Reviewed by Gregory M. Westlake
Fateful ponds of eccentricity – you mirror those others to death. The most educative experience of your life (Westlake, 2021, p. 75).
David Vernon is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the School of Psychology, Politics and Sociology at Canterbury Christ Church University in the UK. He has published numerous scientific papers on the topics of telepathy, precognition, and energy healing, and is considered one of the best researchers in the parapsychology field. Vernon hosts regular monthly online webinars for the SPR, and has been a guest speaker at scientific conferences around the world. His new book, Quotidian Tales, is a unique, quintessential selection of short fictional stories based on paranormal experiences, and escapades, that are informed by thorough scientific research. This enchanting, spellbinding, profound volume illuminates the hidden depths, and psychic connections to be found in everyday life, which everyone can relate to. The presentation and production of the book is intriguing, and high quality; pleasant design, and a most effective literary format. The work is spread over ten ingenious chapters, and twenty pages of research notes. Easy to read, yet entirely adequate, with the requisite higher consciousness and thought, to make this publication significant, valuable and, of course, absolutely enjoyable to read.
The various chapters in the book focus on a broad array of special parapsychological themes; the three chapters that most speak to me, were: ‘Unintended Intentions’, ‘Harmonic Resonance’, and ‘Distant Call’. These chapters look at the radical effects of alternative healing, the beautiful effects of mass meditation; and, altered states of consciousness and telepathy. For me these issues have direct useful application for the contemporary, dynamic academic citizen.
‘Unintended Intentions’ is a report regarding two postdoctoral researchers working with a new drug called QuixSoma, which is designed to quicken the healing of wounds. The two researchers consult their supervising professor to seek permission to experiment with male Wistar rats, in order to prove the medication’s efficacy. The story progresses with the analysis granted, and the trial commencing. However, one of the researchers is called away midway through the experiment; a misunderstanding ensues, and the rats remain unmedicated, unbeknown to the personnel. One of the staff spends the next few days eagerly thinking and meditating about the healing potential in the ‘drugged’ batch of rats. Remarkably, the animals do indeed improve, with the two men initially aspiring to write up a paper for ‘Nature’, or ‘The Lancet’. They later discover that the batch of rats were cured only by the psychic, power of thought. Hence, they decide to instead write up an article for the ‘Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine’.
Interestingly, Vernon comments on the use of an animal study and the Japanese art of psychic healing known as Reiki in the story. Vernon states that he used an animal study in his story, due to the placebo problem. The founder of Reiki, Dr Mikao Usui died on 9th of March, 1926; his legacy, and work lives on throughout the world today. I believe that the power of Reiki is highly therapeutic for mental health patients. The ability to purify negative cosmogenic thought, and inter-psychic hexes is a very useful skill for the vulnerable, and in particular the insane to learn. The schizophrenic’s intensified sensitivity to telepathy; or the deluge of psi-pollution from the brutal people that surround him can result, into a retreat to an autistic stupor. The popular belief that primitive magic and demonology are allied to such altered states of consciousness is appalling, and tragic (Ehrenwald, 1960, p. 43).
Moving on to chapter six, ‘Harmonic Resonance’; here the story is set in the office for national statistics, with a request from the Home Office to analyse some data. Several regions in the south and east were exhibiting anomalously low levels of crime compared to their surrounding areas. The story’s protagonist Emily, has to comprehensively work out why this mystery is so; and, write a report. She runs through the various usual statistical models, and examines all the usual predictor variables, to no avail. Irritation and frustration ensue due to the lack of positive results. Via a chance conversation with her intimates, a suggestion about the use of meditation supervenes, and this guides Emily’s research work. She evidently moves from scepticism, to incredulity, to finally astonishment. Unfortunately, her boss is scientifically cautious and conservative, and requires the report to be more ‘acceptable’, advising, for a list of demographic variables to be made, that includes meditation. The narrative concludes, with the idea that Emily has a duty to report the findings as they are; she then vows to learn how to meditate.
Wondrously, in the note section of this tome the prevention of terrorism, and international conflict is also mentioned. I would recommend the Reiki technique called, ‘Hatsu Rei Ho’, which was revealed to the Western world in 1999 by Hiroshi Doi. I believe that the process enhances spiritual insight, purifying the Reiki energy that passes through the practitioner (Westlake, 2008, p. 33). The healing work of the schizophrenic, or practitioner will be more successful, and beneficial with this spiritual, harmonious modality. In fact, I designed a creative, mystical, other-worldly, prophetic interpretation of this (i.e. Westlake, 2008). As, the Buddhist mystic Alan Watts has said: "In talking about experiences under the influence of lysergic acid (LSD-25) and other psychedelic chemicals everyone must speak for himself" (as quoted in Columbus & Rice, 2017, p. 297).
Lastly, for our consideration, is, chapter nine, ‘Distant Call’, about a postgraduate student in a university setting called Samantha, and Dr Adam Wheeler, her supervisor. The proposed topic was telepathy using a modified ganzfeld procedure. Unfortunately, Wheeler initially failed to take her suggested program seriously. The text then develops by suggesting the use of a virtual reality kit in a telepathy study, placing the sender in a specific setting. The study was a success. The story then makes the philosophical argument, that this could be the sharing of information between two minds linked by an underlying consciousness: a form of panpsychism. The work concludes with the cynical supervisor experiencing the phenomenon of a telepathic crisis call in his own family. Wheeler was then converted to being a true believer.
Subjectively speaking, modern parapsychological theories seem to confirm, it is the schizophrenic who is at times the anecdotal telepath: "… the schizophrenic is committed to an essentially magic mode of existence, and G. Roheim described schizophrenia as the magic psychosis par excellence" (Ehrenwald, 1960, p. 43).
David Vernon has written a marvellous selection of scientific, alternative, fictional accounts, grounded in his own personal, extensive studies concerning consciousness. This book has made the crucial truths of ESP more comprehensible, for our disillusioned society. The author is a talented narrator, and raconteur; hugely entertaining, and most original. Accordingly, I can earnestly, and sincerely recommend this volume to people with a basic scientific interest in parapsychology, who would like to become more fluent, and proficient in this particular speciality. A brilliant, creative contribution expressly for the young intellectual university student.
References.
Columbus, P. J., & Rice, D. L. (2017). Alan Watts - in the academy. State University of New York Press.
Ehrenwald, J. (1960). Schizophrenia, neurotic compliance and the psi hypothesis. Psychoanalytical Review. .47(2), 43-54.
Ehrenwald, J. (1974). The telepathy hypothesis and schizophrenia.. Journal of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis, 2(2), 159-169.
Westlake, G. M. (2008). Reiki and Mudra meditation. Reiki News Magazine, 7(2), 32-37.
Westlake, G. M. (2021). Psychedelic confidant. Transpersonal Psychology Review, 23(2), 75.
Gregory M. Westlake.can be reached at email: [email protected]