Does Telepathy Exist? – An Interview With Dr. Stanley Krippner

Professor, first the obvious question. Do dreams carry messages for us?

Dreams are the result of evolution, and I believe that dreaming was adaptive. Dreams help to download emotions, to store useful memories, to solve problems, and to plan for the future. Dreams are helpful whether they are remembered or not.  If people make a practice of recalling and working with their dreams, they will gain a greater insight into the workings of their unconscious. The major function of dreams is not to send so-called messages, but people who work with their dreams can construct a message from dream content. 

Does Extrasensory Perception exist?

So-called Extrasensory Perception is thought to occur when information is obtained in ways that mainstream science cannot easily explain.  In my opinion, the available evidence indicates that ESP does exist, but this is still a matter of controversy. 

Does Telepathy exist?

So-called telepathy is one example of ESP, the others being clairvoyance and precognition. Again, I would say that the available evidence supports anomalous  mind-to-mind communication, but it is still a matter of controversy. 

Could you give us examples of each of these?

If a person has a hunch that a loved one is in danger, and takes action to come to his or her rescue, that would be possible ESP.  If the loved one calls out for that person to help and gets a response, that would be an example of possible telepathy.  Remember that telepathy is one example of ESP, so there is an overlap in these questions. 

Dr. Stanley Krippner

Many believe that clairvoyants can help the authorities to track down criminals. What is your experience with this?

I have no experience with so-called clairvoyants helping to track down crminals. There is a book, titled The Blue Sense, that contains several examples where this seems to have occurred. 

Could you tell us of recent advances in parapsychological research with concrete examples?

The work that our team of researchers did with ESP in dreams has been replicated in other laboratories. A new article has surveyed 50 years of research in dreams and ESP, indicating that the results far exceed the laws of chance.  This article appears in the International Journal of Dream Research, a mainstream scientific journal that rarely publishes articles about ESP. 

One has heard of an Austrian oncologist who depends on meditation to help heal cancer patients. Would  you like to shed some light on this?

I cannot comment on a case about which I have no details. However, meditation can help people’s inner resrouces to be used to prevent illnness or to recover.  Meditation can be used as an adjunct for many types of physical illnesses. 

Western society drifted away from many long-held beliefs after the industrial revolution began in 1760. Where do you see us going in this age of technology and the Internet?

Current technolgy can be used to develop better ways of detecting and measuring ESP. The Internet is helpful to obtain participants for research studies and for people to share their experiences. The latter development is important because many people who have so-called ESP experiences think that they are mentally ill.  They are reassured, through the Internet, that these experiences are more common than they suspected. 

Some claim that most modern medication is unnecessarily prescribed. What is your view?

Personally, I think that medication is often overprescribed. I would prefer that people consider such alternatives as exercise, hypnosis, natural foods, meditation, and psychotherapy. However, there are cases where medication can save people’s lives, so it does have a function. 

Could you tell us about your growing up years and how you decided to dive deep into the field of parapsychology?

I have discussed this in several of my articles and books, which can be viewed here.  Parapsychology has always been an interest of mine since my childhood. 

Our readership is mainly comprised of youth in different parts of the world. A word of advice for them?

Today’s world contains both hazards and opportunities for young people.  I would urge them to focus on realistic goals and to work hard to achieve those goals.  In many parts of the world, young people live desperate lives because of starvation, terrorism, and abuse.  Religious organizations, charities, and non-govermental agencies are reaching out to be of assistance. Young people from more affluent countries need to volunteer their assistance so that the next generation of leaders has opportunities to reach their potential as human beings.

Photos: From archive of Dr. Stanley Krippner

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