Research Projects by IONS Fellow Rupert Sheldrake, PhD
The Joint Attention Test
Can you tell when someone is looking at the same photo you are?
Joint attention is the shared focus of two or more individuals on the same object. Detecting the direction of another person’s gaze plays a major role in establishing joint attention. The purpose of this research is to find out if joint attention involves a kind of mental resonance that can be felt by people looking at the same thing, even if they are many miles apart.
This experiment requires two people and takes less than five minutes to complete. One of you registers a group name, then you both log in at a prearranged time. In each of 12 trials you’ll be randomly shown either the same picture or different ones. After 10 seconds, you’ll be asked “Was your partner looking at the same picture?” In half the trials you’ll do the guessing while your partner concentrates on the image, then in the second half you’ll reverse roles.
Take the Joint Attention Test
Waking Before Alarm Clocks Go Off
Have you ever woken just before your alarm clock goes off? What about waking before unscheduled disturbances?
IONS Fellow, Rupert Sheldrake, is conducting exciting new research around this common but mysterious phenomenon, which may be a form of pre-sentiment precognition. He is interested in hearing from those who have had experiences of waking just before unexpected alarms, such as fire alarms, or any other unscheduled disturbance. Watch a brief (4 min) video about the experiment and learn how you can participate by sharing your own experiences.
Watch Video
Telephone Telepathy
Many people have had the experience of thinking about a particular person, for no apparent reason, and then the phone rings and that person is on the line. Generally such calls are from familiar people like close friends and family members. These seemingly telepathic experiences with telephones are very common.
Dr. Sheldrake has developed a simple, easy to use, automated test that works on cell phones in the US, Canada, the UK, and Italy. It is free and can be done at any time. You register online here, giving the names and numbers of two people you know well, who will be your callers in this test. The registration link gives full instructions and details.
You will receive your score at the end of each test, which involves six short calls randomly spread out over about one hour.
Dr. Sheldrake is keen to know if people can get better with practice. Also, does it work better after you have been meditating? Or after other practices that help you increase your intuition? Do please have a go at the test, and see if you can find ways of improving your score. If you can do this, please send Dr. Sheldrake an email describing how you did it.
Test Your Telepathy
Channelers are able to connect with supposed non-physical beings, allowing them to bring wisdom into our world.
The purpose of this study is to learn whether reported psychic abilities are associated with specific genes or genetic networks. If you are a healthy adult and have access to your genetic data through a direct-to-consumer company like 23andMe or Ancestry.com, you may be able to participate. The study involves:
Many people have had precognitive dreams or successful intuitive hunches and ask themselves: Do I have psychic or psi abilities?