Summer 2011 edition of the Rhine Research Center’s quarterly newsletter

Dear friends,


We are proud to bring you the summer, 2011 edition of the Rhine Research Center’s quarterly newsletter.

In this newsletter, we have a feature article by Lee Pantas, “The Synchronicity of the Two Octopuses,” illuminating the often overlooked connection between art and precognition. Most people understand easily how dreaming and states of reverie are often conducive to precognitive hits; it is therefore no surprise to realize that the right-brained, timeless state one enters during the process of creating art might lead to precognitive productions, often unbeknownst to the artist! See for yourself.

Congratulations to our Senior Research Fellow, Christine Simmonds-Moore, and her husband Steve Moore on the June 7th birth of their son, Leif Athan Rhane Simmonds-Moore!

We also have our regular “Psi Chronicles” column, by executive director Sally Rhine Feather, Ph.D., outlining a case of macro-PK or psychokinesis; we have an article discussing the well-known “decline effect” in science and how parapsychology might shed light on something that mystifies scientists in other fields; and we have reviews of a parapsychology documentary, an iphone app for practicing your psychic ability, and a book by William Bengston, Ph.D., arguably the most innovative and reliable voice in the field of energy healing today.

Additionally, the last page of the newsletter for a summary of the upcoming events at the Rhine. We have so many well-known, interesting speakers coming in the next few months; I would hate for you to miss out!

Enjoy!

- Jennifer Moore, editor

Could It Be? Spooky Experiments That 'See' The Future

by Robert Krulwich
Later today you are going to do something, something you don't know about yet.
Yet somehow, it's already happened. Somehow, it's already affected you.

Huh?




One of the most respected, senior and widely published professors of psychology, Daryl Bem of Cornell, has just published an article that suggests that people — ordinary people — can be altered by experiences they haven't had yet. Time, he suggests, is leaking. The Future has slipped, unannounced, into the Present. And he thinks he can prove it. Read More

Dowsing and Remote Viewing

Dowsing and Remote Viewing are close cousins, many of the former government RVers are dowsers, too, and many of the techniques and skills used in dowsing can be applied to Remote Viewing. So its natural that the Remote Viewing group decided to look into this dowsing phenomenon to see what we could learn. A couple of the members of the group prepared and presented us all information on the history, skills and application of dowsing at the most recent RV meeting. We just scratched the surface of all that we could learn about this ancient skill, but it was surely enough to whet our appetites to learn more.


Like other practices that are working with intuition and “non-conscious” information, dowsing requires a lot of practice and experience to become a useful tool. We were interested in learning more about dowsing because it is so similar to Remote Viewing, and can be applied to Remote Viewing. Discussing dowsing also was a great stepping off point for lots of valuable discussion within the group on the nuances of working with intuitive information. As usual, it was the shared insight on experiences and practices that made our meeting worthwhile for those of us there. We discussed pendulum dowsing as well as the use of dowsing rods. We were able to practice this skill, and many of the techniques required were presented.

My point here is to encourage you to come join our monthly Remote Viewing group, it’s a place to learn about the how-to and the experiential parts of the practice you just are not going to get off the internet or on your own. Over the years, I learned a ton of information from reading and gleaning what I could off the internet, and I attended lectures and workshops on Remote Viewing. But having a regular get-together with folks you can rely on, who know what you are talking about but also have read and experienced other things that you can learn from, makes a world of difference. I am regularly impressed with new information and ideas that I did not know was out there, and I come away from each meeting better informed, energized to try new things, and with another addition to that growing pile of “must read” books. Most folks in the group come from other interests, and want to learn about Remote Viewing to add another tool to their toolbox. I encourage you to do the same, and we look forward to seeing you at the next meeting on July 20th.
-- Benton Bogle

A New Look at Some Old Stones

Just as things had begun to quiet down at the Rhine, we got a new jolt of energy with the advent of Paul and Charla Devereux. Paul was our featured speaker and presenter on Friday the 20th of May, and Saturday, the 21st of May. He is world renowned for his work in investigating ancient sacred sites, archaeoacoustics, ancient cultures, and altered states of consciousness.

Although he started out in life as a painter with a degree in Fine Art, his interests soon expanded, and he is now the author of innumerable books, as well as journal and magazine articles. He makes presentations around the globe, and speaks on television and radio. His achievements also include being founding co- editor of the Journal, TIME AND MIND, a Senior Research Fellow at the International Consciousness Research Laboratory at Princeton, and a Research Affiliate at the Royal College of Art.

Charla Devereux accompanied her husband on his visit and is accomplished in her own right. She is the Network Manager of the Scientific and Medical Network, as well as having written several books on alternative medicine. She is an authority on Aromatherapy, and was instrumental in having that subject taught as a serious college level course in the United States. Most recently, she and Paul have co-authored a book on Lucid Dreaming.

Over the course of the weekend, Paul took us on an odyssey through time and space. He intrigued us with slides of various geological sites, where magnificent pieces of the earth were restructured or decorated by ancient man. These were deemed as sacred spaces for connecting with the mythic Great Time.

These ancient cultures had a very different vision of the world than that of modern man. They saw the earth as a living system, of which they were a part. They viewed all things as being possessed of a spirit to be honored and respected. Nature was not to be exploited or abused, but used as a gift that could unveil the great mysteries of life.

Also, their concept of consciousness and reality was quite different. Hallucinatory drugs were not taken for hedonistic pleasure or material gain or power, but to obtain a higher state of being. Natural parts of the environment were also fashioned to do this. An example is found at the legendary Circle of Stonehenge where some of the stones were apparently struck repeatedly, to produce a ringing sound (archaeoacoustics!), and facilitate a trance state. (This would finally explain why these stones were moved 20 miles to be put in their present location!)

When in these altered states, what was experienced was considered to be just as real as what occurred in the natural waking state-----only better! There were no physical limitations, and time lost any meaning. The ability to spirit travel gave a more all-encompassing perspective from which to view life, incorporating other planes of existence, and the vast capabilities of consciousness.

As Paul Devereux pointed out, we may have lost something by dismissing these peoples as primitive. Perhaps they knew and understood much more than we do. Our view of ourselves has become very mechanistic. Consciousness has been reduced to the workings of the brain, just a jumble of electrical impulses producing actions. The soul or spirit has been dismissed as superstition. Any experience that falls out of the realm of consensus reality is considered to be the manifestation of mental illness. Hallucinatory drugs are illegal, and the experiences related to them are again diminished to be aberrant brain activity.

How sad that in today’s environment of advanced technology, one area that is vastly ignored is that of consciousness. Why is it that we are not even allowed to question whether there might be more? Why not at least try to find out? It is known that we only perceive a small portion of what is “out there”. Even then, for consensus, we “fill in the blanks” to make everything conform.

The goal of both Paul Devereux and the Rhine Center is to explore these other possible realms. We investigate in scientific ways, with the same scientific methods that are used universally. Still, our motives and credibility are often questioned. What might others be so afraid of? Are we possibly missing the opportunity to advance ourselves and improve our world? If we keep going the way we are, we are clearly headed for extinction. There are so many questions left to be answered.

Paul and Charla Devereux left us with a renewed sense of wonder about what we might be capable of doing or knowing, and asking ourselves questions about the very fabric of our lives. They are truly charming people, in every sense of the word. They are impressive, not only in their knowledge, but also in their integrity, and the reverence with which they treat their subject matter. We certainly look forward to having them visit again soon!!
-- Cindy Nigro

To learn much more about Paul Devereux, please visit his website at http://www.pauldevereux.co.uk/. Also visit our recent newsletter which features Paul Devereux and Sacred Sites.

Jerry Lazarus on Dreams

Dreams are something we all can relate to, they are a part of all our lives. Jerry Lazarus came to the Stedman Center on Friday night and gave a fascinating and enjoyable talk about dreaming.

Drawing from his own decades of experience studying and working with dreams, and providing many examples from his recently published book "Dreams: Listening to the Voice of God", he gave all the folks there at his talk many valuable ways to work with their own dreams.

Jerry enthusiastically shared with us insights, anecdotes and practical suggestions based on his work with Edgar Cayce's trove of dreamwork, and from the great dream interpreters of the Bible's old testament. I have been fortunate to work more with my own dreams recently, and have set about to learn all I could about the topic, so I was excited to go hear Mr. Lazarus speak, and eager to hear new information on dreamwork.

Jerry had some new insights for me, that's for sure, but his emphasis on some simple things to do regarding our dreams, and his love for this topic were the real stars of his presentation. Of course he covers this most thoroughly in his book, but he wanted us to know that dreaming is about communicating, about learning and working with the central voice always available to us. If you were there at his talk, you had to be impressed by his joy for the subject, and you learned a lot. He sent us home with much to work with and an enthusiasm for new gifts our dreams may provide us.
---Benton Bogle

Michael Persinger on No More Secrets