedandpeoplefindthattheirdeepestmotivationistoparticipatefullyintheevolutionaryprocess,achievingwholeness(ha-leness,health)throughalignmentofsupraconscious,conscious,andsubconsciouschoices.Evolutionis

“religious”metaphorsarecomple-mentary;neithercontradictstheother.AldousHuxleyfoundattheinner

coreofalltheworld’sreligions,EastandWest,ancientandmodern:“[It]recognizesadivineRealitysubstan-tialtotheworldofthingsandlivesandminds;...findsinthesoulsome-thingsimilarto,orevenidenticalwith,divineReality;...placesman’sfinalendintheknowledgeoftheim-manentandtranscendentGroundofallbeing.”Thebasicexperimentalpropo-

sitionisthathumanscanundercertainconditionsattainahigherawareness,a“cosmicconscious-ness,”inwhichstatetheyhaveimmediateknowledgeofarealityunderlyingthephenomenalworld,inspeakingofwhichitseemsap-propriatetousesuchwordsasinfiniteandeternal(DivineGround


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The basic experimental proposition is that humans can under certain conditions attain a higher awareness, a “cosmic consciousness,” in which state they have immediate knowledge of a reality underlying the phenomenal world [...]

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seentobenotarandommatter,butdirectedbyahigherconscious-nessandcharacterizedbypurpose–thispurposeincludingdevelop-mentofindividualcentersofcon-sciousnesswithfreedomofchoice,graduallymovingtowardever–in-creasingknowledgeofthemselves,ofSelf,andoftheWhole.Itfollowsfromtheforegoingthat

humanpotentialityislimitless;thatallknowledgeandpowerwouldbeafunctionofeveryinstitutioninsociety.Ratherthanbeingasegre-gatedactivitycarriedoutatacer-tainplaceatacertaintimeperiod,learningtowardhumanfulfillmentwouldbearecognizedaimofallofthevariousinstitutionalizedactivi-tiesinwhichtheindividualspendstime.Societymightbetermeda

“learning-and-planningsociety”,sincelearningandplanningarethetwomainkindsofactivities(be-yondthoseactuallyrequiredforthefunctioningofthesociety)thataremeaningful,nonstultifying,andnon-polluting.Underthenewtranscendentalism,

sciencewouldbeclearlyunder-stoodtobeamoralinquiry.Havingabalancedeffortofsystematicex-plorationofboththeobjectiveandsubjectiverealmsofhumanexperi-ence,itcouldnotbe,aspastsci-encehastendedtobe,value-empty.Itwouldresemblethehumanitiesandreligion,andtheboundariesbe-tweenthesethreedisciplineswouldbecomelesssharp–asisalreadypresagedintherecentwritingsofsomepsychotherapists.Themodelsandmetaphorsusedwillbemulti-leveled,correspondingtodifferentlevelsorrealmsofexperience,andnoconflictwillbeperceivedif,forexample,mysticalexperiencesarecongenialtooneofthesemeta-phoricalframeworksandoperantconditioningtoanother.Newimpetuswillbegiventobio-

logicalsciences(withawhole-sys-temsemphasis)andconsciousnessstudies.Thelatterwilllookstronglyinthedirectionofnewpotentialitiessuggestedbythenewlyappreciatedpowersofbelief,imagination,andsuggestion.Socialsciencewillbeparticipative,inmarkedcontrasttothe“objective”observationsofpastsocialscientists.Experimenterandsubjectexploretogether,inanat-mosphereofmutualtrustandwithequalstatus.(Theresultingsciencewouldbesignificantlydifferentfromtheindustrial-agesocialscience,

sincetheimplicitgoalsaresodif-ferent,predictionandcontrolbeingreplacedbytheaimofguidanceinindividualandsocialdevelopment).

ConclusionAswitheducation,manyinstitutionswouldshareresponsibility,medicine,psychotherapy,education,religion,welfare,environmentalhealth.Therewouldbearecognitionthatthewholesocietyistheenvironmentthataffectshealth.Thus,forex-ample,equityinaccesstoeconomicresourcesisanaspectofenviron-mentalhealth.Finally,thereisnothinginhistory

tosuggestthatasocialtransforma-tionofthemagnitudesuggestedcouldoccurwithoutthemostsevereeconomicandsocialdisruptionsandsystembreakdowns.Onlywide-spreadunderstandingofwhythetransformationistakingplaceandofthekindofsocietythatmightemergefollowingourtimeoftrou-blecankeepanxietylevelsdownandtransitionpainsfrombecomingintolerable.Developmentsinparapsychol-

ogyandconsciousnessstudiesarepartofthislargerpattern.Thenexttwentyyearswillshowwhethertheseforcesarestrongenoughtobringaboutamajorsocietalwrenching,whethertheywillsome-howquietdownanddieaway,orwhethertheconfrontationbetweenthenewdemandsandtheoldrigidi-tiesissoviolentthattheresultisdestructionwithoutapromisingre-building.Thiswillnotbeoneofthecomfortableperiodsofhistory.Itwillnodoubtbeanexcitingone.



The next twenty years will show whether these forces are strong enough to bring about a major socie tal wrenching, whether they will somehow quiet down and die away, or whether the confrontation between the new demands and the old rigidities is so violent that the result is destruc tion without a promising rebuilding.


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