Should We Accept Arguments from Skeptics to Ignore the Psi Data? A Comment on Reber and Alcock’s “Searching for the Impossible”

Abstract

Reber and Alcock have recently made a sharp attack on the entire psi literature, and in particular a recent overview by Cardeña of the meta-analyses across various categories of psi. They claim the data are inherently fl awed because of their disconnect with our current understanding of the world. As a result, they ignore the data and identify key scientifi c principles that they argue clash with psi. In this Commentary, I argue that these key principles are diffi cult to apply in areas where our understanding remains poor, especially quantum mechanics and consciousness. I also explore how the psi data may fi t within these two domains.