Rating: 
Summary: It's not what you know ...
Review: ... it's what you do know that ain't so!I've been seeing conflicting accounts of scientific evidence for psi
for years and years and really was of the mind that there was *some*
evidence but a lot of sloppy work, etc., etc. Well, Dr. Radin takes us through meta-analyses of *all* the 100 years' of
studies out there involving psi and the mathematical odds against chance or error producing the results instead of real psi effects. Which are, surprisingly,
very long indeed: the reality of psi has apparently been established for
some time now, but I certainly haven't seen much mention of this in anything
else I read! The author goes on to give background on why this is so: perceptual blinders that everyone carries, making the world as perceived fit into one's internal mental model. And when your mental model is regular materialist science and
you have your Phd. in RMS and are on record over and over saying psi is bunk, well, it's hard to backtrack from that position. Great book!
Rating:
Summary: Impressive
Review: Dean Radin shows very compelling evidence for the existence of PSI phenomena in a truly impressive volume. Some people will not like it. They have claimed it is the result of the 'file drawer,' which I am afraid is not so. Great care is taken to expose all the studies; however, these are the same people who screamed more evidence. When they were given meta-analysis, they screamed for more. New skepticism, however, seems to be the equivalent with irrationalism. If you look around, most individuals trying to debunk Radin's work are using anecdotes (very scientific, isn't it?) and it is obvious in other cases that they had not even read the book, or know the field at all. Psychology experiments (which we take as science), by the way, often have a pretty dismal and variable record of repeatability; once established, however, they certainly aren't repeated ad nauseam, just to convince skeptics that actually ADMIT that even if there was proof, they would not believe it. For an open mind, willing to gloss through the NUMBERS, quantifiable data (the stuff of science that hard nosed skeptics claim they are defending), this will be a wonderful book. Something IS going on, it is still a question of what. The PEAR experiments seem to be especially interesting. Highly recommended. PS: It seems some quite ok-funded research is going on in Japan, which is at least partially a reason to think that there is a somewhat brighter future here.
Rating:
Summary: Continues to be among the best ever written in its class
Review: Dr Radin is one of the few real scientists in the field of parapsychology/consciousness studies who has managed to fight through the politics and paucity of funding to produce solid data. In this book he describes not only his work but that of scientists throughout the history of the field in a scholarly yet entertaining manner. This book belongs on the shelf of anyone who has any interest in this area of study. As for the graphs, they are the same as any found in scientific journals. Dr Radin meant for this book to be a scientific treatise on the subject--not necessarily light reading. There is a reason this book remains required reading in courses from the USA to the University of Utrecht and beyond!
Rating: 
Summary: Good summary of research
Review: For the study of a subject such as the "supernatural," were facts abound, good research and an unbiased mind are prerequisites. Prerequisites that are, given man's nature, seldom met. There are, however, certain patent facts that can elevate arguments from sketchy to solid. Objective confirmation would be needed in order to accept an occurrence as fact. Personal experience is possibly too malleable, so to speak. This is why one must consciously make an effort to weed out bias. The first step to do so may be recognizing just how much bias is a part of being human. The Conscious Universe, by Dean Radin, is the first in a recent batch of books centering on rational arguments for the purported reality of "paranormal" phenomena. While no book is perfect, the case is well presented. Even "skeptics" acknowledge that a number of research programs have produced results which haven't been explained within current scientific knowledge. True skepticism is allowing facts to guide one's conclusions. This notion seems to have been lost on too many a critic of "anomalous phenomena." Indeed, on many of us. 3 1/2 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Shocking
Review: I never believed in psychic phenomena. I still don't. But I also can't casually dismiss the results of hundreds of experiments indicating that something peculiar is going on that certainly looks like psychic phenomena. This book led me to track down and read a number of the original journal articles reporting experiments on psychic phenomena, especially those from the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research Laboratory. If these results really are what they appear to be, then some psychic effects are real. Accepting this idea would have such a shocking impact on science that it's no wonder parapsychology is relegated to the far fringe (at best). This book summarizes a large body of experimental data from a scientific point of view and, as such, it probably wouldn't appeal to someone looking for ghostbusting stories. But for the scientifically minded, this book is far more mind-blowing than ghost stories because it just might be true.
Rating:
Summary: Shocking
Review: I never believed in psychic phenomena. I still don't. But I also can't casually dismiss the results of hundreds of experiments indicating that something peculiar is going on that certainly looks like psychic phenomena. This book led me to track down and read a number of the original journal articles reporting experiments on psychic phenomena, especially those from the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research Laboratory. If these results really are what they appear to be, then some psychic effects are real. Accepting this idea would have such a shocking impact on science that it's no wonder parapsychology is relegated to the far fringe (at best). This book summarizes a large body of experimental data from a scientific point of view and, as such, it probably wouldn't appeal to someone looking for ghostbusting stories. But for the scientifically minded, this book is far more mind-blowing than ghost stories because it just might be true.
Rating:
Summary: Yes, this is it! But what's next?
Review: I think it is so cool that the great Larry Dossy responds to reader reviews. Sometimes the web is just great. And Larry Dossey's books are also really fantastic for those of you who groove on the paranormal AND the scientific method.
Rating: 
Summary: Misleading, Miserable and Maddening
Review: Ok, this is one of the worst books I have ever read. Dean Radin purports to show us that numerous scientific studies have been done that positively show the existence of psi and psi phenomena. He musters up tons of charts, graphs and impressive sounding synopses of experiments towards this purpose. He also skims over pertinent information, makes wild claims that do not follow from any facts he presents and takes snide potshots at the scientific establishment. The reader never has enough information on any of the experiments that Radin describes to make any kind of informed decision about whether it describes any real effect or not. The graphs are often misleading and sometimes contain "information" that (and this according to two statistics professors at Vanderbilt University) corresponds to no mathematical formula or statistical data. Radin presents only the "positive" information that would seem to indicate the reality of effects and he relies on the file drawer problem to come up with odds against chance that are not accurate in any mathematical way while claiming that if scientists cannot disprove every single effect then the effect must be real. This is the first sign of pseudoscientific claptrap. Radin is really interested in bringing the rest of the scientific community down to the level of psi research. He constantly whines and complains about how the scientific establishment oppresses psi research and how if normal science were held to the same standard as psi then psi would be considered a hard fact. This argument would almost contain some truth if more than one of the studies that are presented were actually worth anything scientifically. The one study that is, the Autoganzfeld, has been shown upon further study to have produced results only barely above chance. There are other things that would be merely comical, if people here hadn't shown that they take them so seriously. Radin's analogy with horses and cows and quantum activity for example, is an oversimplification so radical and so incorrect as to be utterly laughable. He misunderstands the words paradox. He does every single thing that he accuses the skeptics of doing. I'm not here to tell you that psi effects do not exist. However, this book doesn't even come close to proving that they do. It seems very persuasive because it is one big misrepresentation. Do yourself a favor and pick up a book that gives you some actual, factual information so that you can make an informed decision. I feel bad for actually giving this man money, but I hear he'll need it since being released from his position at UNLV.
Rating:
Summary: Suprisingly good work that will leave you wondering
Review: Radin's book was a surprise to me. I have been often interested in the paranormal, but have always felt it completely lacked any scientific truth, and was worth little more than entertainment. Eventually, I became very sceptical to any issues that could not be easily accepted by science. This book has made me think twice by finally providing some meta-analysis that convinced me to at least stop to wonder. To keep it short, Radin basically claims that the paranormal is real and has proof of it. He starts by defining the concept of Psi, and dedicates many pages trying to explain you the mathematical and statistical background you will need to understand the studies and the meta-analysis of the results. Radin then proceeds to expose all the evidence that has been gathered for the past years, for Telepathy, Perception at a distance and through time, Mind-Matter interaction, Mental interaction with living organisms and field consciousness. His next theme dedicates 50 pages to explain the why scepticism has been limiting the knowledge of Psi phenomena, and even approaches some metaphysics. The book is very well organized, there is some redundancy, but no more than normal and it is often necessary. Subjects are well separated and the index is very good. What impressed me most was perhaps the way Radin provides the reader with external sources that back up his claims. The text is full of marks to references. You have about 40 pages with notes and references, which you will be able to check for yourself. If Radin claims something you might want to confirm, it most likely tells you where to go find the original document. This aspect alone would be enough to separate this work from many of the pseudocience junk on the market. You will be left under the impression that the experiences known as "psychic phenomena" are real. Radin never refuses the possibility that these phenomena might be fully understood by science in the future, losing its "paranormal" label, but dedicates his energy in trying to prove that they are no longer based solely upon faith or absorbing anecdotes, or even in few experiments - It shows that these phenomena exist because they have been evaluated in massive amounts of scientific evidence. Carl Sagan said extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence, and Radin does provide most of the evidence. As younger scientists become aware of these matters and innovative corporations pour resources into psi investigation, there is no doubt that the scientific community is getting very, very curious about something that is going on but cannot be explained. Radin is very persuasive, many people might not be impressed with his writing on sociology and metaphysics, but his technical expertise on the rest of the book is obvious. This is a very dense book to review in a short space, so I'll end up by warning those who are expecting a lot of hocus-pocus, ghost stories and x-files scripts. This book has almost nothing of that, Radin only gives a few short "reports" as the intro, but he obviously gives them no value at all and instantly proceeds to crunching the numbers. The studies are sometimes a bit dry for those who are expecting Uri Geller moments (Uri isn't even mentioned) and it might appear as if you're reading something your college forced you to, but once you get interested, it will be a delicious read. Even if you feel you might be challenged by the studies, but you don't need to be a statistician to understand it, Radin will give you the basics. So be warned, it gets zero on the Ghostbusters scale. (In fact, in many parts I could almost see Radin shrugging and saying "well uh, we have no idea on why this happens, but we are completely sure that it does happen for no known reason". Lacking some impact for Hollywood perhaps, but still engaging. :-) Radin has convinced me that psi phenomena have indeed considerable scientific evidence behind, but that unlike what many pseudo-science fans think, those effects are extremely subtle and hard to control for any good use, at least, at present time. They cannot, however, be ignored as non-existing, or the product of ignorant minds. Nobel Laureate in Physics Brian Josephson for instance said "Radin shows the evidence in favour of paranormal existence is overwhelming". I highly recommend it. A powerful case for the reality of parapsychological phenomena. Very professional work in a subject that has been plagued by many pseudoscience titles that do nothing but add more noise. What it sometimes likes in fun, it provides in painstaking research. If you are a sceptic, read it, no matter if you are religious or not, with a scientific background or not. If you buy anything you hear as true, read it too. Most of all, it will challenge you to weigh the facts and think for yourself. But one view is never enough. Be sure to read several of the best sceptical works (many of which Radin mentions in the text and References) and any other you find interesting (Demon Haunted World by Carl Sagan is a good title to start with) and you will understand everything better. Well worth the time. I look forward to Radin's next work.
Rating:
Summary: An Impressive Book Capturing Most Convincing Research on Psi
Review: The book reveals an interesting domain of science that has been quietly studying very common human experiences that have, paradoxically, been almost completely ignored by academic psychology.
Because this isn't taught in academia, hardly anyone knows that
hundreds of studies have been conducted by qualified scientists, worldwide and that results strongly suggesting existence of psi have been reported for over a century.
Unfortunately, being a "product" of a society with a predominantly materialistic paradigm, many people find it difficult to keep an open-minded position towards the subject. But, as the history of humanity demonstrated multiple times, these effects do not go away just because a few individuals don't want to let go of their believes.
Yet, a growing number of these studies are appearing in mainstream scientific journals. The nature of the scientific debate has changed over the years from "it is impossible" to "well, I don't know how to explain it so it probably isn't very interesting." From a sociology of science perspective, that is a gigantic change in opinion. It changes the existential nature of the debate, i.e. from "it doesn't exist" to "it exists, but ...".
The book provides strong arguments that some of those "bump in the night" experiences that are so commonly reported are scientifically plausible.
The best research in this domain is not naive. Independent reviews of the methodology of the best studies show that they are as good as, or better, than the best studies in the other behavioral and social sciences. This is a dramatically different story from the usual skeptical opinions.
It's a great read for people open to the fact that science, by definition, is in process of continuous progress, and, as experience shows, what seems shocking today is widely accepted tomorrow.
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