A short powerpoint on the state of education in the scientific study of psychic phenomena, or scientific parapsychology. Made for a video presentations for the 2014 Parapsychological Association convention.
2. THE AVAILABILITY OF
UNIVERSITY-BASED EDUCATION
1983
66 universities and colleges had at least one
course, some had faculty mentors, a couple
had masters and doctorates*
Examples:
University of Edinburgh
Saybrook Institute
University of California-Davis
John F. Kennedy University
University of Freiburg
*ASPR (1983) Courses and Study Opportunities in
Parapsychology (9th Edition). New York, NY: ASPR.
2011
43 universities and colleges, fewer single
courses, more faculty mentors, more
masters and doctoral possibilities*
Examples:
University of Northampton
University of Edinburgh
Saybrook University
University of Freiburg
University of São Paulo
*Zingrone, N. L. (2011). Petition to submit a proposal for a
Masters of Arts in parapsychology. Unpublished document.
Virginia Beach, VA: Atlantic University.
3. THE GOOD NEWS & THE BAD NEWS
Good News
There are more universities with
concentrations of students interested in
similar topics
There are more faculty mentors able to
supervise a dissertation or thesis within
another discipline’s department
There are more online libraries, online
courses, online lectures / conference
presentations available for independent
study in the field
Bad News
Within university-based programs there
are single or a minimal sequences of
courses that acquaint students with the
history, literature, institutions and people
in the field itself
Students are likely to graduate with a
deep knowledge in the field in which
their degree is taken (psychology,
anthropology, sociology, etc.) and a
narrow education in parapsychology
Proficiency in the field itself requires a
commitment to self-education
Illustration retrieved from: http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2010/02/24/self-education-failings/
4. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
The knowledge of the field itself is extremely variable
among students and researchers.
Even for the students who are in a “program” the
amount of education they receive in the field proper
is usually limited to 1-3 courses.
There is NO standardized curriculum in the field available
even to those committed to self-education
Consequences include:
Assumptions of being on the same page, when we are really not
Knowledge derived from research of earlier eras often completely lost
A continual reinvention of the wheel
5. HOW DO WE FIX THIS?
Support the adult education programs where
they exist
Support institutions and their efforts to put
their video/written materials online:
On individual authors’ websites
On institutional websites
On YouTube channels (where is the PA YouTube Channel?)
such as Parapsychology Online, the Rhine Research Center,
SSETalks etc
Support online libraries in the field like Lexscien
so that journal titles can be expanded and income
can help work to bring holdings up-to-date
Create an environment in which you encourage
students to know the field as well as they know