Friday, January 7, 2011

More Things on Heaven and Earth


There are more things on heaven and earth
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy, Horatio.

~ William Shakespeare
Hamlet


Of Note: Let's pretend there are seven planes of the physical universe "divided" by rates of vibration, color and sound from subtle to dense, and each of those major seven is divided into a minor seven. Continuing this line of imaginary thought, let's say that the bottom three of the total forty-nine presents reality for most people. Some may go so far as to accept the bottom three on each of the physical, astral and mental planes, but most only accept the densest physical as reality. This limited view presented editors at the well-respected Journal of Personality and Social Psychology with a conundrum when an esteemed professor emeritus of psychology at Cornell, Dr. Daryl Bem, presented a paper providing strong evidence for Extrasensory Perception, otherwise known as ESP. After a normal review by four social psychology peers, the research was recommended for publication. This has sent a ripple of outrage through the psychology community. Another emeritus professor of psychology exclaimed: "It's craziness, pure craziness. I can't believe a major journal is allowing this work in." Others don't go quite that far and simply suggest that such an extraordinary claim should be subject to more intense scrutiny. Some even suggested that it was a joke on the part of the researcher, who was described as having a keen sense of humor. What does Dr. Bem have to say about all this? He has joined in the fray, accusing critics of misunderstanding his findings or simply exhibiting bias for the unusual. On the other hand, he has also "received hundreds of requests for materials to conduct studies." In the end, ESP will be proven to exist. It is only a matter of time before people will have eyes to see what is happening on other planes of existence. After reading the article, an elderly agnostic friend summed it up well when he remarked: "Doesn't matter, everyone knows ESP exists anyway." Seems that psychologists may be the last to accept what others believe is obvious truth.

Today's Weather Report: Today is no day to be outside without the proper attire. Although it is 14 degrees Fahrenheit, the wind is blowing to beat the band. I would bet the wind chill is below zero. That's AOK with me. It is cloudy with little direct sunlight, and a perfect afternoon to finish the Esoteric Glossary I've been working on for 6 weeks. This self-imposed project has loomed over my head for 2-years and today all the words will be entered, although the product will not be complete until the contents are edited and maybe published. Not that there will be a huge audience for the book, but with self-publishing, even one book is a possibility.