Journal of Conscientiology

Volume 1 - Number 4 - April, 1999
International Institute of Projectiology and Conscientiology

Editors’ Foreword

Conscientiology and Physics: A Desirable Couple?

Ney Vernon Vugman

Elaboration of the New Paradigm of Interdisciplinary Investigations

Serge F. Patlavskiy

Essay:

Mesología Multiexistencial

Luciano Vicenzi

Personal Account:

Suicide and Projectiology

Michael Ross

Book Reviews:

Synchronicity: An Acausal Connecting Principle, by C. G. Jung

Djalma Fonseca

Body Mind Spirit, by Charles T. Tart

Alfredo Gutiérrez

Correspondence

Umberto Correa

News and Notices

I Forum of Consciousness Research/II International Congress of Projectiology
On-line Out-of-Body Experience Survey

JC Editions

IIPC Addresses

Editors’ Foreword

In this issue we are introducing the section "Personal Accounts". We have been receiving a great number of reports of personal experiences for publication in the JC and we have, as well, received requests from our members to address more the phenomenological aspect of conscientiology. To accommodate both groups, we have decided to create the "Personal Accounts" section for case studies. In this section personal experiences will be published that will serve to create a collection of case studies that can be used as research material in the area of psychical study.

This issue also presents us with two articles, one from a Brazilian and one from a Ukrainian physicist. The first one, by Vugman, addresses the migration of concepts from physics to conscientiology. It presents a very interesting and rather readable analysis of the theme. All JC subscribers, regardless of their academic background, will benefit from this reading.

The second article, written by Patlavskiy, proposes a postulate for the creation of a unified methodology of cognition in order to formulate a new paradigm for interdisciplinary investigations. A letter he wrote, which supports and contributes to the understanding of his proposition and objective, follows this paper.

We invite the reader to examine the essay by Vicenzi about the influence of environments from multiple lives on the shaping of human personality. This issue also provides us with book reviews, including a conscientiological analysis of one of C.G. Jung’s classical works.

We call your attention to another new section, "News and Notices", where you will find information about the 1st Forum of Consciousness Research / 2nd International Congress of Projectiology, as well as details about the Online OBE Research being conducted by the IIPC. If you have a ‘Call for Papers’ or information on events organized by your institution, you are welcome to submit it for publication in this section.

Please remember that you can visit the IIPC Web Site (www.iipc.org) to access or download the glossary of conscientiology, available in English and Spanish. This glossary will be republished in the next issue of JC to support those unfamiliar with conscientiological terms.

The Editors

Abstracts:

Conscientiology and Physics: a desirable couple?

Ney Vernon Vugman

ABSTRACT: The author suggests that conceptual migration from Physics to Conscientiology may result in reductionism and possibly be harmful to this new science. In this article, migration of energy, frequency and resonance concepts, as well as migration of basic quantum mechanical concepts to explain recovery of holomemory is discussed. It is also proposed a reflection about the relative benefit of making extensive use of theory in Conscientiology.

SUMARIO: El autor sugiere que la migración conceptual de la Física a la Concienciología pueda promover la reducción y posiblemente ser dañosa a esta nueva ciencia. En este artículo, migración de energía, frecuencia y conceptos de resonancia, así como la migración de los conceptos básicos de la mecánica cuántica son discutidos para explicar la recuperación de la holomemoria. También se propone una reflexión sobre el beneficio relativo de hacer uso vasto de teoría en Conscientiology.

RESUMO: O autor sugere que a migração conceitual da Física para a Conscienciologia pode ser reducionista e prejudicial à neociência. Discute-se a fácil migração do difícil conceito de energia, a migração de conceitos clássicos de frequência e ressonância, e a migração de conceitos quânticos ligados à recuperação de holomemória. Aproveita-se a oportunidade para propor ao leitor uma reflexão sobre a importância relativa da teoria em Conscienciologia.

Ney Vernon Vugman is a physicist, expert on applications of Magnetic Resonance, Master of Sciences, Doctor of Sciences (Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas), and Post Doc of Molecular Physics (King’s College London). Presently he is Professor of Physics at the Physics Institute of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Vugman is a volunteer with the Research Division at the IIPC Head-Office, and he is also the co-ordinator of the indepentent researchers of the IIPC and of the Group for Consciousness Research in Penta.

Elaboration of the New Paradigm of Interdisciplinary Investigations

Serge F. Patlavskiy

ABSTRACT: In the article the problem of the creation of the theoretical system for cognition of the complicated phenomena of Reality is discussed. The idea is expressed that Gnoseology, as the theory of cognitive process, has a dissociational character. The Postulate of an integrated informational system is formulated. Such postulate is taken as a basis for creation of the unified methodology of cognition, which makes it possible to elaborate the New paradigm of Interdisciplinary investigations as the separate scientific discipline which has its own method and special object. Will be of interest to methodologists of science.

SUMARIO: En el artículo el problema de la creación de un sistema teórico para explicar cognición del complejo fenómeno de la Realidad es discutido. La idea es expresada que Gnoseología, como la teoría del proceso de cognición, posee un carácter disociativo. Es presentado el Postulado de un sistema informacional integrado. Tal postulado es tomado como base para la creación de una metodología unificada para cognición, la cual permite elaborar el Nuevo paradigma de investigaciones Interdisciplinares, como una disciplina científica separada que posee su propio método y objeto.Será de interés a metodologistas de la ciencia.

RESUMO: Neste artigo, o problema da criação do sistema teórico para cognição do complexo fenômeno da Realidade é discutido. É expressada a idéia de que Gnoseologia, como a teoria do processo cognitivo, tem um caráter dissociativo. O Postulado de um sistema informacional integrado é formulado. Tal postulado é tomado como base para criação da metodologia unificada de cognição, a qual possibilita a elaboração do Novo paradigma de pesquisas Interdisciplinares como uma disciplina científica distinta, que possui seu método e objeto próprios. Será de interesse dos metodologistas da ciência.

Serge F. Patlavskiy is a physicist graduated from the Lviv State University in 1986. He has been working in the educational area, first as a teacher and more recently as a researcher-engineer with the Physics Faculty of Lviv State University, in Ukraine. Mr. Patlavskiy is a member of the Lviv Philosophic Association "Cogito".

Mesología Multiexistencial

Luciano Vicenzi

SUMARIO: El presente artículo tiene el objetivo de demostrar que las influencias que la conciencia sufre de la mesología no se restringen solamente a su vida actual, sino que ésta posee efectos acumulativos que se suman vida tras vida, influenciando el comportamiento conciencial en relación a la autoestima, juicio crítico, creatividad y capacidad de decisión. Enfocando aspectos intrafísicos y extrafísicos de la mesología, es propuesta aquí la teoría de los efectos multiexistenciales de la necesidad de aceptación personal por parte del grupo social. La importancia de buscar mayor neutralidad de esta mesología rumbo a un nivel más elevado de madurez conciencial es también presentada.

ABSTRACT: This article aims to demonstrate that the mesological (environmental) influences which affect the consciousness do not correspond only to this current life, but yet possess cumulative effects, increasing life after life. This influence affects the consciential behavior regarding the self-esteem, reasoning, creativity, and the capacity to make decisions. Addressing intraphysical and extraphysical aspects of the mesology (ecology), this article proposes the theory of the multiexistential effects on the need for being accepted by a social group, It points out the importance of looking for a larger neutrality of this mesology to head to a higher level of consciential maturity.

RESUMO: O presente artigo tem por objetivo demonstrar que as influências que a consciência sofre da mesologia não se restringem apenas à sua vida atual, mas sim, que esta possui efeitos cumulativos que se somam vida após vida, influenciando o comportamento consciencial quanto à autoestima, juízo crítico, criatividade e capacidade decisória. Abordando aspectos intrafísicos e extrafísicos da mesologia, é proposta a teoria dos efeitos multiexistenciais da necessidade de aceitação pessoal por parte do grupo social, apontando a importância de se buscar maior isenção desta mesologia rumo a um nível maior de maturidade consciencial.

Luciano Vicenzi, graduado en Administración de Empresas, es profesor e investigador independiente del IIPC y actualmente coordina el departamento de Consultoría de Desenvolvimiento Conciencial, área del IIPC prestadora de servicios de consultoría a empresas.

Suicide and Projectiology

Michael Ross

On December 5th 1998 my son Murray, aged 21, committed suicide by jumping off the Wallace Monument at Stirling. Naturally enough, this is a devastating experience for a parent to have to go through.

There can be some comfort in the fact, that, as a fairly experienced astral projector, there is clear knowledge that there is life after death. Unfortunately, it is generally recognised that suicide is one of the most inadvisable and unfortunate means of "exiting" the physical life.

One of the most valuable aspects of Waldo Vieira's work is exemplified in his book "Projections of the Consciousness" where he describes various rescue missions of souls confused in the after-death state due to death by various violent means. Most of the examples give hope in so far that we can assist unfortunate victims of unnatural death. This is to be contrasted by various occult/religious and indeed, philosophical descriptions of the after death state of suicide victims where they are thought to spend a great deal of their existence in a state of great distress.

As a strict "empiricist" in the field of research into our spiritual nature, I wish to describe some confirmations I have had in the hope that it may assist other's in this unfortunate position of having loved one's in such a post-mortem condition and also, hopefully, to encourage further research into such aspects of rescue work.

For over thirty years, since the age of seventeen, I have been fortunate enough to have many experiences of astral projection/out-of-the-body experiences. Until two years ago most of them were actually relatively mundane in so far as I had only made various projections within the vicinity of my own bedroom. I seemed to have little ability in developing further, despite some efforts in this direction. However, two years ago I awoke and found myself floating above my bed with an enormous sound like being in the midst of an electrical dynamo resounding in my head. It was a sound which increased in pitch and "speed". It is likely that this was of the nature of some form of chakra opening - entirely spontaneously I may add.

I then found myself going backwards through a tunnel configuration made up of rectangular patterns. The whole sensation was utterly exhilarating - like being on a roller coaster, which I wished could have gone on for a long time. I then found myself at a desired destination (a former home) over thirty miles distant - the episode at this juncture passed fairly quickly and I found myself back in my body. Since then I have had various tunnel experiences during projections which are undoubtedly similar to near-death accounts but so far, at least in my own case, are being experienced when I am very much alive!

However, since the death of my son I have obviously endeavoured to get in touch with him in order to discover the truth of his post-mortem condition. One's own experience in all such matters is, I feel, the only way ahead. A few days after his death I had an experience where we met. He looked shocked and somehow "empty" and we hugged and kissed but he did not "say" anything. This was, in itself, relatively comforting since I had established contact but, as can be readily imagined, this was far from enough. Over the next few months I had various dreams of him, which could merely have been perfectly understandable "wish fulfilment" creations of the subconscious. I had no way of establishing if any form of "real" contact was present in such conditions.

However, a couple of months ago, I experienced another weird and wonderful lucid dream where all sorts of fascinating events were taking place. As OBE practitioners are well aware, there is a strange "aura" or sensation, which accompanies many lucid dreams which indicate that something unusual or "special" is taking place. Immediately after this I awoke in my bed and found myself ready to project and fully conscious of the situation. I found myself speeding down a particularly beautiful tunnel configuration which seemed to be made up of intricate patterns which one would find on a particularly complex wallpaper or carpet design. I then, intuitively, decided that I could increase my speed by turning over on my back. This seemed to, in fact, occur and I continued on my journey. I do not normally experience "guides" (although I have often sensed a presence in previous projections) and on this journey I noticed that a figure - relatively unclear - followed behind. I immediately decided to go to my son Murray. Instantly, I then found myself ascending at great speed upwards through the tunnel which still had the same beautiful pattern (It is difficult to describe just how exhilarating this experience is in its own right).

I found myself in a room full of many young children, all giggling and looking very happy. Someone (unseen) passed over a small baby to me and I looked at its tiny hands as the children continued to laugh. I passed the baby back after giving it a cuddle and felt a sense of extreme disappointment that my son was not there. The children laughed and pointed to a corner of the room. Suddenly, my dear son then appeared looking very much younger than his 21 years. In fact he looked about 12 years of age. He was hesitant and embarrassed looking. (As my wife pointed out later when I told her this, she stated that this is exactly how he would have reacted knowing our great sorrow at what he had done). I was absolutely overcome and hugged and kissed him. He looked so pleased. Unfortunately, as is well known, emotional feelings on the astral plane can bring a quick end to such projections and so it proved. I found myself rushing backwards through the same tunnel and woke up in my bed. I then proceed, with tears in my eyes, to note down in my projection journal the details of this joyous reunion.

There are, of course, puzzling features in this account: (1) Despite my efforts to produce just such a projection, was it, in fact, assisted by a guide? This was my first experience of actually seeing a figure during the projection in a seeming "helping mode". (2) Why did my son look considerably younger than his usual age? Various reasons are put forward for this. During the post-mortem period the soul relives, with great intensity, the previous life and I might have discovered him at this particular period of his life review. Another explanation which seems very valid is that the soul can be in a destabilized condition and veers erratically through various "ages" until they stabilize. (My son, who was a very caring, sensitive boy was particularly fond of young children and had a "way" with them). (3) Was this area he was in some form of "Rest and recreation" post where such souls can be helped to get over the trauma of such an unfortunate and violent death experience? (4) What are the techniques which can ensure that such experiences are developed by projectors in order to assist souls in such post-mortem conditions? I am unclear if my own "energy work" in trying to activate the chakras and clear attempts to experience just such a projection WERE the instigating factors or whether I was fortunate enough to have the "grace" of such an experience with the help of Guides. (5) Such an experience is obviously invaluable to parents etc who are in deep despair concerning the fate of their loved one's - particularly in the case of such an unfortunate death under suicidal motivation. I feel that much work on exploring this aspect of Projectiology needs to be done by those of us in exactly this position of exploring the post mortem state of our dear ones.

I do hope that this short article might engender discussion and advice in those who are interested in this particular aspect of projectiology. As mentioned before I found Dr. Vieira's "Projections of the Consciousness" an invaluable resource in this regard since it goes into considerable detail concerning his own rescue sessions.

Editor’s comments:

To help the analysis of this account, we would like to mention that the author claims to have read many books on the subject of OBE. He is not a student or research member of the IIPC, and uses his own terminology to report his experiences.

Mr. Ross’ account does not make clear the meaning he attributes to expressions such as lucid dream. In some passages it does not seem he adopts the consensus definitions: dream as a common, ordinary oneiric state; lucid dream as a type of dream, in which the dreamer is aware of the fact that he is dreaming and can control the dream; and projection as a lucid, real, non-physical experience. However, his spontaneity in the report does perform an important role in helping to define his consciential state during each phase of it.

We can also recognize from this account some occurrences that are commonly reported in out-of-body experiences, such as: the tunnel, intracranial sound, floating sensation, encounter with a deceased relative, perception of an extraphysical helper, projective aura, controlled extraphysical flight, rejuvenation of the psychosoma, and sudden interruption of the projection caused by emotions.

At the end of his account, Mr. Ross shares with us some of the questions raised in his own mind as a result of the reported experience and he offers us his hypotheses to solve them. These hypotheses will probably coincide with some readers’ own understanding of such phenomena; as others could, on the other hand, formulate diverse theories to explain them. For instance, regarding his question No. 2, another possible explanation could be that his son was in the process of "age regression" of his psychosoma as a preparation to return to the intraphysical state.

Michael Ross’ account is a special contribution to this issue of the Journal, for he candidly addresses his moving personal case, with real openness and willingness to share his knowledge and experience to help people in similar situations. His account also indicates practical applications for the OBE.

Book Reviews:

Synchronicity: An Acausal Connecting Principle. Carl Gustav Jung.

Title in Portuguese: Sincronicidade: Um Princípio de Conexões Acausais; Obras Completas, Volume VIII/3; Editora Vozes; Petrópolis, 1990. (Amazon.com $10.95). Brazilian-Portuguese version from the original Die Dynamik des Unbewussten, August 1950.

This volume was a result of a thorough research done in conjunction with Wolfgang Pauli. The research led to Pauli's almost simultaneous publication of "Der Einfluss archetypischer Vortellungen auf die Bildung naturwissenschaftlicher Theorien bei Kepler", in the volume "Naturerklärung und Psyche, Studien aus dem C.G.Jung-Institut IV". This is a rather small essay within a complex and encompassing subject. Jung, as in most of his works, presents the subject in a rather original way. Because he does not follow a linear logical path, he does not appear to be very objective and clear. Jung was a very introverted personality, but keen in his introspection capabilities, attribute that helped him formulate his theories based on his personal and clinical experience.

As it is widely known, Jung was considered Freud's natural successor. In 1910, Jung was president of the International Psychoanalysis Association. Since then he had been refuting many of Freud's basic theories, such as the libido approach. Contrary to Freud's theory of human psychological disruptions, Jung proposed the term "vital energy" as the foundation to most psychological problems. Jung correlated his findings with new philosophical principles. But as it will be seen in his own preface, he was not brave enough to actually assume a paradigm shift as some of the authors he had mentioned did, such as Flammarion, Myers, Podmore, Richet, Swedenborg and others.

Jung was attached to his personal image in the psychological community of the times and was not willing to sacrifice his reputation. He could have gone much further with his theories if he would have been willing to compromise and assume a position towards a more comprehensive and bold paradigm, such as the consciential paradigm or either had publicly accepted the existence serialization. When we study Jung's circumstances, personality, and theories, one can understand why he omitted important elements that could have help built a more concise and comprehensive psychological model. This model could have perhaps leaded others into the current Consciential Paradigm of Conscientiology. The most important missing links are the relationship between the Consciousness and its vehicles of manifestation, thosenes, multidimensionality, and existential seriality. Most importantly Jung did not seem to have an understanding of bioenergies, he just dealt with its manifestations.

Non-causality. His essay starts with the presentation of the concept of non-causal connections as a determining factor in the production of microphysics phenomena and relating it to the concept of the Self (his own definition of Consciousness). He asserts that the current scientific methodology implies causality but in microphysics one would need a non-causal approach to observe such phenomena, impossible to repeat, and so original that one would need to qualify the facts.

Jung refers to Kammerer's "Das Gesetz der Serie" in his Series Law, which is a serialization of coincident facts, also known by physicians as case duplications. Kammerer relates causal events into a series of consistent, related or associated facts (once you qualified them). Although Kammerer's approach is strictly statistical, Jung has used his principle and the facts associated to create a platform on which he could place the untouchable nature of causality. Jung had no understanding or experience with consciential energies and how it objectively affects human beings and their surroundings.

Prima causa: Following, the author calls for Schopenhauer's "Über die anscheinende Absichtlichkeit im Schicksale de Einzelmen (The Apparent Intentionality in the Individual's Destiny) Parerga and Paralipomena vol. I".

Schopenhauer deals with simultaneity without causal connection, which we call chance or coincidence. He illustrates this simultaneity with the analogy of parallels and meridians as the causal and the subjective ends. Schopenhauer called the Will the prima causa. So the chain of events related to someone would be framed between the objective causality (parallels) and one's will (meridians). Although Jung does not consider Schopenhauer's analogy very practical he yields to his idea of simultaneity and derives the concept of synchronicity from it. Here Jung again lacks the courage to admit or to experience the energies himself, either due to his scientific background or to his personal prejudices. He preferred to develop a much more philosophical definition of non-causality than to try to understand the manifestations of the Consciousness through energy.

Psychic Phenomena. Jung presents the findings of psychic phenomena shown by Myers, Gurney and Podmore that led Flammarion, Richet and Dariex to treat it as probabilities. Of course, they did show little probability on casualty or randomness. Most psychic phenomena, as we experience and know from Projectiology and Conscientiology, is related to the energies of the holosoma and more specifically the thosenes. As we have seen so far, Conscientiology and Projectiology will not refute most of what had been stated of psychic phenomena, but it explains it in terms of natural Consciential manifestations either as altered states of consciousness or as dis-coincidence of the holosoma.

Jung states that many phenomena, observed facts, such as telepathy, precognition, and cites Rhine and Tyrrell (president of the Society of Psychical Research at that time). He develops a discussion about space-time relativity, where space and time would function as variables or coordinates used by the Consciousness to locate itself, as opposed to an established reality from which we derive everything else. He states that when the Consciousness "looks" into itself those coordinates seem to disappear and the psychic phenomena take place. I think that is a very clever statement. I assume Jung himself must have experienced the phenomena. He has mentioned many of his own experiences in his "Memoires, Dreams and Reflections". There is also a record of his farewell projection, where he appeared to several closely related persons at the time of his death in 1961.

Archetypes: Jung states that most of the significant coincidence (another term for synchronicity) rely on archetypal foundations. Although he cannot relate directly the archetypal experience with Rhine's findings, he discusses the emotional response that usually generates these phenomena. It certainly is one very important motivation to produce the phenomena, because most of the psychic phenomena are triggered by the pychosoma, also called emotional body. The key word here is thosene, and thereafter holothosene. Jung has actually helped to define the concept of the holothosene with synchronicity, the archetypes and collective unconscious. Those are parts of the same Aristotelian elephant (the ear, the leg and the tail…). But all of them are only parts of the same body, that when seen apart may seem different, but once one knows they are parts form the same body one can relate them.

Astrology. As an example of synchronicity, Jung has spent 20% of his essay in describing details of an astrological experiment that, in my opinion, occupies a large part of such a slim book. Also, he could have used clearer and more direct facts to illustrate it. Typical of Jung's introspective nature, this one is a most esoteric, obscure and complicated astrological experiment. Jung could have used instead a more practical example.

Synchronicity Precursors. In this chapter Jung has looked for a historical resonance of the synchronicity principle finding that the ancient Chinese believed in the Tao, translated by Wilhelm as path, direction or process. He describes Taoism as the Chinese philosophy that supports his concept of synchronicity. He describes Hypocrates, Heraclitus, Pico De la Mirandola as the Western precursors of these ideas. Like Agrippa de Nettesheim, he brings one of the first definitions of holothosene and multidimensionality but still in terms of mysticism and religiosity. With Teofrastus Paracelso they set the foundations to important works such as those of Gottfried Whilhelm Leibniz who introduced the idea of pre-established harmony, that is, absolute synchronism of the physical and psychic happenings. Jung thinks that these were the same ideas that Schopenhauer proposed but with an emphasis on modern determinist.

He introduces the old concept of the monad, used by Leibniz, in his explanation of the soul and the concept of microuniverse versus macrouniverse. All this philosophical foundation could have been obviated if he had come closer to an explanation of the concept of energy. Nevertheless, he refutes it twice saying its source cannot be demonstrated. Jung chose the most winding road in his investigations of the Self. All these ideas resonate with the underlying Consciential paradigm, but once the focus is the Consciousness itself, and so the Consciousness becomes observer and observed simultaneously; all geographical, cultural, traditional or even artistic elements are no longer relevant in the picture.

Conclusion. As the reader will see on the conclusion of the essay, Jung studied some of the experiences his patients had outside their brain. In this situation, and from that point of view, as can be seen from the most reliable NDE or OBE reports. One's perception might improve with veridical ESP, as the cited case of Sir Auckland Gedes, presented to the Royal Medical Society on February 27^th 1927. Jung questions whether there is a neuronal substract or second brain. He researches the transcerebral manifestations. As can be seen, our psychosoma actually has a second brain and a second cerebellum to account for these experiences. These extraphysical organs, if I may call them, have their appropriate perspective to their non-physical dimensionality.

What the Consciential paradigm implies is that the multidimensional nature of the Consciousness does not cease to exist after the phenomena has disappeared. And simply because one does not have the scientific instrument to detect it, it does not mean that it does not continue. In that case one should use the best tool, the natural tool, which is your own Consciousness. The Consciousness is always acting multidimensionally even when we are not in an altered state or with the holosoma non-aligned. With the progress of Medicine and the modern openness to psychic phenomena, the number of NDE and OBE reports has increased significantly among different ages, countries, professions and diversity of beliefs.

Synchronicity. Jung concludes his book with a summary of the concept of synchronicity (he even grants that this summary should have appeared in the beginning of the book), and the most important experiences and facts that reinforce his postulate. He states that synchronicity is not a philosophical definition but an empirical concept that postulates a necessary principle of knowledge. It is interesting what he states about knowledge because in actuality synchronicity has a lot to do with cognition. From his point of view synchronicity could be seen as cognition beyond space and time, where the Consciousness could have pre or retrocognition. So it could explain some psychic phenomena, or altered states, where one "learns" about oneself, about one's Consciousness and facts related to it independently of space and time.

He failed to relate synchronicity, archetypes and the collective unconscious to the multiple serial existences, because what is seemingly non-causal might be causal in this new broader vision, otherwise it could be a recurring experience, or self-mimicry that the Consciousness is experiencing.

One has the tendency to follow the herd in order to avoid thinking or deciding. One creates a routine, a kind of self-conditioning. We could say we are energy or thosene-conditioned embodied creatures. We follow what we resonate with and what comes to us is directly related to us, even if we cannot presently understand the actual cause.

My conclusion. It is a good book and it has very good references for anyone who wants to research the thosene area. This is one of the most important contributions Jung has made to the Consciential Paradigm. He could certainly have prioritized more this research, and he could have been more experimental on the area. He probably had much more material than he ever published, more reports, more research made with W. Pauli, etc. This thin book is the only reference in which he directly (as much as it's been possible) addressed the subject.

Djalma Fonseca

Body Mind Spirit, by Charles T. Tart.

Ed. Charlottsville: Hampton Roads, 1997. 255pp. $12.95.

Body Mind Spirit, by Charles T. Tart. Ed. Charlottsville: Hampton Roads, 1997. 255pp. $12.95.

This book is a collection of thirteen essays presenting a detailed exploration of spiritual phenomena from the perspective of modern research in scientific parapsychology. Tart, as an editor, has invited leading scholars and scientists in the field of parapsychology to write about their findings and how they relate to spirituality. The essays require some familiarity with parapsychology in general. Some of the topics discussed are: anomalies of consciousness, the concept of Exceptional Human Experience (EHE), the parapsychology of God and religion, the relationship between psychic ability and spirituality, life after death, and the scientific study of non-physical dimensions. The strength of this book lies in that it brings closer the gap that currently exists between spiritual/psychic phenomena and modern science.

I particularly liked the autobiographical essay by William G. Roll, My Search for the Soul. Roll began having spontaneous and conscious OOB projections at age 16, shortly after the death of his mother. Roll says that "the [laboratory] evidence for out-of-body travel is clouded by inaccuracies". He concedes that his OBEs are "home-fashioned fabrications" but he does not negate the possibility that the OBEs of others are real. He concludes that OBEs do not occur in physical reality but that the experience itself is a mental construct (of morphothosenes?) that may or may not represent actual physical events. Roll, however, agrees that the OBE does support the belief in an extraphysical soul, separate from others, that is able to think on its own. For Roll the soul or psychosoma is not the most important body. The psychosoma is subservient to the higher authority of "the longbody" (borrowed from Aanstoos, 1986), a somewhat similar term he uses to describe the mentalsoma or "psychic self". For Roll the OBE body is a mental creation fashioned after the physical that functions in the mental sphere of the longbody or mentalsoma. Sometimes it is possible for the OBE body to expand its perceptions into the larger self of the longbody. He seems to suggests that the longbody is the actual "seat" of the Consciousness and that in the same way the physical body continues over time but its individual cells die, the longbody persists but the projected personalities that compose it seem to perish. These ideas, however, are not new as they have been expressed in the past by Annie Besant in her theosophical writings.

Body Mind Spirit presents a good overview of the broad scope of investigation within the field of paranormal phenomena and is an excellent introduction to the parapsychology of spirituality.

One disappointment, however, is that none of the authors seem to have a working knowledge of bio-energy as a key variable in the development and mastery of psychic ability. Bio-energy, being a fundamental concept in the Consciential Paradigm, does not appear to be an area of investigation in modern parapsychological research.

One key point: the student of Conscientiology should not think of the term "spirituality" as referred to in this book as the diverse religious/New Age practices so popular today, but as those powerful transcendental experiences that give us a glimpse of our multidimensional reality. In this sense, Projectiology and Conscientiology, in their investigative endeavor, refer to experiences of a high spiritual nature.

In Body Mind Spirit Tart and his colleagues have provided a comprehensive review of modern parapsychology. The book reads easily because the technical parapsychological jargon has been reduced to a minimum. A partial glossary of parapsychological terms is provided at the end. I consider this book essential reading for anyone interested in a discussion of how the evidence of paranormal phenomena can fit in the current worldview of modern science.

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