The Pk Man: A True Story of Mind Over Matter: A True Story of Mind Over Matter

by Jeffrey Mishlove

Book Overview

The true and strange story of Ted Owens, whose claims of powerful psychokinetic abilities given to him by "Space Intelligences" were too bizarre and extreme for many to believe. Author Jeffrey Mishlove, Ph.D., a respected parapsychologist, analyzes correspondence, interviews, newspaper reports, and testimonies of observers to probe the troubled nature and remarkable life of "the world's greatest psychic," as Owens claimed to be.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1571741836
• ISBN13: 9781571741837
• Release Date: September 2000
• Publisher: Hampton Roads Publishing Company
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.1" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

A Chourageous Step By Mishlove

This book is about Ted Owens' claimed psychokinetic(Mind-over-matter) abilities. Extensive number of stories supported with evidences and affidavits of witnesses are documented here. The author is a witness of many events and have even intreviewed most of the eye witnesses. Still, the events are so horrendous and appalling that many would prefer to reject the whole thing inspite of all the undeniable evidence collected. The author himself had delayed the publication of the book for 20 years! Having encountered parapsychological manifestations by myself, I don't need proofs to make me 'believe' in Psi; I've seen enough myslef. But this BOOK IS BOLD. The evidence is overwhelming. This book, and parapsychology in itself, points starkly to the existence of a metaphysical world, the spirtual world, and most possibly other dimentional worlds. I so much thanks the author for his courage to reveal this book to the world.

What Fascinates Can Also Ruin - Warped Mind over Matter<br>

Just finished reading "The PK Man," after hearing Dr. Mishlove talk about it on Mike Siegel's show in October. What a wonderful job he did with it - open and honest, revealing his own fears of being rejected by academia and not taking risks - and even Ted Owens (in a letter to Mishlove) putting him down on this account, when the book proposal wasn't getting accepted by publishers fast enough for Owen's megalomaniacal taste. The fact that Mislove laid all that out for us to judge means that he is much more comfortable with himself and his situation, enough to take risks now. And yet he risked his 10-year relationship with the PK Man, taking him to task, accusing him of acting in an "evil" way (harming others inadvertently by causing weather changes) when he knew how much harm he could have done, or at least that the potential for harm was there. Mishlove was between two very threatening sides - his own survival with his academic peers, and the very real potential for harm from Owens (throughout the book Ted convincingly makes the case that he can cause devastating storms or other accidents, which in some cases resulted in loss of life). And Owens was not above being vindictive, in fact he often exacted his revenge on those he perceived to be his enemies, through the use of his PK powers. Throughout the book, Mishlove neither condemns nor condones Owen's abilities (although he does voice his personal objections to the man's darker actions, as any responsible person would). On the one hand, he is happy as a researcher to have such a powerful and fascinating subject to study and write about, yet on the other, he is afraid of the man's criminal propensities to cavalierly harm others in pursuit of his goals. This quote from the book sums up the struggle:"It seems as Owens simply behaved like a child might, testing his own limitations. And who else could provide any guidance or oversight in a society that studiously avoided serious inquiry into such matters?" From out of this adversarial setting comes a very beautifully told story, a real life adventure, warts and all, that engages the reader from beginning to end, and also opens up a dialogue about human potential and the responsibilities of spiritual power at the same time. To this I'd have to say, the book is on target, and an unqualified success.

The Biography of a Psychokinetic Master

I was enthralled to read this remarkable true life story of Ted Owens, also known as "The PK Man". Ted Owens achieved great fame and notoriety in the 1970's for accurately predicting numerous earthquakes, vehicle crashes (including the space shuttle Challenger), weather changes, sporting event outcomes, UFO appearances, and power outages, among other things. Ted considered himself to have psychokinetic (PK) abilities conferred upon him by what he called "the space intelligences", although he often had difficulty convincing skeptical journalists and scientists of his powers. I love the way Dr. Jeffrey Mishlove methodically examines each example of Ted Owens' PK demonstrations in THE PK MAN, in order to determine the validity of Mr. Owens' claim that he was using psychokinetic (not precognitive or clairvoyant) powers. While Ted's PK powers were not 100% fool-proof, many of his predictions for unlikely events (such as a drought in Florida in the rainy season) came true, and his mere presence often seemed to trigger earth-changing events (such as the eruption of Mt. Saint Helens). THE PK MAN fascinated me with its colorful descriptions of UFO manifestations, Ted Owen's vengeful PK attacks on those who doubted and discredited him, and the highlights from Ted Owens' PK training classes. Ted Owens' hypnotic trance suggestions were designed to greatly increase one's mental, emotional, physical and spiritual (including psychokinetic) powers... as well as help people contact extra-terrestrials... and they are included in their entirety in a chapter towards the end of the book.

AS HARD TO PUT DOWN AS IT IS TO BELIEVE

Were it not for the credentials of the author and the foreward by John Mack, M.D., professor of psychiatry at Harvard, I would never have read this book. A three-minute scan of the book would have left me with the conclusion that it was pure folly and fantasy. A man who can beckon UFO's,cause major hurricanes,changes in weather patterns, and other widespread phenomena is a bit more than I am prepared to accept, even though I have come to believe in many other psychic phenomena that are rejected by mainstream science. After reading the book, I have moved from total disbelief to skeptical. I use the word "skeptical" in its truest sense, not the rationalist or cynical sense of most people who call themselves skeptics. How can I or anyone else discount the observations and investigation of someone as credible as Dr. Misholove, the author, or the other scientific investigators mentioned in the book who studied Ted Owens, the PK man? I finished the book a few days ago, but I'm still shaking my head. What to believe? I believe there is so much out there that is simply beyond human comprehension.

A compelling and entertaining read!

This case study, told by psychologist Jeffrey Mishlove, PhD, would be impossible to believe -- if it were not for the fact that the author has been known to me, and millions of others, for over a decade as the dignified and intelligent host of the national, public television series, Thinking Allowed. PK Man deals with phenomena that are mostly relegated to fictional accounts like Harry Potter, Star Trek or the X-Files. But, Mishlove's documentation is impeccable in convincing me that the events he describes actually did take place. And, as Mishlove concludes, the case deserves further study because phenomena of this type are rare. The book is about Ted Owens, who died in 1987 and who was studied by Mishlove for more than ten years. Owens claimed that he was in telepathic contact with hyperdimensional beings he called the "Space Intelligences." By virtue of this connection, Owens attempted to prove -- over and over again -- that he could control large-scale events such as hurricanes, climatic changes, UFO sightings, poltergeist phenomena, and power blackouts. Ted Owens called himself the "PK Man." PK stands for psychokinesis, the parapsychological term for mind over matter. Typically, Owens would produce his forecasts, in writing, to Mishlove and other scientists in advance of the actual events. Newspaper descriptions and eye-witness accounts would follow. The events forecast by Owens (who claimed he would actually be "causing" them -- with the help of the Space Intelligences) were quite unusual and highly unlikely. That any of them at all happened, in fact, is strange enough. But, Mishlove documents dozens of such events. So, the big questions are: was this mere coincidence? Did Owens actually cause the events as he claimed, or did he predict them? Either possibility is extremely interesting.The events that Mishlove describes are highly dramatic. I imagine some Hollywood studio will want to create a feature film about this book. The special effects would be incredible. And the story is very compelling. But, more important, the book raises significant issues about the nature and power of human consciousness itself. This is the part that is intriguing to me, as I imagine it will be to many readers of this book.Ever since the days of William James, America's first psychologisy who lived a century ago, researchers have been presenting their case for the existence of paranormal abilities. I think that Mishlove's book may well be the most forceful account available and deserves careful reading.One more thing. In addition to raising all sorts of compelling questions, the book is well written and is an excellent read.