| Abstract/Results: | INTRODUCTION
Filter theories of psi postulate that psi-mediated information operates as a ‘weak stimulus’ that is likelyto be filtered out of conscious awareness (e.g. Myers, 1903/2001; Thalbourne, Bartemucci, Delin, Fox, & Nofi, 1997), and that psi might more commonly function at a subliminal level, without representation inawareness (e.g. Roney-Dougal, 1986). This research brief presents the methodology of a study in which anexperimental paradigm, developed to examine the efficacy of hypothesised filtering mechanisms of consciousness, is adapted to include a psi component.Inhibitory processes are thought to play a role in selective attention, discarding behaviourally irrelevantinformation in order to reduce working memory load (Wuthrich & Bates, 2001). A stream of research hasfocused on ‘cognitive inhibition,’ through experimental paradigms such as latent inhibition (LI). LIassesses inhibitory processes in selective attention. In a typical LI experiment there are two conditions,where, during an initial task, participants are either: 1) repeatedly exposed to a particular stimulus (the pre-exposure [PE] condition); or 2) not exposed to this stimulus (the non-pre-exposure [NPE] condition).The stimulus is irrelevant to this initial task and serves no function. Thus, it is hypothesised that those inthe PE condition will inhibit its representation from awareness. In a subsequent task (the experimentaltask), this stimulus assumes relevant status; it must be attended to in order to solve a problem. Those in the NPE condition solve the problem faster; this is presumed to be because the stimulus has not been inhibited(e.g. Gray, Fernandez, Williams, Ruddle & Snowden, 2002).In the current study a standard visual LI protocol has been replicated, and two conditions added: 1) psi- pre-exposure (? PE), where a sender will attempt to transmit the stimulus telepathically during the initialtask; and 2) non-psi-pre-exposure (N ? PE). Thus, we assess whether psi-mediated information might beinhibited from awareness when it is not needed, thus affecting subsequent cognitive performance.There is some evidence to suggest that high schizotypy and creativity abolish the LI effect (Carson etal., 2003; Gray et al., 2002), from which it has been inferred that schizotypy and creativity have incommon less stringent filtering of mental elements into awareness. Creativity, schizotypy and belief in the paranormal are incorporated in the current study to address the idea that certain profiles will relate toincreased awareness of the (psi) stimulus.
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Reference:
| Holt, N., Simmonds-Moore, C., & Moore, S. (2007). Cognitive disinhibition and psi: Exploring the filter theory of psi-awareness. In Proceedings of Presented Papers: The Parapsychological Association 50th Annual Convention, Halifax, Canada (pp. 192-194).
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