FAQs |
A: There is no separate degree in parapsychology. Students can study parapsychology as part of their undergraduate psychology degree, especially in third and fourth year when they can conduct literature reviews and research projects on parapsychological topics, as well as attend taught courses on parapsychology research and history. Students who obtain good quality undergraduate degrees in a suitable discipline (typically psychology) can apply to study for a PhD in psychology, specialising in a parapsychological topic. In particular you should have a good grounding in research methodology and statistics if you are interested in experimental parapsychology. Please visit the Teaching pages on this site for more information on studying parapsychology, and the University of Edinburgh and Department of Psychology websites for further information on entrance requirements, fees, possible funding sources, etc.
A: Yes, Dr Watt is currently developing a short open studies distance learning Introduction to Parapsychology course. Click here for more details and to register your interest.
A: It’s a subject of great interest to students, so it will attract and engage them. Furthermore, regardless of the status of the evidence on the psi hypothesis, students can learn a great deal from the methodological challenges associated with attempting to test hypotheses of anomalous information transfer or influence. Also, parapsychology is a superb case study for issues to do with the demarcation between science and pseudoscience, and for the issue of controversy in science - its causes and how to overcome these.
A: As a scientist, I think it’s a question not of belief but of evidence. To rephrase the question: what is my interpretation of the evidence for psi? Generally the methodological standards of controlled laboratory psi studies are relatively high, so this research deserves to be taken seriously. However, parapsychologists do not yet have a good understanding of the factors associated with above-chance psi task performance. So although positive psi results are often reported, parapsychologists have not yet been able to specify the conditions needed to produce these effects reliably. I think this goal is attainable, but research efforts need to be more systematic than at present and of course a properly systematic approach ultimately might NOT lend support to the psi hypothesis.
A: Not that I am aware of. What brought me into this field was curiosity - as a psychologist I wanted to know why so many people have paranormal experiences and beliefs.
A: Happy to try to help, time permitting. First specify more precisely what aspect of ‘the paranormal’ you are interested in, then explore this website to find out more about my areas of interest and expertise. If these coincide with your interests, contact me. To get an idea of my perspective on parapsychology, refer to my 2005 Presidential Address to the Parapsychological Association (110KB).
There are more FAQs on the Koestler Parapsychology Unit website.
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