Julkaisupäivämäärä: May 31, 2016 8:36:16 PM
Near-death experiences, reincarnation memories, out of body experiences and spiritualism belong to traditional core areas of parapsychology, which have been studied also in Finland. These traditions have deep roots in the history of mankind, and it has became increasingly topical to making related studies in our country. There are several ongoing or incipient projects related to the parapsychology.
Institute of Parapsychology in Finland has a honor organize international seminar in Helsinki, held at second of July 10.00am-21.00pm in Avartuva ihmiskuva center (Uudenmaankatu 33). We are hosting Icelandic professor Erlendur Haraldsson who tells about his work with the physical mediumship of Indridi Indridason. Professor Haraldsson is especially known for his research on reincarnation memories, which he did in collaboration with the late Ian Stevenson, a professor of parapsychology in United States. He has also conducted large scale surveys on paranormal and studied deathbed phenomena together with parapsychologist Karlis Osis. In addition, he is one of the few westeners who had opportunity to investigate famous Indian guru Sathya Sai Baba.
Other speakers include British OBE-researcher and trainer Graham Nicholls as well as Sara Duppils, student from Åbo Akademi specialized in spiritism; both of them are currently finishing their doctoral thesis. In addition we can adjunct professor Leo Näreaho, who is participating in a panel discussion about science and the afterlife. Contribution is given also by Jani Lassila, who sheds light into history of parapsychology and Yumi Ogawa, sponsor of the institute.
Seminar fee is 20€ for the members, 30€ for students, and 35€ for everyone else. Tickets become available 9.00am in Uudenmaankatu 33. Welcome!
Seminar program
Klo 10.00 Yumi Ogawa: New frontiers of integrative medicine - living healthy life with aromatherapy
Klo 11:30 Bread roll with coffee or tee
Klo 12:00 Jani Lassila: Increasing activities related to parapsychology from 17th century to 20th century
Klo 13:00 VTM Mikko Kyöstilä: Tiedemies avasi oven henkien maailmaan [Note! Presentation "Spiritism - emotion and perception" has been cancelled]
Klo 14:00 Lunch break
Klo 15:30 Graham Nicholls: Visual perception within self-induced out-of-body experiences
Klo 17:00 Erlendur Haraldsson: The extraordinary physical mediumship of Indridi Indridason
Klo 18:30 Break
Klo 19:00 Panel discussion: Science and the afterlife. What are currently main questions regarding reincarnation memories, near death experiences, mediumship and deathbed phenomena? Panelists are Prof. Erlendur Haraldsson, M.Sc. Graham Nicholls, M.Sc. Sara Duppils and adjunct professor Leo Näreaho
Coffee and bread roll is included to the fee.
Abstracts
Prof. Erlendur Haraldsson: The extraordinary physical mediumship of Indridi Indridason
Indridi Indridason is one of the outstanding physical mediums of all time. He produced almost every effect ever observed with Home, Palladino, the Schneiders and Kluski in just five years of his tragically short life, yet for decades following his premature death he was largely.
The rare phenomena of direct voices was most common with Indridi (in 77% of his sittings). Voices of deceased persons were heard in various locations of the séance room and sometimes outside in broad daylight. The voices differed widely, male, female, young and old, and each had their particular way of speaking. They were mostly recognized by the sitters as they spoke in the way they had done while living. Some would sing, like two excellent opera singers, “the French lady“ and an unknown male singer with a deep bass voice. Sometimes they sang a duet together.
The usual levitations of objects were frequent, as were levitations of the medium and musical instruments swirling around the séance room while being played upon in mid-air. During a violent poltergeist-like attack on him he was forcefully thrown around as if by invisible hands. And much more, truly extraordinary... Haraldsson has just finished a book that will become essential reading for anyone interested in exploring the limits of mediumship.
Chairman Jani Lassila: Increasing activities related to parapsychology from 17th century to 20th century (presentation in Finnish)
Paranormaalin historia on täynnä yllättäviä käänteitä ja löytöjä, joita tulee vastaan usein juuri silloin kun niitä vähiten odottaa. Yllättävistäkin paikoista on löytynyt kytkentöjä Suomeen ja myös Suomen kamaralta on löytynyt runsaasti tutkimattomia paikkoja ja tapauksia, joilla on ollut merkittävä rooli suomalaisen parapsykologian vaatimattomassa historiassa.
Jani Lassilan esitys valottaa paranormaalin historian hämäriä, ja tuo Suomea maailmankartalle hyvinkin yllättävillä tavoilla. Harva esimerkiksi tietää, että parapsykologista tutkimustoimintaa yritettiin käynnistää jo Newtonin elinaikana ja sillä oli yhteyksiä maailman kuuluisimman tiedeseuran Royal Societyn edeltäjään, näkymättömään korkeakouluun (Invisible college) tai että tutkimusaiheella oli yhteyksiä myös Pohjolaan. Harva tietää sitäkään, että osittain samoilla vesilla kalasti tuolloin myös Rauni-Leena Luukasenkin toimintaan vaikuttanut nainen, jota voidaan pitää spiritualistisen liikkeen esiäitinä. Puhumattakaan siitä, että maailman ensimmäinen parapsykologian tutkimuskeskus perustettiin Emmanuel Swedenborgin kannattajien jäljiltä vuo 1700-luvun lopulla tai että ensimmäisistä sähköisistä ääni-ilmiöistä (EVP) raportoitiin suomalaisessa lehdistössä lennätinten aikakaudella.
Jani Lassila on muun toimintansa ohessa kerännyt suuren määrän parapsykologiaa koskevaa historiallista aineistoa, ja olisi sääli jos se jäisi hyödyntämättä. Tämä tunnin esitys maalaa yleiskuvan historian hämäristä käänteistä, joista meillä on ollut tuskin vielä aavistustakaan. Tervetuloa matkalle!
M.Sc Sara Duppils: Spiritism - Emotion and Perception (CANCELLED, see Mikko Kyöstilä's presentation)
Spiritism, the belief and experience of spirits of the dead, has become increasingly visible in the north. In my dissertation I focus on contemporary spiritualism in Sweden (neospiritism), which is described and structured in the various expression forms. The themes that have been identified have been further analyzed by psychology of religion theories. Focus has primarily ended up on emotions, perception and transliminality.
The primary platform for spiritism seems to be internet, whereupon most of the empiric material is from an internet forum called The supernatural in focus (swe. Övernaturligt I fokus). To complement the material, I have also done over twenty-depth interviews, and participant observation. The main questions for the study have been: 1. what is characteristic of the neospiritistic conception world? 2. What practices can be found in neospiritism? 3. How can neospiritism be understood and categorized? 4. How are spiritistic beliefs communicated? 5. What individual function has neospiritism?
VTM Mikko Kyöstilä: Tiedemies avasi oven henkien maailmaan
Ranskalainen Allan Kardec (1804-1869) keräsi ihmisen henkisen elämän ymmärtämisen kannalta ensiarvoisen tärkeää tietoa havainnoimalla tieteellisellä tarkkuudella meediotilaisuuksien ilmiöitä ja viestejä. Hänen 150 vuotta sitten kokoamansa spiritismi eli henkioppi on vasta viime vuosina käännetty suomen kielelle. Tämä on avannut poikkeuksellisen loogisen näkökulman myös Jeesuksen antamiin opetuksiin.
M.Sc Graham Nicholls: Visual perception within self-induced out-of-body experiences
In this talk Graham Nicholls will begin by outlining the types of OBEs he has personally experienced since 1987. He will then detail the information he has collated towards a rational understanding of the nature of the out-of-body experience.
After drawing upon both proponent and sceptical interpretations of the OBE, he will discuss why he feels that the veridical elements of some experiences suggest that OBEs are not hallucinations or bodily illusions. In the next section he will further underline this position by detailing witnessed confirmed experiences from his own life, and current research he is involved in.
Finally, he will look in-depth at the visual elements of these veridical experiences towards a better understanding of how non-local perception might work during these enigmatic journeys beyond the body.