Mischo, Johannes. Are Psychic Phenomena When Treated According to Quantitative and Statistical Models a 'Roulette' for 'Supernatural

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# Approved For Release 2000/08/11 : CIA-RDP96-00792R000700660006-3

GERMAN LANGUAGE

(Editor: Gerd Hövelmann)

## ZEITSCHRIFT FÜR PARAPSYCHOLOGIE UND

GRENZGEBIETE DER PSYCHOLOGIE

Note: The first abstract below was inadvertently omitted from Vol. 4(1), which covered Vol. 15 of this journal. - Ed.

01910. Hammers, Alwin J., and Rosin, Ulrich. Parapsychology as judged by German theologians. Zeitschrift für Parapsychologie und Grenzgebiete der Psychologie, 1973, 15(1), 15-35.

Selected results of a survey of a representative random sample of Catholic and Protestant theologians of the Federal Republic of Germany are reported which was taken in March, 1972. So far as the general attitude towards parapsychology is concerned, the questions about the value and scientific character of parapsychology and about the factuality of its phenomena were answered on the average very positively. The representatives of a general "occult believing" or "anti-occult believing" attitude are only indicated sporadically. All in all, the theologians prove to be the professional group most probably best informed on the field of parapsychology. According to the theologians, the main importance of parapsychology lies in the field of anthropology. In spite of the affinity of parapsychical phenomena to the religious experience, the former is given its own meaning independent of the religious sphere. This affinity should be the reason, however, for a positive attitude of the theologians towards parapsychology. The expectation that parapsychical phenomena are readily drawn on as a support for the theological system is not confirmed. A clear skepticism of the theologians in regard to parapsychology only then appears when they suspect that parapsychology will break into their own field. There are definite differences between the theologians of the two confessions in the answers given to the questions. Although more Protestant theologians answered the questionnaire and also have a better knowledge of the literature at their disposal, their positive statements on parapsychology and its phenomena are generally somewhat more reserved than those of the Catholic theologians. - DA

01911. Mischo, Johannes. Are psychic phenomena when treated according to quantitative and statistical models a "roulette" for "supernatural" consequences? Pt. II: A critical examination of call sequences. Zeitschrift für Parapsychologie und Grenzgebiete der Psychologie, 1975, 17(1), 1-28. 13 refs; 19 tables

In this article the objections to the quantitative and statistical model of ESP experiments are summarized as follows: (1) in ESP card-guessing experiments subjects are not able to produce random call sequences, (2) it has not been shown that target sequences are stochastic sequences, (3) dependence on calls and target sequences leads to pseudosignificant results due to its bordering on hit sequences and is thus wrongly interpreted as a parapsychic phenomenon.

Extensive empirical material for calls (closed decks, open decks, experiments with random number generators) is analyzed. Even in RNG experiments subjects are not able to produce stochastic sequences. According to these results the first thesis is fully verified. - DA

01912. Bjarsch, Hubert. Case history relating to problems of paranormal faculties in schizophrenia. Zeitschrift für Parapsychologie und Grenzgebiete der

Psychologie, 1975, 17(1), 41-49. 1 ref

A 34-year old schizophrenic is described. Under the impact of incestuous ideas she imagines her father being re-born in her own son; she also reports a number of allegedly psychokinetic phenomena which partly appeared spontaneously, partly in connection with performances by Uri Geller on television. This case description forms the basis for a discussion of special factors of uncertainty which are concomitants of schizophrenia and that have to be taken into consideration, if necessary, when judging reports on allegedly paranormal occurrences.

After the author had finished this paper the schizophrenic committed suicide. - DA/G.H.

01913. Lucadou, Walter von, and Kornwachs, Klaus. Fundamentals of a theory of paranormal phenomena. Zeitschrift für Parapsychologie und Grenzgebiete der Psychologie, 1975, 17(2/3), 73-87. 32 refs

In this article a basis for a new understanding of psi phenomena is outlined. It is centered in the fundamental discussion of how complex systems can be described in terms of positivism. By these considerations the authors are led to demand a macroscopic function of probability, phi, by means of which psi phenomena can be explained as being dependent on physical and psychological conditions. Although a concept of a function of probability cannot be fully understood within the categories of classical ontology it is shown to be able to make possible a formal and thus quantifiable theory of parapsychology. Although, moreover, psychological effects cannot be reduced to physical descriptions the concept of a psi function enables us to establish a relation and connection between psychological and physical data. This is illustrated by an analysis of psychokinetic phenomena. The theory discussed here is not a physical theory in the traditional sense but is based on a concept of physics that is able to take psychological variables into account. - DA

01914. Brand, Illo. The spectrum of UFO sightings. Zeitschrift für Parapsychologie und Grenzgebiete der Psychologie, 1975, 17(2/3), 89-124. 2 figs; 78 refs

The author demonstrates that the prejudices prohibiting scientific research on UFO phenomena are based on sociopsychological reasons. Most reports come from laypersons, are of anecdotal character, and do not reach scientific journals. The UFO problem, on the other hand, fulfills the requirements claimed by a science-theoretical view. The personality structure of the UFO witnesses is different from that of the witnesses of paranormal phenomena. A paranoia that could be induced by the UFO theme is not observed (in contradiction to the opinion of the press). Resistance of scientists to UFO research is based on the difficulty encountered in the acquisition of reliable data, in the premature declaration of public opinion that UFOs are extraterrestrial space ships, in the allegedly reduced reliability connected with the engagement in obscure observations and observers, and in the shortage of getting well-founded information. The aim of the examination by E. Condon and his co-workers in 1969 was to trace back all the UFO observations to natural phenomena, frauds, or illusions and hallucinations. In the spectrum of UFO sightings, in which the author had put the sizes of the objects versus the physical reaction on the environment in a diagram, the Condon-UFO cases reveal the smallest degrees of significance and are cancelled out by definition from "physical UFO phenomena." Only when the distribution of frequencies of sightings in a spectrum based on 50,000 computerized data is known can it be decided without any doubt whether the UFO phenomenon is primarily a physical or a parapsychological phenomenon. - DA