Anomalistic Psychology - Unit 4 - Reading Homework 2

1)Psychic healing…

Paragraph 1:

McClenon (2002) has suggested that psychic healing works due to placebo and hypnotic effects. Therefore, even if there is no psi ability, the treatment will still have beneficial outcomes. Placebo effects refer to the body healing itself through the expectation that healing has taken place. Therefore, expectation that the treatment will work plays a major role in the process.Hyland has suggested that some aspects of modern medical practice, for example, having to give patients full information about the likelihood of a treatment or procedure working, will reduce the patient’s expectations that they will recover. Therefore, psychic healing techniques may be more likely to get a positive outcome in some circumstances.

Paragraph 2:

Psychic healers believe that a person is more than his body. An illness or bodily ailment is just a symptom which is indicative of the need for healing an underlying emotional problem or issue. A person's energy field or “aura” is constantly changing, and corresponds to one's emotions. For example, feelings of love, compassion, enthusiasm and sincerity help to keep the person's aura healthy and vibrant. Negative emotions and thoughts on the other hand, only help block or reduce the person's aura. Most forms of psychic healing involve the strong flowing of vital life force energy. A psychic healer believes that the mind, body and spirit are linked to each other, and that total healing is only possible if these aspects are in balance and harmony. Most psychic healers focus their mind and inner intuition, to help encourage healing in a sick person. This will involve being in a state of meditation, and having a deep awareness of unconditional love. As diseases are known to originate from negative thoughts and emotions, which distort the astral and mental bodies, the psychic healer should be armed with a lot of positive energy and focus, in order for them to provide complete healing. Adapted from

  • Which paragraphs offer an anomalous psychological explanation and which gives a parapsychological explanation?
  • Why might critics suggest that paragraph 2 offers a pseudoscientific, rather than a scientific explanation of how psychic healing works?

One of many studies:

OnettoElguin (1966) developed tumours in mice by injection of tumour cells and then attempted to negatively influence the growth and development of the tumours by daily psychic healing treatments. The average tumour area was significantly smaller in the treated group than in the controls after 16 and 22 days (p < 0.001) (Campbell, 1968) and, following sacrifice of the mice at 23 days, direct measurements of the tumours confirmed the difference (p < 0.01).

  • Why is it difficult to attribute the healing to a placebo effect?
  • Does this mean that the mice ‘recovered’ because of psychic healing?
  • If this is not psychic healing, then what could it be?

The Universe is vast. Nothing is more curious than the self-satisfied dogmatism with which mankind at each period of its history cherishes the delusion of the finality of its existing modes of knowledge. Sceptics and believers are all alike. At this moment scientists and sceptics are the leading dogmatists. Advance in detail is admitted: fundamental novelty is barred. This dogmatic common sense is the death of philosophical adventure. The Universe is vast. (Whitehead, 1948)

  • Why should scientists and believers both take note of the quote above?

2)Out of body experiences (OBEs) and near death experiences (NDEs)…

Task: find an example of an out-of-body experience on the internet. Summarise the experience below

Scientists agree that the vast amount of reports of OBEs are not made up by the reporter, the ‘experience’ is real to them. What is open to debate are the causes of OBEs and NDEs.

There are some interesting similarities in the reports from people who have a NDE. Often there is a sense of peace and the presence of a strong light. Some report this as a religious experience. Other common themes are a life review (my life passed before my eyes), feeling of joy, sense of mystical entity (god like figure), and sense of a point of no return.

  • Why does the universality of OBEs and NDEs suggest a paranormal phenomenon?
  • Can it be explained by non-paranormal explanations?

One explanation of OBE/NDE is the transcendental hypothesis – this states that some people experience the passing from one existence to the next, therefore providing a glimpse of an afterlife. Their soul is leaving their body.

An alternative explanation of NDE is the dying-brain hypothesis; there are various versions of this. One suggests that a huge amount of endorphins are released at the time of great pain or stress, leading to feelings of euphoria and detachment. For example, the release of endorphins when near death are claimed to bring about the reported feelings of euphoria and peace. Other neurological explanations include cortical anoxia to explain ‘light at the end of the tunnel’. Abnormal activity within the temporal lobes could produce symptoms of flashbacks.

  • Which of the above explanations offer a scientific explanation?
  • Which one do you think is correct? Explain your answer

Ehrsson (2007) demonstrated that an OBE can be created in a lab. Find his study on the internet and summarise his findings below…

3)Psychic Mediumship…

A psychic medium claims to be able to communicate with the dead. Modern psychic mediums tend to give private consultationor appear on stage and focus on individuals in the audience whose dead loved ones they claim to have contacted. A meeting between psychic mediums and sitters is known as a reading. The ‘psychic’ is referred to as the reader and the client is referred to as the sitter.

Belief in psychic mediums is widespread – reports suggest 10% of the British population have consulted them.

Do an internet search and learn how to cold-read a participant. A Google search may do it, or log on to this website.

  • What techniques can be used to cold read a person?
  • Do you think that such techniques can account for all Psychic mediumship?
  • If Psychic mediums are cold reading, why can’t they be taken to court over fraud?