Predictive physiological anticipatory activity preceding seemingly unpredictable stimuli: An update of Mossbridge et al’s meta-analysis

Abstract

Background: This is an update of the Mossbridge et al’s meta-analysis related to the physiological anticipation preceding seemingly unpredictable stimuli which overall effect size was 0.21; 95% Confidence Intervals: 0.13 - 0.29 Methods: Nineteen new peer and non-peer reviewed studies completed from January 2008 to June 2018 were retrieved describing a total of 27 experiments and 36 associated effect sizes. Results: The overall weighted effect size, estimated with a frequentist multilevel random model, was: 0.28; 95% Confidence Intervals: 0.18-0.38; the overall weighted effect size, estimated with a multilevel Bayesian model, was: 0.28; 95% Credible Intervals: 0.18-0.38. The weighted mean estimate of the effect size of peer reviewed studies was higher than that of non-peer reviewed studies, but with overlapped confidence intervals: Peer reviewed: 0.36; 95% Confidence Intervals: 0.26-0.47; Non-Peer reviewed: 0.22; 95% Confidence Intervals: 0.05-0.39. Similarly, the weighted mean estimate of the effect size of Preregistered studies was higher than that of Non-Preregistered studies: Preregistered: 0.31; 95% Confidence Intervals: 0.18-0.45; No-Preregistered: 0.24; 95% Confidence Intervals: 0.08-0.41. The statistical estimation of the publication bias by using the Copas selection model suggest that the main findings are not contaminated by publication bias. Conclusions: In summary, with this update, the main findings reported in Mossbridge et al’s meta-analysis, are confirmed.

Inner Experience – Direct Access to Reality: A Complementarist Ontology and Dual Aspect Monism Support a Broader Epistemology

“…Or, turned around, the fact that a materialist ontology is still the implicit mainstream model in science is likely the reason why the large and consistent database of parapsychology is not taken seriously as it would deserve (Braude, 1987;Cardeña, 2015Cardeña, , 2018Reber and Alcock, 2020). Meta-analyses that span decades of carefully controlled experimental research have documented that telepathy, extrasensory perception like remote viewing, precognition, and presentiment, probably also micropsychokinesis are factual and statistically robust phenomena (Schmidt et al, 2004;Storm et al, 2010Storm et al, , 2012Storm et al, , 2013Mossbridge et al, 2012;Schmidt, 2012;Bem et al, 2015;Walach et al, 2015;Cardeña, 2018;Duggan and Tressoldi, 2018;. They are not in the same sense causally available as light switches are because we do not understand these phenomena well enough and perhaps because they cannot be engineered at will in the same sense as standard material-causal phenomena.…”

Non-Ordinary Mental Expressions (NOMEs): Clues on the Nature of the Human Mind

“…Despite the anticipation of random future events being considered impossible, some evidence of this phenomenon has been collected in recent years by checking physiological reactions a few seconds before the administration of pleasant or unpleasant random images (e.g., car accidents or gun shoot in the face, Duggan & Tressoldi, 2018;Mossbridge, Tressoldi, & Utts, 2012).…”

Non-Ordinary Mental Expressions (NOMEs): clues on the nature of the human mind

“…Despite the anticipation of random unpredictable future events being considered impossible, some evidence of this phenomenon has been collected in recent years by checking physiological reactions a few seconds before the administration of pleasant or unpleasant random events e.g., car accidents or gun shoot in the face (Duggan & Tressoldi, 2018;Mossbridge, Tressoldi, & Utts, 2012).…”