Mention science and sixth sense in the same breath and you can expect the skeptic sparks to fly! No doubt there has been plenty of controversy around this topic for many years.
However while you normally might expect science to be on a never-ending debunking quest, as we enter the world of quantum physics and the God particle, the veils between science and spirituality are thinning. Many scientists are out to support rather than disprove psychic abilities. In many cases, science actually upholds the sixth sense.
The History
When you think about it, the sixth sense came long before science. Consider our earliest ancestors—the primitive hunter-gatherers. They relied heavily upon their intuition for survival.
Avoiding danger, hunting prey and seeking shelter often demanded quick and decisive action not always provided by rational thought. Call it instinct or ESP, it’s been part of our DNA for a very long time.
Science has always had an interest in the sixth sense, and not just to disprove it. Distinguished scholars and scientists established the American Society for Psychical Research in the late 1800’s to promote research and understanding of psychic and unexplained phenomena. In fact it is still in existence today.
One of the earliest scientific studies to support the case for ESP abilities took place in the 1940’s at Duke University under the direction of J.B. Rhine. Using a set of cards with specials markers (called Zener or ESP cards) he observed the number of correct guesses achieved by test subjects.
Rhine found that people generally performed better than chance expectations, leaving little doubt that there is evidence of the sixth sense.
Top Secret Sixth Sense Science
According to now declassified information, in the 1970’s research conducted at the Stanford Research Institute determined that psychic abilities exist to view and sense objects at remote locations.
Known as remote viewing, this display of sixth sense phenomena was developed out of interest for its military applications. As noted in Wikipedia, it was funded by the US Government and sponsored by several agencies including the CIA, the US Air Force and US Army Intelligence.
We know that government often wastes money, but to spend $20 million dollars back then on a frivolous project is highly unlikely. And we do know that many CIA agents and military officers were trained in remote viewing, including Joseph McMoneagle, who was highly decorated for his service using these abilities. Who says science doesn’t support psychic phenomena?
Modern Sixth Sense Studies
Just because we’re living in the 21st century doesn’t mean we’ve stopped studying psychic phenomena. The sixth sense it still a timely topic worthy of in depth research and study. Which brings us to the modern scientific studies that support the existence of the sixth sense.
One of the most discussed modern studies came out of Cornell University conducted by Daryl J. Bem, Professor Emeritus of Psychology. Through nine different experiments he demonstrated that our brains could see into the future.
Traditional psychological tests like priming were used (where photos are categorized as positive or negative when flashed on a screen while the answers are subliminally prompted ahead of time). However Dr. Bem reversed this method and showed the subliminal words after the photos. He found that people were able to correctly predict and categorize the photos thus providing evidence of ESP.
Other modern researchers like Dr. Rupert Sheldrake and Dr. Dean Radin have also found evidence to support the existence of the sixth sense.
According to information from thefreelibrary.com, Dr. Sheldrake conducted an experiment that showed beyond random chance that people could predict who would be calling them on the phone, also known as telephone telepathy. Meanwhile Dr. Radin has spent a lifetime gathering evidence to support ESP and has documented it in his book The Conscious Universe.
Although there is much more research to be done in the area of psychic abilities, it is exciting to see increasing support from science rather than strict skepticism.
