Professor of Aeronautics and Dean Emeritus of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Princeton University, Robert G. Yang, unexpectedly 30 years ago, became interested in the study of the paranormal.
One of his top students applied to be a mentor in her research on psychokinesis, where she applied her knowledge of computer science and electronic engineering. Although Yang had never encountered psychic manifestations, he agreed.
“Initially participating as an observer, I got carried away with this project, and it changed my views a lot. By the time this student graduated from the university, I was already convinced that this is an area for full-fledged research, and I want to work in it in the future, "he wrote in a 1982 report entitled" The Long-Term Paradox of ESP: A View from engineering point of view”.
He used a poetic metaphor, comparing this process to "a journey into the mysteries of human consciousness on the ship of modern science." Here are some of his findings and reflections, drawn from the 1982 report and the 2005 report, Consciousness, Information and the Operating System, co-authored with BJ Dune.
1. Scientists cannot create a masterpiece in the laboratory
Yang touched on the criticism of research related to parapsychology. He writes: "The inconstancy of phenomena under close control and observation is the most damning criticism, it can also be a full and instructive characteristic of the phenomenon."
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According to him, the process of close observation can lead to positive results. From his point of view, it is like creating a work of art.
“You need a little space for arguments that always accompany creative processes: composing music, creating art and literary works or philosophical ideas. Severe restrictions or the presence of negative-minded observers do not contribute to these processes. The importance of a supportive atmosphere and mood for such things is obvious. In a hostile or sterile environment, innovative and creative achievement is hardly possible."
Experiments in quantum physics have shown that an observer can influence the outcome of an experiment simply by observing it.
2. "Traveling through the fog": a poetic analogy for the study of unexplained phenomena
The prologue to Ian's 1982 report poetically describes a scientist's journey through the quagmire to find "knowledge lost in the fog."
“The world of paranormal phenomena can be like a huge, foggy quagmire, where hordes of bizarre phenomenological creatures, alien to our normal perception and absent from our analytical catalogs, roam.
Some scientists who have explored this hazy area return, claiming that all these lives are an illusion, just sunken stumps and shadows on the surface of the water, mistakenly mistaken by observers for something mysterious. But others say with equal conviction that they have seen many incredible creatures of incredible size with amazing abilities.
Some of them reportedly emerge unexpectedly from the murky depths to erupt for a moment. And then they disappear before anyone can describe them.
Others exhibit more controlled behavior, but only in front of people with special talents or long-term training. Because of this, people take it all as fiction, which casts doubt on all other evidence.
When a few individuals are finally caught by desperately combing through dark areas, they seem incomprehensible, too vulnerable to study, and the criteria for confirming their reliability are too rigid. As a result, the goal is not achieved, and the search continues."
3. The founder of the scientific method Sir Francis Bacon was interested in the paranormal
Yang mentioned Francis Bacon and other famous scientists who supported the study of supernatural phenomena.
Probably one of the earliest scientists to speak out on this topic was Francis Bacon, who is considered the founder of the scientific method. He suggested that "superstition and the like" should not be excluded from the field of scientific inquiry. In his book Sylvia Sylvarum, he proposed studying "telepathic dreams, healing, and the influence of consciousness on the die."
William James, a Harvard psychologist and philosopher and founder of the American Society for Psychic Research, has made significant contributions "to the evolution of critical thought on this topic," Ian wrote.
4. The growth of paranormal research is reminiscent of other sciences during their formative years
After studying the history of extrasensory perception, Yang came to the conclusion: “In many ways, the development of this area is very similar to the development of natural sciences and classical psychology, when they were just born. Common features are a lack of replicable experiments and successful theoretical models, low levels of financial support and professional coordination, and low levels of trust among academia and the public. As in the aforementioned areas, the development of parapsychology was made possible by the efforts of individual scientists who had the toughness, courage and position to resist the rejection of conservative circles."
The role of human consciousness in the physical world should become one of the new areas for scientific research, he said. From the 40s of the XX century to 1982, about 50 theses from parapsychology were accepted by reputable universities.
5. Was paranormal activity common in the past?
Yang writes: “In the Bible and other major theological texts, supernatural phenomena are central. They are described in a prosaic manner, and there is a feeling that for people of those epochs such things were everyday life."
6. The value of parapsychology in the information age
In his 2005 report, Yang notes: “The growth of information, as well as the development of ever more accurate and sophisticated apparatus for explaining and using it, raises the issue of context and meaning. Both of these aspects are inherently subjective, but they are key to practical information."
He writes: "Subjective factors not only influence the perception of physical reality, but can also be key components of this process."