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Distant intentionality and the feeling of being stared at: Two meta‐analyses
Author(s) -
Schmidt Stefan,
Schneider Rainer,
Utts Jessica,
Walach Harald
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
british journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.536
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 2044-8295
pISSN - 0007-1269
DOI - 10.1348/000712604773952449
Subject(s) - psychology , intentionality , staring , parapsychology , experimental psychology , social psychology , feeling , cognitive psychology , observer (physics) , cognition , communication , medicine , philosophy , physics , alternative medicine , epistemology , pathology , quantum mechanics , neuroscience
Findings in parapsychology suggest an effect of distant intentionality. Two laboratory set‐ups explored this topic by measuring the effect of a distant intention on psychophysiological variables. The ‘Direct Mental Interaction in Living Systems’ experiment investigates the effect of various intentions on the electrodermal activity of a remote subject. The ‘Remote Staring’ experiment examines whether gazing by an observer covaries with the electrodermal activity of the person being observed. Two meta‐analyses were conducted. A small significant effect size (d =.11, p = .001) was found in 36 studies on ‘direct mental interaction', while a best‐evidence‐synthesis of 7 studies yielded d = .05 (p = .50). In 15 remote staring studies a mean effect size of d = 0.13 (p = .01) was obtained. It is concluded that there are hints of an effect, but also a shortage of independent replications and theoretical concepts.