A short powerpoint on the state of education in the scientific study of psychic phenomena, or scientific parapsychology. Made for a video presentations for the 2014 Parapsychological Association convention.

1. EDUCATION IN
PARAPSYCHOLOGY:
CONTEXT, PROBLEMS,
NEEDS
Nancy L. Zingrone, PhD
The AZIRE
Rhine Education Center

2. THE AVAILABILITY OF
UNIVERSITY-BASED EDUCATION
1983
 66 universities and colleges had at least one
course, some had faculty mentors, a couple
had masters and doctorates*
 Examples:
 University of Edinburgh
 Saybrook Institute
 University of California-Davis
 John F. Kennedy University
 University of Freiburg
*ASPR (1983) Courses and Study Opportunities in
Parapsychology (9th Edition). New York, NY: ASPR.
2011
 43 universities and colleges, fewer single
courses, more faculty mentors, more
masters and doctoral possibilities*
 Examples:
 University of Northampton
 University of Edinburgh
 Saybrook University
 University of Freiburg
 University of São Paulo
*Zingrone, N. L. (2011). Petition to submit a proposal for a
Masters of Arts in parapsychology. Unpublished document.
Virginia Beach, VA: Atlantic University.

3. THE GOOD NEWS & THE BAD NEWS
Good News
 There are more universities with
concentrations of students interested in
similar topics
 There are more faculty mentors able to
supervise a dissertation or thesis within
another discipline’s department
 There are more online libraries, online
courses, online lectures / conference
presentations available for independent
study in the field
Bad News
 Within university-based programs there
are single or a minimal sequences of
courses that acquaint students with the
history, literature, institutions and people
in the field itself
 Students are likely to graduate with a
deep knowledge in the field in which
their degree is taken (psychology,
anthropology, sociology, etc.) and a
narrow education in parapsychology
 Proficiency in the field itself requires a
commitment to self-education
Illustration retrieved from: http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2010/02/24/self-education-failings/

4. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
 The knowledge of the field itself is extremely variable
among students and researchers.
 Even for the students who are in a “program” the
amount of education they receive in the field proper
is usually limited to 1-3 courses.
 There is NO standardized curriculum in the field available
even to those committed to self-education
 Consequences include:
 Assumptions of being on the same page, when we are really not
 Knowledge derived from research of earlier eras often completely lost
 A continual reinvention of the wheel

5. HOW DO WE FIX THIS?
 Support the adult education programs where
they exist
 Support institutions and their efforts to put
their video/written materials online:
 On individual authors’ websites
 On institutional websites
 On YouTube channels (where is the PA YouTube Channel?)
such as Parapsychology Online, the Rhine Research Center,
SSETalks etc
 Support online libraries in the field like Lexscien
so that journal titles can be expanded and income
can help work to bring holdings up-to-date
 Create an environment in which you encourage
students to know the field as well as they know