Evidence for Anomalistic Correlations Between Human Behavior and a Random Event Generator: Result of an Independent Replication of a Micro-PK Experiment
📄 Original study ↗📌 Appears in:
Plain English Summary
Can your mind nudge a random number generator? This study sat 244 people before a fractal display driven by an electronic coin-flipper and asked them to mentally steer it. Researchers built a grid comparing physical variables (machine behavior) with psychological ones (participant experience). In real experiments, way more surprising correlations appeared than in controls — 307 versus ~200 expected by chance (p = .0177). The twist: researchers do not claim anyone pushed electrons with their mind. They suggest something weirder — minds and random machines becoming linked in a spooky, entanglement-like way without direct causation. The catch? This only appeared using a bigger analysis grid than originally planned; the original smaller grid failed to replicate. That post-hoc change is a real asterisk on an otherwise intriguing finding.
Actual Paper Abstract
We report an independent replication of a micropsychokinesis experiment. This is the fifth and largely independent replication of an experiment involving human intention operating on a random number generator. We assume that any "influence" of consciousness on a random number generator is not a direct, causal influence, but due to as yet poorly understood systemic correlations. We also introduced a new analytical, nonparametric strategy. We correlated physical variables, arising from the physical setup of the experiment, with psychological variables derived from operator behavior, in a 45 45 matrix (i.e., 2,025 cells). We compared the number of significant correlations in the experiment with a control matrix, as well as with chance expectation, as specified in a preformulated protocol. We conducted a randomization test with 10,000 permutations to determine the true probability of receiving a difference in the number of significant correlations between the experimental and the control matrix. This test yields a replicative probability of p .0177. This significance level varied in sensitivity analyses depending on the set of variables and method of analysis used. This shows that such effects seem to be more than just chance fluctuations and calls for a closer scrutiny by a larger consortium of researchers.
Research Notes
Fifth replication of von Lucadou's matrix-correlation micro-PK paradigm, reframing psi as non-causal systemic correlations analogous to quantum entanglement. The post-hoc change from the pre-registered analysis and failure to replicate the original smaller matrix temper the positive finding. Speaks directly to Controversy #8 (GCP/RNG) and the broader replication debate.
An independent replication of a micro-psychokinesis experiment tested whether anomalous correlations arise between human operator behavior and a Zener-diode random number generator. 244 participants (503 valid experiments) interacted with an RNG-driven fractal display using shift keys while intending to direct its movement. A 45×45 Spearman correlation matrix crossing five physical and five psychological variables per subrun was compared between experimental and matched control runs via a 10,000-iteration permutation test. The experimental matrix contained 307 significant correlations (p < .1 two-sided) versus 200 in controls (chance expectation ~203), yielding p = .0177. Significance held across stricter thresholds and for the 27×45 matrix but not for the original 18×27 matrix. The authors interpret results as supporting non-causal entanglement-like correlations rather than direct psychokinetic influence.
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Cites
- Examining Psychokinesis: The Interaction of Human Intention With Random Number Generators—A Meta-Analysis — Bösch, Holger (2006)
- Feeling the Future: Experimental Evidence for Anomalous Retroactive Influences on Cognition and Affect — Bem, Daryl J (2011)
- Feeling the Future: A Meta-Analysis of 90 Experiments on the Anomalous Anticipation of Random Future Events — Bem, Daryl J (2015)
- Why Most Published Research Findings Are False — Ioannidis, John P.A (2005)
- Why Psychologists Must Change the Way They Analyze Their Data: The Case of Psi — Wagenmakers, Eric-Jan (2011)
- Failing the Future: Three Unsuccessful Attempts to Replicate Bem's 'Retroactive Facilitation of Recall' Effect — Ritchie, Stuart J (2012)
- Correlations of Continuous Random Data with Major World Events — Nelson, Roger D (2002)
- Extraordinary Claims Require Extraordinary Evidence: The Case of Non-Local Perception, A Classical and Bayesian Review of Evidences — Tressoldi, Patrizio E (2011)
- Give the Null Hypothesis a Chance: Reasons to Remain Doubtful about the Existence of Psi — Alcock, James E (2003)
- A Call for an Open, Informed Study of All Aspects of Consciousness — Cardeña, Etzel (2014)
Same Research Program
- Parapsychological Phenomena as Examples of Generalized Nonlocal Correlations—A Theoretical Framework — Walach, Harald (2014)
- Synchronistic Phenomena as Entanglement Correlations in Generalized Quantum Theory — von Lucadou, Walter (2007)
- Weak Quantum Theory: Complementarity and Entanglement in Physics and Beyond — Atmanspacher, Harald (2002)
Also by these authors
Inner Experience – Direct Access to Reality: A Complementarist Ontology and Dual Aspect Monism Support a Broader Epistemology
Do You Know Who Is Calling? Experiments on Anomalous Cognition in Phone Call Receivers
Distant intentionality and the feeling of being stared at: Two meta-analyses
More in Psychokinesis
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📋 Cite this paper
Walach, Harald, Horan, Majella, Hinterberger, Thilo, von Lucadou, Walter (2020). Evidence for Anomalistic Correlations Between Human Behavior and a Random Event Generator: Result of an Independent Replication of a Micro-PK Experiment. Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice. https://doi.org/10.1037/cns0000199
@article{walach_2020_evidence,
title = {Evidence for Anomalistic Correlations Between Human Behavior and a Random Event Generator: Result of an Independent Replication of a Micro-PK Experiment},
author = {Walach, Harald and Horan, Majella and Hinterberger, Thilo and von Lucadou, Walter},
year = {2020},
journal = {Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice},
doi = {10.1037/cns0000199},
}