It seems obvious that each of us is a separate and unique individual. We move through time and space entirely apart from the people and things around us. Or do we?
In 2017, IONS Chief Scientist Dean Radin, PhD, gave a presentation entitled Psychic Abilities and the Illusion of Separation. In it, he presents clear evidence that our apparent separateness is, in fact, an illusion. He concludes that we are, in fact, all part of a larger reality that encompasses not only the “here and now” but also the flow of time and space.
Do We Really Perceive Reality?
To open his discussion, Dr. Radin notes that what we perceive isn’t necessarily reality. This is simply a statement of fact, and is supported by several well-known optical illusions that illustrate the point that seeing may be believing, but it may or may not be a reflection of reality. [timestamp :28]
He explains that, in general, we see what we expect to see; this is a form of “naïve reality” which he also describes as a “thin slice of reality.” Those who subscribe to naïve reality believe that there is only one way to cause change: to give a shove and assume a unidirectional flow of time.
Quantum physics, however, shows us that time is not unidirectional, and causality is not as simple as it appears to be. It is not necessary to be in the same time or place to cause or react to an event: the flow of time and space is multidirectional, so that any event can interact with any other. [5:01-5:42]
Everyone Is Psychic
Research studies have surveyed individuals with and without a belief in or aptitude for psychic abilities; it turns out that almost everyone has had certain experiences, such as “gut feelings” and “telephone telepathy.” Fewer have had experiences such as religious epiphanies. At IONS, says Dr. Radin, all of these experiences are described as “extended capacities of the mind.”
Many research studies have explored these “extended capacities,” with the goal not only of verifying their existence but also of discovering their relationship to time and space. Dr. Radin goes on to describe several of these studies, all of which have been replicated multiple times with findings published in major journals. Despite these clear-cut findings over time, however, Dr. Radin notes that there is still significant skepticism in the scientific community. [18:20-18:24]
Even more intriguing, he says, are studies which prove that telepathy and other psychic abilities are not necessarily tied to time or space. It is possible, for example, to experimentally prove that a person’s reaction to an event can occur before the event occurs. [31:46- 32:22]
Overcoming a Materialist Paradigm of Science
Despite closing experimental loopholes, including well-established experiments, and presenting study results over the course of decades with similar subjects, says Dr. Radin, the mainstream media insists that paranormal events are impossible—because such findings are “alien to everyday physics.” This, he says, should infuriate anyone who has been involved with such studies over time. [40:13-40:40] The odds against positive findings of psychic abilities is, he says, essentially “a gazillion to one.”
Dr. Radin’s talk is as appropriate today as it was several years ago, and the experiments he described are just as intriguing. See below to watch a video of his entire presentation.
