Why Are We Conscious?: A Scientists Take on Consciousness and Extrasensory Perception
The Human ExperienceThe Physical WorldWhat is the physical world made of?AstronomyThe electromagnetic spectrumThe creation and duration of the universeThe scale of space and timeLife and Its InformationIs the brain just a digital computer?The structure of the brainThe Unconscious MindThe ‘chattering monkey’ theory: does the conscious mind shout down the unconscious one?The unconscious mind as a deceiverFurther practical findings which relate to human consciousnessMethods in Physical Science: Feelings Don’t MatterAnecdotal evidenceScientific educationMethods in Paranormal Science: Feelings Do MatterThe Physical Properties of the Unknown World Outside Our Diving BellWhat is it made up of?The temperature of the unknown worldThe duration of the unknown worldThe dimensionality of the unknown worldWhat velocities are there in the unknown world?What is the typical size of the entities in the unknown world?What sort of entities might there be in the unknown world?What information is contained in the unknown world?Observed Effects of the Unconscious Mind and the Unknown World. 1: Mental EffectsPsychiatryThe effect of drugs on the mindTelepathyCard guessing and other forms of psychic guessingGuessing better than chance: blindsightObserved Effects of the Unconscious Mind and the Unknown World. 2: Mechanical EffectsPsychokinetic ‘energy’Observed Effects of the Unconscious Mind and the Unknown World. 3: Optical EffectsSleep-dreamsThe out-of-body experience (or OBE) and the near-death experience (or NDE)Observed Effects of the Unconscious Mind and the Unknown World. 4: Acoustic and Other Physical EffectsElectrical effectsChemical effectsMaterializationUnscientific but Widespread Human BeliefsThe fate of human consciousness after deathRe-entering a living body: reincarnationOrganizations and Unusual PeopleThe decline of magic‘Magical’ organizations: churchesUnusual peopleThe beginning of spiritualismMediumship, the Societies for Psychical Research, and Star GuessersMediumshipThe founding of the Society for Psychical Research in 1882 and the American one in 1884Theories about star guessersGetting Information from the Unknown World by Insight and by WritingInsightSpirit writingAutomatic writingGetting Information from the Unknown WorldComputer-based interrogationExploring life other than the human varietyLiquid theoryDecryptionInformation we might look forSome Technical Questions for the Unknown WorldConcluding Remarks
