Originally Posted by
Anok
Regarding your implication that I claimed that the substance of the dream world was something entirely “other,” as I’d imagine you’d call “supernatural,” I simply did not. I described a model according to what the OP seemed to find plausible, based on telepathy, and in fact I assumed that brains were the origins of telepathy, just because the OP referred to wireless brain communication. Since I explained that the experiential content of d that telepathic communication was more important than firings of neurons which we do not individually perceive, I considered it acceptable to say that thought was the substance of this dream world. How, exactly, is this different from talking about websites instead of bits? It is useless to talk about dreams on the level of perceived experience in terms of the firings of neurons, after all.
Finally, I have already said that I fully realize the value of double-blinded studies. And, in fact, I did not ask you to accept single-blind studies. I actually was trying to convey something entirely different, which you seem to have glossed over. Psi research has claimed to show evidence that intention can facilitate interesting things like telepathy or the manipulation of probabilities, and has claimed that belief is a modulating factor of success (another thing which the dream article you didn't read corroborates, since the most accurate dreamers felt more confident they could perform the task, without knowing their performance). Psi researchers also commonly claim that it is possible to produce significantly negative results, possibly due to strong doubts or disbelief.
If this is true, then it applies very strongly to the business of determining whether or not psi exists. It becomes extremely difficult to prevent the researcher from interfering with data, seeing as you can't very well conduct research if you don't know what you are researching. So this effect would predict false positives for research where the involved people believe in psi, and false negatives for the involved parties that disbelieve, with the occasional significantly negative result.
The problem here, as I'm sure you are very prepared to reply to me, is that it is hard to falsify. I agree with you, that is a serious research problem. I would also agree that it makes an excellent, EXCELLENT excuse for bad psi results in the majority psi community, and an excellent cover for would be frauds, trying to fabricate positive evidence.
But that doesn't mean that the claim doesn't need to be disproved, and like I said falsification is difficult by the nature of the claim. I don't have a solution for you, unfortunately. It is easy to expose a similar effect in hypnosis, which I do not believe is psi; I have suggested that resistant people have attracting magnets on their hands, had them close their eyes, and seen their hands move farther apart. When they open their eyes and see this, the job is done. If you can think of a similar test that might apply to being conscious alone, please let me know. Until then, I will play the devil's advocate for psi in the hopes of producing more curious scientists, funnily enough, to even the psychic odds of our culture. Just in case.
I am unfortunately out of time for the night, but look forward to your response!