ESP, AI, and the Ganzfeld: Inside the 67th Parapsychological Association Convention

In the historic city of Freiburg, Germany, scientists and scholars gathered this July for an event unlike any other in mainstream science. The 67th Annual Convention of the Parapsychological Association (PA), held from July 15–18, 2025 at the University of Freiburg’s Haus zur Lieben Hand, brought together researchers of the paranormal to share their latest findings. Over three days of presentations and panels, attendees explored topics ranging from classic ESP experiments to cutting-edge artificial intelligence applications in psi research, all under one roof. As Michael Nahm, the convention’s Program Chair, put it, the meeting was a community of scientists who “think freely and advance the frontiers of scientific knowledge in important areas of research that are usually avoided in mainstream academia.” He thanked contributors for turning the convention into a “colorful kaleidoscope of contemporary perspectives in parapsychological research,” reflecting the wide range of subjects on the agenda.

A Historic Gathering in Freiburg

This year’s convention marked a special homecoming for parapsychology. It was the third time Freiburg hosted the PA’s annual meeting – the first was in 1968, when famed German parapsychologist Hans Bender led the local efforts, and again in 2000. The local host for 2025 was the Institute for Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health (IGPP), an organization Bender founded. In fact, the IGPP celebrated its 75th anniversary this year, adding historical resonance to the event. The convention venue, a medieval guild hall known as the Haus zur Lieben Hand, combined old-world charm with modern presentation technology. Parapsychologists from around the world mingled in its halls, excited to finally meet in person again.

The gathering officially kicked off on the evening of July 15 with a welcome reception at a nearby café, where newcomers and veteran researchers chatted over Black Forest wine and pretzels. Over the following days, the schedule was packed: mornings and afternoons featured topical paper sessions, with coffee breaks buzzing about the latest experiments. There were also panel discussions and a poster session for new and in-progress studies. On Wednesday night, PA President Everton de Oliveira Maraldi delivered a Presidential Address that tackled the field’s future, and Thursday night featured the J.B. Rhine Banquet, an annual tradition named after the pioneer of experimental ESP research. Between the formal talks, attendees could join guided tours of Freiburg’s medieval city center and even an excursion to the nearby town of Staufen, blending science with local culture.

Exploring ESP and the Ganzfeld Experience

One of the core themes of the convention was extra-sensory perception (ESP) – the idea that minds might acquire information beyond the known senses. Researchers presented new twists on classic ESP experiments, including the famous Ganzfeld technique. In a typical Ganzfeld ESP trial, one person (a “receiver”) relaxes with halved ping-pong balls over their eyes bathed in soft red light and headphones playing white noise, inducing a mild sensory deprivation. Meanwhile, a distant “sender” concentrates on an image or video clip, attempting to telepathically send the information. After about half an hour in this dream-like state, the receiver describes any images or feelings that came to mind, which are later matched against the real target. This method – introduced in the 1970s to test telepathy under controlled conditions – has long been a mainstay of parapsychological research.

At the Freiburg convention, Kirsty Allan of the University of Edinburgh and colleagues reported on progress in Ganzfeld research, sharing lessons learned from decades of trials. They discussed ways to improve the reliability of these telepathy experiments and avoid past pitfalls. In one presentation, a team explored using modern floatation tanks as an alternative form of sensory isolation to promote ESP. Plunging a receiver into a dark, silent tank of saltwater might achieve a similar “Ganzfeld effect,” and researchers are curious whether this high-tech reboot could yield stronger psychic results. “Sensory Isolation in Floatation Tanks as a Method of Promoting ESP Phenomena” was the title of their study, reflecting this creative approach. Attendees were intrigued by the blend of old and new – a reminder that even in a field with a long history, innovation is welcome.

Another highlight was a talk by Caroline Watt and Abby Pooley, who presented findings under the banner “Ganzfeld ESP Research: Building on Lessons Learned.” Watt, a veteran parapsychologist, has spent years refining Ganzfeld protocols. She emphasized how meticulous methodology and better participant selection (such as using individuals who are highly creative or have meditation practice) can improve ESP hit rates. Following on that theme, Michael J. Daw and collaborators demonstrated a novel statistical approach to Ganzfeld data that enhances sensitivity in detecting any weak telepathic signals. By reexamining how the results of free-response ESP tests are analyzed, they aim to squeeze more insight from the noise.

Classic ESP experiments beyond the Ganzfeld were also in the spotlight. Researchers at the convention reported on attempts to replicate famous findings like the controversial precognition experiments of psychologist Daryl Bem. In one study led by Stefan Schmidt of the IGPP, hundreds of online volunteers participated in trials to see if future events could unconsciously influence people’s responses – essentially testing if people can “feel” the future. With improved controls and larger samples, these replication efforts are crucial in determining whether initial positive results hold up. Meanwhile, Jana Rogge, a Dutch researcher, shared a year-long study of precognitive remote viewing, where experienced volunteers tried to envision targets set to be randomly selected in the future. Her project, dubbed “The Mind’s Time Machine,” examined whether accuracy declines as the time between vision and event increases, offering new data on how (or if) precognition might work.

AI Enters the Psi Lab: High-Tech Approaches

A striking trend at this year’s PA convention was the embrace of artificial intelligence and data science tools to tackle paranormal questions. In a field often relegated to the fringes, many scientists are now leveraging cutting-edge technology to lend fresh eyes (or algorithms) to enduring mysteries. “We have new tools that previous generations of researchers could only dream of,” noted one attendee, referring to the introduction of machine learning and big data techniques in psi research.

One presentation that drew considerable attention was by David J. Acunzo of the University of Virginia, who along with Jeremy Ky proposed a novel way to streamline ESP experiments using machine learning. In free-response ESP tests like Ganzfeld or remote viewing, researchers typically need to assemble large pools of target images and then have human judges evaluate the similarity of a participant’s descriptions to the possible targets – a time-consuming and subjective process. Acunzo’s talk, titled “Using Machine Learning Methods to Automatize Target Pool Design and Judging in Free-Response ESP Experiments: A Proof of Concept,” showed how natural language processing algorithms can partially automate those tasks. By training AI models to select target images with certain semantic distances and even to score the correspondence between descriptions and targets, the team aims to reduce human bias and workload. As Acunzo explained to the audience, such tools could help standardize ESP research and potentially uncover subtle patterns that human judges might overlook. The reaction in the room was a mix of cautious optimism and curiosity – hallmarks of a community used to both breakthroughs and false dawns.

Another high-tech project unveiled in Freiburg was a “Comprehensive Semantic Search Engine for Parapsychology,” presented by Michael Tremmel. Parapsychology has accumulated over a century of research scattered across journals, archives, and conference proceedings. Tremmel’s proof-of-concept system uses AI to index and understand this literature, allowing researchers to quickly find connections across studies or dig up obscure case reports. In a live demo, he showed how a query about “poltergeist thermal anomalies” could retrieve not only modern papers but also century-old SPR reports on haunted house temperatures, all ranked by relevance. By bringing order to the field’s information, such a tool could accelerate progress and encourage collaboration with mainstream scientists.

AI even found its way into the study of near-death experiences (NDEs) and other human encounters with the extraordinary. A team from Argentina and Puerto Rico, led by Alexis Álvarez and Ramsés D’León, presented a project analyzing written accounts of NDEs with machine learning. In their paper “Exploring Near-Death Experiences in a Hispanic Sample: Themes, Features, and AI Insights,” they used natural language processing to identify common themes in Spanish-speaking experiencers’ stories – from feelings of peace and out-of-body sensations to visions of deceased relatives. The AI was able to cluster NDE testimonies into distinct types and even flagged subtle cultural differences in imagery and interpretation. Their work demonstrated how computational methods can enrich qualitative paranormal research, giving it a new layer of rigor.

The embrace of high-tech methods at the convention signaled a broader point: parapsychology is trying to modernize. By adopting AI and other tools, researchers hope to counter criticisms that their field lacks replication and rigor. As one presenter remarked during a Q&A, “If psi is real, we should be able to detect it with the same sophisticated techniques that other sciences use – and if it’s not real, these methods will help us find that out too.” That pragmatic attitude resonated with many in attendance, eager to see parapsychology keep pace with 21st-century science.

Beyond ESP: Mediums, Healing, and Mind-Matter Mysteries

While ESP and its modern extensions took center stage, the convention also showcased the diversity of parapsychological research. In one session, scholars delved into mediumship – the alleged ability to communicate with spirits of the deceased. Helané Wahbeh of the Institute of Noetic Sciences (and the PA’s past president) chaired a session where investigators presented rigorous studies on mediums. One Brazilian team led by Everton Maraldi and Jorge Moll shared a phenomenological analysis of Spiritualist séance experiences, exploring what mediums feel and perceive during trances. Another study, involving researchers from the UK and France, took a hard-nosed approach: they tested self-proclaimed mediums in a triple-blind experiment to see if any could acquire verifiable information under conditions eliminating clues or fraud. This experiment even monitored the mediums’ brainwaves and physiology while they attempted to receive messages, bringing neuroscience into the séance room. The preliminary results, as reported at the conference, hinted at intriguing patterns – but the researchers were careful to state that more data are needed before drawing conclusions about any genuine “anomalous cognition” taking place.

Physical psychokinesis (PK) – mind over matter – was another hot topic. From micro-level effects on random number generators to macro-scale claims of moving objects, PK research has seen ups and downs over the years. In Freiburg, Markus Maier of LMU Munich presented a comprehensive meta-analysis of micro-PK experiments, compiling results from a decade of studies using random event generators. By applying stringent transparency and publication-bias analysis, Maier aimed to clarify whether tiny statistical deviations seen in these experiments really suggest a psychokinetic effect or are merely artifacts. His analysis indicated that while some small effects have been reported, the field must improve its methodologies to convince skeptics. On the more human side of PK, a lively panel compared parapsychology in the USSR and China, where reports of extraordinary feats (like psychic metal bending or telekinetic children) drew government interest during the Cold War. Scholars from Russia, China, and Brazil discussed how cultural and political factors influenced the study of psi behind the Iron Curtain and how those historical cases hold up today. The cross-cultural dialogue was a reminder that belief in paranormal abilities transcends borders, even if interpretations differ widely.

Applied psi was represented too. Researchers from the UK led by Chris Roe presented a carefully controlled trial of “non-contact healing”, in which experienced healers attempted to improve the well-being of people at a distance without any physical interaction. In their randomized study, neither the participants nor the evaluators knew who received the healing intentions and who didn’t, until after health outcomes were measured. Such studies bring a biomedical flavor to the conference, addressing claims of psychic healing with scientific protocols. Similarly, a pair of Italian investigators described their project on terminal lucidity – the puzzling phenomenon where dementia patients unexpectedly become clear-minded shortly before death – and pondered whether understanding this could bridge spirituality and medical care.

The convention’s scope even touched on the afterlife question. One researcher, Piero Calvi-Parisetti, shared insights on using knowledge of purported evidence for life after death (like near-death experiences and medium readings) as a form of grief therapy for the bereaved. And in a poignant student-award paper, Emiliana Embró and colleagues mapped the experience of children who report “seeing” or sensing deceased loved ones, exploring the psychological impact of such after-death communications in childhood. These discussions showed that beyond laboratory ESP tests and physics-defying feats, parapsychology also concerns human experiences of meaning, hope, and comfort in the face of mystery.

Reflections on the Field’s Future

Amid the presentations of positive findings and spirited debates, the convention did not shy away from introspection. In his Presidential Address titled “What Does the Future Hold? The Menace of Dissolution and a View Towards Integration and Conciliation,” Everton de Oliveira Maraldi delivered a candid assessment of the challenges facing parapsychology. “Parapsychology stands today at a critical juncture,” Maraldi told the audience of his peers, noting that despite over a century of inquiry, the field still struggles for scientific legitimacy. He warned of fragmention within the community and a lack of institutional support, saying the very “possibility of the field’s dissolution as we know it today is real.” It was a sobering moment to hear the PA’s president acknowledge how dwindling funding, skepticism from the mainstream, and even internal disagreements over theory have imperiled progress.

Yet Maraldi’s message was ultimately one of resilience and reform. He urged his colleagues to move beyond blaming only outside skeptics, and to also address internal issues – encouraging more collaboration, open data, and self-critique among psi researchers. There are reasons for optimism, he argued. Mainstream science has begun showing a renewed interest in topics like consciousness and anomalous experiences, creating opportunities for parapsychologists to contribute to interdisciplinary dialogues. To seize that moment, Maraldi advocated for a “more inclusive, collaborative, and self-reflective approach” within the field – one that fosters unity without sacrificing critical rigor. His call to action received vigorous applause, as many in the room felt the truth of his words. After all, the very fact that this convention was happening – drawing attendees from dozens of countries to openly discuss telepathy, poltergeists, and precognition – is itself a testament to a community that refuses to fade away.

Those themes of integration and conciliation carried into informal discussions throughout the event. A special panel on “Bringing Psi into the Mainstream” highlighted examples of psi research being conducted at major universities and hospitals, often under the guise of studying consciousness or placebo effects. The takeaway was clear: parapsychology’s future may depend on building bridges – both with conventional science and among its own practitioners worldwide. Younger attendees, including a sizable contingent of graduate students and early-career researchers, expressed enthusiasm about the possibilities ahead. Over local German beer at a post-conference gathering, one student remarked, “It’s inspiring to see how far we’ve come and that we’re not alone. We can talk about these things openly now – even use AI and publish in neuroscience journals – and that gives me hope that in another 67 years, psi won’t be so ‘para’ anymore.”

A Meeting of Minds Open to the Unknown

As the Parapsychological Association’s 2025 convention drew to a close, participants posed for a group photo, arms slung around each other against the backdrop of Freiburg’s skyline. They had spent days sharing data, arguments, and late-night ideas about phenomena that most of the world finds unbelievable. From ESP trials in Ganzfeld chambers to AI algorithms sifting ghostly anecdotes, the research presented was as eclectic as it was exploratory. What united these scientists was a commitment to investigating the unknown with rigorous methods and open minds. In the words of one speaker quoting a famous German biologist, “The abnormal is to be investigated not because it is abnormal, but because it opens our view for understanding the essence of the normal.” At Freiburg, that spirit of curiosity thrived.

For general readers and paranormal enthusiasts alike, the takeaway from the PA’s 67th annual convention is that the paranormal is being studied with more energy and ingenuity than ever before. Far from the stereotype of ghost-hunters in dark attics, today’s parapsychologists are running controlled experiments, debating theories, and even harnessing artificial intelligence – all in an effort to peel back the layers of reality and see if something genuinely mysterious lies underneath. Whether or not definitive proof of psychic phenomena emerges, the journey itself is fascinating. And as the conference showed, that journey continues, propelled by a global network of researchers determined to shine a scientific light on the paranormal. In Freiburg’s “free castle” of ideas, they reaffirmed that the quest to understand psi is very much alive, evolving with the times, and open to anyone willing to explore the frontiers of what we think is possible.