Surveys have repeatedly shown that many people believe in the existence of anomalous cognitive phenomena, that is, phenomena directly challenging the standard ontological assumptions of conventional science. This includes the belief in the fundamental interconnectedness of consciousness and the physical world, including the belief in the power of “mental causation.” By contrast, conventional science views consciousness as an epiphenomenon, that is, a by-product of neuronal activity with no causal, or co-causal, powers of its own. This definition is consistent with the ruling scientific metaphysics called physicalism—the position that all phenomena, including life and mind, can at least in principle be wholly derived from physical processes. However, could a future breakthrough in our understanding of consciousness and cognition reach beyond neuro-determinism and physicalism? For example, might advances in research on anomalous cognition allow for a new scientific perspective on consciousness to emerge? Historically, many laboratory studies exploring anomalous cognition have claimed that consciousness is a causal, or co-causal, factor in the physical world, and not merely a vivid but powerless illusion. At the very least, the historical database from anomalous cognition research suggests the existence of anomalous correlations between human conscious intent and physical outcome measures, that is, psycho-physical correlations that—taken at face value—appear to challenge the known Laws of Nature. 

Using advanced methodologies, could new experimental studies confirm any of the extraordinary claims reported and discussed in anomalous cognition research? Paradox Science Institute seeks to make new progress towards addressing that question. Briefly, the Institute’s research projects on anomalous cognition are considering the possibility of (anomalous) information as a nexus between mind and matter, or mind and mind. For explanation, research on anomalous cognition has frequently argued that anomalous (or quantum) informational exchanges might be the source of many of the reported effects in this research area. However, whether any of the reported anomalous results presents a true-positive finding remains unknown. The Institute seeks to develop and implement advanced methodologies for increasing the chances of making reliable discoveries in anomalous cognition research. The goal of the Nexus program is to help clarify whether the wide-spread belief in the existence of anomalous cognitive phenomena could be supported by confirmatory evidence using advanced scientific methodologies.

Related projects

Replication Study of the Anomalous Cognitive Effect Claimed by Daryl Bem (2011) 

A metascientific replication project on the anomalous cognitive effect claimed by Daryl Bem (2011) was recently completed. The tested effect concerned the anomalous ability to successfully guess the outcome of future random events. This project was co-sponsored by Paradox Science Institute and, with more than 26,400 participants, presents one of the largest studies in anomalous cognition ever performed. This replication project implemented advanced methodologies; that is, a combination of advanced protocols and techniques was used for reducing—simultaneously—the risk of false discoveries due to (i) confirmation bias, (ii) non-transparency, i.e., the lack of verifiability of the used research procedures, and (iii) intrinsic measurement bias. Towards this end, advanced test strategies were employed that have previously been used—successfully—to improve the reliability of findings: (1) The Advanced Meta-Experimental Protocol (AMP; Walleczek and von Stillfried, 2019), and (2) the Transparent Psi Project procedures (TPP; Kekecs et al., 2023). The findings of this combined AMP-TPP metascientific replication project are currently under peer review. 

References:

Bem (2011)

Walleczek and von Stillfried (2019)

Kekecs et al. (2023)

A second metascientific replication project sponsored by Paradox Science Institute is currently under development. Multiple laboratories have been invited to participate in the GML project to rigorously evaluate the claimed replicability of the largest laboratory effect in anomalous cognition research—the so-called Ganzfeld effect. The Ganzfeld effect concerns the phenomenon of anomalous information transmission between a sender and receiver under conditions of sensory shielding. Meta-analyses of more than 100 Ganzfeld studies have reported a highly significant anomalous effect. The GML project reinvestigates the claim of the anomalous Ganzfeld effect by reproducing a significant share of the database that was used in a highly influential meta-analysis (Storm and Tressoldi, 2010). 50 years after the first report of the anomalous Ganzfeld effect (Honorton and Harper, 1974), the GML project seeks to identify the source of this claimed anomalous finding using advanced, rigor-enhancing methodologies. Preregistered data collection by the GML project laboratory network is expected to start in Fall 2025. A counterfactual version of the GML project is also conducted, that is, here a random event generator (REG) substitutes for the participants during the test phase. This approach can (i) reduce the risk of mistaking false positives for true positives and (ii) detect and identify possible sources of hidden systematic error. In short, the counterfactual GML project investigates the accuracy and reliability of the research methodology that is used in the GML project and, hence, presents a REG-based metascientific study as part of the Synergy program as well.

References:

Storm et al. (2010)

Honorton and Harper (1974)