Title: Ganzfeld vs. No Ganzfeld: an Exploratory Study of the Effects of Ganzfeld Conditions on ESP

Period and status: 2000 - 2001- concluded
Sponsorship: Bial Foundation (Portugal)
Coordinator: Fábio Eduardo da Silva
Researchers: Fábio Eduardo da Silva, Margareth Aparecida Bleichwel, Sibele Aparecida Pilato, Maurício Yanez Alves da Silva e Celso Côrtes Cordeiro

Researcher Sibele Pilato working in the receiver (left) and researcher's (right) rooms.

Publication:

V SIMPÓSIO DA FUNÇÃO BIAL: AQUÉM E ALÉM DO CÉREBRO - Fundação Bial, Portugal - 2004 - Ganzfeld e não Ganzfeld: testando a eficiência da técnica em si e em relação a outros fatores psi-condutivos (Pôster: Fábio E. Silva, Reginaldo Hiraoka e Sibele Pilato)

REVISTA ARGENTINA DE PSICOLOGIA PARANORMAL - Vol.14, n. 3-4, Julho / Outubro 2003 - Analizando estados no-ordinarios de consciencia y otros factores favoraveis para la telepatia: um estudo exploratório. (Fábio E. Silva, Reginaldo Hiraoka e Sibele Pilato)

I CONFIES: CONGRESSO CIENTÍFICO DAS FIES - FIES, Curitiba - 2003 - Ganzfeld e não Ganzfeld: observando estados modificados de consciência e outros fatores favoráveis à telepatia, num estudo exploratório (Fábio E. Silva, Reginaldo Hiraoka e Sibele Pilato)

THE PARAPSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION 46TH ANNUAL CONVENTION - PA, Canadá - 2003 - Ganzfeld vs. no Ganzfeld: an exploratory study of the effects of Ganzfeld conditions on ESP (Fábio E. Silva, Reginaldo Hiraoka e Sibele Pilato)

I ENCONTRO PSI: REFLETINDO SOBRE A PARANORMALIDADE HUMANA - FIES, Curitiba - 2002 - Ganzfeld e não Ganzfeld: observando estados modificados de consciência e outros fatores favoráveis à telepatia, num estudo exploratório (Fábio E. Silva, Reginaldo Hiraoka e Sibele Pilato)

CD ROOM: Relatório de Pesquisa: Ganzfeld x não Ganzfeld: testando a eficiência da técnica em si e em relação a outros fatores psi-condutivos. 2002. (Fábio E. Silva)

VÍDEO DOCUMENTÁRIO - VHS E DVD: Vídeo documentário da pesquisa Ganzfeld e Não Ganzfeld - 2002. (Fábio E. Silva)

CD DE AUDIO: Relaxamento Ganzfeld e Chiado Branco - 2000 - (Fábio E. Silva e Sibele Pilato)

Abstract: :

In this double-blind exploratory study 74 subjects participated forming 37 couples (sender/receiver). The sender watched a video and tried to send it to the receiver, who was located 120 meters away. At the end of the sending/receiving period (28 min.) the receiver watched four videos and tried to identify which one had been sent. There were two experimental conditions. In the Ganzfeld (GZ) condition the researchers and subjects heard a 20-minute relaxation induction. The receiver's eyes were covered with halved Ping-Pong balls, upon which two red lights were projected, and they listened to "white noise" during the experimental session. In the non-Ganzfeld (NGZ) condition, neither the Ping-Pong balls nor the "white noise" were used and there was no relaxation induction. From July of 2001 to March of 2002, 108 trials (54 GZ and 54 NGZ) were carried out. There was no overall significance (hit rate 25,93%), Z=0.11, ?=0.51. The NGZ and GZ hits (18,52%, Z=-0.94, ?=0.41 and 33,33%, Z=1.26, ?=0.60 respectively) did not reach significance. However the GZ hits were in the direction of the findings reported in the Ganzfeld meta-analysis by Bem and Honorton (1994). The difference between the GZ and NGZ hits was significant, p=.0228 one-tailed. We also found that the targets that were hit were evaluated by receivers (in terms of personal preference and personal meaning) higher than the targets that were not hit. Analysis of the qualitative content of hits and misses suggested that in future studies the qualitative results should be considered along with the conventional methodology of hits vs. misses. These results seem to be similar to the qualitative findings found by Parker.

The researcher Maurício Y. A. da Silva working in the sender roon with a subject.

The researcher Sibele Pilato conducting the judgment with the receiver.

Paper (English / Portuguese)

Title: Telepathy in dreams: a didactic study

Period and status: 2003-2004 concluded
Researchers: Ênio C.S. Araújo, Cilmar Souza Nogueira, Cristiane Piasecki, Jedalva Oliveira, Helison Giradello, Fábio E. da Silva e Maria José Westphal

The photography shows the studants sesearchers: Ênio C. S. Araújo, Cilmar Souza Nogueira, Cristiane Piasecki, Maria José Westphal e Helison Giradell.

Publication:

II ENCONTRO PSI: REFLETINDO SOBRE O FUTURO DA PARAPSICOLOGIA - FIES, Curitiba - 2004 - Telepatia em sonhos: um estudo didático (Ênio C.S. Araújo, Cilmar Souza Nogueira, Cristiane Piasecki, Jedalva Oliveira, Helison Giradello, Fábio E. da Silva e Maria José Westphal)

Abstract:

This study, conducted by students of the 5th semester of the Parapsychology Course had for objective to verify the possibility of telepathy through dreams. The thirteen subjects involved in the study took part in at least one and at the most three trials. They were selected according the following criteria: a) often being able to remember their dreams; b) usually waking up at the same time; c) believing in the possibility of telepathy. They would sleep at home and write down their dreams when waking up. The researchers acted as senders, telepathically trying to send a one minute video which they watched from their own home thirty minutes before the subjects’ waking up time. During the evaluation, the subjects tried to identify the correct target among 4 possible targets. 22 trails were carried out, showing 7 hits (31,8%, z=0,49, p>,05) refuting the hypothesis that the direct hits would positively and significantly differ from the mean chance expectancy. All the hits were from feminine receivers, but the proportional comparison between hits and miss for both sexes was not significant (X2 = 2,88, p>0,05). Qualitative data were also taken in consideration, indicating a similarity with previous studies. Methodological flaws were evaluated and suggestions for future studies though dreams were given
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Title: Digital and Physiological Ganzfeld: looking for a more objective measure of psi

Period and status: 2003-2008 - In course
Sponsorship: Bial Foundation (Portugal)
Coordinator: Fábio Eduardo da Silva
Researchers: Fábio Eduardo da Silva, Sibele Aparecida Pilato, Maurício Yanez Alves da Silva e Reginaldo de Castro Hiraoka.

The photography on the righ shows Fábio Eduardo da Silva presenting the Ganzfeld Digital Fisiológico in the Seminário de Comunicação Intuitiva e Interações Ambientais Anômalas in Sao Paulo. The one on the left shows Sibele Pilato presenting the Ganzfeld in the I Congresso Científico das FIES in Curitiba.

Publication:

THE PARAPSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION 48TH ANNUAL CONVENTION - PA, Petaluma, EUA - 2005 (in press) - Digital and Physiological Ganzfeld: looking for a more objective measure of psi (Fábio E. Silva, Reginaldo Hiraoka e Sibele Pilato)

ANUÁRIO BRASILEIRO DE PARAPSICOLOGIA - IPPP, Recife, Brasil - N. 9 - 2004 - Ganzfeld: uma técnica em evolução (Fábio E. Silva, Reginaldo Hiraoka e Sibele Pilato)

II ENCONTRO PSI: REFLETINDO SOBRE O FUTURO DA PARAPSICOLOGIA - FIES, Curitiba - 2004 - Ganzfeld Digital Fisiológico: em busca de uma medida mais objetiva para psi (Fábio E. Silva, Reginaldo Hiraoka e Sibele Pilato)

SEMINÁRIO: COMUNICAÇÃO INTUITIVA E INTERAÇÕES AMBIENTAIS ANÔMALAS - PUC, São Paulo - 2003 - Ganzfeld Digital: Um sistema automático de pesquisa experimental de psi. (Fábio E. Silva)

Abstract:

This study is based on our manual Ganzfeld research in which qualitative data were evaluated showing two points to be improved: a) the quality analysis of mentation related to the targets and/or situations linked to the senders should be more objective. The Real Time Digital Ganzfeld System developed by Dr. Adrian Parker and Dr. Joakim Westerlund, University of Gothenburg, from Sweden provides tools for this; b) the conventional methodology used to evaluate psi, or, the choice of the correct targets among the false ones should be more objective since the qualitative data seem to show mistakes more suggestive of psi than of several hits. Based on these points, we will verify if the integration of the Digital Ganzfeld Technique (real time system to evaluate the cognitive aspects of psi) with DMILS - Direct Mental Interactions with Living Systems - Technique (measuring the electrodermal activities [EDA] as the psi physiological measurement) produces a more objective measure of psi. We will also evaluate other variables related to the targets, researchers, experimental environment, sender and receiver. The entire experiment will be controlled by computers, from the target randomization and showing to the experimental data record. The sender will watch a video and try to send it to the receiver, who will be located 63 meters away. Researchers and subjects will hear a 20-minute relaxation induction. The receiver's eyes will be covered with halved Ping-Pong balls, upon which two red lights will be projected, and they will listen to "white noise" during the experimental session. At the end of the sending/receiving period (23 min.) the receiver will watch four videos and try to identify which one was sent. The digital videos (targets) of 1’30’’ will be projected to the sender and the receiver on two 120 inch screens by two multimedia projectors. Two 5.1 surround sound systems will also be used to create a great involvement with the targets. During the experimental sessions the rooms of the researcher, sender and receiver will be filmed. During the sending/receiving period the reports of the receiver will be recorded. During the target evaluation (judging process) the receiver will be able to listen to his/her mentation while watching each target in a synchronized way. This will facilitate the receiver's perception of the moments during which he/she described the target in real time. We hope to obtain more synchronism between the mentation and the correct targets than between the mentation and the false ones. In addition, the sender and the receiver's EDA - Electrodermal Activity - will be measured hoping that a major correlation will be obtained during the quality hits sessions.

The photography shows the sender in the Ganzfeld deprivation

Paper (English / Portuguese)

Title: Psi Inducive Training for Brazilian Children

Period and status: 2004- Concluded
Coordinators: Fábio Eduardo da Silva and Hideyuki Kokubo (Japan)
Researchers: Fábio Eduardo da Silva, Sibele Aparecida Pilato e Hideyuki Kokubo (Japão)

Publication:

JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF LIFE INFORMATION SCIENCE - ISLIS - Vol 23, n 1, 2005 - Application of Psi Inductive Training for Brazilian Children Children (Hideyuki Kokubo, Fábio E. Silva, Sibele Pilato, Reginaldo Hiraoka e Mikio Yamamoto)

THE 37TH ANNUAL CONVENTION OF JAPANESE SOCIETY FOR PARAPSYCHOLOGY - Tokyo, Japão - 2004 - Psi Inducive Training for Brazilian Children (Hideyuki Kokubo, Mikio Yamamoto, Fábio E. Silva, Reginaldo Hiraoka e Sibele Pilato)

JAPANESE JOURNAL OF PARAPSYCHOLOGY - Vol 9, n.1-2, 2004 - Psi Inducive Training for Brazilian Children (Hideyuki Kokubo, Fábio E. Silva, Sibele Pilato, Reginaldo Hiraoka e Mikio Yamamoto)

III ENCONTRO PSI: Implicações e aplicações da psi - FIES, Curitiba - 2006 - Application of Psi Inductive Training for Brazilian Children (Hideyuki Kokubo, Mikio Yamamoto, Fábio E. Silva, Reginaldo Hiraoka e Sibele Pilato)

Abstract:

The authors applied the Chinese technique of psi inductive training to 11 Brazilian children. This technique was developed in China in the 1980s. This training prepares subjects for a free-response test with targets which are letters or figures written on a paper which is balled up. Chinese researchers in Yunnan, Shanghai and Beijing have claimed that they trained successful subjects using the method. In the present study, the authors tried to train Brazilian children using the method of Yunnan University researchers. The authors monitored the Field RNGs during training. Final training results were not available because the training was done only twice and the number of subjects was small. However, it was considered that this method could be applied to subjects who do not know Kanji letters.

Title: Distant healing intention to autistic patients: an exploratory study

Period and status: 2005-2006 - concluded Sponsorship: Commercial institutions
Coordinators: Prof. Dr. José Rimundo Facion, prof. Fábio Eduardo da Silva and profa. Nadir Martins Ganz (Brazil- fotografia abaixo e a direita)
Researchers: Magda Jaqueline da Silva, (Brasil - fotografia abaixo e a esquerda]) Sergio Schilling [fotografia acima e a esquerda], Waldo Mora (Chile), e Hideyuki Kokubo (Japão) e Luis S. Espinoza Paul (Peru - fotografia acima e a direita)

Publication:

III ENCONTRO PSI: Implicações e aplicações da psi - FIES, Curitiba - 2006 - Intenção de Cura à Distância sobre pacientes autistas: um estudo exploratório, considerando variáveis psicológicas e físicas ( José Raimundo Facion; Júlia Hein,
Nadir Martins Ganz; Fabio Eduardo da Silva; Magda Jaqueline da Silva, Sergio Schilling; Waldo Mora, Luis S. Espinoza Paul, Hideyuki Kokubo)

IV Encontro Psi: Parapsicologia & Psicologia - FIES, Curitiba, 2008 - Distant healing intention to autistic patients: an exploratory study (Fabio E. da Silva, Hideyuki Kokubo, José R. Facion, Júlia Hein, Lizmari Pontoni, Luis S. Espinoza Paul, Sergio Schilling, Waldo Mora, Nadir M. Ganz e Magda J. da Silva)

Abstract:
Purpose: We tested effects of Distant Healing (DH) for autistic patients who were at a hospital in south of Brazil using CARS (Childhood Autism Rating Scale).
Subjects: Target patients were 10 serious autistic patients (7 male, 3 female, average age of 18.5y) who did not other illness. They were categorized at random into Test group (3 male, 2 female, average age of 20.2y) or Control group (4 male, 1 female, average age of 16.8y). Healers were 10 healers who lived in Brazil, Chile, Peru and Japan. The distance between patients and healers were from approximate 130 km to 1.87x104 km (Japan to Joinville).
Methods: Distant healing sessions were done in 2005, from November 16th to December 10th (25 days). Each healer did DH to a patient once a day looking at a photo of the patient. Each patient received healing service from 2 healers every 5-days. Every patient was also being cared with usual medical care during the healing research.
Evaluations: The conditions of patients’ illness were evaluated by a psychologist using CARS before the healing session and 3 months after the session. In addition, patients’ parents and teachers also evaluated their patients using exploratory instruments.
Results: In the whole patients, CARS, parents and teachers’ evaluations decreased after the healing session. The differences were not significant (Pared t-test, one tail, n=10. CARS: p=0.056, Parent: p=0.128, Teacher: p=0.128). In comparing Test with Control, CARS, parents and teachers’ evaluations of the test group were smaller than the control group although these differences were not significant (t-test for difference CARS: p=0.143, Parent: p=0.348, Teacher: p=0.261). Comparing pre and post data in Test and Control: the CARS of test group decreased significantly from pre to after evaluations, what is not observed in the Parents and Teacher’s scores (CARS: p=0.004, Parent: p=0.237, Teacher: p=0.173). The parents’ scores show a decreased after the intervention at 5% significance for the control group. The CARS and Teacher’s scores don’t show this effect. The CARS, parents and teachers’ scores are not correlated with each other. (CARS-Parents r=0.240; CARS-Teachers r=0.021; Parents-Teachers r=0.059)
Discussion and conclusion: We conclude that both treatments of usual medical care and DH could not recover patient’s health. If comparing pre and post data in Test and Control groups it was observed that the test group's CARS scores decreased significantly from pre to post evaluations, what is not observed in the control group. However it was found several medications changes during the research so it could be an artifact produced by these changes.

Title: Is it possible to stimulate the anomalous experiences perception? An exploratory study with groups of dynamics

Period and status: 2004-2010 - In course
Coordinator: Fábio Eduardo da Silva
Researchers: Fábio Eduardo da Silva, Lizmari Pontoni

Publication:

I SEMINÁRIO DO DIA DO PARAPSICÓLOGO - Joinvile, Brasil - 2004 - Facilitando a consciência dos fenômenos psi? Grupos exploratórios e experimentais de vivências em Parapsicologia (Fábio E. Silva e Reginaldo Hiraoka )

III ENCONTRO PSI: Implicações e aplicações da psi - FIES, Curitiba - 2006 - É possível estimular a percepção de experiências anômalas? (Fábio E. Silva)

Abstract:

The focus of this study is the anomalous experiences (AEs), which could be defined as uncommon and irregular, although it may be experienced by substantial amount of the population, it is believed to deviate from ordinary experience or from the usually accepted explanations of reality. Among the varieties of the AEs we focused on the psi-related experiences. From the experimental point of view psi is a hypothetical construct relating to the presumed anomalous transfer of information or energy. The study goal is to evaluate if anomalous transfer of information or energy (psi) could be obtained or improved by perception training and by experiencing psi-conductive factors both being conducted in groups. For that phenomenological and experimental evaluations will be considered before and after the intervention. The phenomenological approach will both evaluate the coherence of the adopted theoretical constructs and discover new data. The experimental approach will use the ganzfeld sensory deprivation technique to objectively evaluate the intervention possible effects. The research question will be considered through the integration of these two approaches. The study is in its pilot phase through three groups. Some activities, partial results and discussions are presented.

Title: Telephone telepathy: an exploratory study

Period and status: 2006 - Concluded
Coordinator: Fábio Eduardo da Silva
Researchers: Ivone Pereira, Mariza A. Kieszkowski, Jocemara Zanatto, Nivaldo Voigt, Fábio Eduardo da Silva

Publication:

IV Encontro Psi: Parapsicologia & Psicologia - FIES, Curitiba, 2008 - Telepatia por telefone: um estudo exploratório (Ivone

Pereira, Mariza A. Kieszkowski, Jocemara Zanatto, Nivaldo Voigt, Fábio Eduardo da Silva)

Abstract:

Introduction: As a part of the Training in Experimental Research of the Universities Integrated Spiritualist’s Course of Parapsychology, this study was conducted in the first semester of 2006. Could the intention of speaking with anybody through telephone create favorable conditions for the telepathy? This can be suggested by people that relate to feel or to know who is calling them by phone. However, would it be coincidences, fruit of the selective memory, sensorial cues?
Purpose: Trying to contribute to the answer those questions, this study tried to verify, under control conditions, if people could guess, above chance, who was calling them [hypothesis].
Subjects: Without previous selection, researchers' friends and relatives were invited, totalizing 12 participants, from 5 to 65 years (mean age 35), being 25% men, 75% women.
Methods: In groups of 5, one participant has acted as receiver and the others as senders. To each 10 trials the receiver was changed starting to act as sender. With a researcher the receivers have received calls in a room 63 meters away from the senders. Before hearing who was calling, the receivers tried to guess the sender. The sequence of the calls was defined by a table of random numbers. The phone calls were made through 2 cell phones. It was carried out 120 trials in 3 days, by 3 groups of 5 participants.
Evaluations: The results were calculated by the Z formula (Direct Hit z Score), binomial exact with p=0.25 and q=0.75.
Results: It was obtained a bellow chance expectation 21,67% of hits, (Z=-0,73, p=0,77). One of the participants obtained 40% of hits (z=1,86, p=0,021) reaching statistical significance alone. The other participants obtained 15,6% of hits (z=-1,94, p=0,021), inversely significant. The difference is highly significant (RC=2,92, p=0,001).
Discussion and conclusions: The study hypothesis was refuted and non predicted exploratory analyses have indicated a possible anomalous effect among a participant's results in relation to the others. The study also obtained his educational function
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