Parapsychology, Philosophy, & Spirituality: A Postmodern Exploration (Constructive Postmodern Thought)
Parapsychology, Philosophy, & Spirituality: A Postmodern Exploration (Constructive Postmodern Thought)
In this book, David Ray Griffin, best known for his work on the problem of evil, turns his attention to the even more controversial topic of parapsychology. Griffin examines why scientists, philosophers, and theologians have held parapsychology in disdain and argues that neither a priori philosophical attacks nor wholesale rejection of the evidence can withstand scrutiny. After articulating a constructive postmodern philosophy that allows the parapsychological evidence to be taken seriously. Griffin examines this evidence extensively. He identifies four types of repeatable phenomena that suggest the reality of extrasensory perception and psychokinesis. Then, on the basis of a nondualistic distinction between mind and brain, which makes the idea of life after death conceivable, he examines five types of evidence for the reality of life after death: messages from mediums; apparitions; cases of the possession type; cases of the reincarnation type; and out-of-body experiences. His philosophical and empirical examinations of these phenomena suggest that they provide support for a postmodern spirituality that overcomes the thinness of modern religion without returning to supernaturalism.
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Dennis P. McMahon said,
Wrote on October 12, 2011 @ 5:28 am
Compelling Evidence of Life After Death,
Being a spiritually minded person as well as a 9/11 Truth advocate familiar with David Ray Griffin’s many excellent books on 9/11, and knowing that he was a professor of religion and theology, I became very curious to learn what Professor Griffin’s views might be on Spirituality. This curiosity led me to “Parapsychology, Philosophy, and Spirituality–A Postmodern Exploration,” the publication of which predated 9/11 by four years. In this scholarly work, Professor Griffin pays serious attention to the controversial subject of parapsychology, and intensely focuses on non-mainstream topics such as messages from mediums, reincarnation, and out-of-body experiences (OBEs). With seeming inevitability, Professor Griffin concludes that “there is formidable evidence of life after death.” However, it is not so much the conclusion but the analysis and presentation of the direct evidence leading to that conclusion which makes this book such an absolutely rewarding read.
Professor Griffin comes across as a bit of a rebel when identifying “the central task of philosophy: to criticize the prevailing worldview(s) and to suggest a better one,” an assessment that endeared him to this reader. For the record, I am also in accord with Professor Griffin’s own “fully naturalistic” worldview which “allows humans again to feel kinship with the rest of nature, and…encourages reverence for life in all of its forms.”
In this book, Professor Griffin uses the term “parapsychology” as a synonym for “psychic research.” He divides paranormal phenomena into three major types: (1) extrasensory perception (ESP), the two main forms of which are telepathy and clairvoyance; (2) psychokinesis (PK), and (3) experiences such as messages from mediums and near-death and out-of-body experiences, that are suggestive of the existence of psyches apart from their physical bodies. Having set the parameters, Professor Griffin thoroughly engages the reader with “the scientific study of events” involving these three types of psychic phenomena.
Early on in “Parapsychology, Philosophy, and Spirituality,” Professor Griffin provides an expansive list of the well known people who have become convinced that “paranormal events do happen,” including, I was surprised to learn, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Thomas Edison, and Mark Twain. The author points out that just as the mainstream is unaware of the famous and respectable people who took the study of parapsychology seriously, “The same ignorance exists about the fact that there are long-established psychical research organizations with reputable journals and rigorous standards,” an ignorance which Professor Griffin confronts with effective summaries of the legitimate psychical research performed since the late nineteenth century.
Especially illuminating is Professor Griffin’s description of the “factors involved in the formation of opinions about controversial matters, such as the paranormal.” These factors are: one’s worldview which subjectively determines what is possible and impossible; one’s awareness of empirical data; and wishful or fearful thinking. Categorizing people’s views in this way–including the views of members of the so-called scientific community–makes their positions and thought processes easier to understand.
To be sure, some of the topics covered won’t be very easily comprehended by the average nonfiction reader, e.g., the concepts of “prehension” and “retrocausation,” and the various technical philosophies. However, Professor Griffin has a way of getting back to basics that is most welcome, and at times even poetic (e.g., defining “God” as “The Soul of the Universe”), making this a fascinating read overall.
Professor Griffin reveals that “telepathy and clairvoyance, which have been reported throughout history and were verified by tests with mediums and other people in the early days of psychical research, [also] have been verified in strictly controlled experiments in laboratories.” Previously, the only known scientific approach to the paranormal that I had been aware of was undertaken as part of “The Afterlife Experiments” (Pocket Books, 2002, and earlier an HBO Special) conducted by Gary E. Schwartz, PhD, at the University of Arizona. Those experiments featured a study of notable contemporary mediums, including Suzane Northrop and John Edward, and demonstrated that mediumship is real. Professor Griffin’s revelations about the prior historical research into psychic phenomena lend additional credibility to “The Afterlife Experiments” retroactively.
An entire chapter is devoted to the philosophical conceivability or possibility of life after death, and it is here that people’s mindsets come into prominence. While people with “data-led minds” are able to consider the evidence of life after death objectively, Professor Griffin notes, data-led minds “seem to be few and far between.” There…
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|Anonymous said,
Wrote on October 12, 2011 @ 6:14 am
David Ray Giffin has shown great courage in writing this bo,
I have read a number of books on parapsychology and regard this one as the most important I’ve read to date. Griffin is to be applauded for his courage and originality. I would like to dialogue with anyone (including the author) who might wish to delve deeper into the book’s philosphical and political implications.
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|Anonymous said,
Wrote on October 12, 2011 @ 7:11 am
David Ray Giffin has shown great courage in writing this bo,
I have read a number of books on parapsychology and regard this one as the most important I’ve read to date. Griffin is to be applauded for his courage and originality. I would like to dialogue with anyone (including the author) who might wish to delve deeper into the book’s philosphical and political implications.
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