On The Nature of Psi.

[SethLaRoth DeShawl]

The True Nature of Psi

Introduction

The intent and specific purpose of this article is an attempt to make clear and remove some of the most common misconceptions that exist about the nature and mechanisms of psi. It shall first dispute the most common ideas about Psionics or more particularly just Psi in general which are contradicted by current scientific evidence, after which it then will attempt to present a more reasonable and logical description of how psi operates on a fundamental level. The proposed description corresponds to the experiences of performing psi, and does not contradict the scientific evidence on the properties of psi.

Psi and Electromagnetism

The strongest pieces of evidence that psi is not electromagnetic is the following information from a number of controlled studies (all of which can be found in the scientific literature at a good library, or you can check the references at the end *):

1. Psi cannot be shielded by a Faraday cage, lead wall, concrete wall, or by large amounts of dirt. Electromagnetic radiation, by comparison, is shielded by each of these.

2. Psi does not change in effectiveness or targeting with distance. Electromagnetic radiation, by comparison, weakens in strength by one over the distance squared, or in the case of directed radiation suffers an identical weakening of aiming.

3. Psi does not change in effectiveness when the subject and target are placed forward or backward in time with respect to each other. Electromagnetic radiation, by comparison, only ever moves forward in time from source to destination.

The two most common misconceptions apparently are, first off, that ultra low frequency electromagnetic radiation fits the scientific evidence. It does not. It does, however, remedy most of the problems with number 1 above, yet it does not at all address Numbers 2 and 3. The second most common misconception is that it is somehow "biochemical", "bioelectric", or "biomagnetic" energy that can solve these problems. Such is not the case, Since each of these three things are simply nothing more than electromagnetic interaction in living objects, and thus are subject to the same conditions as noted above in numbers 1-3 stated above.

Out of everything that is now known about physics, we know that Physics consists of four distinct and well known forces, that which is the strong, and the weak, electromagnetic, and gravitational forces. Not a single one of these four known forces are even relatively close to fitting the known evidence scientifically speaking of how psi functions or works. Consequently, we must conclude that psi works by means of which is not due to one of these four factors or forces and at present,there is no accepted theory that exists in physics which can attributed these specific forces properties. So in order for physics to explain the mechanism and the nature of psi, it will need to expand beyond its current level of that which physics is capable of explaining and what is presently known about it.


Psi and the Brain

Now I would like to address the most often proposed theorem that psi is a trait exercised by the physical brain. The first and foremost, obvious counterargument for this statement, is that the physical brain is a biochemical organism that processes information by electrochemical impulses, and thus the entirety of the brain's function is electromagnetic, and falls directly under the conditions described above which prohibit psi from being due to electromagnetism. So you see this takes us nowhere.

The next simplest counterargument for psi as an exercised trait of the physical brain is that information in psi would appear to be received and transmitted at a conceptual level, rather than exclusively and specifically at a linguistic or visual level. In order to explain this as a function of the physical brain, there would have to be something fundamental about the wiring of each concept in each person so to speak, however, we know from neuro-science that there are enormous variations and distinct differences in how concepts are stored in each individual's brain. Each concept is stored as a collection of neurons throughout the brain which are activated simultaneously, and this collection of neurons are activated differently for each individual person. As a consequence, the brain does not have a conceptual standard for relaying this information. Therefore, psi information must be relayed by something which can convey conceptual information directly, and it isn't the brain.


So What is Psi?

The essence of the human mind can be divided into two categories, the physical brain (an electrochemical organism) and a non-physical component which is not restricted to spatiotemporal interaction. The standard English term for the non-physical component of the self is the "soul", and by the above argument it must be this non-physical component which is responsible for psi.

One personal definition of the soul could be "the part of ourselves which performs psi, which separates from the body during out of body experiences, and which continues existing after the death of the physical body."

From the conditions imposed by out of body experiences, we know that the soul must be separable from the body. In addition, from the experiments involving use of psi across distances and across time, we know that the soul must be able to extend and relocate itself throughout space and time without regard for the amount of intervening distance or time, and without regard for any physical barriers placed in between two positions.

From the understanding of how telepathy functions, it can be deduced that the soul is capable of processing conceptual information, yet in a significantly different way than the brain processes information. A thorough understanding of this can only be achieved by experiencing it, but a rudimentary description can be made. The brain processes information by considering options, weighing lessons learned from past experiences, and then eventually a response becomes active. By comparison the soul becomes shaped by the experiences of living, and decisions in the soul just "are".

The soul can be considered to be more "us" than the brain, as the soul is the more lasting and central component of our identity. This is similar to the argument which says that the brain is more "us" than the arm.

The abilities of psi: sensing the world, changing the world, and communicating with others, are all exclusively performed by the soul. However, the physical brain has a key role in this, as it holds the conscious and subconscious thoughts which shape, direct, and interpret the performance of psi.

When psi is performed in a controlled manner, the psion forms an intent or plan in the conscious mind, and then forms this intent in the soul, perhaps with the assistance of the subconscious mind. In the case of the sensing abilities, the soul receives conceptual input which is then passed into the physical brain for interpretation by the brain. Psi abilities can also occur in a less controlled fashion, as the soul, being more central to who we are, can perform psi without the instruction or guidance of the brain.

In either case, however, the actual performance of psi is done by the soul, and the brain is left to guide and interpret the soul, just as the soul in turn guides and learns from the brain.


* Example references covering the three points

* "The Conscious Universe" by Dean Radin, 1997 (page 16)
* "Extra-sensory Perception After Sixty Years" by J.G. Pratt, J.B. Rhine, et al. 1966 (pages 325-326)
* "The Physical Basis of Intentional Healing Systems" by Roger D. Nelson (pages 17-18)
* "The Speed of Thought: Investigation of a Complex Space- Time Metric to Describe Psychic Phenomena" by E. Rauscher and R. Targ, 2001 (page 1)