Heretic: Robert Jahn (1994)

A film portrait of Princeton University's leading space propulsion scientist of the 20th century. It was for this work that Professor Jahn was honored with the position of Dean of the Faculty of Engineering. But he was later demoted by the Princeton authorities after he began to pursue pioneering research into the apparently forbidden science of "mind/machine interaction", generally known as micro-psychokinesis. The film shows the startling results of his experiments, as well as interviews with some of his detractors who condemned his research as "pseudoscience" - an accusation he rejected as itself unscientific. "One should be able to do research on spirit." he insisted. Bob Jahn died in November 2017.

[PlanetenPaultje]

I saw this when it first aired on the BBC. 

What stunned me then were the hubris drooling comments from Steven Weinberg and his almost childish faith in the virtual steady state of physics research and his blindness to the possibility that one day the reigning paradigm might be extended. This has happened so often before and is almost inevitable in science as long as investigators walk untrodden paths. A completely inappropriate reaction from a Nobel Laureate.

Watching it today, the comments from SCICOP-man James Alcock seemed wildly out of touch even then, when he talked about the dangers of the experimenter being the subject of the experiment. This considering the developments in quantum physics and the essence of the Pear experiments. The experimenter effect (also called observer-expectancy effect, experimenter-expectancy effect, expectancy bias, observer effect) has been well established in PSI research. Richard Wiseman and Marilyn Schlitz did a joint research project in 1998 that showed the effect convincingly. 

BTW, SCICOP (now CFI) has a standing order to its members not to do any experiments in PSI in order to prevent generating any results that would confirm the existence of PSI effects. This was a reaction to their experience that experiments would usually confirm PSI effects instead of contradicting them, the latter being their goal. Richard Wiseman fell head first into that trap when he solidly confirmed Rupert Sheldrake's dog telepathy results. He then went on TV and denied the whole thing.

Ray Hyman's comments on statistics were just utter bunk. Prof Jessica Utts, the leading statistician, wrote in her 1995 report on the statistical evidence for psychic functioning in US government sponsored research for the US Congress and the CIA:

"Using the standards applied to any other area of science, it is concluded that psychic
functioning has been well established. The statistical results of the studies examined are far
beyond what is expected by chance. Arguments that these results could be due to
methodological flaws in the experiments are soundly refuted. Effects of similar magnitude to
those found in government-sponsored research at SRI and SAIC have been replicated at a
number of laboratories across the world. Such consistency cannot be readily explained by
claims of flaws or fraud."

I'm glad that this documentary is still available. There are many lessons to be learned here.

Recently two interviews were recorded by Jeffrey Mishlove with Brenda Dunne, the former Pear Lab manager:
Enjoy!

[amylee]

I’ve been looking for whatever I could find on PEAR - I was a percipient in a PEAR telepathy/remote viewing experiment . There’s no question it was real and positive.

I hope we are moving toward a time in history that will vindicate Jahn (and that he is happy in and enjoying this from heaven).

[markrolle]

What he says at 16:00 really summarizes why there is such reluctance and stigma from academia. This is what they are afraid of.

[NolalanD]

What's the point in preventing disciplined research into this field, Geoffrey Watson? The guy that talks about statistics has a point, but wouldn't Jahn's data then be relevant to discoveries in statistical analysis?

[rajunaidu]

"I wouldn't believe it even it was true"-Scientistist

[timeisfluid]

How would we know if we have not studied 🤔 very much