Title: Ganzfeld and Non-Ganzfeld: an Exploratory Study of the Effects of Ganzfeld Conditions on ESP

Period and status: 2000 - 2001- concluded
Sponsorship: Bial Foundation (Portugal)
Coordinator: Fábio Eduardo da Silva
Researchers: Fábio Eduardo da Silva, Margareth Aparecida Bleichwel, Sibele Aparecida Pilato, Maurício Yanez Alves da Silva and Celso Côrtes Cordeiro

Researcher Sibele Pilato working in the receiver’s (left) and researcher’s (right) rooms

Publication:

V SIMPÓSIO DA FUNÇÃO BIAL: AQUÉM E ALÉM DO CÉREBRO - Fundação Bial, Portugal - 2004 - Ganzfeld e não Ganzfeld: testando a eficiência da técnica em si e em relação a outros fatores psi-condutivos (Pôster: Fábio E. Silva, Reginaldo Hiraoka and Sibele Pilato)

I CONFIES: CONGRESSO CIENTÍFICO DAS FIES - FIES, Curitiba - 2003 - Ganzfeld e não Ganzfeld: observando estados modificados de consciência e outros fatores favoráveis à telepatia, num estudo exploratório (Fábio E. Silva, Reginaldo Hiraoka and Sibele Pilato)

THE PA 46TH ANNUAL CONVENTION - PA, Canadá - 2003 - Ganzfeld vs. no Ganzfeld: an exploratory study of the effects of Ganzfeld conditions on ESP (Fábio E. Silva, Reginaldo Hiraoka and Sibele Pilato)

I ENCONTRO PSI - FIES, Curitiba - 2002 - Ganzfeld e não Ganzfeld: observando estados modificados de consciência e outros fatores favoráveis à telepatia, num estudo exploratório (Fábio E. Silva, Reginaldo Hiraoka and Sibele Pilato)

CD ROOM: Relatório de Pesquisa: Ganzfeld x não Ganzfeld: testando a eficiência da técnica em si e em relação a outros fatores psi-condutivos. 2002. (Fábio E. Silva)

VÍDEO DOCUMENTÁRIO - VHS and DVD: Vídeo documentário da pesquisa Ganzfeld e Não Ganzfeld - 2002. (Fábio E. Silva)

CD DE AUDIO: Relaxamento Ganzfeld e Chiado Branco - 2000 - (Fábio E. Silva and Sibele Pilato)

Abstract: :

In this double-blind exploratory study, 74 subjects participated forming 37 couples (sender/receiver). The sender watched a video and tried to send it to the receiver, who was located 120 metres away. At the end of the sending/receiving period (28 min.) the receiver watched four videos and tried to identify which one had been sent. There were two experimental conditions. In the Ganzfeld (GZ) condition the researchers and subjects listened to a 20-minute relaxation induction. The receiver’s eyes were covered with halved Ping-Pong balls, upon which two red lights were projected, and they listened to “white noise” during the experimental session. In the non-Ganzfeld (NGZ) condition, neither the Ping-Pong balls nor the “white noise” were used and there was no relaxation induction. From July 2001 to March 2002, 108 trials (54 GZ and 54 NGZ) were carried out. There was no overall significance (hit rate 25.93%, Z = 0.11, EF = 0.51). The NGZ and GZ hits (18.52%, Z = –0.94, EF = 0.41 and 33.33%, Z = 1.26, EF = 0.60 respectively) did not reach significance. However the GZ hits were in the direction of the findings reported in the Ganzfeld meta-analysis by Bem and Honorton (1994). The difference between the GZ and NGZ hits was significant, p = .0228 one-tailed. We also found that the targets that were hit were evaluated by receivers (in terms of personal preference and personal meaning) higher than the targets that were not hit. Analysis of the qualitative content of hits and misses suggested that in future studies the qualitative results should be considered along with the conventional methodology of hits vs. misses. These results seem to be similar to the qualitative findings found by Parker..

The researcher Maurício Y. A. da Silva working in the sender room with a subject.

The researcher Sibele Pilato conducting the judgment with the receiver.

Paper (English / Portuguese)

Title: Telepathy in dreams: a didactic study

Period and status: 2003–2004, concluded
Researchers: Ênio C.S. Araújo, Cilmar Souza Nogueira, Cristiane Piasecki, Jedalva Oliveira, Helison Giradello, Fábio E. da Silva and Maria José Westphal

The photograph shows the student researchers: Ênio C. S. Araújo, Cilmar Souza Nogueira, Cristiane Piasecki, Maria José Westphal and Helison Giradell.

Publications:

II ENCONTRO PSI - FIES, Curitiba - 2004 - Telepatia em sonhos: um estudo didático (Ênio C.S. Araújo, Cilmar Souza Nogueira, Cristiane Piasecki, Jedalva Oliveira, Helison Giradello, Fábio E. da Silva e Maria José Westphal)

Abstract:

This study, conducted by students of the 5th semester of the Parapsychology Course, had the objective to verify the possibility of telepathy through dreams. The thirteen subjects involved in the study each took part in a minimum of one and a maximum of three trials. They were selected according the following criteria: a) often being able to remember their dreams; b) usually waking up at the same time every day; and c) believing in the possibility of telepathy. They would sleep at home and write down their dreams after waking up. The researchers acted as senders, telepathically trying to send a one-minute video that they watched from their own home thirty minutes before the subjects’ normal time of waking. During the evaluation, the subjects tried to identify the correct target among 4 possible targets. 22 trials were carried out, showing 7 hits (31.8%, z = 0.49, p > ,05) refuting the hypothesis that direct hits would positively and significantly differ from the mean chance expectancy. All hits were from feminine receivers, but the proportional comparison between hits and missed for both sexes was not significant (X2 = 2.88, p > 0.05). Qualitative data were also taken into consideration, indicating a similarity with previous studies. Methodological flaws were evaluated and suggestions for future studies through dreams were given.
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Title: Digital and Physiological Ganzfeld: looking for a more objective measure of psi

Period and status: 2003–2008, in progress
Sponsorship: Bial Foundation (Portugal)
Coordinator: Fábio Eduardo da Silva
Researchers: Fábio Eduardo da Silva, Sibele Aparecida Pilato, Maurício Yanez Alves da Silva and Reginaldo de Castro Hiraoka.

The photograph on the right shows Fábio Eduardo da Silva presenting the Digital and Physiological Ganzfeld at the Seminário de Comunicação Intuitiva e Interações Ambientais Anômalas in Sao Paulo. The photograph on the left shows Sibele Pilato presenting the Ganzfeld in the I Congresso Científico das FIES in Curitiba.

Publications:

THE PA 48TH ANNUAL CONVENTION - PA, Petaluma, EUA - 2005 - Digital and Physiological Ganzfeld: looking for a more objective measure of psi (Fábio E. Silva, Reginaldo Hiraoka and Sibele Pilato)

II ENCONTRO PSI - FIES, Curitiba - 2004 - Ganzfeld Digital Fisiológico: em busca de uma medida mais objetiva para psi (Fábio E. Silva, Reginaldo Hiraoka e Sibele Pilato)

SEMINÁRIO: COMUNICAÇÃO INTUITIVA E INTERAÇÕES AMBIENTAIS ANÔMALAS - PUC, São Paulo - 2003 - Ganzfeld Digital: Um sistema automático de pesquisa experimental de psi. (Fábio E. Silva)

Abstract:

This study is based on our manual Ganzfeld research in which qualitative data were evaluated, showing two points to be improved: a) the quality of analysis of mentation related to the targets and/or situations linked to the senders should be more objective; the Real Time Digital Ganzfeld System developed by Dr Adrian Parker and Dr Joakim Westerlund, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, provides tools for this; and b) the conventional methodology used to evaluate psi, or, the choice of the correct targets among false ones should be more objective since the qualitative data seem to show mistakes more suggestive of psi than of several hits. Based on these points, we will verify the integration of the Digital Ganzfeld Technique (real-time system to evaluate the cognitive aspects of psi) with the DMILS – Direct Mental Interactions with Living Systems – technique (measuring electrodermal activity [EDA] as the psi physiological measurement) to produce a more objective measure of psi. We will also evaluate other variables related to the targets, researchers, experimental environment, sender and receiver. The entire experiment will be controlled by computers, from target randomisation and showing, to recording of the experimental data. The sender will watch a video and try to send it to the receiver, who will be located 63 metres away. Researchers and subjects will hear a 20-minute relaxation induction. The receiver’s eyes will be covered with halved Ping-Pong balls, upon which two red lights will be projected, and they will listen to “white noise” during the experimental session. At the end of the sending/receiving period (23 min.) the receiver will watch four videos and try to identify which one was sent. The digital videos (targets) of 1’30” will be projected to the sender and the receiver on two 120-inch screens by two multimedia projectors. Two 5.1 surround sound systems will also be used to create heightened involvement with the targets. During the experimental sessions, the rooms of the researcher, sender and receiver will be filmed. During the sending/receiving period, the reports of the receiver will be recorded. During target evaluation (judging process) the receiver will be able to listen to his/her mentation while watching each target in a synchronized way. This will facilitate the receiver’s perception of the moments during which he/she described the target in real time. We hope to obtain more synchronism between the mentation and the correct targets than between the mentation and the false ones. In addition, the sender and the receiver’s EDA – Electrodermal Activity – will be measured in the hope that a major correlation will be obtained during the quality hit sessions..

The photograph shows the sender in the Ganzfeld deprivation.

Paper (English / Portuguese)

Title: Psi Inductive Training for Brazilian Children

Period and status: 2004, concluded
Coordinators: Fábio Eduardo da Silva and Hideyuki Kokubo (Japan)
Researchers: Fábio Eduardo da Silva, Sibele Aparecida Pilato and Hideyuki Kokubo (Japan)

Publications:

JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF LIFE INFORMATION SCIENCE – ISLIS – Vol. 23, no. 1, 2005 – Application of Psi Inductive Training for Brazilian Children (Hideyuki Kokubo, Fábio E. Silva, Sibele Pilato, Reginaldo Hiraoka and Mikio Yamamoto)

THE 37TH JSP ANNUAL CONVENTION – Tokyo, Japan – 2004 – Psi Inducive Training for Brazilian Children (Hideyuki Kokubo, Mikio Yamamoto, Fábio E. Silva, Reginaldo Hiraoka and Sibele Pilato)

JAPANESE JP – Vol. 9, nos. 1–2, 2004 – Psi Inducive Training for Brazilian Children (Hideyuki Kokubo, Fábio E. Silva, Sibele Pilato, Reginaldo Hiraoka and Mikio Yamamoto)

III ENCONTRO PSI: Implicações e aplicações da psi - FIES, Curitiba - 2006 - Application of Psi Inductive Training for Brazilian Children (Hideyuki Kokubo, Mikio Yamamoto, Fábio E. Silva, Reginaldo Hiraoka and Sibele Pilato)

Abstract:

The authors applied the Chinese technique of psi inductive training to 11 Brazilian children. This technique was developed in China in the 1980s. This training prepares subjects for a free-response test with targets, which are letters or figures written on a paper that is balled up. Chinese researchers in Yunnan, Shanghai and Beijing have claimed that they successfully trained subjects using the method. In the present study, the authors attempted to train Brazilian children using the same method as that of the Yunnan University researchers. The authors monitored the Field RNGs during training. Final training results were not available because the training was only carried out twice and the number of subjects was small. However, it was considered that this method could be applied to subjects who do not know Kanji letters.

Title: Distant healing intention to autistic patients: an exploratory study

Period and status: 2005–2006, concluded
Sponsorship: Commercial institutions
Coordinators: Prof. Dr José Rimundo Facion, Prof. Fábio Eduardo da Silva and Prof. Nadir Martins Ganz (Brazil)
Researchers: Magda Jaqueline da Silva, (Brazil) Sergio Schilling, Waldo Mora (Chile), Hideyuki Kokubo (Japan) and Luis S. Espinoza Paul (Peru)

Publications:

III ENCONTRO PSI: Implicações e aplicações da psi - FIES, Curitiba - 2006 - Intenção de Cura à Distância sobre pacientes autistas: um estudo exploratório, considerando variáveis psicológicas e físicas ( José Raimundo Facion; Júlia Hein,
Nadir Martins Ganz; Fabio Eduardo da Silva; Magda Jaqueline da Silva, Sergio Schilling; Waldo Mora, Luis S. Espinoza Paul and Hideyuki Kokubo)

IV Encontro Psi - FIES, Curitiba, 2008 - Distant healing intention to autistic patients: an exploratory study (Fabio E. da Silva, Hideyuki Kokubo, José R. Facion, Júlia Hein, Lizmari Pontoni, Luis S. Espinoza Paul, Sergio Schilling, Waldo Mora, Nadir M. Ganz and Magda J. da Silva)

Abstract:
Purpose: We tested the effects of Distant Healing (DH) for autistic patients who were at a hospital in the south of Brazil using CARS (Childhood Autism Rating Scale).
Subjects: There were 10 target patients suffering from serious autism (7 male, 3 female, average age of 18.5 years) who did not suffer from other illness. They were categorised at random into Test group (3 male, 2 female, average age of 20.2 years) or Control group (4 male, 1 female, average age of 16.8 years). There were 10 healers who lived in Brazil, Chile, Peru and Japan. The approximate distances between patients and healers were from 130 km to 1.87 x 104 km (Japan to Joinville).
Methods: Distant healing sessions were carried out in 2005, from 16th November to 10th December (25 days). Each healer performed DH with one patient once a day while looking at a photograph of the patient. Each patient received the healing service from 2 healers every 5 days. Each patient was also being treated with conventional medical care during the healing research.
Evaluations: The conditions of patients’ illness were evaluated by a psychologist using CARS before the healing session and 3 months after the session. In addition, patients’ parents and teachers also evaluated the patients using exploratory instruments.
Results: For all patients, CARS, Parents’ and Teachers’ evaluations decreased after the healing session. The differences were not significant (Pared t-test, one tail, n = 10, CARS: p = 0.056, Parent: p = 0.128, Teacher: p = 0.128). When comparing Test with Control, CARS, Parents’ and Teachers’ evaluations of the test group were smaller than the control group, although these differences were not significant (t-test for difference CARS: p = 0.143, Parent: p = 0.348, Teacher: p = 0.261). Comparing pre- and post-data in Test and Control: the CARS of the test group decreased significantly from pre- to post-evaluation, which is not observed in the Parents’ and Teachers’ scores (CARS: p = 0.004, Parent: p = 0.237, Teacher: p = 0.173). The Parents’ scores showed a decrease after the intervention at 5% significance for the control group. The CARS and Teacher’s scores do not show this effect. The CARS, Parents’ and Teachers’ scores are not correlated with each other. (CARS-Parents r = 0.240; CARS-Teachers r = 0.021; Parents-Teachers r = 0.059)
Discussion and conclusion: We conclude that both treatment by conventional medical care and DH could not recover the patients’ health. If comparing pre- and post-data in Test and Control groups, it was observed that the test group’s CARS scores decreased significantly from pre- to post-evaluation, which is not observed in the control group. However it was found that there were several medication changes during the research, so this could be an artefact produced by these changes.

Title: Is it possible to stimulate the anomalous experiences perception? An exploratory study with groups of dynamics

Period and status: 2004–2010, in progress
Coordinator: Fábio Eduardo da Silva

Publications:

III ENCONTRO PSI: Implicações e aplicações da psi - FIES, Curitiba - 2006 - É possível estimular a percepção de experiências anômalas? (Fábio E. Silva)

Abstract:

The focus of this study is anomalous experiences (AEs), which can be defined as uncommon and irregular, although may be experienced by a substantial number of the population. It is believed to deviate from ordinary experience or from conventionally accepted explanations of reality. Among the wide variety of AEs, we focused on psi-related experiences. From an experimental point of view, psi is a hypothetical construct relating to the presumed anomalous transfer of information or energy. The goal of study is to evaluate whether anomalous transfer of information or energy (psi) could be obtained or improved by perception training and by experiencing psi-conductive factors, both of which were conducted in groups. Phenomenological and experimental evaluations are considered both before and after the intervention. The phenomenological approach will both evaluate the coherence of the adopted theoretical constructs and discover new data. The experimental approach will use the Ganzfeld sensory deprivation technique to objectively evaluate the possible effects of intervention. The research questions will be considered through the integration of these two approaches. The study is in its pilot phase with three groups. Some activities, partial results and discussions are presented.

Title: Telephone telepathy: an exploratory study

Period and status: 2006, concluded

Coordinator: Fábio Eduardo da Silva
Researchers: Ivone Pereira, Mariza A. Kieszkowski, Jocemara Zanatto, Nivaldo Voigt, and Fábio Eduardo da Silva

Publication:

IIV Encontro Psi - FIES, Curitiba, 2008 - Telepatia por telefone: um estudo exploratório (Ivone
Pereira, Mariza A. Kieszkowski, Jocemara Zanatto, Nivaldo Voigt, Fábio Eduardo da Silva)

Abstract:

Introduction: As a part of the Training in Experimental Research of the Universities Integrated Spiritualist’s Course of Parapsychology, this study was conducted in the first semester of 2006. Could the intention of speaking with someone on the telephone create favourable conditions for telepathy? This can be suggested by people that report feeling or knowing who is calling them on the telephone. However, does this represent coincidence, selective memory, or sensorial cues?
Purpose: Trying to contribute to the answers to these questions, this study tried to verify, under controlled conditions, whether people could guess, at levels above pure chance, who was calling them [hypothesis].
Subjects: Without previous selection, researchers’ friends and relatives were invited, with a total of 12 participants, from 5 to 65 years of age (mean age 35), of which 25% were men and 75% were women.
Methods: In groups of 5, one participant acted as receiver and the others as senders. For each 10 trials the receiver was changed, then acting as sender. Together with a researcher, the receivers received calls in a room 63 metres away from the senders. Before hearing the caller, the receivers tried to guess the sender. The sequence of the calls was defined by a table of random numbers. Telephone calls were made through 2 mobile telephones. 120 trials were carried out in 3 days, by 3 groups of 5 participants.
Evaluations: The results were calculated by the Z formula (Direct Hit z Score), binomial exact with p = 0.25 and q = 0.75.
Results: A number of hits below that of chance expectation was obtained: 21.67% of hits, (Z = –0.73, p = 0.77). One of the participants obtained 40% of hits (z = 1.86, p = 0.021) reaching statistical significance alone. The other participants obtained 15.6% of hits (z = –1,94, p = 0.021), which was inversely significant. The difference is highly significant (RC = 2.92, p = 0.001).
Discussion and conclusions: The study hypothesis was refuted and non-predicted exploratory analyses have indicated a possible anomalous effect among one participant’s results in relation to the others. The study also obtained its educational function.