Customer Reviews

The ESP Enigma: The Scientific Case for Psychic Phenomena

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I read this book primarily for my interest in validating my own personal experiences with psychic phenomena. The anecdotal and experimental data for PSI are entertaining and compelling but the scientific evidence from Dr. Powell's knowledge of the brain and physics is what really blew my mind! Reading this book not only validates my first hand experiences of psychic phenomena but it also expanded my view of consciousness and the universe. I can't wait to read it again!

There are many book like this one: a quick overview of the history of ESP and the experiments conducted with regards to it and then a few chapters on the brain and then a leap into the realm of quantum physics to hopefully explain all the mysterious goings-on in the world. No new ground is broken here - and that's the pity of it all. This is an overview, a distillation of the works of others, all blended together for an easy read.

The 'Publishers Weekly' notice that leads off this page covers the book's major faults quite on-the-money. Where is ONE researcher who will actually dirty their hands and dig up something NEW??? For example, the story of some patient's NDE (Near Death Experience) wherein the person saw a tennis shoe on a third story ledge of the hospital whilst having surgery has been told innumerable times in countless books - and if this ONE story is true, then the World DOES NOT work the way our senses seem to strictly tell us. I would love to have someone investigate just this one story fully and thoroughly: who was the patient? How reliable are the doctors and nurses who relate what was told them about the shoe? What hospital and when did this occur? Is the story simply myth? Or, quickly mentioned in this book, are the hundreds of precognitive dreams that allegedly preceded 9/11. Okay. But where is there any original investigation into this area that, if true, is not just something told to the author by another author who heard if from somewhere and someplace.

I believe in ESP and the existence of the future and our ability to glimpse it in dreams and precognitive flashes. I believe in the simultaneous existence of the past, present and future in an eternal NOW. I believe in these things primarily because of my own experience with a precognitive dream that could not have been in any way, shape or form a coincidence - and it was a dream well remembered before the event took place. The event did not trigger a recall of the dream, in other words. So, given that, the book alone wouldn't convince me of anything. It is a grab-bag of notions pulled from other books and in this slim volume, Dr. Powell is simply standing on the shoulders of giants.

The number one question (and all related subsets) for humanity in this 21st century is: What is consciousness?

The ESP Enigma by Diane Hennacy Powell, MD is the very best work I have seen in this area of consciousness. Powell has impeccable and prodigious credentials, experience and background qualifying her powerful perspectives on this subject. Unlike most scientific minds in the 21st century, her thinking does not get stuck in reductionism, but is strategic in her approach to the subject. She examines the BIG picture and expands and deepens the perspective of consciousness beyond anything I have read to date.

Human consciousness is the ultimate tool for humanity's quest in taking on the mind-bending challenges facing us in the 21st century, perhaps by the end of the century, the very existence of the human species. From the current global economic melt-down, to the global warming melt-down, from the "peak oil" resource depletion to the commercialization of water resources, Einstein's relevant dictum holds true; We will not solve our problems with the same thinking that created them. Powell's perspective offers humanity great hope that we do have access to universal wisdom. Now do we have the guts to go for it!

I've just finished reading Diane Powell's The ESP Enigma. It should go to the top of the list for books on consciousness and the brain. Dr. Powell combines a very readable style with a wonderful capacity to explain very complex concepts. Theories on consciousness are multifaceted and remain an emotional issue for our culture. Dr. Powell's ability to systematically sort through the multitude of data, philosophies, and thoughtful human reflections creates a wonderful read and a mind expanding experience. Though some of the brain research may be available in other sources, Dr Powell weaves together brain science with declassified information from the cold war era, case reports and the burgeoning new brain scanning data, thus pushing the reader into an intriguing discussion of the process of consciousness. Throw in Dr. Powell's conceptual physics knowledge and how it connects to consciousness and the Mobius mind, and an incredibly provocative argument emerges for our collective consciousness. For those readers wishing to pursue further reading in a specific area, the book is wonderfully referenced with copious notes and details. Few authors in the field of consciousness research have the depth and breadth to present the larger view that Dr. Powell offers with such eloquence.


I would give this book 6 stars but only 5 are available. I hope other readers will find this book as enjoyable, provocative and thought provoking as I did.

Dan F. Fennell, M.D.

This book is a great introduction to current scientific thinking about ESP. It is well writte0n and clear, dealing with complex ideas in a very well organized and approachable way. Some may say that the information in this book may have been dealt with in other publications but that does not make this book any less valuable.

The author, breaks down psychic abilities into different categories and gives examples of both anecdotal evidence and scietific research into the subjects. She is a compelling writer but there is no instance of using hyperbole or illogical connections in making her case. The book's conclusion is that from the research into this phenomenon there is statistical evidence that psychic abilitites do exist. She then theorizes as to what some of the answers to this mystery might be according to today's scietific theories

This book isn't proof in any way but it does quote research that one can follow up if so inclined. It is also a mind expanding read that allows the reader to ponder the question and discover what he or she thinks on the subject for themselves. I thought it was a great read. If you are interested in the powers of the mind you could do a lot worse than this book.

I am almost finished reading the ESP Enigma.

I decided to read it in the first place for several reasons:

- I was researching for a screenplay that I was writing which dealt with psychic phenomena.
- I am highly interested in psychic phenomena especially from a scientific point of view. And I have personally had psychic experiences such as OBEs, synchronicity, and telepathy.

I read the first half of the book and then I got distracted because I am usually reading more than one book at a time. So recently I just finished an excellent book called In Search of Shrodinger's Cat, which was about quantum mechanics. As a layman science aficionado, I am always fascinated to read about math and physics. I am primarily an artist, but I have always found inspiration in non-fiction. I am interested in the synthesis of art, science, and spirituality.

Now, after finishing reading John Gribbin's powerful book, I resumed reading the ESP Enigma, which I am about to finish as I mentioned earlier.

The book is great because it covers a lot of ESP phenomena and it supports that with lots of research from all around the world and across time.

The book does touch on quantum mechanics as well, which is what excited me to write this review because it's clearer and clearer to me now that everything is interconnected, which is all the more reason for you to read this book and to get inspired by it lest we live in a better world.

i loved this book. it summarized research in an easy-to-read format, and hopefully will do a lot toward fostering a greater openness and understanding of the phenomena that she discussed in a very credible, scientific way. she touched on everything except people who see ghosts, which i would have liked. a must-read!

A must read for anyone who desires a scientific explanation, for experiences that can often seem inexplicable! The research provided by the author is impectible, and it's a book that I will continue to reference often. One thing the title fails to convey, is the fact that the research cited, goes far beyond the psychic realm. The reader learns about left brain / right brain function, which is so popular today, and quite a bit about the autisic brain, which I found to be invaluable. As Oprah would say, I had many "Ah Ha" moments while reading this book, and I feel confident in recommending it, to all who are interested in expanding their conscious awareness. The ESP Enigma, is less of an enigma now!

"The ESP Enigma" is a well researched and critically analysed introduction to consciousness. It ranges in scope from specific examples of telepathy through to out of body and near death experiences. This is followed by a discussion of the physics that potentiates Dr. Powell's arguments for consciousness. The book is easily read by laymen but also interesting to the specialist in the field. I highly recommend it.

There is a solid body of evidence for a number of psychic phenomena, certainly enough for those with open minds, and Dr. Powell has presented a significant overview of much of this material. Although much of the information in the book has been drifting around for years, it is good to see a serious neuroscientist add her thought-provoking observations. An excellent read.