[asa] ID/parapsychology connection?

 
I was suprised to see Janice quoting Robin Collins citing unreferenced work
by parapsychologist Rupert Sheldrake that raised the possibility of
transcontinental communication in animals via "morphic resonance" (though
Collins qualifies everything with a big "*if* this turns out to be true")
June's PSCF published a favorable review of Radin's "The concious universe:
the scientific truth of psychic phenomena" in which the reviewer closed by
saying the book had been recommended by Dembski. Dembski has also endorsed
the Manmin Joonang Church, whose leader claims to be able to turn salt water
to fresh and perform miraculous healings.
 
This leads me to wonder how common respect for and interest in
parapsychology as a science is among ID proponents. My own contact with the
field is quite limited: occasionally a transfer student comes along who has
taken a course in parapsychology (always at a community college, in my
experience) and who wants to count it as an elective in our major. (My job
is to tell her no, since we do not offer such a course in our department).
Beyond that, the closest I've come is having a man in my former church
assume that because my degree was in biological psychology I must know how
to hypnotize plants!
 
Taking parapsychology seriously as a science does not seem to be common
among the Southern Baptists I know who are so gung ho for intelligent design
(not to mention"Thousands not Billions" and other "challenges" to mainstream
science). Indeed, most would dismiss it as at best "New Age" and at worst
occultic. I also can't imagine that many parapsychologists endorse ID
theory.
 
Any comments on whether there is a connection?

 
__
Louise M. Freeman, PhD
Psychology Dept
Mary Baldwin College
Staunton, VA 24401
540-887-7326
FAX 540-887-7121

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Received on Mon Oct 2 12:23:52 2006