Customer Reviews

The Physics of the Paranormal

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Don't waste any money or time on this alleged book. It's nothing more than technobabble, and a poor example of that. The author obviously has spent considerable time on his theories; however, he glosses over flaws or, more often, conveniently ignores them. Pretending errors in one's work don't exist is not part of the scientific method.

This book was first published in 1987, with a revised version released in 2003. In it, the author offers "tentative working hypotheses" to explain such reported phenomena as mental telepathy, psychokinesis, the `Geller effect', ESP & precognition, ghosts, poltergeists, teleportation, miracle cures and even "werewolves and vampires (!!)." As one who has long felt that many "paranormal" phenomena could eventually be understood and explained through advances in the study of physics, I was intrigued. Moreover, the author states in the introduction that he's been involved in the study of UFOs (a subject I've studied for a long time as well), and his focus was to try and apply his hypothesis of UFO propulsion to the study of the paranormal. In Behrendt's opinion, UFOs utilize an "anti-mass field effect." This "anti-mass field effect" is the underpinning in his explanations of the various phenomena explored, providing, he writes, "solid theoretical foundations for the paranormal phenomena covered."

The author has developed very elaborate, and rather complex, hypotheses based upon the idea that the human body creates conditions (electromagnetic fields) within itself, which can interact with other people or inert materials, depending upon certain conditions, resulting in manifestations termed `paranormal.' For example, when a psychic (or medium) senses traces of past activities (such as a murder), they are picking up "stronger than normal sinusoidally pulsating anti-mass field radiations from the smaller blood vessels and capillaries..." which results in the "holographic storage" of these "radiation emitting points" by the "rotating toroidal vortexes produced by temperature differences in the building materials of the room..." Got that?

Turning to `ghosts and poltergeists', Behrendt begins well enough, logically attributing a man's apparition of his recently deceased wife to the psychological condition known as "recurrent hypnopompic fantasy." But then it gets really strange. He attempts to delineate between "ghost/poltergeist-like phenomena" and "true ghost/poltergeist sightings," and offers an explanation for the two groupings. The "ghost/poltergeist-like" phenomena are the result of perceptions of "living entities", specifically, subterrestrial or extraterrestrial beings. The author posits the genesis of the "subterrestrials" to the last ice age, when glaciers covered much of North America and Europe. It seems that, while many humans quickly migrated south to escape the harsh conditions, some humans chose to "sit out the ice age by taking refuge in the deep subterranean caverns that exist..." The author goes on to develop an elaborate scenario involving underground cities, food and light sources, etc. He describes a `divergent evolution' that results in these subterrestrials having the ability to levitate and turn invisible. When people see what they think are `ghosts or poltergeists', they are actually seeing these entities coming up to check the surface out! He references certain unexplained and enigmatic 'wells' and 'staircases leading into the ground' as possible entranceways between down there and up here. Of course, it is important that their world be kept secret; to keep prying humans away, they purposely haunt houses and cemeteries, or walk "old country roads." Stories of these sightings spread, with the results being "Houses...sold...property values...drop and local businesses...slowly go bankrupt." Voila, the subterrestrials' existence is kept secret! Of course, alternatively, the `ghost and poltergeist-like' activity could be the work of diminutive extraterrestrials.
`Real ghosts and poltergeists', however, are the product of "living menstrous human females projecting bodily sinusoidally pulsating anti-mass field radiations..." or the previously mentioned "holographically stored patterns of altered microcrystalline structures of building materials..."
Needless to say, all of this makes one's head spin. Reading this book, I found myself frequently shaking my head thinking `oh brother', and being strongly tempted to just put it away. However, I paid good money for it, and dammit, I intended to finish it! It was a bewildering and frustrating experience.

Another reviewer used the term `technobabble' in his description of this book. I must agree that is an appropriate word. But, there is much more to it; namely, the exhibition of one of the most fertile imaginations I've come across in a long time.
There is no doubt that the author spent much time, effort and thought in writing this book; there is no doubt that he is serious in his hypotheses. What is doubtful, however, is that the hypotheses presented by the author can or will illuminate the mysteries behind paranormal phenomena. I'll give the book two stars in deference to the effort involved, and to the vivid imagination of the author. As a serious and worthwhile work, however, it fails big-time.

"The Physics of the Paranormal" is a fascinating blend of folklore and advanced physics. If the reader is in search of some "light" reading material, then he might want to by-pass this title. If, however, the reader is searching for a novel, and possibly revolutionary, approach to the actual physical processes that take place when paranormal phenomena are occurring, then this book will be a revelation for him. I would, conservatively, estimate that the author's wholistic treatment of the paranormal is probably about fifty years ahead of what currently passes for paranormal "research". In short, this book belongs in the library of any serious paranormal researcher. For this reason, I am giving it the highest possible rating...