Correlation of global events with reg data: An internet-based, nonlocal anomalies experiment - Statistical Data Included

Journal of Parapsychology, The, Sept, 2001 by Roger Nelson

1. The variance measure is the chi-square-distributed sum of squared, normalized deviations (z-scors) of segment means from chance expectation.

2. The distribution means are those of data segments from each continuously running REG, recorded during the specified time period. The length and the number of subsegments within the period are prespecified.

3. Within the segments (which may be single seconds, requiring no compounding), the mean deviation for each egg is compounded using Stouffer's method, and then the mean deviation across eggs is compounded.

4. The identification of "broadly engaging global events" is made by the experimenters prior to the event or prior to any examination of the data in the case of unpredictable events. The identifications are based on relatively objective criteria such as intensity and depth of media coverage and to some degree on intuition bolstered by previous experience.

It should be noted that the formal analysis described is not the only one that might be useful. For example, the general hypothesis might also be tested by looking at interegg correlations, which we would expect to be greater whenever a powerfully engaging event brings large numbers of people to a common focus. Preliminary work in this vein shows promise but is not detailed here. The main assessments of the general hypothesis continue to be based on the identification of global events and tests of the distribution parameters of corresponding data.

In specifying the GCP predictions and analysis, we used simple rules and assumptions. For example, correlations are judged on the assumption that any anomalous effect on the REGs will be concurrent with the event but unaffected by distance between the REG and the locale of the event. The following is a listing of some of the issues that may be relevant.

1. There are important differences between ordinary physical space and time and consciousness space and time. This promotes consideration of the roles of engagement, emotion, attention, and intention; the effects of attitudes of experimenters and other interested parties; and the functional effect of the experimental question and design.

2. For the spatial dimension in the EGG project, we make the basic assumption that no ordinary attenuation rule (say, 1/[R.sup.2]) is applicable. However, the project design permits assessment of the effect of ordinary proximity by comparing correlations of an event with relatively local REG data against correlations with data from more removed locations.

3. For the time dimension in the EGG project, we limit the protocols to temporally local assignments and questions. This means, by assumption, that we expect to find on-time effects only; it specifically precludes interpretation of displacements and temporally nonlocal effects.

4. For the experimental questions, our essential concern is to make reliable, veridical, and scientific assessments bearing on several fundamental questions that have a natural order: (a) Is there structure in the nominally random data? (b) What are we able to correlate with the structure? (c) How is this related to anomalous field effects of group consciousness and to evidence for a global consciousness? (d) How does the structure illuminate our understanding of consciousness? (e) What is implied about the role of consciousness in the world?