The 2020 combined conference of the Society for Scientific Exploration (SSE) and the Parapsychological Association (PA) will be held in Durham, NC from June 16-19, 2020. This conference proposes to address the past, the present, and the future, and lay a foundation from which we can step forward in scientific discovery.
The SSE and PA follow strict scientific approaches to pursue a better understanding of the human condition through explorations of anomalous experiences, remote viewing, subtle energies of the body, intentional and unconscious effects on objects and electronics, encounters, and other experiences related to the nature of consciousness. Both groups include serious scientists who publish in peer-reviewed journals and curious people who want to better understand their experiences. The merging of minds at this conference will expose each of us to new ideas and help us to gain understanding of the variety of perspectives that exist in our research community.
The foundation of research on anomalies stems from reports of human experiences. From the early founders of the societies for psychical research to Louisa Rhine’s spontaneous case collection to UFO sightings and encounter experiences, researchers have spent decades mapping the phenomenology of these exceptional yet apparently common experiences. In the late 1920s, this work made a natural transition from life to lab with the work done at the Parapsychology Laboratory at Duke University. Here, claims of telepathy, precognition, clairvoyance, and psychokinesis were examined under controlled conditions and with structured methodologies. Original experiments were even designed to tentatively assess the prospect of the survival of the human spirit outside of the physical body. Subsequent laboratories have enlarged the work to document UFO encounters, cryptozoology, and phenomena in physics and healthcare. A wide range of topics is appropriate for this conference, regardless of the discipline or focus, provided the work demonstrates a scientific approach and passes the program committee’s peer-review process.
Where do we stand today, and what lies beyond? With the 85th anniversary of formal research in Durham, NC, it is an opportune time to take stock and consider where we have been, where we are, and where we are going. We value our historical roots, remembering those who have set the mileposts in our respective fields, we celebrate current research, as well as our young researchers, and we discuss theories that will lead us to future discoveries and achievements.
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