Supernormal

1. Yoga's Supernormal Abilities: From Legend to Science

Laboratory data amassed over many decades suggest that some of what the yogis, mystics, saints, and shamans have claimed is probably right.

Bridging mysticism and science. The book explores the possibility of "supernormal" abilities, traditionally associated with yoga and mysticism, through the lens of modern science. It questions whether these abilities, often dismissed as superstition, might have a basis in reality, supported by empirical evidence. The author navigates the tension between faith-based claims and scientific skepticism, seeking a middle ground where ancient wisdom and modern understanding can converge.

Challenging scientific assumptions. The core argument is that some scientific assumptions about the limits of human potential may be flawed. By examining practices like yoga, the book aims to uncover whether any of the "guideposts to enlightenment" in these traditions have been scientifically confirmed. This involves a willingness to reconsider long-held beliefs and to explore phenomena that are not easily accommodated by the current scientific worldview.

The supernormal as normal. The book introduces the concept of the "supernormal" as coined by Frederic Myers, suggesting that what is considered anomalous today may become completely normal in the future. This perspective frames psychic abilities like clairvoyance not as supernatural miracles, but as natural, lawful phenomena that presage a more advanced stage of human evolution. The goal is to examine these claims rationally, avoiding both blind faith and careless dismissal.

2. Yoga's Mainstream Explosion: A Cultural Integration

The explosive trend upward shows no signs of slowing, and it graphically reveals that what was once considered a fringe topic within the Western world has become mainstream.

Yoga's journey to the West. The book traces the evolution of yoga from an obscure Eastern practice to a widespread phenomenon in Western culture. It highlights key figures like Swami Vivekananda and Paramahansa Yogananda, who played pivotal roles in introducing yoga to the West, and examines the gradual acceptance and transformation of yoga over the decades.

From fringe to fitness. The transformation of yoga from a spiritual discipline to a quasi-spiritual athletic practice is explored, noting the influence of figures like Pierre Bernard and the integration of Swedish gymnastics and British Army calisthenics. This shift reflects a broader trend of Westernizing Eastern practices to fit cultural preferences and economic opportunities.

Scientific validation and acceptance. The exploding interest in yoga and meditation is attributed to scientific confirmation of their mental and physical health benefits. Studies have shown improvements in immune function, blood pressure, focus, and overall quality of life, leading to increased acceptance and integration into mainstream institutions like schools, hospitals, and even the military.

3. Mystical Experiences: Shared Realities Beyond the Mundane

Most metaphysical, occult, and esoteric schools believe in another, deeper, hidden reality beyond the mundane world.

The perennial philosophy. The book delves into the concept of a deeper, hidden reality that is explored by mystics, saints, and esoteric traditions across cultures. It references Aldous Huxley's "perennial philosophy," which suggests a common thread of understanding about a divine Reality that transcends individual beliefs and cultural backgrounds.

Quantum physics and mysticism. The parallels between mystical experiences and quantum physics are explored, noting how quantum theory has challenged classical notions of reality. Physicists like Erwin Schrödinger and voices ranging from a physicist like Fritjof Capra to a spiritual luminary like the Dalai Lama have drawn connections between quantum concepts and spiritual insights.

Shamanism and psychedelics. The book touches on shamanism as an ancient practice for evoking mystical experiences, as well as the role of psychedelics in opening individuals to alternate states of consciousness. It emphasizes that these experiences, while often dismissed, challenge traditional ways of life and offer glimpses into realities beyond the mundane.

4. Miracles and the Supernormal: Belief, Science, and the Unexplained

A miracle does not happen in contradiction to nature, but in contradiction to that which is known to us of nature.

Defining miracles and the supernormal. The book distinguishes between miracles, which are attributed to supernatural causes, and the supernormal, which refers to extraordinary events that are not yet understood by science. It acknowledges the widespread belief in miracles, even among non-religious individuals, and explores the psychological need for meaning and purpose that miracles provide.

Science's role in investigating the unexplained. The book argues that science has an obligation to investigate miracles and the supernormal neutrally, rather than dismissing them outright. It emphasizes the importance of empirical evidence in discerning fact from fiction and challenges the notion that science has already explained everything in the natural world.

The influence of mystical realizations. The book highlights Albert Einstein's view that "cosmic religious feeling" is the strongest incitement to scientific research, suggesting that mystical realizations can spark genuine breakthroughs. It emphasizes the need to explore ways of knowing that transcend the rational, as these may be essential for advancing human understanding.

5. The Skeptic's Lens: Unveiling Bias in the Unbelievable

The scienti c culture taught me that Swami Yogananda would have bene ted more, not from a bowl lled with imaginary butter-fried at-breads, but from a fine selection of antipsychotic medications.

The power of mechanistic materialism. The book examines the prevailing scientific dogma of mechanistic materialism, which posits that everything in the natural world can be explained by mechanistic processes. It acknowledges the successes of this approach but also points out its limitations in explaining subjective experiences and phenomena that seem to defy conventional understanding.

The taboo against the supernormal. The book explores the social and professional stigma associated with taking the supernormal seriously within scientific and academic circles. It highlights the self-appointed vigilantes who police an unwritten social commandment not to speak of certain topics, at least not in serious tones.

The wired brain and the believing brain. The book discusses the idea that the brain is wired to believe in strange things, and that this hardwiring can lead to biases in perception and interpretation. It critiques skeptical authors who readily identify biases in others but fail to see them in themselves, leading to selective reporting of information and an unwillingness to consider alternative explanations.

6. Yoga Sutras: A Map to Supernormal Potential

In the history of the collective as in the history of the individual, everything depends on the development of consciousness.

Patanjali's roadmap. The book introduces Patanjali's Yoga Sutras as a foundational text for understanding supernormal abilities, or siddhis. It outlines the eightfold path of yoga, which includes ethical conduct, physical postures, breath control, sensory withdrawal, concentration, meditation, and unity, as a practical means of achieving these abilities.

The eightfold path. The eightfold path is described as a structured approach to personal transformation, with each step building upon the previous one. The ultimate goal is to achieve states of insight that reveal the true nature of Reality, free from personal biases and cultural expectations.

Samadhi and the siddhis. The book emphasizes the importance of samadhi, a state of deep meditative absorption, as the key to unlocking supernormal powers. It explains that the siddhis are not magical or supernatural, but rather natural capacities that arise as a result of dedicated practice and mental refinement.

7. The Siddhis: Supernormal Powers Defined

To sum up about the implications of the various kinds of paranormal cognition. It seems plain that they call for very radical changes in a number of our basic limiting principles.

Defining the siddhis. The book provides a taxonomy of supernormal mental powers, or siddhis, as described in the Yoga Sutras. These abilities are categorized into three basic classes: exceptional mind-body control, clairvoyance, and psychokinesis.

Variations on a theme. The book explores the elementary siddhis, including telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, and psychokinesis, and the more advanced siddhis, including invisibility, levitation, invulnerability, and superstrength. It notes that these abilities are also described in shamanism and in the mystical teachings of religions.

The yogic view. The book emphasizes that yoga presents a practical path for developing these abilities, whereas most religions assume that these abilities are divinely inspired. It also notes that the yogic tradition takes a more pragmatic approach to displays of the siddhis because they are not considered divine, nor are they as tightly wound into the power struggles that seem to be endemic in all human affairs, including organized religions.

8. Science and the Siddhis: Bridging Ancient Wisdom with Modern Methods

The quest to de ne the limits of the physically possible is, of course, a legitimate and indeed necessary scienti c enterprise.

The scientific method as a tool. The book emphasizes the power of the scientific method in discerning fact from fiction when it comes to the siddhis. It notes that laboratory data amassed over many decades suggest that some of what the yogis, mystics, saints, and shamans have claimed is probably right, and that means some of today’s scientific assumptions are probably wrong.

Causation vs. correlation. The book emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between correlation and causation when interpreting scientific findings. It notes that just because two or more things are closely related to each other doesn’t mean that one necessarily causes the other.

The importance of empirical evidence. The book stresses the importance of relying on controlled experimental evidence published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, rather than anecdotal stories or religious arguments, when evaluating claims of supernormal abilities. It argues that scientific evidence trumps previously held assumptions and demonstrates the power of science to change from within.

9. Precognition: Glimpses of the Future in the Laboratory

I maintain that cosmic religious feeling is the strongest and noblest incitement to scienti c research.

Challenging the arrow of time. The book explores the concept of precognition, or the ability to gain information about future events, which challenges the conventional scientific understanding of causality. It notes that while some scientists and philosophers consider precognition logically impossible, others acknowledge the existence of anecdotal evidence and the need for scientific investigation.

Forced-choice experiments. The book describes forced-choice experiments, pioneered by J.B. Rhine, as a method for testing precognition under controlled conditions. It notes that a meta-analysis of 309 forced-choice experiments showed a small but repeatable effect, with odds against chance of 10^25 to one, suggesting that participants were able to anticipate future choices.

Free-response experiments. The book discusses free-response experiments, which allow participants to freely report their impressions of future targets, as a more naturalistic approach to studying precognition. It highlights the work of the PEAR Laboratory at Princeton University and the US government's Stargate program, which produced significant evidence for precognition using free-response methods.

10. Telepathy: Mind-to-Mind Connections Scientifically Explored

The whole history of science shows us that whenever the educated and scienti c men of any age have denied the facts of other investigators on a priori grounds of absurdity or impossibility, the deniers have always been wrong.

Telepathy in history and culture. The book explores the concept of telepathy, or mind-to-mind communication, and notes that reports of telepathic experiences can be found across all cultures and throughout history. It references Mark Twain's interest in "mental telegraphy" and the formation of the Society for Psychical Research as early attempts to study telepathy scientifically.

The ganzfeld experiment. The book describes the ganzfeld experiment as a standard technique for testing telepathy under controlled conditions. It explains how the ganzfeld design reduces sensory noise and creates a state of altered consciousness that may be conducive to telepathic communication.

Meta-analyses and the evidence for telepathy. The book reviews several meta-analyses of ganzfeld experiments, which have consistently shown statistically significant evidence for telepathy, with odds against chance ranging from millions to trillions to one. It notes that even skeptical researchers have obtained positive results, suggesting that telepathy is a real phenomenon.

11. Psychokinesis: Mind Over Matter in Living Systems

I maintain that cosmic religious feeling is the strongest and noblest incitement to scienti c research.

Defining psychokinesis. The book explores the concept of psychokinesis, or the ability of the mind to directly influence matter, and notes that this ability is described in the Yoga Sutras as mastery over the elements. It distinguishes between macro-PK, which involves large-scale effects that can be seen with the naked eye, and micro-PK, which involves small-scale effects that can only be detected with sensitive instruments.

Distant intentionality and the Love Study. The book discusses experiments on distant intentionality, in which one person tries to influence the physiological condition of a distant person. It highlights the "Love Study," which found that distant healing intention, particularly when combined with meditation training, had a significant effect on the skin conductance of the receiver.

Field consciousness and the Global Consciousness Project. The book explores the concept of field consciousness, which proposes that when a sizable proportion of the planet's population focuses their mental attention toward the same event, then the amount of physical coherence in the world also increases. It highlights the Global Consciousness Project, which has found evidence for this effect by analyzing data from random number generators located around the world.

12. The Future Human: Evolving Beyond Limitations

I regard consciousness as fundamental. I regard matter as derivative from consciousness.

Challenging scientific doctrines. The book argues that the existence of psi phenomena challenges some of the foundational beliefs underlying modern science, including realism, localism, causality, mechanism, physicalism, materialism, determinism, and reductionism. It notes that advancements in physics have already falsified some of these doctrines, suggesting that a new worldview is needed.

Quantum theory and the new worldview. The book explores how recent discoveries and interpretations of quantum theory may provide a framework for understanding psi phenomena. It highlights the concept of quantum biology, which suggests that quantum effects may be more pervasive in the natural world than previously thought.

The evolution of knowledge. The book concludes by suggesting that as science and society begin to appreciate that some of the siddhis are real, and that other aspects of yogic lore also provide legitimate road maps of reality, we can anticipate that some scientists and scholars will become increasingly marginalized and resentful. But the teeth grinding will eventually settle down as younger investigators, who were not so entrenched in passé prejudices, reach their prime.

Last updated: April 24, 2025