On the Importance of Academic Publishing

Posted by Dr. Andrew Nichols on Oct 7th, 2015 in Uncategorized | 0 comments Carlos S. Alvarado, PhD, Research Fellow, Parapsychology Foundation One frequently hears criticisms of academic publishing, and of the pressures in academia to publish or perish. But while there are good critiques, I believe, along with many colleagues, that academic publishing is essential for parapsychology to move forward and to present a good image of its scientific and scholarly work. When I mention academic publishing I am referring to refereed publications. This includes most serious journals of various disciplines and some academic and scholarly book publishers who care about the expertise of...

People in Parapsychology: XXV. Etzel Cardeña

Posted by Dr. Andrew Nichols on Sep 30th, 2015 in Uncategorized | 0 comments Carlos S. Alvarado, PhD, Research Fellow, Parapsychology Foundation I am happy to post an interview with Dr. Etzel Cardeña, whose work has been discussed in this blog before (click here, here, and here). I first met Etzel in 1984 when he came to the Institute of Parapsychology at Durham, North Carolina, for their Summer Study Program, where I was teaching. Dr. Etzel Cardeña Etzel, who has a PhD in psychology (with emphasis on Personality Psychology) from the University of California, Davis, is currently the Poul Thorsen Professor of Psychology at Lund University, in Sweden. In addition to his work...

Issue of Argentinean Parapsychology Journal Dedicated to Mediumship

Posted by Dr. Andrew Nichols on Sep 22nd, 2015 in Uncategorized | 0 comments Carlos S. Alvarado, PhD, Research Fellow, Parapsychology Foundation Dr. Alejandro Parra has produced another issue of his online journal E-Boletín Psi, which he has been publishing in Spanish since 2006 from his Instituto de Psicología Paranormal (Institute of Paranormal Psychology), located in Buenos Aires, Argentina (for other issues click here). Dr. Alejandro Parra These are the titles of the papers published in the issue, which is available here. Variables Perceptuales y de Personalidad Asociadas a la Experiencia Mediúnica: Examinando Dos Muestras [Perceptual and Personality Variables...

A New Handbook of Parapsychology

Posted by Dr. Andrew Nichols on Sep 14th, 2015 in Uncategorized | 0 comments Carlos S. Alvarado, PhD, Research Fellow, Parapsychology Foundation Over the years many of us have found a basic reference work of great help. I am referring to the Handbook of Parapsychology, edited by Benjamin B. Wolman, with the assistance of associate editors Laura A. Dale, Gertrude R. Schmeidler, and Montague Ullman (New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1977). While still useful, the book has been in need of an update for a long time, since it was published over 30 years ago. Fortunately we now have such an update: Parapsychology: A Handbook for the 21st Century (Jefferson, NC : McFarland, 2015;...

People in Parapsychology: XXIV: Fatima Regina Machado

Posted by Dr. Andrew Nichols on Aug 31st, 2015 in Uncategorized | 0 comments Carlos S. Alvarado, PhD, Research Fellow, Parapsychology Foundation I am glad to have an interview with Dr. Fatima Regina Machado, who I have visited in her country, Brazil, as well as her husband and colleague Dr. Wellington Zangari. I first met Fatima in 1993 when she came to Durham, North Carolina, to participate in the now defunct parapsychology Summer Study Program at what was then known as the Institute of Parapsychology. I was lecturing there at the time. Dr. Fatima Regina Machado For many years Fatima has been working—sometimes with Wellington—on behalf of parapsychology in an academic...

Note on the Importance of Mediumship for Psychical Research*

Posted by Dr. Andrew Nichols on Aug 20th, 2015 in Uncategorized | 0 comments Carlos S. Alvarado, Ph.D., Research Fellow, Parapsychology Foundation Historically few topics have been so important for the study of psychic phenomena as mediumship (both mental and physical). Spiritualism was spread mainly through the performances of early mediums who fostered both belief and skepticism in such phenomena as spirit communications and materializations. In addition, the communications produced by mediums presented teachings about life after death and other topics that provided the philosophical background for the movement. An example of this is the importance of such teachings in...