I’ve just posted a new video here which I’m sure readers will enjoy – it’s a Google Tech Talk given by Rupert Sheldrake on ‘the Extended Mind‘.
We have been brought up to believe that the mind is located inside the head. But there are good reasons for thinking that this view is too limited. Recent experimental results show that people can influence others at a distance just by looking at them, even if they look from behind and if all sensory clues are eliminated. And people’s intentions can be detected by animals from miles away. The commonest kind of non-local interaction mental influence occurs in connection with telephone calls, where most people have had the experience of thinking of someone shortly before they ring. Controlled, randomized tests on telephone telepathy have given highly significant positive results. Research techniques have now been automated and experiments on telepathy are now being conducted through the internet and cell phones, enabling widespread participation.
As Rupert says at the beginning of his talk, “what I’m going to suggest, is that our minds are field-like, that they’re not confined to the inside of our heads.” A radical and controversial view to be sure, but Rupert always presents in such a measured and intelligent manner…it’s compelling stuff. The video is very long (1 hour, 37 mins), but that just means it’s worth taking some time out and really get into it.
This isn’t Google’s first foray into having a controversial presenter – earlier this year Dean Radin presented a talk there on the evidence for psi. Perhaps they’re contemplating the ultimate search engine…
