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Psychic Connections [Paperback]

Lois Duncan (Author), William George Roll (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)


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Book Description

May 1, 1995
"A few centuries ago," said Bill Roll, "natural science museums threw out their collections of meteorites, because astronomers were convinced there were no stones in the sky.  And it wasn't too long ago that physicists asserted that the atom was the smallest bit of matter.  Now there is a whole science called quantum physics based on the study of subatomic particles.  It's incredible the number of 'miracles' we accept today without question that yesterday's teachers of science told us were impossible."

When I considered that statement, I realized he was right.  There was a time when the idea of the telephone seemed impossible, yet today few people are without one.  The same holds true of a radio.  And as a child I would have found the concept of television too ridiculous even to contemplate, yet now I take it for granted that, at the punch of a button, a blank screen will come alive with all sorts of activity.

If we can accept our ability to communicate with friends from a distance through the use of telephones and radios, and the fact that a picture can be broken into bits and transported invisibly through space to reassemble itself in our living room, why should we find it hard to accept the possibility that a thought might be transmitted from one mind to another as in telepathy?

--Lois Duncan, from Psychic Connections: A Journey into the Mysterious World Of Psi

Past our ability to obtain information by using the five basic senses--sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste--lies...what?

Psychic Connections: A Journey into the Mysterious World of Psi is a nonfiction work about parapsychology which introduces readers to the fascinating world of ESP, or extrasensory perception.  Based on laboratory research and documented case histories, it addresses such subjects as astral projection (out-of-body experiences); NDEs (near-death experiences); apparitions and hauntings; poltergeists; psychokinesis; channeling and mediumship; clairvoyance; levitation; precognition; telepathy; psychic healing; and practical applications of ESP, such as the use of psychic detectives by law enforcement agencies.

Containing photographs, a glossary, an index, and a list of sources, Psychic Connections is the basic book on parapsychology.  Compelling and thought-provoking, it belongs on every thinking person's bookshelf.

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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up?To give it its due, this is a very good book. The coverage is complete and the material is well organized; all the major areas of psychic phenomena are discussed and evidence for them is presented. The explanations are basic but not oversimplified and the tone is a fine balance of personal revelation, scientific inquiry, and factual narration. Duncan also provides an interesting introduction to the fine art of statistics and their interpretation; readers are bound to discover that numbers are both more and less than they seem. Additionally, the interviews with practicing psychics are a great strength. They not only reveal fascinating information about how these phenomena are perceived by those who experience them, but also are a model of how interviewing can be used to enrich a factual presentation. The author's own experiences are compellingly related and she convincingly conveys her own sense of confusion as she finds herself backed into the corner of belief. So what's the beef? As in many books on the subject, this volume piles up incident after incident, but because the field itself has yielded so little in the way of conclusions, few are offered here. Maybe the facts mean this, but maybe not...or maybe they aren't even facts. Although Roll adds academic credentials to the team, Duncan's adoption of his vocabulary and interpretations are occasionally confusing in the light of her open-ended conclusions. Her prose is utilitarian rather than graceful. Overall, this title is a lot like the world of psychic research itself?a tantalizing, engaging, frustrating, inconclusive look at?what? Maybe we don't yet understand psychic phenomena well enough to do more than dabble. Maybe some young person teased by reading Psychic Connections will be able to discover some explanations.?Cathy Chauvette, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 6^-10. Many in the library world are familiar with the ordeal that led Duncan into the world of parapsychology. The murder of her daughter, Kaitlin, shocked Duncan's family into using psychics to find out more about the circumstances of the death. Much of that investigation is chronicled here (as well as in her adult book Who Killed My Daughter? (1992), but this is far more than Duncan's personal story. She teams up with Roll, the project director for the Psychical Research Foundation, and together they present a comprehensive look at psychic phenomena for young people. Included is information on ESP, out-of-body experiences, channeling and mediumship, and apparitions and hauntings, as well as psychokinesis, psychic detectives, and psychic healings. Dotted with anecdotes, personal and otherwise, the book is sure to fascinate readers who may already be familiar with the paranormal through movies and television. There are several flaws, however. The book is a cross between a hardcover and a paperback, and while the binding seems secure enough, the glued-on covers look flimsy. That's too bad, because this is a book headed for heavy use. Surprisingly small and dark photographs are also a disappointment. Despite design problems, this is a thorough examination of the topic (complete with Duncan's initial skepticism about ESP) that will nicely fit the 100s shelves. More than 10 pages of sources and a glossary are appended. Ilene Cooper

Product Details

  • Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  • Paperback: 272 pages
  • Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (May 1, 1995)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0385320728
  • ISBN-13: 978-0385320726
  • Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,269,214 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lois Duncan was born in Philadelphia, PA, and grew up in Sarasota, FL.
She knew from early childhood that she wanted to be a writer. She submitted her first story to a magazine at age 10 and became published at 13. Throughout her high school years she wrote regularly for young people's publications, particularly Seventeen.

As an adult, Lois moved to Albuquerque, NM, where she taught magazine writing for the Journalism Department at the University of New Mexico and continued to write for magazines. Over 300 of her articles and stories appeared in such publications as Ladies Home Journal, Redbook, McCall's, Good Housekeeping, and Reader's Digest, and for many years she was a contributing editor for Woman's Day.

Lois is the author of over 50 books, ranging from children's picture books to poetry to adult non-fiction, but is best known for her young adult suspense novels, which have received Young Readers Awards in 16 states and three foreign countries. In 1992, Lois was awarded the Margaret A. Edwards Award, presented by the School Library Journal and the ALA Young Adult Library Services Association for "a distinguished body of adolescent literature." In 2009, she received the Katharine Drexel Award, awarded by the Catholic Library Association "to recognize an outstanding contribution by an individual to the growth of high school and young adult librarianship and literature."

Six of her novels -- SUMMER OF FEAR, KILLING MR. GRIFFIN, GALLOWS HILL, RANSOM, DON'T LOOK BEHIND YOU and STRANGER WITH MY FACE -- were made-for-TV movies. I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER and HOTEL FOR DOGS were box office hits.

Although young people are most familiar with Lois Duncan's fictional suspense novels, adults may know her best as the author of WHO KILLED MY DAUGHTER?, the true story of the murder of Kaitlyn Arquette, the youngest of Lois's five children. Kait's heartbreaking story has been featured on such TV shows as Unsolved Mysteries, Good Morning America, Larry King Live, Sally Jessy Raphael and Inside Edition. A full account of the family's on-going personal investigation of this still unsolved homicide can be found on the Internet at http://kaitarquette.arquettes.com.

Lois Duncan's personal web page is at http://loisduncan.arquettes.com.

 

Customer Reviews

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Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating examination of true psychic occurrences., November 10, 1998
This review is from: Psychic Connections (Paperback)
This book is a must-read for anyone interested in true psychic phenomenon. There are things that happen that William Roll is trying to scientifically study, measure and authenticate here. Totally fascinating.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The best intro to parapsychology I have read!, September 4, 1997
By A Customer
This review is from: Psychic Connections (Paperback)
Dr. Roll, world renound for his expertise on the poltegeist phenomenon, has writen a great book explaining the terms and common perceptions of modern parapsychology. He presents the matierial in a light and anecdotal fashion that hits close to home. A must read for those curious about parapsychology
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Connecting to Psychic Connections, March 25, 2000
By 
Lauren (Boston, Mass) - See all my reviews
This was a very good book, however, as a hardcore Lois Duncan fan, I missed the mysterious twists and turns of the plot that usually accompany her books. In spite of that, "Psychic Connections" is a book certainly worth reading, and I recomend it to anyone who enjoys reading about the supernatural.
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