This week, the hosts explore the concept of ‘clairs’, terms used to differentiate all sorts of diverse psychic experience. From Jainism to Spiritualism, second sight to seances, psychic experiences have been a core tenet of the occult and spirituality for thousands of years. But how well do these historical accounts line up with our modern definition of ‘clairs’, and is there any benefit to viewing these experiences through a scientific lens?

Link to our discord! https://discord.gg/kJthJyxTBc

Resources:

• 1998 (dodgy!) meta-analysis assessing studies on clairvoyance and precognition: Steinkamp, F., Milton, J., & Morris, R. L. (1998). A meta-analysis of forced-choice experiments comparing clairvoyance and precognition. Journal of Parapsychology, 62(3), 193–218

• Testing the psychic Olof Jonsson in a ‘forced choice’ experiment: Don, N. S., McDonough, B. E., & Warren, C. A. (1992). Psi testing of a controversial psychic under controlled conditions. The Journal of Parapsychology, 56(2), 87

• The Mind Machine - massive British experiment testing ESP in the general public: Wiseman, R., & Greening, E. (2002). The Mind Machine: A mass participation experiment into the possible existence of extra‐sensory perception. British Journal of Psychology, 93(4), 487-499

• Neuro-imaging of clairvoyant pairs: Moulton, S. T., & Kosslyn, S. M. (2008). Using neuroimaging to resolve the psi debate. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 20(1), 182-192.

• What is ‘normal’ experience? Powers III, A. R., Kelley, M. S., & Corlett, P. R. (2017). Varieties of voice-hearing: psychics and the psychosis continuum. Schizophrenia bulletin, 43(1), 84-98.

• Psychic Witch by Mat Auryn

• Les Miroirs Magiques by Paul Sédir

• Lectures by Rudolf Steiner

• Extrasensory Perception (yogi-pratyakṣa) in Jainism and Its Refutations http://www.balcerowicz.eu/indology/balcerowicz2016c.pdf

• Clairvoyance in Jainism: Avadhijñāna in Philosophy, Epistemology and Literature https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4760&context=etd