Statement of Scholarly Interest


As mentioned in the autobiography section, I aim for a Neuroscience/Business doctorate.

Doctorates can, but possibly should not, exist in a social vacuum. The Union Institute recognizes activism as a valid academic undertaking. The concept that learning can and should impinge on the world will be strongly tested in this document submitted.

Business and neuroscience cover extensive areas. And the essence of a Ph.D., (besides effectiveness), is specialization.

Thus, in neuroscience, I would like to do imaging studies, to map anatomical structures corresponding to biological actions of interest. To borrow from mathematics: anatomical structures associated with "psychic phenomena" should be a necessary, (though probably not a sufficient), correlates of externally observed, unambiguous parapsychological events. (More of this, later.) Meanwhile, it is self evident, that neuroanatomy should be mastered, en route. As well as the methods and hardware used to visualize brain structure and function.

On the business front, I hope to extend my erstwhile corporation, Neuro-Kinetik, to be a vehicle to disperse the results of the doctoral research. And thus, create a visible niche that will allow for my own existence as a professional, while shaping the field of parapsychology, for at least a generation.

I feel that a business format is a necessity. This, since business implies effectiveness, self sufficiency, continuity and legitimacy. (Surely a desirable combination.) Of course, similar to the imaging studies, attaining success in this half of the Ph.D. undertaking, is also non-trivial.

The earlier, MBA level entrepreneurial effort will have to be propelled to the doctoral level. Thus, actualizing the triad of capital, people and the business idea.

But this triad is interactive: Capital limits the quality and number of the people obtainable. And, an exciting business idea (or outstanding personnel) can be leveraged to raise resources. Of course: Resources may guide or constrain the business idea.

Starting with yet insufficient resources on every apex of the above mentioned triad, (and aiming for the range of two to twenty million net worth for the business), success is still years away. Nevertheless, an embryonic overview of the triad is presented [Idea, Capital requirements and production, Personnel]. Due to the interactive nature of this functional assemblage, a range will be delineated for the apexes. Starting with the business idea, then the complements.

A, The focus on social continuity suggests learners: Child or adult. For even a low level school, such as a guitar studio, or a martial arts gym already integrates a field of endeavor into the community. The motivation for parapsychology is readily supplied and reenforced by the print and visual media: Science fiction is alive and well. Telepathy and PK are norms there, as well accepted as motorcycles and hamburgers are, "in the real world". On the "top end of the market", governmental agencies occasionally tried the available "psychic" products, only to abandon them via quality control. However, with a proven methodology and products, one can market to a willing constituency. Thus, one could teach these type of skills, via biofeedback, so that they will have a place in the world.

B, The focus on capital also gives rise to differentiation, depending on where one places emphasis: The possible products; The methods of raising capital; The range of customers.

An 'intermediate' product is the patentable brain loci , used for commercial parapsychology, located via neuroimaging by the company. (Similar to patented human genes, in the pharmaceutical field, used medically.) Of course, if a new energy spectrum (via parapsychology) is characterized, a trade secret strategy might appeal to some investors. [This energy spectrum is yet an other product; extant or hoped for. (With its marketability increasing in proportion to achieved validation.) But even the "hope" could result in research funding.] In any event, energies and their commercial usage fall under the business aegis. With an ultimate customers base of corporations, individuals, or the governmental sector. Thus, permuting the product and customers, strategies for seeking capital can be honed toward chosen aim or fortuitous circumstance.

Initially, Neuro-Kinetik's goal was the "product" (similar to a certificate or a diploma), of legitimized and accredited graduates of our biofeedback program. Whereby defined expectations would be routinely met, in the parapsychological sphere.

C, Finally, focus on resources, as it pertains to the business. It is a well worn adage in business, that an excellent management team, with a mediocre product is preferable to a superior product, propelled by weak management. (Given the vicissitudes of the world.)

Naturally, I believe that parapsychology (with its dangers and promise: like the aircraft industry ---- fighters, passenger cargo, and safety considerations), will be the area characterizing an epoch. (Much like railroads, in their day.) Thus: Recruiting personnel is never trivial. But, with the results from a rigorous research program that a PDE entails, qualified people would see the utility of joining forces with Neuro-Kinetik, to further their own future, as well as the that of the company.

So, at minimum, I offer the 'physical therapy office' model, for a "stand alone" professional parapsychologist vocation, after having obtained a Ph.D.. [A sole practitioner, like an attorney or a medical doctor.] This is not unlike the currently extant biofeedback practitioners, who use surface sensors like EEG, temperature, blood pressure and the like, to achieve therapeutic goals. The 3D sensors, such as those used for neuroimaging, place initial equipment cost orders of magnitude higher. But, past the exploratory phase, the tools for training are not very expensive. To summarize: While my own goals are non therapeutic, they are congruent with forms of personal optimization such as those are found in sports medicine or psychology. (Hence the physical therapy office, as a model.)

The pictures below show some variants of the training hardware, which would monitor brainstates, but not as intensively as in the exploratory stage, (should the "sole practitioner" model be decided upon).



To return to training, for a moment: Once it is determined as to what to measure, eliciting those signals reproducibly and voluntarily is the route to reproduce the effects that those signals correspond with. So, in the abstract, one would be en route to levitating a potatochip, if the appropriate brain state would be produced. And, to steer one closer to such a result, various biofeedback traning devices exist.

The 'Thought Technology' software (training display screen) that follows, is but an example of the available computerized (programmable) psychophysical tools. The display columns on the left inform the clinician of the variables of interest. Meanwhile the large graphic, visible to the trainee, changes proportionally to the subject's measured brain activity, as a function of the programmed metric. Enabling the subject to (as an example) open or close the flower petals, by directing their own brain activity to predefined neuroanatomical locations, as they replicate the reference EEG patterns. Bypassing layers of neuroscience, in the process. But enabling learning or conditioning.

Since, as the visual images are produced, they are linked to whatever is being reenforced: Alpha rhythms, lowered blood pressure or body temperature. Essentially, only trainable, because of the equipment. But, if replicating brain states replicates their effects, parapsychology is effectively also a given.


Meanwhile, the explorarory phase requires access to relatively massive resources, as illustrated below.


The magnetoencephalograpy could be augmented, of course, with fMRI, to help locating the active brain sites sought.
Thus:



But while the proposal, as delineated is technologically challenging, as well as of professional by association, is it truly scholarly?

I believe so. Both neuroscience and business are academic disciplines, their joint application to parapsychology should be a scholarly undertaking.

Elaborating on parapsychology, I offer further references.

The academic foundations for my application to TUI [sent to, and received by the Admissions Office], comprise:

* Parapsychology by Rene Sudre, 1960 Citadel Press, NY
* The Metal-benders by John Hasted, 1981 Routledge, Boston
* The Conscious Universe by Dean Radin, 1997 HarperCollins, SF

Sudre is the oldest, and has not yet been bettered, to my knowledge, as a survey of the field. (Translated from French, incidentally.) Six hundred and fifty individual names in the index. The bulk of the material summarizes work between 1920 and 1945. Contains references to infrared photography and spectroscopy, as well as the perennial "materialization and dematerialization", hypnotically induced veridical vision and the like.

Hasted was a professor of experimental physics in London, during the time that Uri Geller was reputed to "bend spoons by mental power". Which brings one to the Humean dichotomy: Which is more unbelievable --- that metal can be bent by 'brainpower', or that a professor of about twenty years standing would systematically prevaricate? Thus, the photographs on pages 46 and 47. Hollow glass balls, submitted as visual proof. Metal, bent by "thought power", 'in situ'.

Radin has not yet retired. He was instrumental in getting a parapsychology Ph.D. program accredited by Australia. (Greenwich University). He is a statistician, along the lines of the late Dr. Rhine. Basically, he provides a link to the past and the future.

For "psychic research" has joined the dodo in extinction. (Thus, pre Rhine research is considered 'antiquity'.)

But the future, like the past, as aspects of 'inevitability' or changelessness. New tools, from various disciplines are coming on line constantly. [Of note: The limits of tools are the limits of ability.] It seems inevitable, that the combination of neuroscience and "psychic research" shall arise. (Success, of course, is an other matter.)

On a philosophical note: Human is, as human does. More pragmatically: Knowledge without application is vacuous.
Leading to the business model possibilities, delineated in the Overview of Proposed Doctoral Program document.
Parapsychology, with new tools, becomes subject to proof or falsification. But, not only externally, as a 'black box'.

Statistics is of course valid, but other tools are functionally more primal for "psychic research". Anatomy supports, and dictates function. Parapsychology is either it is grounded in the physical (on the biological, tissue level), or it is not. Leading to the dicta: No 'action at a distance' without local correlates. And, no "terra incognita" in neuroanatomy.

And, if "Mankind is man writ large.", assimilating these concepts will transform society, as they reverberate through the intellectual realm.

The supplied, previously published scholarly books, touch on multidisciplinarity, (internally to parapsychology, to date), via the use of tools. Hypnotism to induce phenomena [Sudre, psychology], strain gauges to measure forces produced [Hasted, physics], statistics (as 'meta-analysis'), to validate experiments [Radin, mathematics]. All applied to the same subject matter.

In summary: The guidelines supplied for completing the Statement of Scholarly Interest mentioned activism. Were I to set forth a truly scholarly, novel and multidisciplinary taxonomy of contemporary painting, it would be both a personal and a social achievement. However it would touch but a few lives.

Activism implies effort, of course. But relevance and the "radius of reach" rule. I consider parapsychology to be epochal, [about the size of electricity].

"Mechanically", I am approximately capable of completing the planned work as outlined. Hopefully, it will be in association with TUI.