Book Report: Entangled Minds --Extrasensory Experiences in a Quantum Reality by Dean Radin (c) 2006

Dean Radin, MS, PhD, is Chief Scientist at the Institute of Noetic Science (IONS) and Associated Distinguished Professor of Integral and Transpersonal Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS). His original career track as a concert violinist shifted into science after earning a BSEE degree in electrical engineering, magna cum laude and with honors in physics, from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and then an MS in electrical engineering and a PhD in psychology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. For a decade, he worked on advanced R&D at AT&T Bell Laboratories and GTE Laboratories. For over three decades, he has been engaged in research on the frontiers of consciousness. Before joining the research staff at IONS in 2001, he held appointments at Princeton University, SRI International, and other academic and industrial facilities.

He is author or co-author of hundreds of scientific, technical, and popular articles, five dozen book chapters, and five best-selling books.
(the above was taken from his bio at the Institute for Noetic Sciences https://noetic.org/profile/dean-radin/)

Most of the books I collect and write about are old 70s "mind science" books about mental or psychic phenomena, and they generally come in two varieties, either they're just a series of anecdotes, or they're sort of how-to guides. If there's any discussion of how these things might work, it's usually the traditional metaphysical talk taken from traditions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, etc. So when I heard about this book, I had to check it out.

The book explores the uncanny similarities between psychic phenomena like clairvoyance, telekinesis and precognition with observed phenomena of Quantum physics.

The book is very logically presented and entertainingly written, leading us through categories of "psi" that have been researched, methods of testing and statistical analysis, (and how to spot errors like accidental or deliberate omissions in data). Naturally he also describes the way the psychological tests are structured, both in order to get the purest data and also to avoid any kind of bias. 

The discussion of quantum physics is clear and understandable. One of the early scientists involved in Quantum research defined much of what he observed as "spooky action at a distance," and this is where the corollaries to Psi phenomena come in. Some of the more mind-blowing concepts in quantum physics include "nonlocality" whereby things can interact with each other even when separated by distance or time and the strange quality whereby atomic particles can be particles or waves depending on the way they are observed, and each state has very different qualities. 

Even the title of the book, "Entangled Minds" refers to "quantum entanglement, which is the strange way that, once particles have interacted, they continue to interact forever, no matter how far they're separated.   

The book is thought provoking and a fun read whether you're a true believer or a hardened skeptic or anything in between. and you'll also come away with a better understanding of Quantum Physics and statistical analysis.  

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I do feel the need to mention one of the other books I've reported on, Science and the Supernatural, by John Taylor. Taylor was a top scientist back in the 70s and 80s, and took the bold step of attempting to find a scientific basis for psychic phenomena. At the time he was writing, mainstream science was even more hostile to Psi research, and quantum physics was still mostly exotic theory. Unfortunately, he reasoned that telepathy and psi phenomena were a manifestation of radio frequencies, but never was able to get his theory to work. Nevertheless, his mere willingness to participate in the study ruined his career. How things have changed!

Book Report: Master Guide to Psychism by Harriet Boswell (c)1969

 Harriet Boswell  was an enthusiastic experimenter in the area of Psychic abilities. She founded the Aquarian Research Center in Florida, a nonprofit center which offered classes and workshops in ESP research. It was dissolved in 1984. This book appears to have been popular enough to have gone through several printings, at least two in hardcover by Parker Publishing, and several in paperback, at least one by Lancer Books, who offered a number of popular titles in inexpensive paperback.

 This latest addition to my collection of Parker Publishing titles, is another book that might qualify as a first-year textbook at Hogwarts. It touches on a broad range of Psychic phenomena, and includes exercises, tips and anecdotes to help a student along. 

The book follows the usual Parker style, which is very readable, and ends each chapter with a series of useful summary points of the chapter. The author's writing style is very clear and readable, almost conversational. She approaches the psychic topics with stories of her personal experiences and fellow experimenters, as well as some references from other authors. She demonstrates a great deal of confidence in what she writes about. She describes herself as a non-conformist, by which she means that she does not adhere too inflexibly to tradition, advising the would-be psychic to avoid being too rigid in their practice, and be open to inspiration (but regular practice is important to improve). 

There's a nice consistency in her philosophy. She opens with spiritualistic subjects, seances and so forth, and then goes on to discuss everything in terms of the energetic "auras" that surround everyone and everything. All subsequent psychic phenomena relate back to either using the energy of one's own aura, or reading the energetic aura of other things or people. 
 

Some of the topics of the book include:

Mediumship & Séances
The Human Aura & Astral Projection
Telepathy & Thought Transference
Premonition & Precognition
Psychokinesis & Telekinesis 
Automatic Writing
Psychometry Powers

Additional subjects covered include reincarnation, spiritualist churches, the use of Ouija boards, and photographic manifestations of the spirit world.