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Science And Supernature by James E. Alcock
01/06/2007 . Source: Geoff Willmetts 
pub: Prometheus Books. 186 page hardback. Price: $39.00 (US). ISBN: 0-87975-548-2. Buy Science And Supernature in the USA - or Buy Science And Supernature in the UK  check out website: www.prometheusbooks.com
Prometheus have published several books about extra-sensory perception and telekinesis and other than the title, I really didn't have much information about this book before reading it. Its good to have surprises occasionally.
James Alcock is a professor of psychology in Canada. The focus of this book addresses the problems of inadequate laboratory conditions to test people who believe their have paranormal abilities and scientists who think it can be discovered by probability statistics. He focuses primarily on telekinetically predicting dice throws to remove viewing or clairvoyance. In many respects, I have to agree with him but not entirely for the same reasons.
I mean, would you like to stand around all way predicting how a dice will land let alone believe you're manipulating it fast enough to land the way up you want it to go? The same with remote viewing. Anyone sent out to focus on a particular part of the landscape is far more likely to choose a significant landmark than a plain house.
Alcock presents valid points but I was a little disappointed that he didn't offer alternatives that would cover up such holes and improve the testing of ESP subjects. Probably more people believe they have such abilities than those who believe aliens are visiting the Earth. Much of the time, ESP is used in normal activities and outside of a casino, I doubt if predicting or manipulating a fall of a dice falls under normal kind of usage.
From my own perspective, it would make more sense to take a cross-section of the public, ask pertinent questions about any unexplained lucky or unlucky events in their life and then focus on tests to prove rather its co-incidence, lucky guess or prediction. Prove the latter and we might see a proper investigation of the phenomenon as to whether people are born lucky or unlucky.
Written in 1990, it has to be said that things might have moved on since this book was originally released. However if you want to see something from a historical perspective then it might be worth investigating.
GF Willmetts
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