A New Science of the Paranormal: The Promise of Psychical Research

by Lawrence LeShan

Mainline science rejects the paranormal because it cannot be proven by the classical methods of controlled experiments. But sciences such as geology, astronomy, and anthropology also don't rely on laboratory testing for repeatable results. Moreover, psi concerns consciousness, which is by definition non-quantitative. Psi researchers must stop acting like science's poor relations, says author Lawrence LaShan, limiting themselves to controlled experiments...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0835608778
• ISBN13: 9780835608770
• Release Date: April 2009
• Publisher: Quest Books (IL)
• Length: 168 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

A good book for those who want to understand how to research psi better

I must say that I've never heard of Lawrence LeShan earlier although, based on the book, he was researching paranormal for several decades. He was born in 1920, he's trained and published psychotherapist, and is the author of the best selling book How to Meditate: A Guide to Self-Discovery. "A New Science of the Paranormal" consists of seven chapters and an appendix. Each chapter also includes one or two "case histories" - a paranormal case from Lawrence's career or another famous case. The chapters in the book are: Psychic Research and the Consistency of the Universe. What Do We Know About Psychic Phenomena Normal and Paranormal Communication Designing a Science of Psychical Research Psi and Altered States of Consciousness The Next Step: Implications of the New Science What Dare I Hope The Appendix in titled: "When is Uvani". Chapter 1 tells some history of psi research, the concepts, why is it difficult, including psychological factors. One tidbit is his current disapproval of connecting psi and quantum physics which has become so popular lately. Chapter 2 describes the 4 things that were proven about paranormal research and 9 which are almost certain to be true. Chapter 3 tries to compare normal and paranormal types of communication. He gets away from the "paranormal" terminology into cleaner one in order to better understand the differences and similarities between regular and "paranormal" communication types. Chapter 4 begins what I think was the main goal in writing the book in the first place. Lawrence explains how science approaches different subjects and argues which approaches would be best for psychical research. He writes that he now believes that psi research should be approached not with more laboratory testing, like exact sciences, but like social sciences which employ other methods of research and deduction. In Chapter 5 Lawrence describes how theories about "reality" shape the worldview and how the conflicts between observed phenomena and what we think about reality should be handled, in science. It is quite a philosophical chapter, in the good sense of the word. Chapter 6 starts with some more psychological effects of psi events. How people reject them after they happen. This chapter also has a call to scientist to bring psi research into the mainstream science and also explains how to do this. In Chapter 7 LeShan hopes that the acceptance of the existence of psi by the public will bring change to the way people think of the world and how they behave, to the better. The Appendix is like a chapter by itself. In it LeShan tries to continue his design of the new science of the paranormal. He explains how we might try to overcome some difficulties with psi research by asking the right questions and thinking of it all in more abstract way, like in mathematics, for example. The case histories after each chapter are very interesting and diverse. I've never heard of any of them although they all seem very compelling. They are