Society for Scientific Exploration 2010 Conference, Boulder, Colorado




Professors Braude and Blade:
I attended this conference last month, after it was recommended by Professor Stephen Braude, Chair of the Philosophy Dept, University of Maryland. A couple of months ago, I began corresponding with Braude, he has spent more than 30 years investigating the paranormal. Braude’s first paranormal experience was as an undergrad student decades ago. Braude had friends visit his apartment one gloomy afternoon, through a séance(of sorts), they performed a table levitation.

Braude knew his table and knew his friends, he could not account for the unaided actions of his own table.Braude informed me he had investigated Ted Serios,in the late 60’s/ early 70’s. This was interesting to me because my former business partner, Professor Richard Blade, former chair of the Physics Department, University of Colorado, Colorado Spings, had ALSO investigated Serios during the same time frame, in Colorado.

I pulled Braude and Blade into a 3-way deluge of fascinating emails. Physics and Philosophy. It was one of the most interesting conversations of my life. If you are unaware of Ted Serios, I suggest you do some reading on him. Blade and Braude both spent significant time with Serios investigating his “claimed” Psi abilities.Both Blade and Braude believe he was the “real deal”. Ted could make Polaroid Psychic images on Polaroid film, the image would roughly correspond to one in a sealed envelope, Ted never actually saw the original, but could often make an impressive likeness of it.

On one occasion Ted was taken to a University Electrical Engineering lab in Denver. A sealed box with lightbulb and photocell was in the lab. The output from the photo-cell was displayed on an Oscilloscope. Ted was easily able to deflect the scope up and down, in this well controlled environment. Interestingly enough James Randi was also present, he found no evidence of hoax, nor could he explain Serios’s ability to easily influence upon request. Randi failed to offer the “so called” million dollar prize.Professor Jule Eisenbud ,(now deceased), wrote a book on Serios. I was fortunate enough to meet Jule’s son Eric at the conference. Eric talked to Blade about his involvement with the Serios investigations/experiments.

This was a fascinating piece of history I was exposed to. Lots of people read about Serios on the internet, few know anyone who had extensive contact with him on many occasions.I should mention Braude believes many “hauntings” are Psi/Pk generated by the observer or other “living” person.

For strange things I have personally witnessed, this seems like the best explanation to me. An example of this is
:http://paranormal.about.com/od/ghosthuntin...ate-a-ghost.htm

Professor Braude lectured regarding Pk mechanisms around a German Séance. PEAR AND GCPPrinceton Engineerng Anomalies Research,(PEAR) was a lab based at Princeton for the investigation of ESP/Psi etc.
http://www.princeton.edu/~pear/

I was fortunate enough to meet a couple PEAR Professors, York Dobbins (Physics) and Roger Nelson (Psychology). Roger heads up the Global Consciousness Project (GCP). GCP correlates data from Random Number Generators around the world. Some feel dramatic global events, such as 9-11, cause these generators to go outside “standard distribution”. Here is a lik to GCP:
http://noosphere.princeton.edu/index.html

Psi/Pk influence on Random Number Generators has been studied for many many years, fascinating stuff!



The Men who stare at Goats:
If you have not seen the movie, I would urge you to do so. The movie is partially based on reality. John Alexander is a retired Special Forces Colonel, he saw the Goat killed and was present at the necropsy. John lectured on remote viewing and other things Project Stargate did, he separated the facts from the fiction.




Challenges to the Second law of ThermodynamicsProfessor Daniel Sheehan, Physicist, University of San Diego.
Expects Macroscopic violations of this “law” within the next decade. Zero Point energy, (background fluctuations) is just one application that may do this.



2012 Catastophe??I attended a lecture by Professor Courtney Brown, Social Scientist, Emory University. Courtney runs the farsight institute:
http://www.farsight.org/

The farsight institute claims to use former Army remote viewers to “look into the future” and look at remote locations, such as Mars.He claims “humans currently working on mars, reviving anchient technology” and a possible 2012 Catastrophe.Remember the Hale Bopp comet? The one that the “Heavens Gate” people committed suicide over? Courtney Brown was the one who “suggested” his remote viewers had spotted a “UFO” hiding behind the comet.For me, this was the LEAST impressive lecture of the conference.




Conclusion:

I met many fascinating people at the SSE conference, including a Psychologist who had (2) seemingly credible patients claiming UFO abduction. SSE members are Doctors, Professors, Engineers, and most of all “average folks” looking for answers to Paranormal Questions. I am aware of no better group of Academics who take a serious approach to these “fringe” topics.

If you have an interest in Science and the Paranormal I would urge you to become an SSE member:
http://www.scientificexploration.org/

Here are some fascinating SSE papers:
http://www.scientificexploration.org.....;/articles.html

The "Value" of Ghost Hunting Equipment???

Most people who watch "Ghost Hunting" shows, have seen K2 meters, EVP recorders, and such similar devices. My Robot is designed to interface with such devices.

The devices "seem" to indicate evidence of something, indeed this has been shown on my favorite ghost hunting show for many seasons now.

Where do we go from here? What have we learned from these devices?

Can't Physicist's with their billion dollar exotic particle detectors come up with some proof of ghosts? If not why not?

Does or has any reputable scientist/physicist/academic ever taken "ghost hunting" seriously?

Seems vexing doesn't it!

The good news is, YES, scientists/physicists/academics have taken "hauntings" seriously for more than 100 years. Famous chemist William Crookes, discoverer of the element "thallium", took this very seriously.

What have we learned, why no "captured" Ghosts?! Why no "convincing" evidence. I believe some of these answers are here:

http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/articles.html

These are articles written by the Society for the Scientific Exploration, they are a group of professors/academics who are peer reviewed. They investigate "paranormal" topics.

I will attend their annual conference in June, I have been corresponding with the editor of their Journal, Professor Stephen Braude.

Braude has been investigating the paranormal for more than 30 years, I recommend his two books:

http://www.amazon.com/Limits-Influence-Stephen-E-Braude/dp/0761806237/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272286714&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.com/Gold-Leaf-Other-Parapsychological-Investigations/dp/0226071529/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272286627&sr=1-1

What is the bottom line here?

Many "ghost hunters" believe a live person plays a role in "generating" a poltergeist haunting. Braude and others believe, most hauntings are "created" by live people, through a type of unknown Psi (PK) mechanism.

"You create,(not imagine), your own Ghosts"

Personally, this seems "reasonable" for the type of "hauntings" I have personally experienced.

Psi(PK) influence is well known in Physics with Random Number Generators etc:

http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/jse_16_1_shoup.pdf

Psi(PK), is acknowledged by most physicists to exist, but it seems resistant to physics and logical methodology.

I hope to learn more at the SSE conference next month.

Geist Strahlung Debut

"Geist Strahlung", (Ghost Radiation) made its debut at this month's Center for Paranormal Research and Investigation meeting. The group gave input and suggestions for possible applications.

The robot is currently in remote "manual control" mode. This summer I will integrate the Parallax Microcomputer.

In a "typical" autonomous mode, the robot will rotate the turret "sensor array" side to side, (in a pre-adjusted arc of 0 to 270 degrees), until an "input" is detected, then the tracked base will rotate and line up with the turret, the robot will then move in the direction of the sensor input.

The initial sensor to be integrated will be the Passive Infra Red Sensor, a subroutine will be written for each sensor, to allow buffering and noise/error reduction.

Sensor/Tripod removal is easy, allowing the vehicle to be a radio controlled remote camera platform, etc.

The Smoke Generator can be used to test air flow, or perhaps project a "ghostly" image on.

The "value" of this robot for the Paranormal Investigation has not yet been determined, but easy programming and sensor changes make this robot easily adaptable.

Ghost Physics

This is the title page from Ghost Physics. I have found there to be a deep division between intelligent individuals, some feel there is "something" to the paranormal, while others laugh it off as an overactive imagination. Hopefully the time is near where better instrumentation and data gathering will provide convincing evidence that "something" is there. My book has detailed (physics-based) theory and experiments.

Electromagnetic Environment

I believe thermal cameras, microphones, and K2 meters have all captured ghostly "evidence". All these devices utilize and rely upon the electromagnetic spectrum. By "knowing" what part of the spectrum paranormal activity occurs, and what part of the spectrum your equipment operates, you can gather valuable information.

"Electromagnetic Spectrum" is the stuff physicists write their doctoral thesis on. Fortunately for our purposes, it doesn't need to be complicated....honestly...no equations, no calculations needed. We routinely manipulate the electromagnetic spectrum with our gadgets, cellphones, and computers.

Thermal cameras, microphones, and K2 meters are all "passive" devices. They "look" and "listen." "Active" EM manipulation can usually be done rather easily and inexpensively, which is the theme of the book.

Keep in mind, this approach looks from the "evidence" toward the "source". This approach may be self limiting.

I'm currently looking at Psi(PK) as a possibility for "Hauntings"

Background...

I have a diverse background, my loves are Robotics and Physics. I have more than six years of college, mostly Electrical Engineering and Solid State Physics, but never graduated. As a senior in Solid State Physics, I had my own business in Colorado Springs (Industrial Automation Systems).

I formed and continue to have friendships with two Physics Professors at the University fo Colorado, Colorado Springs: Richard Blade and Bobby Bracewell.

Richard is truly a world class physicist, and a Caltech graduate. he is older and has claimed Gel-Mann, Feinman, and Gamow as close friends, to only name a few. He was with Gel-Mann when he was told he had won the Nobel for Quark Theory.

Richard said that Gel-Mann replied, "People are now talking about quarks as if tehy actually exist." A real piece of history is there. Richard has been involved in many projects, and currently still is. Richard is currently consulting for a mutual business associate of ours that is the ONLY source for gem quality, flawless, single crystal diamonds. These diamonds can only be made by a former Russian Military Complex.

Richard and I started a business together, Virtual Kinematics. Various projects incuded an entertainment flight simulator. Richard and I talk on a regular basis.

Bobby Bracewell became my best friend. He is similar in background to myself. He has worked on many fascinating projects in "Area 51" including analysis or captured Russian satellite parts. he also worked underground there doing neutron bombardment to Air Force Avionics. No, he never saw any UFO's. Bobby once tole me getting his doctorate was the biggest mistke he made in his life. This had a profound effect on me.

My experience with instrumentation and controls is extensive. I was the Process/Systems Engineer for TCP1 and TCP2 Tyvek lines (pictured). These production lines put the final properties into the sheet Tyvek. Line speed, temperatures, pressures, etc. were all monitored and controlled by Allen Bradley PLC's.

I also have extensive experience with Industrial Robotics. I currently manage a department that writes manuals for automation and industrial robots.