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Accuracy and neural correlates of blinded mediumship compared to controls on an image classification task
A Delorme1, C Cannard2, D Radin2
1Institute of Noetic Science, Petaluma, CA, USA; Swartz Center for Computational Neuroscience, Institute of Neural Computation, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Controls accurately guessed the cause of death from deceased individuals' photographs, outperforming those with claimed psychic abilities. This suggests enhanced attention and reduced inhibition in controls, evidenced by electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) data.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Parapsychology
Background:
- Investigating the cognitive and physiological differences between individuals with and without claimed psychic abilities.
- Exploring potential differences in attention, response inhibition, and stress levels during a challenging cognitive task.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the accuracy of guessing the cause of death from photographs of deceased individuals.
- To compare the performance and physiological responses (EEG, ECG) of individuals with and without mediumistic abilities.
Main Methods:
- Participants (mediums and controls) viewed 180 facial photographs of deceased individuals.
- A classification task required guessing the cause of death (heart attack, firearm, or car accident).
- Simultaneous electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) data were collected.
Main Results:
- Control subjects significantly outperformed mediums in accurately guessing the cause of death.
- Controls exhibited larger amplitude event-related potentials (ERPs) on EEG, suggesting greater attention and less response inhibition.
- Controls had lower average heart rates (ECG), potentially indicating reduced stress levels.
Conclusions:
- Control participants demonstrated superior performance in the death cause classification task compared to individuals with claimed mediumistic abilities.
- Observed differences in EEG and ECG suggest that controls may possess enhanced attentional and inhibitory control mechanisms.
- The findings prompt further investigation into the cognitive and physiological underpinnings of purported psychic abilities.
