pjrv : Messages : 804-810 of 4038 (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pjrv/messages/804?)
22:28:03
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#804
From: "PJ Gaenir"
Date: Sun Oct 13, 2002 5:20 pm
Subject: Next Interview: Dr. Edwin C. May dennanm
Our next interview is going to be with Dr. Edwin C. May.
May is an experienced physicist and physiological researcher who
became interested in parapsychology in 1971. He worked on PK
research, worked in India studying psi with those who claimed that
ability, and worked with Ganzfeld Remote Viewing researcher Dr.
Charles Honorton.
May joined the STARGATE research as a manager in 1976 (note from PJ:
Ingo Swann requested he join the program, is how he ended up in it).
When Hal Puthoff left the project in 1985, May took over direction of
the program. In all, May handled 70% of the budget and did 85% of
the research of the overall program, which ended in 1995. He is
currently Director of the Laboratories for Fundamental Research and
Cognitive Sciences Laboratory. http://www.lfr.org/
Here is a formal brief bio for May:
http://www.firedocs.com/remoteviewing/pjrv/interviews/bio-may.pdf
Personal Notes from PJ about Ed May.
Ed May is very "real". Very straightforward. To the point of being
so direct, that "politically correct" sorts are often upset about his
lack of compromise or gentle tact when it comes to hard science.
Much of the parapsychology field is perpetually on the defensive,
especially those who are not big on 'hard science', and this has
gathered him some controversy, particularly from some of the latter-
day folks in the stargate program.
Yet third party reviewers acknowledge that the science improved (got
better controlled) when May took over. And as a science buff I have
to say that the majority of (if not just about all) interesting and
worthwhile discoveries about remote viewing, aside from 'psi exists'
(that was the easy part IMO) in Puthoff's day, have come from May's
lab or involved his work.
Ed talks to me like an equal, something that can't be said for a lot
of other people who should. He is one of (if not the) leading
scientists on earth for parapsychology, as well as a helluva
physicist, yet despite I am "Jane off the street", there is no sense
or awareness of that when conversing with him. If I have a question
or debate that is decently thought out, he takes the time to respond
and explain, despite that I am no scientist, and despite that I am
usually arguing about something I don't understand.
May is the archetype of the 'inspired scientist' --
historically, 'real' scientists have had personalities that combined
the mathematician and the mystic, the poet and the pragmatic. He
combines being seriously skeptical in the proper sense, with being an
extremely intelligent, careful scientist, with a sensitivity
toward "real world application" of what science can discover and a
gear toward that practical approach.
Around 1971 (as a physicist and physiological researcher) he got a
big interest in parapsychology. It's a good thing. In my view, May
is the best thing to have happened to the scientific field of
parapsychology since Warcollier and Rhine. And he continues to be
innovative in approach and to make science happen despite the
marginal (if that) funding in the field. The politics in this field
(much due to lack of funding and issues with science repute) are
ruthless, but it is my personal opinion that 20 years from now when
all the present politics and media have washed out, what will be left
will be a clear recognition of May's major and even primary-level
contribution to the field.
He has presented parapsychology in scientific forums that were
initially hostile to its inclusion, but later and thanks to the
professionalism of he and his associates, were pleased to include
it. He is an excellent presenter and has done much of that around
the world for decades. He works well with others and has
collaborated with scientists from many parts of the world. He speaks
a variety of languages, is musical and philosophical, and in general,
is just a downright interesting guy, with quite an interesting life
in many ways.
In all, one of the best things about May is what I also like about
McMoneagle: he is not evasive, he is not politically correct, he does
not 'blur' discussion so as to maintain a seeming expertise while
preventing "discussions of equality" with others -- he is amazingly
UN-self-protective in a subject and a job both of which are filled
with that. You can be frank and pointed with Ed and he will, like a
true scientist, not take any of it personally, and answer just as
plainly and honestly.
May has studied every imaginable aspect of Remote Viewing (RV),
PsychoKinesis (PK), and several dozen 'related' subjects. He
maintained an 'oversight' position on the operational RV unit during
his tenure as Research Director in the now-called-STARGATE program
(remember, one point of the research was to support Ops - and his lab
viewers also handled operations work as well).
His current work covers a few things, one of which is his
collaboration with associate James Spottiswoode in "Pre-Stimulus
Response" experiments. Previous work in this field had
methodological and/or analytical flaws, so this is technically
the 'first' fully replicable and so far unreproachable work in this
area. This is testing precognition using biofeedback for
physiological measurement. Or in english, they wire someone up, a
computer truly-randomly generates the decision to mildly shock the
person or not, and then they later analyze everything to see if the
person's body actually responded to the shock (a) before the shock
was given, but more amazingly, (b) before the decision had even been
made whether or not there WAS a shock to be given. There will
shortly be a formal paper released about these studies, which I
suspect will be replicated easily and will quietly rock the science
world with its implications.
Dr. May is very busy, but has kindly agreed to my request for an RV
Oasis email interview!
You guys send me questions, and I'll put it together.
PJ
Reply | Forward
#810
From: "stanley01420"
Date: Mon Oct 14, 2002 9:28 am
Subject: Re: Next Interview: Dr. Edwin C. May stanley01420
Hi PJ,
Thank you so much for doing this. My question is:
"What are your views on the possibility that remote viewing and
remote influencing may be a human evolutionary response to
living in a complex system that is subject to wild card events."
Thank you very much PJ for all of your hard work.
Mary Stanley
pjrv : Messages : 807-828 of 4038 (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pjrv/messages/807?)
22:29:36
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#807
From: "Sharon Webb"
Date: Sun Oct 13, 2002 5:47 pm
Subject: Re: Next Interview: Dr. Edwin C. May sharwebb_30512
Palyne,
I have a question for Dr. May. I'd like to know what his opinion is of the
CSICOP variety of skeptic? Many of these skeptics purport to the scientists,
but to me, science requires an open mind, not a knee-jerk reaction. That's what
I thought a true skeptic was; one who has an open mind and doesn't jump to
conclusions without thoughful examination.
Sharon
sharwebb...net
www.fractalus.com/sharon
Reply | Forward
#818
From: Ken Burns
Date: Wed Oct 16, 2002 12:23 am
Subject: Re: Next Interview: Dr. Edwin C. May mesundo
> Our next interview is going to be with Dr. Edwin C. May.
PJ, what date do you need these questions in by?
Ken
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Moderator's note: Oh! -- good question. I didn't have a specific date set for it
actually. But given he travels all over the world regularly, I could lose track
of him so we ought to make it reasonably soon. How about by the 25th? I have a
couple different guests here from tomorrow until then.
P.S. He's a good one for ARV questions, and TK questions, and anything-RV
questions, and I hope somebody thinks up something as politically incorrect as
possible to ask, as I'd like to see how he deals with it. ;-)
PJ('s evil twin)
Reply | Forward
#826
From: Bill Pendragon
Date: Wed Oct 16, 2002 5:45 pm
Subject: Re: Any chance to interview Mel Riley docsavagebill
Hi PJ,
After reading Joe's book and seeing that Mel Riley was
the only other really long time viewer on the project,
and everyone including Joe recognizes him as very very
good. So would it be possible to line up Mel for an
interview?
Best Regards,
Bill
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Moderator's note: He and one other first-group viewer are on my list to ask, but
I haven't done it yet. I don't know Mel. So anybody who DOES know Mel who is on
the list, why don't you either ask him on my behalf or pave the way for me
asking him. It would be in about 6-8 weeks. PJ
Reply | Forward
#828
From: "Viv*"
Date: Wed Oct 16, 2002 8:40 pm
Subject: Re: Any chance to interview Mel Riley eclecticviv
Hi PJ:
I agree. I think Mel would be a good interview, too.
Viv*
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Well it's up to y'all to find him and talk him into it. I am sure someone here
knows him better than I do, which is not at all. :-) PJ
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