The Extended Mind: Recent Experimental Evidence

Google Tech Talks
September 2, 2008

ABSTRACT

We have been brought up to believe that the mind is located inside the head. But there are good reasons for thinking that this view is too limited. Recent experimental results show that people can influence others at a distance just by looking at them, even if they look from behind and if all sensory clues are eliminated. And people's intentions can be detected by animals from miles away. The commonest kind of non-local interaction mental influence occurs in connection with telephone calls, where most people have had the experience of thinking of someone shortly before they ring. Controlled, randomized tests on telephone telepathy have given highly significant positive results. Research techniques have now been automated and experiments on telepathy are now being conducted through the internet and cell phones, enabling widespread participation.

Speaker: Rupert Sheldrake
Rupert Sheldrake, Ph.D. is a biologist and author of more than 75 technical papers and ten books, the most recent being The Sense of Being Stared At. He studied at Cambridge and Harvard Universities, was a Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge and a Research Fellow of the Royal Society. He is currently Director of the Perrott-Warrick project, funded from Trinity College Cambridge.

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Science & Technology

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[CousinAfro]

@Zenith88 You're right, science is not a democracy, but if a large part of the population experiences something then it is a scientific phenomena (literally, it can be observed) and bears looking into. Sheldrake's argument is not "people believe this so it's true," it's "people believe this, so why? Here's some ideas. Here's some data." The role of the scientist is not to dismiss but to examine. If 80% of the population believe something, I think that bears some examination, don't you?

[robosextoid]

Consciousness is a central mystery of the cosmos and the current science is wholly inadequate. What a relief that some scientists are continuing to advance scientific inquiry, independent of ideological obstruction.

[freediver57]

I paid attention on telepathy and tried to watch people while being myself behind a toned windows in a car. Women are very sensitive and normally they turn back to look who is watching them. About dogs, I believe it can be so as it is described in a lecture and there is a telepathic connection between mammals. I can feel when our dog is coming to a door without seeing it and in very noisy environment of my workshop. It produces no noise but I just get feeling that somebody else is present nearby

[MariaBlatnick]

I would be interested in more studies about social interaction and social entanglement (morphic studies) with regard to Autism. I have a daughter on the spectrum and even though people think autistic people don't connect with others, I believe the problem is that they are too connected. My daughter often experiences sensory overload because she is processing multiple conversations and sensing multiple people's emotions simultaneously. She is unable to filter. She is too 'entangled'.

[UrbanSands]

Dualists V materialist

[MrBurdickchris]

Thumbs up if you arrived here thanks to Spirit Science!!

[untestableClaims]

"its wishful thinking" agreed! I meant the 'nobel prize' comment to be a challenge to the believers, sorry I didn't make that clear. earlier commenters said that sheldrake's 'theories' can't be tested under the conditions of the James Randi Million Dollar Challenge because of such-and-such statistical 'reasons'. This renders sheldrake's 'theories' as Untestable as a practical matter.

[MGX890]

@untestableClaims But its not is it, its wishful thinking about vitalism and angels.