Those connected to the skeptical cause know that Dr. Susan Blackmore of the UK is an internationally-known scientist and proponent of rational thinking. No one--no one--has investigated claims of the paranormal for as long or as thoroughly as Susan Blackmore. She began her career with the aim of proving psi exists, and ended it after three decades of finding no evidence.
I'm pleased she responded to my email requesting her take on the issue of psychic detectives.
A brief bio of Dr. Blackmore, followed by her statement to us:
Sue Blackmore is a freelance writer, lecturer and broadcaster, and a Visiting Lecturer at the University of the West of England, Bristol. She has a degree in psychology and physiology from Oxford University (1973) and a PhD in parapsychology from the University of Surrey (1980). Her research interests include
memes, evolutionary theory, consciousness, and meditation. Sue Blackmore no longer works on the paranormal.
She writes for several magazines and newspapers, and is a frequent contributor and presenter on radio and
television. She is author of over sixty academic articles, about forty book contributions, and many book reviews. Her
books include
Beyond the Body (1982),
Dying to Live (on near-death experiences, 1993),
In Search of the Light (autobiography, 1996), and
Test Your Psychic Powers (with Adam Hart-Davis, 1997).
The Meme Machine (1999) has been translated into 13 other languages. Her textbook
Consciousness: An Introduction was published in June 2003 (Hodder UK, OUP New York), and
A Very Short Introduction to Consciousness in 2005 (OUP). Her latest book is
Conversations on Consciousness (November 2005 OUP Oxford) published in January 2006.
Back in 2000, in cleaning out her files and declaring that she had given up investigating the paranormal she said, "I found no psychic phenomena - only wishful thinking, self-deception, experimental error and, occasionally, fraud. I became a sceptic."
When I shared KellyJ's personal story and Project Jason with Dr. Blackmore, she went to the website and blog and read it thoroughly. Her sympathy with Kelly's situation was palpable, even over email. In offering us the following statement, however, she wanted to make sure we understood that she in no way endorses religion.
"I investigated psychics and psychic claims for 30 years. In all that time I never encountered convincing evidence of any psychic powers. I met many friendly and pleasant psychics who made false claims while apparently genuinely believing in their powers; they were self-deluded as well as misleading others. I also met a few out-and-out frauds whose harm cannot easily be exaggerated. They prey on the bereaved, the fearful and the vulnerable to extract large sums of money under false pretences. The tricks they use need to be exposed and people helped to avoid being sucked into their clutches." ---Dr. Susan Blackmore.