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4th out of 24 books
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18 voters
Extraordinary Knowing: Science, Skepticism, and the Inexplicable Powers of the Human Mind
In 1991, when her daughter’s rare, hand-carved harp was stolen, Lisby Mayer’s familiar world of science and rational thinking turned upside down. After the police failed to turn up any leads, a friend suggested she call a dowser—a man who specialized in finding lost objects. With nothing to lose—and almost as a joke—Dr. Mayer agreed. Within two days, and without leaving hi...more
Hardcover, 320 pages
Published
February 27th 2007
by Bantam
(first published 2007)
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Interesting information on science and the study of "inexplicable" phenomena. A bit dry as she is a scientist who explains in detail the many experiments she reviewed. What she seems to be trying to do is to marry the scientific need for irrefutable proof with activity that is often thought of as requiring only faith, where you either believe that such phenomena exist or you do not.
Having had her own experience with the "impossible" she, as a psychologist and member of the scientific community...more
Having had her own experience with the "impossible" she, as a psychologist and member of the scientific community...more
Really enjoyed this book. The first 100 pages or so are an overview of what constitutes extraordinary knowing - clairvoyance, remote viewing, telepathy, etc. and how Western science is much more resistant to these concepts than other cultures. Pretty standard stuff. Later on, the author delves into how the human mind can exert these powers and yet still struggle to understand them scientifically. One very visual analogy was with gestalt images in psychology - you know, the image that can be seen...more
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Exploring the difference between "knowing" and "knowing about." Excellent--advocates that humans get out of their own way in accessing and utilizing what we know and learn to discount. No mediums, no ghost stories, no magic. (Examples our "dowsers"--people that can find things they're never seen in places they've never been.) Just analysis of people who know things that there seems to be no relevant reason that they should know, and a discussion of what lies ahead in learning about the breadth o...more
A fascinating book that covers the history of, and current scope of research into "anomalous mind-matter knowing." You and I think of that in terms of premonitions, remote viewing, ESP, etc. ("Anomalous mind-matter knowing" is henceforth referred to as "ESP.")
The author contends that it is impossible to hold Western scientific methods in mind concurrently with the reports of, and results of testing done on ESP because they are incompatible. Western science relies on data replicated in a controll...more
The author contends that it is impossible to hold Western scientific methods in mind concurrently with the reports of, and results of testing done on ESP because they are incompatible. Western science relies on data replicated in a controll...more
The book rambles and meanders a bit. In some ways, it reads like the author's attempt to put together a cohesive argument to convince herself. I was hooked but had to put the book down many times to check on the people, books and research she refers to in the book. I think she has put down a very good compilation of material. Its not as readable as a Gladwell book but the advantages of a scientist's POV over a journalist more than made it up for me. Immensely intriguing!
I gave it a 3 because it seemed a bit repetitive and catty. I also question some of the statistics from various studies: a certain study reveals that, say, 60% of participants beat random odds of stating a color someone in another room is thinking of - but there are only 12 people in the study! Not enough for reliable data. However, I don't doubt the truth of may of the topics, such as the harp event or the remote viewing studied by the CIA. There are so many things we don't know about how the b...more
About intuition. Written by a scientist trying to deal with the reality of the spirit realm. Good read. Provides some insights, creates more questions. I especially like the analogy of why we don't 'know' the spirit realm as humans - We can't see the stars during the day, but we can at night. Another book to add to my kid's bookshelves
Mar 18, 2008
Nancy
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
the curious
Recommended to Nancy by:
Found independently while cruising the internet
I am currently reading this book that explores the unexplainable experiences individuals have connecting with others in their lives. It looks at quality research done in the areas of "ESP", distance viewing and records the significant experiences of highly skilled professionals in their interactions through a psychoanalist's perspective. Have you ever had a exceptional connection with someone else? If you have, then you will want to read this book. It is full of anecdotes and classifications tha...more
This book expanded my appreciation of my own anomalous experiences and routed them in science. I particuarly appreciated the chapter on prayer and what we know about its powers. The gook encouraged me to pay attention to the parts of perception that are beyond logic.
This book was really rather well-written. Though I perhaps would have liked to see more of a personal transformation of beliefs from the author, her still skeptical nature brought an added force to the stories and studies relayed in the book.
A little meandering, but extremely eye-opening. If you're interested in learning more about ESP and the shadow it's casting on the science world, definitely worth checking this out.
I'm a skeptical scientist, and I was very intrigued. I don't understand how songs come to me through the radio, but that doesn't mean it's not possible, obviously.
I really liked this book. I'm not saying that I absolutely believe everything in it, but it was a thought-provoking book that kept me pretty interested the whole way through.
Read this one at the recommendation of my shrink - some good anecdotes but I just came away with a renewed sense of how stupid a lot of scientists are
This book challenges the reader to be open to the idea that there is more than logic and observable, replicable results in the way our brains take in and process information. I learned as a child that I should not speak of the mysterious ways my family was able to communicate without phones or any form of connection other than our minds. it turns out that many of us learn to suppress information about these things. Just because science can't explain them, doesn't mean they don't exist. This book...more
Fascinating and ground-breaking account of evidence for paranormal experiences by people rigorously trained in the sciences.
I really loved most of this book; other parts were a bit tedious. I enjoy the intersection of science and spirituality.
A traditional nonbeliever learns to believe as she experiences a different type of reality.
An "a-ha" book that I need to come back to and finish the last part of. Riveting concepts!
I liked this book enough to pay a lot of money to consult with one of the psychics she recommended. Upon reflection, I wasn't too impressed with the psychic. That led me to rethink some of what I thought was so great about the book. Still, I found her stories about ESP experiences and her review of the research on ESP to be quite well done. She started out as a skeptic and found herself changed both by personal experience and by her research. Despite being a psychoanalyst, she was a very smart w...more
This book was boring. This scientist is trying to rationalize unexplainable things (miracles bascially) that happen to people. She can't seem to wrap her mind around the fact that science and rational thought can't explain these miracles (she doesn't use that word but the events are basically that). She also seems to be really assamed to believe in some psychic phenomenon, even though it effected her positively, because the science community shuns it.
The best part of the book was reading about...more
The best part of the book was reading about...more
Extraordinarily exciting!
This book is mind blowing and amazing!
Sad that the author didn't live to see her book's publication. She speaks out boldly about the need for the scientific community to give serious attention to claims of psychic capabilities. It made me reflect also on the terrible burden it must be for people who possess extrasensory gifts, who have to hide from others their reasons for knowing something non-empirically.
A very interesting book. I know the human mind is absolutely amazing and some people have been given very specific gifts in relation to the powers of the mind.
However, the book was very technical. One chapter pretty much sounded the same as the last I had read. I had a hard time keeping my place in the book. With that said though it was a pretty good read.
However, the book was very technical. One chapter pretty much sounded the same as the last I had read. I had a hard time keeping my place in the book. With that said though it was a pretty good read.
I learned so much from this book. I approached it from a point of brain science interest and ended up with a whole new respect for "psychic" abilities. I am not sure you can read this without having a mind-opening experience. The science behind the investigations seems irrefutable.
Review of 'paranormal' experiences that have been researched/verified, including by CIA. Summary at http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Extr...
I was hoping to find more real-life tips and experiences in this book. Instead, it covered more historical and academic information but was nevertheless an interesting read.
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A detailed look at the way Western science shuts its eyes to phenomena that don't fit into its tidy reductionist view.
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Elizabeth Lloyd Mayer, Ph.D., was an internationally known psychoanalyst, researcher, and clinician, the author of groundbreaking papers on female development, the nature of science, and intuition, and a contributor to
Consciousness and Healing
, published by the Institute of Noetic Sciences. In addition to her private practice, she was associate clinical professor of psychology at the University...more
More about Elizabeth Lloyd Mayer...
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