Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026
07:14
A Method to Study Adaptation to Left-Right Reversed Audition
Published on: October 29, 2018
Anomalous information reception by research mediums demonstrated using a novel triple-blind protocol
Julie Beischel1, Gary E Schwartz
1Laboratory for Advances in Consciousness and Health, Department of Psychology, The University of Arizona, USA. beischel@email.arizona.edu
Explore (New York, N.Y.)
|January 20, 2007
Summary
This study found that mediums can anomalously receive accurate information about deceased individuals. The experimental design ruled out conventional explanations, suggesting paranormal information reception.
Area of Science:
- Parapsychology
- Neuroscience
- Consciousness Studies
Background:
- Investigating information reported by mediums is crucial for understanding the brain-consciousness relationship.
- Public interest in mediums highlights the need for scientific inquiry into anomalous information reception.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally examine the anomalous reception of information about deceased individuals by research mediums.
- To eliminate conventional explanations for information reception through a triple-blind study design.
Main Methods:
- Eight student sitters (grieving parents or peers) and eight experienced mediums participated.
- Mediums provided readings for absent sitters and deceased individuals in a triple-blind protocol.
- Sitters evaluated transcripts to identify the reading most applicable to them.
Main Results:
- Readings intended for sitters received significantly higher ratings than control readings (p = 0.007).
- Sitters' choices of applicable readings were statistically significant (p = 0.01).
Conclusions:
- Results suggest certain mediums can anomalously receive accurate information about deceased individuals.
- The study design excludes conventional and telepathic explanations.
- Further research is needed to distinguish between paranormal hypotheses like survival of consciousness or super-psi.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
02:07Blind Procedures
Ideally, the people who observe and record the children’s behavior are unaware of who was assigned to the experimental or control group, in order to control for experimenter bias. Experimenter bias refers to the possibility that a researcher’s expectations might skew the results of the study. Remember, conducting an experiment requires a lot of planning, and the people involved in the research project have a vested interest in supporting their hypotheses. If the observers knew which child was...
01:11Blinding
Blinding is a commonly used method of not telling participants which treatment a subject is receiving. Blinding is a critical part of a randomized control trial or RCT. It reduces the bias that affects the results. In an RCT, blinding is used in the form of a placebo. A placebo effect occurs when untreated subjects falsely believe they have received the treatment and report improved symptoms. A placebo or a dummy treatment is administered to subjects to negate the bias caused by such an effect.
01:56Ethics in Research
Today, scientists agree that good research is ethical in nature and is guided by a basic respect for human dignity and safety. However, this has not always been the case. Modern researchers must demonstrate that the research they perform is ethically sound.
01:54The Placebo Effect
The placebo effect occurs when people's expectations or beliefs influence or determine their experience in a given situation. In other words, simply expecting something to happen can actually make it happen.
01:31Confirmation Biases
The confirmation bias is the tendency to focus on information that confirms our existing beliefs and ignore information that is inconsistent with our expectations. For example, if you think that your professor is not very nice, you notice all of the instances of rude behavior exhibited by the professor while ignoring the countless pleasant interactions he is involved in on a daily basis. Have you ever fallen prey to the confirmation bias, either as the source or target of such bias?