Distant Mental Influence: Its Contributions to Science, Healing, and Human Interactions (Studies in Consciousness) [Paperback]

William Braud (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1571743545 | ISBN-13: 978-1571743541 | Publication Date: December 2003

William Braud, Ph.D., is a highly regarded researcher in the field of transpersonal psychology, and "Distant Mental Influence" represents twenty years of his original thinking and experiments. A compilation of articles originally published in peer-reviewed journals between 1983 and 2000, "Distant Mental Influence" covers a diverse array of subject matter in the fields of biochemistry and transpersonal psychology. These twelve articles reveal Braud's discovery of experiments capable of measuring human interconnection and person-to-person influence across space and time.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Professionals in modern psychology, behavioral medicine, and psychoneuroimmunology are exploring ways in which we can "mentally" influence our own bodies through hypnosis, imagery, visualization, attention, intention, and other forms of self-regulation--for fostering physical and psychological health and well-being.

Is it possible for us to use such techniques to influence others, even at a distance, for purposes of healing?

Is it possible for us to influence the images, thoughts, behaviors, and physiological reactions of other persons--separated by distance--without conventional sensory means of interaction?

Can these abilities extend to animals and even to cells (e.g., human red blood cells)?

Might these abilities be involved in the efficacy of distant, mental, or spiritual healing and intercessory prayer?

Might these influences even extend to events distant in time--even "backwards in time?"

Do these influences have major implications for our scientific theories, our human identity, the interconnections between ourselves and nature, and our relationships with others?

Careful laboratory work--described in detail in this book--suggests that the answer to all these questions is a resounding "Yes!"

A personal introduction and 12 detailed chapters describe the evidence that supporst these important claims. The book also describes the factors that make such distant mental influences more or less likely, so that anyone might use these distant influence skills more effectively and consistently for their own benefit and for the benefit of others.

About the Author

William Braud, Ph.D. lives in Palo Alto, California, where he is currently professor and research diretor at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology. Since receiving his doctorate in experimental psychology from the University of Iowa, Braud has been a respected researcher, professor, and author in the fields of mystical, psychical and altered consciousness.

Product Details

• Paperback: 263 pages
• Publisher: Hampton Roads Publishing Company (December 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571743545
• ISBN-13: 978-1571743541
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,220,269 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT SUMMARY OF BRAUDS PATH-BREAKING RESEARCH, September 6, 2004

By 

King Brosby "stuffodreams" (Makawao, Hawaii) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Distant Mental Influence: Its Contributions to Science, Healing, and Human Interactions (Studies in Consciousness) (Paperback)

This is a superb book, ranking eg with Dean Radins "Conscious Universe". It is a summary of Brauds research over many years into what he terms "distant mental influence" ie the ability of people to influence (or not influence) objects and processes that are distant in space eg the ability of one person to calm another who is in a distant room and unaware of the attempt being made to influence them. Brauds research shows overwhelmingly that distant mental influence occurs and is much more frequent and more powerful than chance would suggest. He argues that the influence occurs in some unorthodox way (not by usual sensory routes eg sound or sight) and, whilst this might be very low frequency sound vibrations....it is more likely to be some as yet unexplored process perhaps to do with non-locality and the connectedness of all things.

The excellence of the book consists in the careful presentation of summaries of research papers, the extensive references and sources quoted, the thought-provoking introduction that sets the research in context, and the balanced quality of all the research and comment.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Proof for the "orthodox" naysayers..., December 31, 2004

By 

Takis Tz. (InYourHead) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Distant Mental Influence: Its Contributions to Science, Healing, and Human Interactions (Studies in Consciousness) (Paperback)

"Distant Mental Influence" is a book that the field of research on the abilties of human beings (and animals for that matter) was in desperate need of.

For decades the so-called "orthodox" scientific community has been denying overwhelming evidence that human beings can simply influence each other mentally and otherwise from a distance because there hadn't been any "proper" scientific research on this.
And, because it couldn't fit the dimensions of the often narrow-spaced theories they hold so dear.This book changes all that.In an impressive array of experiments conducted by sizey teams of scientists including psychologists, neurologists and other professionals needed for them as well as different teams of subjects who participated in them it was shown with a more than satisfying ratio of success that mental influence does of course occur and it does so in different applications and beyond physical obstacles.

The subjects of certain experiments were placed in shut tight rooms while the influencer was in a considerable distance. Moreover the subjects were not aware if, when, and how the influencer was going to attempt to influence them. Yet the results were always impressively succesful. Speaking of those results they will undoubtedly be very annoying to the hordes of deniers in the scientific community.

The implications put serious questions (as well as some sizeable dents) in many of the currently accepted theories. While all this will not be any news to many independent researchers or honest scientists who arent interested in an ill-perceived "reputation", it is a very important step in finally coming to terms with the fact that there's more than meets the eye concerning interconnectedness and even more than we think happens in our dimension.

As to the book it might be tiring for some readers since it's focused more on the technical side of the experiments and less so on the implications or even the explanations of the results. This is in a way understood since the explanations aren't fully grasped yet. And I'm using the word "fully" quite vaguely here. The authors are more concentrated in presenting the scientific properness of the experiments and making sure the science thereof cant be questioned than actually dealing with what their showings imply. Obviously an extra tome would be needed for the latter and one should remember that there's several books on the market (albeit widely ignored) that do deal with this aspect.

Overall, if you belong among those who've accepted what these experiments prove as fact long before they took place this book will be invaluable in your arsenal when you are faced with stubborn and myopic argumentators who insist on living in a microscopic and boring world. If not, then "Distant Mental Influence" will definetely urge you to revise whatever theories you've been entertaining thus far. And that's to say the very least.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, April 7, 2010

By 

R. Carrillo (PACOIMA, CA, US) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Distant Mental Influence: Its Contributions to Science, Healing, and Human Interactions (Studies in Consciousness) (Paperback)

This book is very interesting, for anyone that has thought of reading what other people are thinking. Its an eye opener. Good stuff.