摘要：Many studies have provided strong support for the existence of paranormal and psychic phenomena (“Psi”). For multiple reasons, however, Psi does not readily lend itself to scientific investigation. In contrast with the consensus-based scientific method that is grounded in repeatable observations and experiments, Psi and consciousness studies typically involve personal experiences (e.g., intuitive hunches, precognition, clairvoyance, and absent healing) that are true and meaningful only for the individual test subject. Furthermore, much scientific research is based on objective observations having their origins in, and ultimately limited by, the five senses as extended by instrumentation. Such observations and instrumentation may be inadequate to capture and characterize Psi phenomena. As if to compound these challenges, the notion of the detached observer, a key underpinning of the scientific method, can no longer be assumed at the level of subtle energies believed to be associated with Psi phenomena. For all of these reasons and others, the replication of results demanded by the scientific method is often challenging to obtain. A new framework for scientific investigation of Psi is needed, and the journey to this framework has not been without its own challenges.
