Fate 2007 April - Hilly Rose
Serendipity is at work as I write this column. There is a huge marketing campaign for a book and film called The Secret.
Ellen DeGeneres featured it on her TV show, followed by Oprah with a two-parter. We all like secrets, thus many people around the world have been induced to purchase this well- packaged and intriguing book. It tells you how to focus your mind and transmit your desires to change anything in your life. I seem to remember a fellow named Norman Vincent Peale who published a similar book in the ’50s called The Power of Positive Thinking. Unfortunately, Oprah was not around to push his theories, but he did a pretty good job on TV himself. He is only one of many over the years to tell us “the secret.” In February The New York Times published an article about Robert G. John clos- ing the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research laboratory (PEAR) which he founded in 1979. He was formerly the dean of Princeton’s engineering school and, according to the Times, “one of the world’s foremost experts on jet propulsion.” In other words, a brilliant scientist who wanted to prove to his scientific peers that the mind can control or influence chance.
John designed a number of machines that would flip numbers and then showed in tightly controlled experiments that the mind thinking “high” or “low” could influence the machines. Since he felt he proved the influence of mind over machines, he believed the mind could also bring about other changes such as helping to heal disease in oneself and others.
The scientific community only respects information printed in peer-reviewed journals. The Times article quotes Brenda Dunne, who has managed the laboratory since it opened, “We submitted our data for review to very good journals, but no one would review it. We have been very open with our data, but how do you get peer review when you don’t have peers?” Finally the Times quotes Dr. John as saying, “If people don’t believe us after all the results we’ve produced, then they never will.” Reading the article, one would suppose work in this area has come to an end. This is far, far from the truth. A little more digging on the part of our nation’s news- paper of record would find that research into the field of psychokinesis is alive and thriving. It is a relative to The Secret, but definitely not the same thing.
I spoke with Dr. Sally Rhine Feather, daughter of the early researcher into this field, Dr. J. B. Rhine. His work preceded Dr. John’s, beginning in 1934 at his laboratory at Duke University. In fact, this year, the Rhine Research Center (no longer affiliated with Duke) celebrates its 70th anniversary of research in the field of psychokinesis. They have also branched out into the commercial use of their findings by instituting workshops on “Intuition in Business” and “Intuition in Medical Diagnosis.” They continue research into remote viewing, which was discontinued by the military some years ago. Their work is not limited to the laboratory at Durham, North Carolina, but is progressing around the world. I asked Dr. Feather whether The Secret is the same as her father’s research and her own. I could “hear” her rueful smile over the telephone. She said, “While I believe there is value in thinking one can accom- plish a difficult task, it is not the same thing as making an object move by thought alone.” She went on to tell me about her current search for people who have participated in events in the environment that appear to be influenced by the human mind. This new “Mind over Matter Study” involves experiences affecting the roll of dice, affecting lights or electrical equipment, affecting the computer, bending spoons, moving objects, or psychic healing. If you have had an experience in this area, Sally would like to hear from you. Contact her by email at: Sally@rhine.org. There is absolutely nothing wrong with believing in The Secret. After all, Deepak Chopra, Tony Robbins, Wayne Dyer, and others have been promoting similar ap- proaches for years. My wife practices this “attraction in action” every time she tries to find a parking space in the city. She claims the “Parking Goddess” is looking after her because she invariably finds an open spot in a very crowded area. Many times, as she asks the goddess to help, I am astounded to see a car pull out of a space directly in front of her.
The book and film of The Secret tells us that “you are like a human transmission tower, transmitting a frequency with your thoughts. If you want to change anything in your life, change the frequency by chang- ing your thoughts.” How many gurus have told you to envision illness melting away? How many have suggested others send you thoughts and positive energy for healing? My hat is off to those who cleverly packaged and marketed The Secret. It is more of the same in a new package. I am not particularly thrilled that we can be suckered into buying a book telling us something we already knew. My hat is also off to Dr. Sally Rhine Feather who continues the scientific pursuit of psychokinesis with a lack of funds and peer respect. She should, at the very least, have the respect and support of all of us. o Hilly Rose is host of the Hilly Rose Show on www.fatemag.com.
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