Review of Runner Up BICS Essays

Also see:

Review of Runner up BICS Essays

My (unselected) BICS Entry: Case for the Survival Hypothesis

Introduction to the Reviews

Robert T. Bigelow sponsored an essay writing contest asking, “What is the best available evidence for the Survival of Human Consciousness after Permanent Bodily Death?” Bigelow noted in Issue 3, 2021 of the “Magazine for the Society for Psychical Review” interview that:

“Proving whether the other side exists or not is actually just the first step. The research community going back to the 1800s has been dominated by the effort to prove the existence in one way or another, or another, or another… so it has been dominated by the necessity of trying to prove the other side exists and that has gone on for almost two centuries, so at some point here, I want to move on and go to the next level up, which is probably much more profound than simply whether or not some aspect of your consciousness is going to survive your bodily death.” (Page 7)

As co-director of the Association TransCommunication (ATransC), I have answered thousands of questions from the public about things paranormal, especially ITC. A lesson for me has been that people want to understand the actual nature of things. Lacking learned guidance, most turn toward belief rather than science.

The reason I was so excited about the BICS essay contest is that Bigelow was actually paying big bucks to academics to state their best case for survival in essay form. There was no reason to think the essayists would work together toward a consensus view. With that in mind, I set out to review the essays and compile a consensus view from a lay perspective.

As it has turned out, the collected essays are like pieces of a puzzle. Many of them are useless for filling in the picture. A few move us forward as the contest promised. After reviewing the top three essays, and reading most of the rest, I have decided to change my approach to focus more on criticism. The measure of excellence I try to follow is if the author writes as if mind is separate from body. That is, does the author account for people’s dual nature? See for instance, the How We Think essay.

Full Disclosure – The BICS essay contest offers an important opportunity for the paranormalist community to learn how parapsychologists and learned laypeople approach the Survival Hypothesis. My intention in reviewing the winning essays is to keep the lay community’s focus on survival-related phenomena from the perspective of the study of Instrumental TransCommunication (ITC).

As you read this review, please be mindful that I was one of the 204 entries accepted for the BICS essay contest. Mine was not one of the 29 selected essays. While my intention is to focus on the evidence, the fact that I entered but was not selected should warn you of the possibility that I may be too critical. So please, read this with discernment. (My qualifications are at the end.)

Why These Reviews

It is not for me to say if the essays are right or if the proof is actual. However, there are a number of characteristics I look for in a good essay:

The implications of mind not being the product of biological brain should be addressed in terms of what, how and where.
These “proofs” are presented by well-informed analysts for lay readers. Complexities like statistical notation overuse of “inside baseball” terminology degrades academic-to-layperson communication.
Assuming the author has a primary source of proof such as reincarnation, possible non-survival explanations need to be explored such as cultural contamination and Super-Psi.
The evidentiality of any particular proof is reinforced by the apparent validity of related phenomena. However, compilations of anecdotal reports are not evidential by themselves. Compilations do become more evidential when analyzed in view of contemporary research.
The “proof” should be contemporary. As a general rule, historical reports that are not reinforced with current research are probably not useful as “proof.” Here, “current” would be research based on emerging understanding of consciousness such as unconscious formation of perception and nonlocality of the Psi Field.
Perhaps the most important element of a proof is an examination of the implications of phenomena and explanatory ideas. For instance, replacing Super-Psi with living agent Psi implies that discarnate mind cannot be a source of Psi. Is there evidence of that?

Below, I have also outlined a few points that came up during my reviews. Also consider Rules of Evidence – Survival.

Assessing the Essays

To provide a consistent measure of how I rate the essays, I ask six standard questions about each essay:

Is the essay easily understood by a lay audience? A grade of ?
Does essay account for alternative explanation? A grade of ?
Does the essay include support for why the proof is evidential? A grade of ?
Does the essay further the reader’s understanding of survival? A grade of ?
Does the essay meet Bigelow’s objective? A grade of ?
Overall value for the paranormalist community? A grade of ?

Total Score ? ?? of a possible 60

Observations

As an interested observer, I feel that the winning BICS essays fall short of Bigelow’s intention for the contest. Readers have been given reason to think the essays would provide learned guidance concerning our immortal nature. However, on close examination, it is clear that many of the essays are mostly lay opinions expressed under cloak of academic authority.

Some of the essays are useful if the reader wants to read a compilation of reasons to think they will survive physical death. But as a selection, the emergent message is that academics are only able to show “proof” in the form of personal accounts and by discounting Super-Psi. In my opinion, none of the authors have provided a reasonable metaphysical model (cosmology) that might further our understanding. In effect, a lot of regurgitation and not a lot of contemplation.

My guess is that Bigelow did not get what he was intending. I blame his selection of judges for that. Perhaps the instruction might have been more specific. For instance, adding “Provide a theoretical model for why your offered proof is evidential” to the original question, “What is the best available evidence for the Survival of Human Consciousness after Permanent Bodily Death?” might have shortened the room in the word count for regurgitation and compilation for the authors to add a “so what” to their essay.

And speaking of word count, most of the essays were seventy-plus pages. Communicating complex concepts to a lay audience requires “to the point” writing. Once I had an idea about the author’s point, reading the rest of the essay was sometimes painful. The result was that I probably missed important points due to essay fatigue. A lot fewer examples and more “so what” explanations was needed in many of the essays.

Expectations

After reading the three top essays and all of the $50K winning “runners up” essays, I h ave found virtually none that addressed how the Survival Hypothesis is informed by Instrumental TransCommunication (ITC), Especially Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP). When they are mentioned, the summery dismissal of ITC and Super-Psi represents a red flag warning that the authors have not considered the implications of their arguments.

A few points for the reader to consider:

Academic authority: Unless it is in a survival metaphysics-related aspect of consciousness studies, a Ph.D. only indicates the person has been trained in critical thinking. After reading a few doctorial theses, it is clear why they say, “there is mediocracy at all levels.” A Ph.D. does not bestow expertise. Because Theoretical Survival Metaphysics is a relatively poorly organized field of study, the reader should focus on the expertise bestowed on the author by work experience and recent contributions to the subject.
Point of view versus perspective: In my writing, I try to be consistent in making a distinction between “point of view” and “perspective”:
- Point of view is the assumption of truth. This is usually in the form of a system of thought such as Physicalism or Dualism. The points of view I think most pertinent to the discussion of survival are:

- 1. Physicalism: All that exists has evolved out of a rapidly expanding singularity in a process popularly known as the “Big Bang.” There is no such thing as “nonphysical” in Physicalism.
  2. Physical Dualism: Physicalism is considered correct in Physical Dualism. However, there is also a nonphysical field thought to be emergent from the physical known as the Psi Field. The Psi Field functions as a medium of propagation for the influence of thought which is referred to as “Psi.” (Note that, here, “emergent” means coming into existence from the physical.”)
  3. Strict Dualism: In this, Physicalism is considered largely correct in the context of a body-centric perspective. In Strict Dualism, the Psi Field is not modeled as emergent from the physical. It is modeled as an aspect of a greater reality (referred to in my writing as the etheric). A person is an etheric personality (nonphysical life form) entangled with a human in a symbiont-avatar relationship. The relatively long-lived etheric personality is native to the greater reality. The human avatar is a biological organism evolved in the physical under the organization of a nonphysical body-mind probably best described as the morphogenic mind.
- Perspective is the vantage point a person adopts for “I am this” as a conscious self. Remembering in Dualism that there are physical and nonphysical aspects of reality, a body-centric perspective is based on the idea of Physicalism that our self is in our skull. That is, our mind is the product of our biological brain. In contrast, a personality-centric perspective is based on the idea that our “I am this” is independent of biological brain and relatively long lived.

To put this idea in perspective, in the saying that “It is not what happens to you that matters. It is how you react to what happens to you that matters,” what happens to you does matter in the body-centric perspective. What happens to you is an opportunity to gain understanding in the personality-centric perspective. One brings fear. The other brings the objectivity of an immortal self.

A person considering Psi functioning from the Physical or Physical-Dualist point of view will tend to interpret evidence as an effect emanating from human nature. That is probably why Anomalistic Psychologists first study research subject’s inclination to assign paranormal meaning to seemingly Psi-related experience.

A research subject who understands the world from the perspective of immortal self will likely understand apparent evidence of Psi functioning differently from a person who thinks they are their body. If the researcher does not understand this distinction, he or she will likely produce research reports that will be considered nonsensical in the emerging field of consciousness studies.

These two ways of experiencing the world … point of view and perspective … tell us a lot about the way the essay authors think they are proving survival. I submit that a Strict-Dualist point of view is the most useful approach to survival metaphysics. Understanding our immortal self seems most possible from the etheric personality-centric perspective.

Implications: A stated fact implies other such facts. For instance, saying that thought is an electromagnetic phenomenon implies that thought is attenuated in the same manner as other electromagnetic processes. However, the apparently prevailing theory for thought propagation is that it is propagated in the Psi Field. The Psi Field is nonlocal (effects are ubiquitous), and from my study of ITC, there appears to be no way to shield from the influence of thought. Thought as an electromagnetic phenomenon and thought being propagated in a nonlocal field appear to be contradicting concepts. If authors are paying attention to the implications of stated “facts,” they will explain such contradictions.

Contemporary thinkers versus pioneers: Three important ideas from researchers about our etheric nature have only recently begun to influence academic thinking:
- Unconscious development of conscious perception: The idea is that we do not directly experience the world. Instead, environmental signals, possibly from our physical body (sight, touch, etc.) or other life fields (mind-to-mind) are “preprocessed” in our mostly unconscious mind. This is well-explained with Carpenter’s First Sight Theory. This idea elevates the Super-Psi Hypothesis from an occasionally useful explanation for anomalous information access to a probable explanation in most cases. In fact, “Spirit told me” first-person accounts must be filtered for the influence of cultural contamination. The accounts of old were not.
- Morphogenic mind: One implication of Strict Dualism is that the human body is a complete biological organism. However, as proposed in Sheldrake’s Hypothesis of Formative Causation, as an avatar for the symbiotic mind, the human body is organized according to a nonphysical mind. This, apparently in the same manner as our etheric mind organizes our etheric life field. The implications of this include:

1. 1. Worldview: In Strict Dualism, any discussion of survival must include a discussion about how the body-mind as host, and primary mind as symbiont, relate because of entanglement of the two minds during a lifetime. One important consequence of this two-mind model is that our decision making is influenced by both minds. Following First Sight Theory, this merger of influences occurs in the person’s mostly unconscious worldview functional area responsible for perception and expression.
  2. Conflicting purpose: A biological organism is organized both structurally and behaviorally by its morphogenic mind. Our human’s prime directive is to do anything necessary to assure the continuity and dominance of its gene pool. Conversely, our primary personality (symbiont) should be expected to have a similar “spiritual” prime directive. We know that there is a sort of struggle between our biological nature and our “spiritual” nature during formation of choices. A proper discussion of survival should address this question.
  3. Fear: Considering our human’s survival instincts, it seems natural for it to have a fear of failure and death. The apparent relative immortality of our symbiotic personality suggests that fear is probably not a natural response for our etheric nature. If this is true, arguments about the nature of Psi that depend on the perceived need of the practitioner may not be credible. That is, need-based expression of Psi may be true, but it likely only occurs when the body-mind freezes, making room for the symbiont mind to momentarily dominant.
  4. Avatar influence: It appears that the avatar instincts dominate worldview at birth and continues to dominate unless the symbiont becomes sufficiently aware to exert an influence on decision making. The degree to which this occurs is sometimes referred to as lucidity. The relationship between the symbiont life form and the avatar life form should be addressed in any theory of survival.
  5. Terminal lucidity: When a person dies, the symbiont mind suddenly becomes free of avatar influence. When this occurs, there appears to be a period of adjustment as the now free primary mind adapts to life without survival instincts. I speculate this may be marked by the tunnel experience often reported. The more dominant avatar mind may sometimes withdraw before the symbiont’s mind, which may help explain terminal lucidity.
  6. Entanglement: This symbiotic relationship can be expected to have a substantial influence on how a person thinks and behaves. Entanglement appears to occur in the mostly unconscious perception-expression functional areas of mind controlled by the culturally informed worldview. There was virtually no consideration of this relationship evident in the BICS essays.

Spontaneous versus induced: Explanations for the why and degree of psychic functioning have previously been explained in parapsychology as need-based extraordinary events. Mediumship has been explained as induced, but the ability has traditionally been thought of as restricted to a few gifted people. We know now that Psi functioning is a normal ability. If survival is real, the difference between psychic access to information held by another mind needs to be specified as incarnate mind-to-incarnate mind or incarnate mind-to-discarnate mind.

ITC is considered an induced phenomenon, meaning that practitioners can ask for contact and expect some form of acknowledgment from a nonlocal mind. Based on studies of ITC, there is reason to think that the communicating mind may be either incarnate or discarnate. If this is correct, this means researchers claiming mediumistic communication must explain why the communication is not with a still incarnate personality. See Recording Thoughts of the Living?

Put another way, if survival is a fact, mind is etheric and thought produces a trans-etheric influence. Induced effects are not need-based. It is something of an anachronistic misnomer to refer to Psi phenomena as something regulated by the avatar.

Finding Merlin

The study of things paranormal requires a multidisciplined approach. This is especially true when considering survival. Any theory of survival should produce an actionable metaphysical cosmology. By that, I mean a layperson should be able to apply the concepts to better understand self, reality and the relationship between self and reality for daily living. Think mindful living.

If we survive bodily death, then we are not our body. The implications of that include:

Instincts — Human nature belongs to our avatar. It appears that, when we transition (die), our human’s instincts withdraw from our worldview.
Psychology – Psychology has evolved out of the study of mind from the body-centric perspective. As an observer of psychologists, I see that they tend to treat mind as a human effect when, if survival is actual, mind is the combined effect of human-etheric personality entanglement.

To break that old dogma, it might be best to stop considering survival metaphysics-related concepts from the perspective of traditional psychology. In other words, “parapsychology” studies anomalous human (mental) behavior. It is not situated to study possibly immortal personality.

As an engineer, I am not well-informed about how the study of mind is parsed. I speculate that the emergent field of consciousness studies would be a better fit.

Philosophy — In the context of Strict Dualism, survival metaphysics is not a philosophical endeavor. It is a study of metaphysical cosmology.
Related disciplines – It appears that a merger of understanding physical principles, electronic technology and behavioral studies is most useful. The task of the researcher is to understand the dynamics of influence, be it Psi or physical. A good example is how it appears Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) are formed. First, EVP is an etheric-to-physical influence requiring an understanding of mind, metaphysics and physical principles with an emphasis on electronics for detection. Second, it is the influence of mental expression. That requires an understanding of how we form perception and expression, the way concepts relate to things. A sense of the conceptual nature of chaos theory and fractal dynamics is important.
Mental disorders — Treatment of many mental ailments might be better based on Strict Dualism rather than on Physicalism. In dualism, fear likely results from the influence of the avatar’s survival instinct. Obsessive behavior sounds a lot like a response to human uncertainty. Treatment of schizophrenia may benefit from recognition that we are of two minds. At issue may be the dominance of human instincts over our supposed “spiritual” instincts in development of perception.

A multidisciplinary, collaborative community of thinkers seems to be required to produce a useful survival cosmology. As it stands today, a parapsychological culture that requires a Ph.D. for full membership without regard for the nature of academic training, is effectively a hinderance for the study by claiming “authority” over things paranormal. Parapsychology appears to act as a hinderance to alternative thought.

The one obvious solution I see is for opinion setters to mount a consensus-gathering effort to develop a metaphysical model and implied cosmology. Such a model could be a living document that is maintained by a standards committee, and which is freely available to the public in a simple to read format. Ideally, mentors would be available to explain the concepts.

While I often write about an Academic-Layperson Partition, I see that academic organizations are making an effort to share learned researcher’s understanding about things paranormal. While publicly available papers, online conferences and video recordings of presentations do not substitute for a consensus cosmology, it seems clear the community is moving in the right direction.

The Reviews

I focused on the top three essays in individual reviews. For those, results of the six questions for each are below.

Reviews of the $50K essay winners follow. The reviews are much briefer than the top three.

Mostly because the “Honorable Mention” essays tended to be repetitious of the previewed essays. I did read them but only briefly mentioned a couple points about them I think needed to be made.

Finally, the Rules of Evidence — Survival essay which I wrote at the outset of reviewing the essays will be expanded to include the lessons learned from my overall review project.

That will finish the project.

Winning Essays

1st Prize $500,000, Jeffrey Mishlove Ph.D.

Essay Title: Beyond the Brain: The Survival of Human Consciousness After Permanent Bodily Death

My Review of the Essay

Focus: Possible proof of survival gleaned from researcher interviews

Source: Mostly testimonials from people Mishlove has interviewed.

Review Questions:

Is the essay easily understood by a lay audience? A grade of 6

I had a hard time keeping track of what was the author’s input and what he was quoting from his many inline references. Having the references on each page, rather than at the end, makes the essay a difficult study guide. Using video clips as part of the exposition is a tedious way to acquire useful information.

Does essay account for alternative explanation? A grade of 7

The author does discuss how some thinkers view consciousness. He mainly focused on the idea of metaphysical idealism. In parapsychology, the Super-Psi Hypothesis is often cited as an alternative to the Survival Hypothesis. He dismisses Super-Psi with five reasons that are more popular wisdom than science.

Does the essay include support for why the proof is evidential? A grade of 4

The author depends on what might be described as a complexity argument. He noted the apparent proof of survival from nine kinds of experiences, such as mediumship and possession, collectively make a strong argument for survival. However, many researchers argue that the cited phenomena are often best explained as psychic access of information from still living minds. The essay did not effectively answer that criticism.

Does the essay further the reader’s understanding of survival? A grade of 8

The author makes an argument for the need to integrate survival research into the mainstream and then briefly discusses the nine areas of proof. He also explained the need to put the evidence in a rational system of thought. I would rate this part higher if he had not depended so much on the opinions of pioneers and had he not been so dismissive of the Super-Psi Hypothesis.

Does the essay meet Bigelow’s objective? A grade of 3

If Robert Bigelow wants to “go to the next level,” this essay is not going to help. In essence, it is a compilation of mostly old opinions and accounts of phenomena. As it is presented, the evidence seems more a compilation of anecdotal accounts and public-facing expert opinion than an academically rigorous presentation of evidence.

Overall value for the paranormalist community? A grade of 4

The essay has been written in a way that attracts the reader to Mishlove’s video library which appears to be behind a paywall. The sometimes out of date material and confusing way that it is presented in the essay will likely not serve the community as I think Bigelow Intends.

Total Score 32 of a possible 60

2nd Prize $300,000, Pim van Lommel M.D.

Essay Title: The Continuity of Consciousness: A concept based on scientific research on near-death experiences during cardiac arrest

My Review of the Essay

Focus: Near-Death Experiences as proof of survival.

Source: Research concerned with Near-Death Experiences.

Review Questions:

Is the essay easily understood by a lay audience? A grade of 9

The essay is well written with terminology anyone familiar with the Psi and Survival Hypotheses will understand. Understanding how “inside baseball” medical terminology can be, it seems evident the author made an effort to have his points understood by a lay audience.

Does essay account for alternative explanation? A grade of 6

Presented evidence is primarily in the form of studies conducted of resuscitated cardiac arrest patients who reported experiencing an NDE while clinically dead. Rather than specifically addressing survival, NDEs were explained as evidence of mind-body duality (nonlocal mind) and continuity of conscious, meaning that consciousness exists before, during and after a lifetime. Other forms of mental phenomena that also seem to be evidence of continuity of consciousness were briefly mentioned. Contending explanations for the evidence were not well addressed.

Does the essay include support for why the proof is evidential? A grade of 5

The author does make a strong case that mind exists independent of brain. One of the proofs of this is anomalous access to information while the biological brain is effectively turned off. The author argues that some anomalously accessed information appears to be from discarnate minds. However, little acknowledgment is made for why the Psi Hypothesis cannot account for the same information access.

Does the essay further the reader’s understanding of survival? A grade of 6

The essay is an excellent tutorial on the NDE phenomenon and the idea of continuity of consciousness. However, without a contextual model and a discussion of alternative theories, it will likely leave the reader with a false sense of “proof.”

Does the essay meet Bigelow’s objective? A grade of 8

The well-written explanation of the NDE phenomenon and strong argument for the existence of mind independent of brain should do much to further learned discussion of parapsychological phenomena. The author’s approach to the continuity of mind concept should turn discussions of Survival Hypothesis versus Psi Hypothesis more toward a discussion of trans-etheric influences.

Overall value for the paranormalist community? A grade of 10

The author appears to have a different point of view about mind than parapsychologists with more experience with haunt phenomena or the study of darkroom seances. The strength of this essay should further efforts to develop a more responsive parapsychology.

Total Score 44 of a possible 60

3rd Prize $150,000, Leo Ruickbie Ph.D.

Essay Title: The Ghost in the Time Machine

My Review of the Essay

Focus: Continuous consciousness

Source: The literature and haunt phenomena.

Review Questions:

Is the essay easily understood by a lay audience? A grade of 9

The Scrooge Paradox is a good way to explain both the ghost concept and the nature of nonphysical mind. However, the explanation in the essay of theory for how mind relates to brain is a little more difficult to follow. Describing survival from the perspective of haunt phenomena is a refreshing approach to which many people should relate.

Does essay account for alternative explanation? A grade of 6

The idea that all time is now is the dominant theme. As I read the essay, Alternative explanations were mostly ignored.

Does the essay include support for why the proof is evidential? A grade of 5

The emphasis of this essay is on haunt phenomena as evidence of survived personality. Much of that evidence has alternative explanation that needed to be addressed. The reliability of pioneer researchers and experiencers as witnesses remains a question that needs more attention.

Does the essay further the reader’s understanding of survival? A grade of 8

While the essay does make a strong case for survival, it presents something of a one-sided argument. It is in alternative explanations that we come to understand why evidence is evidential. Credit to the author in that he did address possible mechanism of survival at the end.

Does the essay meet Bigelow’s objective? A grade of 10

This essay provides a lot of information that will broaden the reader’s understanding of haunt phenomena and the possible nontemporal nature of reality. Proof of survival gathered via the contest is accumulative in that no single proof or perspective is likely to settle the question. The perspective explained in this essay is a strong addition to that accumulative proof. (I am impressed by the amount of time I have spent contemplating nontemporal and quantum effects because of this essay. Right or wrong, it is thought provoking.)

Overall value for the paranormalist community? A grade of 8

The essay includes a couple potential “rabbit holes” that may distract future survival theorists from alternative, potentially more useful models. While concepts like quantum entanglement and no time need to be discussed, their treatment would better serve the community if they were presented in terms of one of many alternatives.

Total Score 46 of a possible 60

Runner Up Essays

Julie Beischel Ph.D. Pharmacology and Toxicology

Essay Title: Beyond Reasonable: Scientific Evidence for Survival

Focus: Mental mediumship

Source: Mostly original research

Review Questions:

Is the essay easily understood by a lay audience? A grade of 8

The essay provides a clear discussion about what mediumship is, how it is different from psychic functioning and how one might go about testing mediumship. The first half of the essay is clearly written, but it is as if a different person wrote the more complex second half. The essay offers something of a window into the academic examination of mediumship.

Does essay account for alternative explanation? A grade of 6

There is some discussion about alternative models, but emphasis is on showing that mediumship is real with little attention to why.

Does the essay include support for why the proof is evidential? A grade of 8

The author used a relatively novel approach to showing the difference between psychically and mediumistically accessed information by showing the medium can tell the difference.

Does the essay further the reader’s understanding of survival? A grade of 9

By showing how the standard research model can be applied to the study of mediumship, the author helps the reader understand the difference between wanting to be a medium and actually being one.

Does the essay meet Bigelow’s objective? A grade of 8

When taken as the mediumship piece of the paranormal puzzle, this essay should further learned discussion.

Overall value for the paranormalist community? A grade of 8

The fact that the author and her team at the Windbridge Research Center are conducting well-considered research into mental mediumship makes this essay an important role model for would be parapsychologists.

Total Score 47 of a possible 60

Comment: The assumption of mediumship, and of the BICS contest, is that our primary personality continues after biological death in a self-aware, sentient form. If that is true, mind, thought and Psi functioning in general must share a common cosmological anatomy in which mind is the nexus or attractor of the life fractal. If that is true, the only real difference between a function like remote viewing (psychic) and mediumistic access of information is the reason the information is being accessed and the content of the acquired information.

In effect, the Super-Psi Hypothesis is something of an anachronistic invention of anti-survival proponents. A useful model is that all thought is mind-to-mind and that the difference between an incarnate mind and a discarnate mind is that one is still in the flesh.

Presumably, trained and competent mental mediums learn to recognize the cues inherent in the acquired information. As such, Beischel’s approach to research deserves consideration by the larger research community.

Stephen E. Braude Ph.D. Philosophy

Essay Title: A Rational Guide to the Best Evidence of Postmortem Survival

Focus: Doubt about potential proofs

Source: Mostly historical

Review Questions:

Is the essay easily understood by a lay audience? A grade of 2

Terminology leans toward convoluted word choice. For instance: “Similarly, in transplant cases, a survivalist interpretation seems almost coercively straightforward compared to LAP alternatives. And more generally, the explanatory messiness of LAP accounts, compared to that of the survivalist, allows survivalists to make a familiar, rationally respectable, and scientifically sanctioned appeal to parsimony.” (Page 52)

Does essay account for alternative explanation? A grade of 4

The author addresses most of the better-known phenomena such as reincarnation and mediumship. However, the brief mentions added little value.

Does the essay include support for why the proof is evidential? A grade of 3

The author mostly discussed why none of the phenomena are sufficiently evidential.

Does the essay further the reader’s understanding of survival? A grade of 0

No.

Does the essay meet Bigelow’s objective? A grade of 0

No.

Overall value for the paranormalist community? A grade of 4

There may be value for theorists in seeing “the right way to study” these phenomena.

Total Score 13 of a possible 60

Comment:

Please be mindful that I have publicly expressed my belief that the author is mostly anti-survival. Certainly, I am aware of no effort by him in the past to further our understanding of survival. See Arrogance of Scientific Authority. With this in mind, you may want to ignore this assessment and read the essay for yourself.

The BICS judge’s selection of this essay smacks of political expediency. It seems that the essay is more an anti-proof than a treatise about proof of survival.

Bernardo Kastrup Ph.D. Philosophy

Essay Title: A Rational, Empirical case for postmortem survival based solely on mainstream science

Focus: Metaphysical Realism

Source: philosophy (ontology, philosophy of mind)

Review Questions:

Is the essay easily understood by a lay audience? A grade of 4

The terminology and numerous abstract inferences make this essay a difficult read. As an example: “We have seen that the living body—with the brain as the locus of endogenous mentation—is the extrinsic appearance of dissociative processes in a spatially unbound field of subjectivity; …” (Page 42)

Does essay account for alternative explanation? A grade of 8

The first half of the essay was mostly concerned with why Mainstream Physicalism and Constitutive Panpsychism do not measure up to Metaphysical Idealism for explaining consciousness. Metaphysical Idealism is a more conceptual view of reality while the Super-Psi Hypothesis is a more operational view. The extent to which the author did discuss Psi seems reasonable given the conceptual nature of Metaphysical Idealism. As I note in the Comments Section, it would have been helpful to see a more comprehensive treatment of reductionism.

Does the essay include support for why the proof is evidential? A grade of 4

There are many assumptions in the essay that were treated as givens. In that regard, the “why Mainstream Physicalism and Constitutive Panpsychism do not work” part of the essay might have been better applied to discussing how Metaphysical Idealism accounts for the apparent sentience of the human organism.

Does the essay further the reader’s understanding of survival? A grade of 5

Metaphysical Idealism is an interesting model but considering the “inside baseball” character of the essay, I doubt the average reader will gain much.

Does the essay meet Bigelow’s objective? A grade of 8

Even though the average reader may not directly benefit, researchers interested in the relationship between incarnate and discarnate mind will find much to consider. The model will likely end up as part of a consensus model.

Overall value for the paranormalist community? A grade of 6

Without refinement and friendlier terminology, these concepts will likely never percolate into the community as intended. The unintended interpretations will be many, as such a high-level view is bound to generate unintended magical thinking.

Total Score 35 of a possible 60

Comment:

For this essay, part of the task for readers is to find a way to integrate their personal view of reality with Metaphysical Idealism. That is, can the reader identify with the explanation? Because it is so abstract, I expect readers will need to accept the model based on faith in the academic authority of the author. From experience, that is bound to spawn New Age-like belief, rather than better understanding of self.

The cosmological model presented by Kastrup seems in agreement with the school of thought that we create our reality. While the influence of thought seems to be the important part, there does appear to be something like David Bohm’s Implicate Order. See “The Cosmic Plenum: Bohm’s Gnosis: The Implicate Order.”

Fundamental principles organize formation of things physical. These principles appear to have emerged with the emergence of the universe as a formative influence in much the same sense that we think of Natural Law organizing the greater reality. One of the ways these formative principles appear to directly affect us is in how we develop perception and expression.

In the same sense, behavior of humans and etheric personality each seems to be the product of evolved formative imperatives. Of course, one is the human’s instincts. The other is thought to be an imperative to gain understanding. Of course, these are speculative, but any metaphysical conjecture seems required to address them. I do not see that in this essay, but at the same time, I see the essay as an excellent beginning to address those points.

Elizabeth G. Krohn NDE Experiencer

Essay Title: The Eternal Life of Consciousness

Focus: Near-Death Experience

Source: Personal experience testimonial

Review Questions:

Is the essay easily understood by a lay audience? A grade of 9

Yes, when understood as a personal experience and not as a matter of science.

Does essay account for alternative explanation? A grade of 4

The author compares the credibility of evidence based on personal experience with the kind of evidence required in a court of law. Phenomenal experiences gain credibility based on the experiencer’s credibility and how well the experiences agree with similar reports and related research. In that sense, alternative explanations are not necessarily required for personal accounts.

Does the essay include support for why the proof is evidential? A grade of 4

Only in the sense that evidence is required in a court of law. For my experience, legal proof and scientific proof are very different.

Does the essay further the reader’s understanding of survival? A grade of 4

Consider the number of celebrity paranormalists who have gained their reputation by way of accounting a good story about their personal experience. While they are role models of sorts, I suspect most people see them as special and not indicative of what each of us can expect. Survival is a universal experience. The essay contest was supposed to provide universal proof.

Does the essay meet Bigelow’s objective? A grade of 0

No. Personal accounts are too prone to cultural contamination.

Overall value for the paranormalist community? A grade of 5

Any model intended to describe our etheric nature must account for reported experiences. The author has reported a host of experiences in the essay. In that way, she has given researchers much to consider.

Total Score = 26 of a possible 60

Comment:

For the purpose of furthering understanding of our nature, personal experiences and scientific-based proof of survival are complimentary. Personal experiences provide a role model which can help people understand how to relate to their sometimes-disconcerting encounters with psi-related phenomena. The problem is that popular wisdom can lead to beliefs about experiences that are likely to become dead-end in our quest for understanding.

One of the tools we have for evaluating the paranormality of an experience is to consider if it is consistent with other, similar experiences. If a person reports a near-death experience, other similar reports give us reason to accept the report as at least possible. However, even amongst things paranormal, there are outlier experiences which call for even greater discernment.

While conformation to known examples of phenomena makes an experience more believable, that same “usual” nature of some phenomena can also lead some people to misattribute mundane experiences as paranormal. For instance, having an especially meaningful dream does not necessarily mean it is communication from spirit guides.

It is for science to arrive at an informed consensus that can guide people. Else, people are left to decide for themselves if a role model is helpful. We all seek useful role models. That is one of the outcomes I have been looking for from the BICS essays.

Apparently paranormal experiences can be considered on two levels. Of course, there is the question of whether they are actually paranormal or if they are an artifact … something mundane mistaken as paranormal. The first question we need to ask of whoever decides that question is how well informed they are and if they are honestly open to alternative explanations.

The second consideration is that the experiencer may have a personal sense of meaning from the experience. A hard learned lesson for me as a director of the ATransC has been to accept reported personal experiences at face value. Every time I have argued that the experience was not necessarily paranormal or evidence of communication from a loved one, I only managed to anger the experiencer. I think the only antidote to misattribution when grief is involved is education and respected role models.

Trans-etheric phenomena are experienced on two levels. Of course, there is the objective experience that might have multiple witnesses. But it is important to recognize that these phenomena are probably enabled via the etheric-to-physical entanglement of people. While the phenomena may be contaminated by cultural expectations, they appear to carry a sense about them that conveys meaning to the experiencer at a psychic level.

Jeffrey Long, M.D. Radiation Oncology Physician

Essay Title: Evidence for Survival of Consciousness in Near-Death Experiences: Decades of Science and New Insights

Focus: Near-Death Experiences

Source: Website, online surveys.

Review Questions:

Is the essay easily understood by a lay audience? A grade of 9

The essay is based on analysis of numerous online surveys intended to document the nature of individual near-death experiences. The author breaks down analysis of the surveys into twelve easily understood categories.

Does essay account for alternative explanation? A grade of 2

The author did mention skeptics but generally dismiss their objections:

“Skeptics will continue to argue that near-death experiences are hallucinatory or unreal memories. Out of respect for people’s ability to generally understand reality, if skeptics want to claim that NDEs are not real, then the skeptics need to present convincing evidence that NDEs are not real.” (Page 33)

The author does refer to a more comprehensive (well-hidden) article dismissing skeptics at nderf.org/Hub/skeptics.htm. At no point did the author mention the possible contribution of Super-Psi to information content of NDE.

Does the essay include support for why the proof is evidential? A grade of 2

In many ways, the author established the evidentiality of NDEs with the complexity argument: “Skeptic arguments cannot explain the remarkable consistency of the content of near-death experiences.” (Page 46)

The main categories of “skeptic” objections from the author’s website are hypoxia, endorphins, seizures, hallucinations, psychological factors, expectation, gravity induced loss of consciousness, rem-intrusion, drugs/medicines, electrical brain stimulation, magnetic brain stimulation, lucky guesses, false memories.

Does the essay further the reader’s understanding of survival? A grade of 5

The near-death experience is one of those encounters with the unknown that can be very confusing for the experiencer. It is important that there are role mode examples to help the experiencer understand that it is normal in the sense that the experiencer has not lost touch with reality.

The essay will likely not improve the average citizen’s understanding of why an experience is paranormal and not just imagination.

Does the essay meet Bigelow’s objective? A grade of 5

The essay does provide important information about NDEs but does little to integrate the experience into the larger subject of our etheric nature. In the end, it seems to represent a compilation of anecdotal information.

Overall value for the paranormalist community? A grade of 7

Seekers look for a guiding light on the trail that indicates the way toward greater understanding of self, reality and self’s relationship with reality. Scientists are much the same as seekers. This essay may be important to help experiencers understand an encounter with the unknown, but it does not seem to further understanding of survival metaphysics.

Total Score = 30 of a possible 60

Comments:

Based on my study of survival metaphysics, it seems reasonable to consider NDEs symptomatic of the two-mind nature of a person. While a person’s primary self is usually tightly entangled with the human mind, there does appear to be situations in which the symbiont (primary mind, “I think I am this” aspect) becomes untethered from the host. But that is the point. NDEs are more symptomatic than a primary characteristic of survival.

It is increasingly clear that we develop perception by unconsciously moderating sensed environmental information with prior experiences. In effect, our perception is based on what we expect. Our perception processes function as a creative storyteller by perpetually telling our conscious self about sense information based on cultural training, instincts and memory.

Besides signals from our body, sensed environmental information can be expected to include signals from other personalities. If we accept the possibility of thoughtforms representing the conceptual nature of physical things, often reinforced patterns of thoughtforms might also be considered sources of environmental information. Finally, the idea of rapport suggests that personal concerns will also tend to influence perception.

If these concepts are true, people of all ages would tend to have similar kinds of experiences, depending on training.

By rephrasing a skeptic’s objection that NDEs are due to hypoxia to a scientist asking if NDEs could be caused by hypoxia, we might open the door for more learned discussion.

Michael Nahm Ph.D. Biology

Essay Title: Climbing Mount Evidence: A Strategic Assessment of the Best Available Evidence for the Survival of Human Consciousness after Permanent Bodily Death

Focus: Reincarnation

Source: Mostly the work of Ian Stevenson

Review Questions:

Is the essay easily understood by a lay audience? A grade of 4

The essay is reasonably easy to read; however, the logic of the basic assumptions is perhaps misleading.

Does essay account for alternative explanation? A grade of 4

Alternative explanations are restricted to the Physicalist view and Super-Psi. Both were dismissed by the author based on rather narrow assumptions.

Does the essay include support for why the proof is evidential? A grade of 3

The author signs as a doctor. As I read the record, he holds a Ph.D. in biology … a seemingly unrelated field of study. Two of the academics he often turned to for support are philosophers … another seemingly unrelated field of study. His primary reference is Ian Stevenson, a researcher who transitioned in 2007. Since the author does not appear to have conducted direct reincarnation research, his academic authority in the subject is irrelevant.

Does the essay further the reader’s understanding of survival? A grade of 3

The essay does offer background information about a possibly important symptom of Dualism. However, it is written from a perspective that tends to lock the reader into a body-centric perspective.

Does the essay meet Bigelow’s objective? A grade of 0

No.

Overall value for the paranormalist community? A grade of 2

Some of the other BICS essays focused on reincarnation will likely promote further learned discussion. This essay, however, appear to add little value.

Total Score = 16 of a possible 60

Comments:

A common logical error researchers make when discussing survival is to model apparent survival phenomena with non-survival references. That is, they tend to bound dualistic references with physicalist assumptions. In this regard, much of the “proof” in this essay is based on assumptions that would, themselves be meaningless if survival is fact.

Reported cases of reincarnation are possibly valid evidence of survival. However, if we are spiritual beings experiencing a physical lifetime, our primary form is likely etheric. That is, we are arguably native to the Psi Field rather than the physical. From that perspective, a person’s decision making concerning such matters as whether or not to enter into a lifetime would be based on the interest of the etheric or primary personality. While the human avatar certainly has an influence during a physical lifetime, as we see with the influence of human instincts, virtually all of the ostensibly survival-related phenomena such as NDEs and reincarnation should probably be modeled as the purview of the etheric personality.

Evaluation of apparently survival-related phenomena should be based on the etheric personality’s perspective. For instance, the idea of “need-based” expressions of Psi may not have meaning for a relatively immortal personality. Also, Psi appears to be a naturally occurring capability of continuous consciousness. If that is true, “kind of Psi” may have no meaning.

Throughout the essay, the author argues from the perspective that, if there is no physical world reason for something, it must not be. For instance, one of the reasons the author offers for dismissing Super-Psi under the heading, “Why the motivated living-agent psi model fails” (Page 60), is that “It additionally fails to prospectively predict which kinds of psi phenomena should occur in response to specific motives.” (Page 60)

Spontaneous versus induced: Survival-related phenomena can be classified as spontaneous or induced. As I understand current science, reincarnation is considered a spontaneous experience that one cannot normally cause. In contrast Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) is typically induced. For instance, a person conducts a recording session with the intention of contacting a discarnate mind. A suitable audio energy environment is provided for speech formation. As a spontaneous experience, reincarnation is best considered a symptom of continuous consciousness.

In either form, one must identify an appropriate cosmology to show how reincarnation is proof of survival.

Super-Psi: First, I have to admit that “Super-Psi” is kind of a dorky name. However, “living-agent Psi” as an alternative name for Super-Psi ignores the implication of survival. It is misleading and certainly a body-centric perspective rather than a continuous consciousness one.

ITC: The author did include ITC in the list of “Best Available Evidence for Survival.” (Page 20) For each of ten forms of phenomenal evidence, he rated Investigability, Repeatability, Quantitative strength, Qualitative strength and Relevance on a scale of 1-to-4. Here are the accumulate score for each:

Instrumental transcommunication – quality of proof = 6
Poltergeist phenomena – quality of proof = 7
Hauntings – quality of proof = 8
Physical mediumship – quality of proof = 8
Terminal lucidity – quality of proof = 8
Past life regression – quality of proof = 10
After-death contacts – quality of proof = 13
Near-death experiences – quality of proof = 13
Mental mediumship – quality of proof = 15
Reincarnation – quality of proof = 20

As one who studies ITC, my sense is that, compared to the other forms of phenomena, I would rate ITC as a 20. In terms of investigability and repeatability, ITC is an induced phenomena that could be used as a sort of “lab rat” for studying Psi phenomena. Reincarnation is a spontaneous phenomenon for which one must wait for an example to come around.

Sharon Hewitt Rawlette Ph.D. Philosophy

Essay Title: Beyond Death: The Best Evidence for the Survival of Human Consciousness

Focus: Compilation of phenomenal experiences

Source: Literature

Review Questions:

Is the essay easily understood by a lay audience? A grade of 9

This is a well-written essay that is easy to follow.

Does essay account for alternative explanation? A grade of 4

The Super Psi Hypothesis is briefly considered. Much of the proof rests on the idea that reported phenomena are too impossible to be accounted for with mundane arguments. In effect, that is the complexity test.

Does the essay include support for why the proof is evidential? A grade of 3

The author made a good point that some apparently paranormal experiences earn credibility from others, different kind of experiences.

Does the essay further the reader’s understanding of survival? A grade of 5

The problem with compilations is that they are more about the report and not so much about the analysis. Of course, some reports in compilations originate from research or learned analysis of examples. It is not that examples are not valid proof of survival. It is just that a mechanism is seldom offered for the reader judge the usefulness of a particular example. On the surface, the essay does provide the reader with further understanding. It is just that it offers little foundation for reader discernment.

Does the essay meet Bigelow’s objective? A grade of 2

The author makes a good case for survival, but more as cursory observation. It seems unlikely to further the discussion of survival.

Overall value for the paranormalist community? A grade of 3

As a compilation, the essay may work as a study guide, else having it in the literature does little to further understanding of the subject.

Total Score = 26 of a possible 60

Comment:

One note on organization. The essay’s usefulness as a study guide would have been enhanced with a better relationship between the references and the apparently related numbers in the text used to refer to footnotes.

The first letdown for me when reading the BICS essays was that the winning authors tended to capitalize on the low hanging fruit of paranormal experiences by compiling examples that illustrated their point rather than developing a theory. An example may be evidence of survival, but without a cosmological context, it is not evidential.

This is a fine essay in itself but does not further our understanding of survival.

Alexandre Caroli Rocha Ph.D. Literary Theory, Marina Weiler Ph.D., Raphael Fernandes Casseb Ph.D.

Essay Title: Mediumship as the Best Evidence for the Afterlife: Francisco Candido Xavier, a White Crow

Focus: Mental Mediumship

Source: The life and work of Francisco Candido Xavier.

Review Questions:

Is the essay easily understood by a lay audience? A grade of 9

The essay is well-written and clearly explains the extent of Francisco Candido Xavier mediumship.

Does essay account for alternative explanation? A grade of 5

The authors addressed the possibility of conscious and unconscious fraud and Super-Psi but decides in favor of communication with discarnate personality (mental mediumship) as the best explanation for reported phenomena. Super-Psi was rejected as an explanation because of the supposed mental gymnastics probably required for psychic access to such complex information. See my comment below.

Does the essay include support for why the proof is evidential? A grade of 5

The author did provide good examples of ways in which demonstrated mediumistic phenomena were independently shown to be evidential. While there were many examples, more needed to be done to show how such evidence was survival related and not Super-Psi.

Does the essay further the reader’s understanding of survival? A grade of 4

There is a strong cultural influence in Xavier’s work. This would tend to limit the readers understanding of survival to that cultural model.

Does the essay meet Bigelow’s objective? A grade of 4

The essay does provide interesting examples, but without an overriding model or cosmology, it represents more an outlier than an example that can be integrated with others.

Overall value for the paranormalist community? A grade of 7

Understanding superman ability would do little to help people understand the average person. As the community works to understand things paranormal, resulting models must accommodate Xavier’s phenomena but his is such a radical example that it may be of little use for developing a universal model.

Total Score 34 of a possible 60

Comment:

First, a point of order. One of the references intended to add clarity, “The Mind-Body Problem” referenced in the essay, is behind a $12 paywall. To be fair, this is likely a problem with many references used in the BICS essays. As a general practice, references intended to serve the community must be publicly accessible without fee.

In terms of ability, the paranormalist community has three classes of citizens. Following First Sight Theory, everyone has psychic ability. The majority have unexplored psychic ability. Some have learned to consciously express their ability to some extent. A very few are able to express their ability to such an extreme extent that they can operate far outside of the norm.

While any model developed to explain psychic ability and survival must account for this third group, the extended ability is possibly more indicative of the spiritual maturity of the individual than of what the average person might expect.

For instance, in the study of ITC, unusually phenomenal examples often left us wondering how we were supposed to deal with them. In one example, we were sent a photograph showing a spiral vortex near a gravestone apparently formed of denser air. We were comfortable with the authenticity of the example. The problem was that it represented the only instance of that kind of phenomenon we had seen. What were we to do with it? What fair treatment could we give it? The answer for such situations has been to put the example in a “Hold for more information or other examples” folder. We had many such folders.

I am a Spiritualist and am familiar with the kinds of phenomena produced by Xavier. Certainly, I respect his work. Still, his work represents an extreme that puts it in that third class. It is necessarily in a “wait and see” folder but probably should not be used by itself to develop the Survival Hypothesis.

Nicolas Rouleau Ph.D. Bioengineering

Essay Title: An Immortal Stream of Consciousness: The scientific evidence for the survival of consciousness after permanent bodily death

Focus: Biological production of mind (Transmission Model)

Source: Traditional model of brain.

Review Questions:

Is the essay easily understood by a lay audience? A grade of 5

The author is reasonably clear in his argument. The explanations tend to be based on traditional biological studies and are mostly isolated from parapsychological research.

Does essay account for alternative explanation? A grade of 3

The author makes numerous assumptions about parapsychological phenomena that exhibit his ignorance of current theory. The consequence is that his treatment of alternative explanations tends to be shallow and of little use.

Does the essay include support for why the proof is evidential? A grade of 5

Within the confines of biological theory, yes. Within the larger scope of parapsychological theory, no.

Does the essay further the reader’s understanding of survival? A grade of 3

Not in an actionable sense. If the biological origin of consciousness is correct, then yes. However, the author’s “proof” is so based on unsupportable arguments that the whole essay ends up being misleading.

Does the essay meet Bigelow’s objective? A grade of 5

Not really. It is important that researchers are familiar with alternative arguments and the biological origin of consciousness is probably the most important alternative. The author makes critical assumptions about the nature of consciousness and how it emanates from the brain that may not be in the evidence. In that sense, readers need to be discerning and not easily dazzled by the authors certainty.

Overall value for the paranormalist community? A grade of 4

It is good to have a sense of why one thinks something is true. A person better understands why something may be true by examining “the other side’s” point of view.

Total Score 25 of a possible 60

Comment:

It is noteworthy that the author cites as fact many of the physiological-psychological arguments used to explain away apparent evidence of survival. One cannot develop a consensus in science if scientists are unable to agree about the basic, verifiable evidence.

To that end, it seems necessary for the academic community to develop a consensus cosmology composed of generally accepted concepts. The risk of developing dogma is far less than the damage caused by the currently chaotic intellectual leadership.

I am not sure why it was necessary for me to wade through a long section about William James’ 1897 arguments for survival. Nevertheless, the author used James’ transmission theory of consciousness as the bases of his proof.

Going back to Susan Blackmore’s “Proof” that psychic experiences can be replicated by exposing the brain to electromagnetic stimulation, Psi phenomena has traditionally been debunked by mainstream scientists. For instance, “Since the early stimulation experiments with surgical patients, non-invasive replications with healthy individuals using applied electromagnetic fields have been performed with similar results. These include the sensed presence, OOBEs, and visitations by post-mortem apparitions and deities.” (Page 10)

The author used a lot of “should be possible” kinds of arguments to support his “proofs.”

The author argues that consciousness is a product of electromagnetic processes of the brain: “The best available evidence for survival is the significant observational and experimental data that indicate the brain is an organ that receives and emits electromagnetic radiation in ways that are consistent with a transmissive model of brain function that positions consciousness as independent and at least partially separate from the brain itself.” (Page 36)

And: “Consciousness survives permanent bodily death because the electromagnetic forces that give rise to experience and thought are not created by brain tissues – they are only received, interpreted, filtered, or transmuted by them.” (Page 37)

Based on my training, the intensity of electromagnetic waves varies inversely as the square of the distance from the source. Put another way, if mind is an electromagnetic phenomenon, then the influence it can exert electromagnetically rapidly decreases with distance. We probably do not have sufficiently sensitive instruments to detect a mind more than a few feet from the head. Alternatively, if mind is a Psi phenomenon propagated in the Psi Field, the nonlocality of the Psi Field seems to rule out propagation of an electromagnetic signal.

The author used the 1994 “Modelling the stratagems of psychic fraud” by Wiseman, R. (a fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry) and Morris, R. L. as a reference to support stating:

“Contemporary equivalents of those once mythologized as prophets, oracles, soothsayers, and other special beings, are often regarded as frauds or charlatans – and many of them likely are.” (Page 40)

Enough said.

David Rousseau Ph.D. Philosophy, Julie Billingham BSc

Essay Title: What would have to be true about the world? On evidence for the possibility of consciousness surviving death

Focus: Philosophical speculation about what would need to be true for survival to be true.

Source: Logical progression

Review Questions:

Is the essay easily understood by a lay audience? A grade of 5

The essay is well constructed and easy to read. However, in its simplicity and “reasonableness” rests the rabbit hole.

Does essay account for alternative explanation? A grade of 6

The authors do discuss some of the related theories to develop a logical argument. The score for this question is largely based on what seems to be a poor understanding of those alternatives.

Does the essay include support for why the proof is evidential? A grade of 8

Interestingly, this is the first essay to acknowledge the difference between evidence and evidentiality. Again, the assumptions are generally based on a body-centric perspective which tends to negate the arguments.

Does the essay further the reader’s understanding of survival? A grade of 8

It does introduce some of the more important elements of survival metaphysics. There remains the need for the reader to carefully distinguish between a good discussion of related concepts and a useful argument for survival.

Does the essay meet Bigelow’s objective? A grade of 7

Because the authors do make a strong argument for brain transmission of mind, the essay does offer many talking points for debating Strict Physicalism, Physical Dualism and Strict Dualism.

Overall value for the paranormalist community? A grade of 4

The essay may help the community form a consensus cosmology. However, it is misleading for readers who are not sufficiently informed to question the arguments. Overall, the essay will better serve the anti-survival community.

Total Score 38 of a possible 60

The essay is a good example of compounding erroneous assumptions. An example is the often-touted Living Agent Psi which is commonly substituted for the Super-Psi Hypothesis. This is an example of a philosopher leading a philosopher in thinking about a trans-etheric phenomenon. One of the reasons the authors reject Living Agent Psi is that its proponents argue that Psi functioning is need-based. Since many forms of apparent phenomenal information access is clearly not need-based, Living Agent Psi is safely rejected.

From my experience, the Living Agent Psi Hypothesis is a red herring that ignores the way people develop perception and virtually all of the evidence from ITC. By rejecting Super-Psi, the authors ignored the mostly unconscious filtering of environmental Psi signals and the mind’s persistent storytelling.

It appears that “need-based” Psi functioning is better described as interest or focus-based. It appears the degree of rapport a person has with a loved one has more to do with sensed information than a sense of urgency.

The authors conclude that mind is an electromagnetic product of biological brain. See my comments for the previous essay.

Michael Tymn, Journalist

Essay Title: Long Concealed, Now Revealed – Overwhelming Evidence for Life after Death

Focus: Mediumship

Source: Survival research prior to 1920.

Review Questions:

Is the essay easily understood by a lay audience? A grade of 4

The essay is written as a fictitious court transcript based on survival research prior to 1920. As always, the author’s work is easy to read.

Does essay account for alternative explanation? A grade of 2

Not really. It is a fictitious court trial pitching survivalism with physicalism.

Does the essay include support for why the proof is evidential? A grade of 0

Does the essay further the reader’s understanding of survival? A grade of 2

Perhaps as seen from a 1920s point of view but it would be awkward for modern science if that is the most advantageous point of view.

Does the essay meet Bigelow’s objective? A grade of 0

No.

Overall value for the paranormalist community? A grade of 2

Perhaps “for entertainment only.”

Total Score 10 of a possible 60

Comment:

When looking for learned guidance about the Survival Hypothesis, it is painful to only find a transcript of a fictitious 100-year-old trial.

This miss is on the judges.

Honorable Mention

I briefly read the remaining essays classified as “Honorable Mention.” The briefness of my reading makes it unfair for me to review them. However, here are a few observations:

A Critical Evaluation of the Best Evidence for the Survival of Human Consciousness after Permanent Bodily Death by Chris A. Roe, Callum E. Cooper, David Lorimer & Evelyn Elsaesser

I once asked Callum Cooper about his inclusion of Ann Winsper’s essay about perception of EVP in one of his books. My concern was that she painted a rather negative and narrow picture of EVP perception. He rather curtly informed me that:

“I’d say she only leans that way because that’s what her findings have shown with regards to EVP and the psychology of audio perception.”

Reading her doctorial theses, under the category of “Psychological and Neuropsychological Accounts of EVP,” Winsper wrote:

“It is difficult, or impossible, to prove or disprove the existence of an afterlife and communication with the dead. However there has been considerable research into how individuals may misinterpret events as anomalous, particularly how those with an a priori belief are more likely to misinterpret events.” (Page 20)

This is the straightforward Anomalistic Psychology view of people who think paranormal phenomena may be real. That school of parapsychologists study the people and not the phenomena with the intention of proving “believers” are delusional.

And so, my fear is realized when I see that her works has been used to dismiss EVP in the BICS essay submitted by Chris A. Roe, Callum E. Cooper, David Lorimer & Evelyn Elsaesser:

“However, in our view, the conventional explanations that have been offered to explain these phenomena, particularly in terms of the projection of meaning onto degraded or ambiguous sensory stimuli are sufficient to account for the best evidence available.” (Page 33)

Via my work with the Association TransCommunication, I have conducted studies and written thousands of words about the nature of EVP. Yet, there is this Academic-Layperson Partition which seems to assure that researchers are not required to account for what we have learned. See What ITC Tells us About Consciousness.

In “Advancing the Evidence for Survival of Consciousness” by Arnaud Delorme, Dean Radin, Helané Wahbeh, I see after several poorly informed comments in the preceding paragraph:

“However, misinterpretation of signals from mundane sources is an obvious problem. Purported spirit messages are usually embedded in substantial noise, giving rise to auditory pareidolia, the tendency to subjectively perceive meaning in randomness. Ideally, independent judges should be asked to assess, under blinded conditions, if they hear the same material. Alternatively, objective methods, like spectrographic analysis of purported voices, should be performed. At least one such study has been performed by Alexander MacRae, a specialist in the analysis of speech, hearing, intelligibility, and noise. He found results suggesting that EVP-evoked “voices of no natural origin” were recorded in an electromagnetically shielded chamber [67]. Thus, while most of this line of research cannot be considered as high-quality evidence for survival, some intriguing exceptions justify further investigation.

Evaluation – Survival Level 4; Grade C+

“The evidential grade is C+ because in most cases (not all), claims of voices or messages are determined subjectively, and even in cases where there is some objective evidence, the effects could still be attributable to PL, PW, or to mistakes of perception.” (Page 20)

Here, “PL” means Psi in the lab and “PW” means Psi in the wild. Thus, I think the authors are saying that EVP may be transcommunication, but it might also be Psi functioning between practitioner and recording device. We agree. And yes, probably most reported EVP are Class C misassignment of meaning. Our objective has always been to attract help sorting that question out from the academic community.

The learned authors knew about MacRae’s work because he used the ION’s shielded chamber to eliminate radiofrequency interference in EVP sessions. Had they done their due diligence, they would know that Italian researcher Daniele Gullà has conducted spectrographic analysis of EVP. And that we (ATransC) have conducted studies to establish the objective nature of EVP and visual ITC. Also see What ITC Tells us About Consciousness.

“Pursuit of Best Evidence for Survival of Human Consciousness after Permanent Bodily Death” by Walter Meyer zu Erpen may not satisfy my expectations of furthering the Survival Hypothesis but it provides an excellent overview of the phenomena of Spiritualism. The reader should set aside any thoughts of religion. Spiritualists are all about the continuation of consciousness beyond bodily death. The phenomena they study and practice … mediumship and healing intention … are thought to be phenomena cooperatively expressed by practitioners and discarnate helpers.

I will be recommending this essay to Spiritualists and Spiritualist-minded folk.

Final Thoughts

Here is the end of my review of the BICS essays. While I have expressed many complaints about the essays, I remain enthusiastic about Bigelow’s efforts to further our study. Taken individually, most of the essays are excellent and informative for the reader. Taken as a collective, they are more redundant than I expected.

Science is exciting. The study of these phenomena is ultimately challenging to the intellect of even the smartest observer. Regurgitation of the past, compilations of examples and body-centric logic has made most of these essays dreadfully boring. On average, they are 70+ pages of “If you can’t dazzle them with your brilliance, baffle them with your … wit.”

I encourage BICS to convene a taskforce to arrive at a useful model for survival that the average person can consider scientific guidance for living more in agreement with their immortality.

Tom Butler

My Qualifications

BS Electrical and Electronics Engineer
Ordained by the National Spiritualist Association of Churches (NSAC)
NSAC National Spiritualist Teacher
Trained in several psychic and mediumship modalities. Certified medium with the NSAC.
Trained in several healing modalities (healing intention) including Reiki Master and NSAC certification.
Co-director of the Association TransCommunication (ATransC) since 2000. (ATransC was formally known as the American Association Electronic Voice Phenomena (AA-EVP)).
Conducted several lay studies of ITC characteristics, including:

4Cell EVP Demonstration

EVP Online Listening Trials

EVP Online Phantom Voices

Information Gathering Using EVPmaker With Allophone: A Yearlong Trial

Perception of Visual ITC Images

Radio-Sweep: A Case Study

Using EVP to find a Missing Person Page 16, Winter 2007 ATransC NewsJournal

Sponsored: EVPmaker with Allophones: Where are We Now?

Sponsored: A Research Study into the Interpretation of EVP