To Dr. Nicola Holt: Editor of The Paranormal Review

The Society for Psychical Research

"Parapsychology" v Subatomic Phenomena

Following the death of Professor Robert Morris (Dept. of Parapsychology at Edinburgh University) I feel that it's now time to take a fresh look at the terminology that is being used regarding the study of survival after death.

Professor Richard Dawkins highlights the current situation with regard to what is referred to as paranormal phenomena when he concludes that if it is eventually proved that what is known as the paranormal exists then it will turn out to be something that is natural and normal after all - coming within the laws of nature.

All those who are making a careful study of so-called psychic phenomena are now split into two camps. Those who are firmly on the side of Professor Richard Wiseman who starts from the base that the mind and brain are the same thing - that death is the end of everything. The rest have started from the opposite base that the mind and brain are separate - that we all survive the death of our physical bodies.

One of these approaches to the subject is desperately wrong. Until it is sorted out which one of these scientific paths is correct I feel words like "psychic", "parapsychology" and "paranormal" should always appear in inverted commas or have "so-called" in front of them.

Michael Roll

We Cannot See Microbes Without a Microscope - an article by Michael Roll

Supernormal Phenomena - Letter from Prof. Richard Dawkins to Stan Ford (January 22, 1992)

"Paranormal Phenomena" - E-mail to Dr Roger Berry (October 24, 2004)