Re: [asa] ID/parapsychology connection?

I would say that if there is a connection then it is a weak one. I have
two just colleagues (with qualifications in hard science) who are
Sheldrake fans and neither is an ID proponent.
Incidentally, I have read a couple of Sheldrake's books but I am a
skeptic re parapsychology -- I can think of alternative explanations for
such things as why birds suddenly become proficient in penetrating milk
bottle tops or sudden increases in average IQ quotient, and the problems
with the experimenter effect and subject effect in paraspychology
experiemnts are huge.
Don

IFreeman, Louise Margaret wrote:

> 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 16:03:27 2006