Invited Speaker Series 2008-2009 (NB: Revised, 23/1/09)
Abstracts and biographies
Autum term 2008
Date: 7/10/08
Speaker: Dr Susan Blackmore
Title: Is God a Dangerous Meme?
Abstract
God is certainly a meme; an idea (or set of loosely related ideas) that
is copied from person to person, and shows a fascinating variety of
survival tricks. Not only does the God meme satisfy minds that were not
evolved to accurately assess the origins of the universe or the
likelihood of life after death, but wraps itself up in religious
memeplexes that use threats and promises to ensure their own
propagation. But is it dangerous? Taking a memetic perspective we can
ask how religious memes manage to infect so many people and how this
infection affects individuals, societies, or indeed the whole planet.
Biography
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. She practices Zen and campaigns for drug
legalization. Sue Blackmore no longer works on the paranormal
Date: 21/10/08
Speaker: Dr Karen Douglas
Title: Conspiracy Beliefs: A Social Psychological Perspective
Abstract
Was Princess Diana murdered? Were the American moon landings all a
hoax? Mainstream accounts of significant world events are typically
accepted as the truth, but alternative accounts for such events often
fall under the banner of the popular term conspiracy theories. A
conspiracy theory is defined as an attempt to explain the ultimate
cause of a significant political or social event as a secret plot by a
covert alliance of powerful individuals or organizations, rather than
as an overt activity, accident, or natural occurrence. Although some
conspiracy theories have ultimately been shown to be true, most
conspiracy theories remain as unproven and rather implausible
alternative explanations to the mainstream account of events.
Nonetheless, conspiracy theories are popular and, in her research, Dr
Karen Douglas has attempted to understand why this is the case. In
this talk, she will present research examining the extent to which
conspiracy theories influence people’s attitudes about significant
world events. She will also present work examining the individual
differences correlates of conspiracy beliefs. Finally, she will
propose a theory to explain why conspiracy theories are appealing to so
many people.
Biography
Karen Douglas was awarded her PhD in social psychology from the
Australian National University in 2000. She is currently a Senior
Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Kent. In addition to
conducting work on the social psychology of conspiracy beliefs, Karen
is involved in projects examining self-serving judgements of people’s
suseptibility to advertising, biased language use in conversation, and
hostile communication on the Internet.
Date: 11/11/08
Speaker: Kim Wade
Title: Time to Rewrite Your Autobiography?
Abstract
Autobiographical memory defines us – it is the foundation on which we
build our identity, so we like to believe that our memories
are accurate, comprehensive and robust. But over the previous decade,
memory scientists have shown that autobiographical memory can be
inexact, sketchy and frail. Suggestive techniques can encourage people
to generate compelling memories of wholly false events. These
illusory memories are often held with great confidence, emotion,
clarity and vividness – but they are not real. In this talk, Dr
Kimberley Wade will review research showing that fabricated evidence –
a form of suggestion – can not only alter memory, but also modify
behaviour.
Biography
In 2004, Kimberley Wade completed her PhD on the development of false
childhood memories at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand.
She worked under the guidance of Dr Maryanne Garry, and since then she
has conducted research with colleagues in six different countries into
why and how people come to believe in and remember events that never
happened. Kimberley is particularly interested in forensic applications
of memory distortions. She is currently Assistant Professor of
Psychology and Deputy Director of the Centre for Memory Studies at the
University of Warwick.
Date: 18/11/08
Speaker: Dr David Luke
Title: Psychoactive Plants and Psychic People: Does Psilocybin Really Cause Psi?
Abstract
The traditional use of psychoactive plants as sacramentals in spiritual
and magical rituals has continued for thousands of years. The use of
these powerful psychoactive substances has long been reported to induce
ostensibly paranormal phenomena such as clairvoyance, telepathy and
precognition, and they have traditionally been used expressly for these
and other psychic effects the world over by the indigenous groups who
use them. The question arises of whether these phenomena are genuine
are not, and the evidence is reviewed here for the first time in
decades. Regardless of the outcome of this review, however, the known
chemistry of these plants can at least teach us something about the
neurobiology of paranormal-like experiences, if not of genuine
paranormal phenomena.
Biography
Dr. David Luke lectures in psychology at several London universities
and is a writer and researcher with a special interest in
parapsychology and altered states of consciousness. He has studied
techniques of consciousness alteration from South America to India,
from the perspective of scientists, shamans and Shivaites. He lives
life on the edge, of Shoreditch.
Date: 9/12/08
Speaker: Dr Christine Mohr
Title: Magical Beliefs and the Two Cerebral Hemispheres
Abstract
Magical thinking and/or belief is one of the productive symptoms
reported from patients with schizophrenia, and is, at the same time, a
common experience in the general population. In both instances, this
thinking style has been related to an attenuated left hemispheric
dominance for language, and a consecutive disinhibition of remote
associative processing in the right hemisphere. While this right
hemisphere contribution to language processing in the patient
population might impinge normal conversational capacities, the same
processes in the general population might facilitate creative thinking.
Studies using neuropharmacological manipulations (dopamine agonistic
treatment) support the view that magical belief in the general
population is not simply on the continuum to psychosis, but might
reflect a well-adapted personality dimension showing evolutionary
advantages.
Biography
Christine Mohr did her PhD on the “neuropsychology of magical belief”
at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, and has continued working in
this field ever since. In 2004, she joined the Department of
Experimental Psychology at the University of Bristol as a lecturer
where she teaches Neuropsychiatry. With respect to paranormal belief,
she mainly investigates and publishes on the neuropsychological
correlates of these beliefs, and aims to understand why some
individuals with such “bizarre” beliefs are considered by most as
absolutely healthy (but spiritual), while in others it is considered
pathological (psychotic). This is particularly relevant, because the
dimensional, or rather quasi-dimensional view of psychosis would
indicate that the healthy expression might have evolutionary advantages.
Spring term 2009
Date: 20/1/09
Speaker: Dr Rupert Sheldrake
Title: Morphic Resonance, Collective Memory and the Habits of Nature
Abstract
According to the hypothesis of formative causation, all self-organizing
systems, including crystals, plants and animals contain an inherent
memory, given by a process called morphic resonance from previous
similar systems. All human beings draw upon a collective human memory,
and in turn contribute to it. Even individual memory depends on
morphic resonance rather than on physical memory traces stored within
the brain. This hypothesis is testable experimentally and implies that
the so-called laws of nature are more like habits.
Biography
Rupert Sheldrake, Ph.D., is a biologist and author of more than 80 scientific papers and several books, including The Presence of the Past. His web site is www.sheldrake.org
Date: 3/3/09
Speaker: Dr Julian Baggini
Title: Do psychology and Philosophy Need Each Other?
Abstract
Traditional philosophy appears to be inadequate without psychology. It
teaches logic but not all the biases of thought that are even more
disruptive to good thinking than logical fallacies. Further, moral
philosophy really needs to sit on a realistic psychology if it is going
to work. At the same time, psychology, in as far as it makes normative
claims, is inadequate without philosophy. This talk will examine some
of the links between the two subjects and make some suggestions about
how they should interact.
Biography
Editor of The Philosopher’s Magazine, writer and journalist.
Date: 10/3/09 (New date, postponed event of 3/02/09)
Speaker: Nick Pope
Title: The Real X Files
Abstract
Nick Pope will discuss the Ministry of Defence’s policy on UFOs,
explain how investigations are undertaken and discuss some of the UK’s
best known UFO sightings. He’ll give some new insights into Britain’s
most famous UFO incident, in Rendlesham Forest, and will discuss his
investigation into a case from 1993 which involved liaison with the US
Embassy and led to the Assistant Chief of the Air Staff being briefed.
Nick will also discuss the MoD’s remote viewing study and their
involvement in the crop circle mystery. Finally, Nick will talk about
the Freedom of Information Act and the programme to release the MoD’s
archive of UFO files, which began in May 2008.
Biography
Nick Pope used to work at the Ministry of Defence, where from 1991 to
1994 he was posted to a division where his duties included
investigating UFOs. Initially sceptical, his official research and
investigation convinced him that the UFO phenomenon raised important
defence, national security and flight safety issues. He was
particularly interested in cases where the witnesses were pilots or
where UFOs were tracked on radar. Nick is now recognised as a leading
authority on UFOs and the unexplained.
Date: 24/3/09
Speaker: Professor Bernard Carr
Title: Can Science Accommodate Psychic Experience?
Abstract
If psychic phenomena are real, it is natural to assume that they
conform to natural laws rather than being supernatural, in which case
they should be part of the domain of science. In particular, since
many psychic phenomena seem to involve a direct interaction between
mind and the physical world, this suggests that any theoretical
framework for the subject requires some sort of extension of physics.
This talk discusses whether physics, in either its present or some
future form, will ever be able to accommodate psi or indeed any other
type of mental experience. Although some phenomena which are labelled
“psychic” may turn out to be explicable in terms of current physics,
Bernard Carr will argue that most are not and that these will require a
different physical paradigm from the ones that currently prevail. This
is not too implausible since physics regularly undergoes paradigm
shifts. The new paradigm must assign a central role to consciousness
and there are already indications that this is a fundamental rather
than incidental feature of the Universe. He will present his own view
as to what form the new paradigm might take. This entails a radical
reassessment of the divide between matter and mind, famously introduced
by Descartes as a way of delineating the domain of science.
Biography
Bernard Carr is Professor of Mathematics and Astronomy at Queen Mary, University of London. His professional area of research is cosmology and includes such topics as the early universe, black holes, dark matter and the anthropic principle. He has recently edited a book entitled Universe or Multiverse? His other academic interest is psychical research and he has been a member of the Society for Psychical Research for some 30 years, serving as its President in the period 2000-2004. His approach to the subject is mainly theoretical but he emphasizes its experiential as well as experimental aspects. He is particularly keen to extend physics to incorporate consciousness and associated mental and psychical.
Summer term 2009
Date: 12/5/09
Speaker: Dr Simon Singh
Title: Trick or Treatment? Alternative Medicine (and the Media) on Trial
Abstract
As well as discussing alternative medicine, the subject of his most
recent book, Singh will also explain how it was partly inspired by a
controversial TV documentary on the subject of acupuncture. TV
producers have to entertain, inform and grab large audiences in an
increasingly competitive media market, but how do they balance accuracy
with the temptation to sensationalise? Simon Singh looks at science in
the media and gives his opinion on where things went right, and where
they went horribly wrong.
Biography
After completing a PhD in particle physics, Simon Singh joined the BBC
and worked as a director and producer on programmes such as Tomorrow’s World and Horizon.
He directed a documentary about Fermat’s Theorem, which won a BAFTA in
1997. Singh has also presented programmes on Radio 4, BBC4 and Channel
4. He is best known as the author of Fermat’s Last Theorem, The Code Book and Big Bang. His most recent book is Trick or Treatment? Alternative Medicine on Trial.