Uploaded March 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Although the main research focus of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit in the Department of Psychology at Goldsmiths was the development and, where possible, testing of non-paranormal explanations of ostensibly paranormal experiences, we have also over the years devoted considerable time and effort to directly testing paranormal claims. This talk will present an overview of these investigations including claims of psychic ability and mediumship, "human magnetism", dowsing, and precognition. Spoiler alert: I am still a sceptic.
This talk was part of the exciting lineup for CSICon 2024. CSICon is the premiere conference for science and skepticism.
Learn more at: csiconference.org
Chris French is emeritus professor of psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London where, for more than two decades, he headed the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit. He is a fellow of the British Psychological Society and of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and a Patron of Humanists UK. He has published well over 200 articles and chapters covering a wide range of topics. His main current area of research is the psychology of paranormal beliefs and anomalous experiences. He frequently appears on radio and television casting a skeptical eye over paranormal claims. His most recent book is The Science of Weird Shit: Why Our Minds Conjure the Paranormal (MIT Press, 2024).
This talk took place during CSICon in Las Vegas on October 26, 2024
Although the main research focus of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit in the Department of Psychology at Goldsmiths was the development and, where possible, testing of non-paranormal explanations of ostensibly paranormal experiences, we have also over the years devoted considerable time and effort to directly testing paranormal claims. This talk will present an overview of these investigations including claims of psychic ability and mediumship, "human magnetism", dowsing, and precognition. Spoiler alert: I am still a sceptic.
This talk was part of the exciting lineup for CSICon 2024. CSICon is the premiere conference for science and skepticism.
Learn more at: csiconference.org
Chris French is emeritus professor of psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London where, for more than two decades, he headed the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit. He is a fellow of the British Psychological Society and of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and a Patron of Humanists UK. He has published well over 200 articles and chapters covering a wide range of topics. His main current area of research is the psychology of paranormal beliefs and anomalous experiences. He frequently appears on radio and television casting a skeptical eye over paranormal claims. His most recent book is The Science of Weird Shit: Why Our Minds Conjure the Paranormal (MIT Press, 2024).
This talk took place during CSICon in Las Vegas on October 26, 2024
