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UVA School of Medicine scientists have scoured more than 70 years of neuroscientific research into extra-sensory perception (ESP) and identified the most promising leads for future study. 

Much of the prior work was beset by inconsistent methodology and a lack of reproducibility, scientists found. That has prompted them to lay out a set of recommendations to bring increased rigor to an area of research that has often been greeted with skepticism and hampered by a lack of resources. 

“We wanted to move beyond isolated findings and take a step back to evaluate the field as a whole. The aim is to clarify what the existing evidence can and cannot support, and to help guide more rigorous and cumulative research going forward,” says David J. Acunzo, PhD, UVA Division of Perceptual Studies. “I hope this work will contribute to improving the quality of the research in this field, which needs clearer operational definitions … and more systematic replication. These are standard requirements in any mature area of science, and they are essential here as well.”

Neural Underpinnings of ‘Psi’

The new study by Acunzo and colleagues is the most comprehensive review ever performed of a field that dates to the early 1950s. Extra-sensory perception, or “receptive psi,” refers to the potential ability to acquire information by means that cannot explained by our traditional five senses. It includes telepathy, the supposed ability to read thoughts, and precognition, the purported ability to see events in the future.

While many people are dismissive of the possibility of psi, Acunzo notes that surveys typically find that roughly half of people say they have had such experiences. That has prompted scientists to use brain imaging, or “neuroimaging,” and other tools to try to determine if there is any neural evidence for such abilities. 

Acunzo’s review of the history of neuroimaging looked at more than 140 scientific reports on psi, organized the field into hierarchical categories and evaluated the quality of 129 studies. Many were hampered by problems such as small sample sizes, inconsistent analyses and inadequate controls.  Further, the results often could not be replicated – a problem that has vexed the field of psychology and the social sciences in general. This lack of reproducibility even has a name – the “psychology replication crisis.”

That said, there were research areas that showed promise worth exploring further, Acunzo and his colleagues write. For example, some of the most compelling empirical evidence has emerged from the study of brain activity known as “alpha band power,” measured while people try to use psi to guess the figure drawn on the back of a card.

Ultimately, it is “premature” to make any conclusive statements about neural activity related to psi based on the available evidence, the scientists conclude. But they outline several recommendations to improve future research. For example, they suggest that scientists need to agree on better shared definitions, increase study sample sizes, conduct more thorough follow-up research and take steps to better replicate prior experiments. 

Such improvements, they say, would move us closer to answers to questions that have been scientifically divisive but are undeniably interesting.

“At this stage, the priority is not to draw firm conclusions, but to establish more reliable ways of testing these questions. That requires coordinated efforts across laboratories and a stronger commitment to reproducibility,” Acunzo says. “These questions have long been controversial, but they are also deeply compelling. With the right tools and approaches, we can begin to address them in a more systematic and scientifically grounded way.”

Findings Published

The researchers have published their findings in the scientific journal NeuroImage. The research team consisted of Acunzo, Andrea H. Denton, Marina Weiler and Edward F. Kelly.
 

UVA Division of Perceptual Studies 

Established in 1967 under the leadership of UVA psychiatrist Ian Stevenson, MD, UVA Division of Perceptual Studies (DOPS) stands as the most productive university-based research group in the world dedicated to exploring phenomena that challenge conventional scientific paradigms concerning human consciousness. At the core of DOPS’ research mission lies the commitment to rigorous evaluation of empirical evidence surrounding exceptional human experiences and capacities, including utilization of a state-of-the-art neuroimaging lab. DOPS extends its focus beyond fundamental empirical research and explores the profound implications of such research for scientific theory and society at large. By actively sharing insights and findings, DOPS strives to contribute meaningfully to the understanding of consciousness, bridging the gap between scientific inquiry and public awareness.   

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