Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Is there any scientific explanation of the paranormal?

Abstract

THE apparent impossibility of the occurrence of ‘paranormal’ phenomena has not discouraged their extensive investigation, although there has not been any uniformly accepted validation or explanation by the scientific community. To clarify exactly how difficult ESP phenomena are to explain, it is necessary to place them in the framework of modern science. Explanations of the phenomena have been brought forward which have been claimed to make them more respectable. These explanations must also be looked at from the point of view of modern science and this paper is devoted to that task. In particular we wish to indicate that on theoretical grounds the only scientifically feasible explanation could be electromagnetism (EM) involving suitably strong EM fields. Thus we regard that this paper completes our earlier work1 where we presented experimental results giving the level of the EM signals emitted by subjects when engaged in supposedly paranormal activity. These EM levels were many orders of magnitude lower than the ones we calculate here as needed to achieve paranormal effects. Taken together the two papers are a strong argument against the validity of the paranormal.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Taylor, J. G. & Balanovski, E. Nature 275, 64 (1978).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Tromp, W. S. Psychical Physics (North Holland, Amsterdam, 1954).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Kervran, C. 1st European Parapsych. Conf. Barcelona (1976); Transmutations a faible energie, (Librarie Malorine, Paris, 1972).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Dubrov, A. Impact of Science on Society 24, 311 (1974).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Sarfatti, J. J. Psych. Syst. 1, 3–10 (1974).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Wassermann, G. D. in Extra-Sensory Perception (Ciba Foundation Symposium, 1958).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Rolle, W. G. The Poltergeist (New American Library Inc., New York, 1972).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Good, I. J. in The Scientist Speculates: An Anthology of Partly-Baked Ideas (eds Good, I. J., Mayne, A. J. & Maynard Smith J.) (London, Heinemann, 1962).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Puthoff, H. & Targ, R. Proc. IEEE 64, 329–354 (1976).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Broido, M. M. & Taylor, J. G. Phys. Rev. 174, 1606 (1968).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Davies, P. C. W. J. Phys. A 8, 272 (1975).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. Hoyle, F. & Narlikar, J. V. Proc. R. Soc. A273, 1 (1963).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. Partidge, R. B. Nature 244, 263 (1973).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Heron, M. L. & Pegg, D. T. J. Phys. A. 7, 1965 (1974).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. Zollner, J. C. F. Transcendental Physics (Ballantyne, London, 1880).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Dunne, J. W. An Experiment with Time (Faber & Faber, London, 1927).

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  17. Eccles, J. C. Facing Reality (Springer, Berlin, 1970).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  18. Eccles, J. The Understanding Brain (Academic, New York, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  19. Popper, K. Int. Conf. of Philosophy 1, Vienna (1968).

  20. Popper, K. & Eccles, J. The Self and its Brain (Springer, Berlin 1979).

    Google Scholar 

  21. Walker, E. H. Phys. Today 24, 39 (1971); Consciousness and Quantum Theory in Psychic Exploration (ed. Mitchell, E.) (Putnan's, London, 1974).

    Google Scholar 

  22. Mattuck, R. D. Research on Parapsychology (eds Morris et al. Scarecrow, Metuchen, 1977).

    Google Scholar 

  23. Mattuck, R. D. J. Psych. Syst. (in the press).

  24. Ballentine, L. E. Rev. Mod. Phys. 42, 358 (1970).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  25. Belinfante, F. J. Measurement and Time Reversal in Objective Quantum Theory (Pergamon, Oxford, 1975).

    Google Scholar 

  26. Guy, A. W. & Johnson, C. C. Proc. IEEE 60, 692 (1972).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Enander, B. & Larson, K. Res. Rep. Trita. Tet. 7505, 7506, 7701 (Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, 1976 & 1977).

  28. Cazzamali, F. G. Psych. Neurol., Estratto Fac. 1 (I. Trimestre, 1933).

  29. Vasiliev, L. L. Experiments in Distant Influence (ed. Gregory, A.) (Wedwood House, London, 1976).

    Google Scholar 

  30. Kogan, I. M. Radio Energy 21, 75 (1966); 22, 141 (1967); 23, 122 (1968).

    Google Scholar 

  31. Presman, A. S. Electromagnetic Fields and Life (Plenum, New York, 1970).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  32. Rumi, G. C. Radio Sci. 10, 711–718 (1975).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  33. Puthoff, H. & Targ, R. Nature 252, 606–607 (1974).

    Google Scholar 

  34. Rhine, J. B., Pratt, J. G., Smith, B. M., Stuart, C. E. & Greenwood, J. A. ESP After 60 years (Holt, New York, 1940).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

TAYLOR, J., BALANOVSKI, E. Is there any scientific explanation of the paranormal?. Nature 279, 631–633 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1038/279631a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/279631a0

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing