Research

LATERALITY AND PSI

In 1987 a pilot project of 150 individuals who had participated for the first time in the Psychophysical Research Laboratory’s (PRL) Ganzfeld studies (a state of semi-sensory deprivation which facilitates psi abilities) were asked to report on their hand-preference. PRL was located at Princeton Junction, NJ and directed by Mr. Charles (Chuck) Honorton). At that time I was participating as a volunteer participant at the PRL. According to Geschwind (1974), self-report is generally regarded as the best single measure of lateral preference. Participants were requested to return a postcard, giving information on their hand preference as follows: right- handed, left-handed or mixed-handed. There was an 80% return rate for the postcards. A preliminary analysis of the results showed the following:R Preference (n=91)L Preference (n=11)Mixed (n=19)The handedness estimates were compared with first-place hits on a Ganzfeld psiexperiment. Among the 91 right- handers, only 29 had direct Ganzfeld hits (32%, z=1.38). Of the left- handers, an even smaller proportion had direct hits on the Ganzfeld, 2 out of 11 (18%, z =-.17). However, there were 10 mixed-handed subjects with direct hits, out of 19 (53%, z = 2.2). While this was a preliminary study, the results certainly warrant further investigation.How are mixed- handers different from strong right or left- handers? The distribution of mixed-handedness ranges between 24% to 34% in the general population and more males than females are mixed-handed (Annett, 1970). Mixed handedness may be a normal variant on the right/left continuum (Annett, 1967, 1970, 1972). She demonstrated that the handedness distribution on the general population should be regarded as continuous, rather than a discrete right/left distribution. Bakan (1975) found a familial influence for ambilaterality: mixed- handers reported far more left-handed and mixed-handed relatives than right- handers did.Most adults with mixed hand preference appear to be cognitively and neurologically normal (Bishop, 1983). The assumption that mixed handedness reflects immature, underdeveloped cerebral lateralization is not confirmed. Mixed-handedness may also be a product of environmental pressures. On the whole, ambilateral adults with mixed-hand preference are cognitively and neurologically normal and may represent a normal, genetic variation. Mixed- handers may have a unique perspective on the world and behave according to their different view.

In 2001 a study was carried out to investigate certain aspects of human consciousness and, in particular, the topic of remote viewing. As part of a much larger study to measure the footprint of consciousness the study investigated characteristics of remote viewing and of the individuals doing the viewing.

In particular, variables such as gender, age, type and length of training, the trait of absorption, and range of handedness were evaluated. Other variables such as distance, time, sidereal time, and presence or absence of solar storms were included, as these might be important to remote viewing performance.

A call went out for trained remote viewers to participate in the study and 25 viewers completed all of the requirements for the study. The requirements included completion of an Informed Consent, questionnaires, and one remote viewing session.

The study was conducted triple-blind, that is the participants, as well as the experimenter and any monitors, were blind to the targets until they had been scored. Third parties selected the targets and put them into sealed, numbered envelopes, contacted the participants, scheduled the viewing dates, and scored the targets. The target pictures were chosen at random from a pool of 100 targets and provided as feedback to the participants by email and postal mail.

The twenty-five participants who took part in the study ranged in age from 20 to 66 years. There were 13 males and 12 females. The participants ranged between 63 and 9,513 miles away from the picture targets. The participants had been trained at 8 schools of remote viewing. Some of the preliminary remote viewing results were interesting. For example, participants were asked if they used a monitor during their sessions: of the 25 participants, 19 did their session solo.

A scoring method developed by Problems<Solutions<Innovations was used to evaluate the remote viewing sessions. The scale scored each session on 39 categories, on a yes, no, or unknown basis. Trained scorers compared the participants session summaries to the picture target, and a percentage score was given to each session. The summaries ranged from 6% to 100% correct information perceived about the target. The mean correct information obtained by the participants was 63.8%. Ten of the participants perceived 80% and higher correct information.

There was a positive correlation between the time that the participant took to complete their session and their percentage score (p = .037) indicating that shorter sessions appeared to generate higher scores. The participants took on average about an hour to complete their sessions. Higher scores were also positively correlated with level of training (p = .002). However the unequal number of participants from the different training schools made it difficult to estimate any difference between schools. There were no age or gender differences in scores.

The laterality data showed that the participants fell into a distribution of right, left, and mixed- handedness that was comparable to that found in the general population. There was a bias toward being left-eared in the remote viewing group, compared to a right-ear preference in the general population. The study population was equally divided between having a right or left-eye preference. In the general population, being right-eyed is the norm. Also the study participants were equally divided between being right or left-footed where the norm in the general population is to be right-footed.

Variables such as the trait of absorption, distance, time, sidereal time, and presence or absence of solar storms were not compared to session scores, at this time, because of the small database. There was insufficient data for these measures to give a meaningful analysis.

Further data will be collected in the future to evaluate these measures.

I would like to thank all of the research participants and volunteers who contributed their time and expertise in order to carry out this study. The full study will eventually be written up for publication. Funding is being sought to replicate and extend this study in the future.

The primary goal of this study was to replicate and extend studies conducted at Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research (PEAR) Laboratory, utilizing their portable Random Event Generator (REG) and experimental protocols (PORTREG) whereby operators attempt to intentionally influence the output of the REG. Another primary purpose was to examine the possible impact of expectations engendered in the training period. The secondary purposes of this study were to investigate the association of measures of absorption, flow, and vocational creativity with REG scores. Gender effects were also investigated. Eighty adult subjects, 44 males and 36 females, contributed one experimental REG series to the database, in a tripolar protocol, with the intention to raise or lower the output of the REG (High intention and Low intention) plus the generation of a Baseline. No significant effects were found in the direction of intention (High or Low) and there were no significant gender effects. Subjects completed the Tellegen Absorption Scale - TAS (Tellegen and Atkinson, 1974), a modified flow scale (Csikszentmihalyi, 1985; Csikszentmihalyi & Csikszentmihalyi , 1988), and a vocational self-report related to the Lifetime Creativity Scales (LCS) (Richards, Kinney, Benet, & Merzel, 1988). No significant relationships were found between the REG scores, expectation, absorption, flow, or the LCS. Eighteen of the 80 subjects were designated Extrachance scorers, as they achieved significant differences between their High and Low REG scores, where only four such subjects would be expected by chance alone. The Extrachance subjects had significantly different scores than non-Extrachance subjects on a two-tailed t-test for absorption, flow, and peak creativity, with levels of vocational creativity being higher in the Extrachance than non-Extrachance group, and flow and absorption lower. Hence, for the Extrachance subgroup, representing 23% of the sample, significant findings occurred involving subject influence on REG scores, as well as differences from non-Extrachance scorers on all of the vocational creativity, flow, and absorption measures. These results fit with reports from PEAR and suggest the value of further in-depth studies of exceptional people, and of characteristics that may be relevant to the REG task. Suggestions are given for further research of the impact of human consciousness on random electronic systems.

As part of the initial phase of a prospective study of the development of laterality, one hundred and fifty babies were tested in the neonatal period for the existence of lateral asymmetries in behavior. Palmar and plantar grasp response and head-turning behavior were tested on two consecutive days. As many babies held an object longer in their left hand as held longer with the right. Head turning, however, was markedly asymmetrical, with 52% of the babies turning predominantly to the right and only 16% turning predominantly to the left. The possible relationship of the direction of head-turning to obstetrical and other environmental factors was examined.
No relationship was found between such obstetrical factors as birth position, birth order and time to establish regular respirations although a slightly higher proportion of babies who turned predominantly to the left were born from an LOA rather than an ROA birth position.
Some interesting maternal asymmetric behavior was found. Most mothers preferred to hold their infants to the left and more mothers laid their babies down on their right sides. The right-lying position correlated significantly with head-turning preference in that babies who were laid on their right sides were more likely to turn to their right.
These results were compared with the findings of others and their implications discussed.

PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS

TECHNICAL REPORTS