Bem’s Parapsychology Research

Daryl Bem's Research

Daryl Bem was a social psychologist and professor at Cornell University, who conducted research in several areas of psychology, including social psychology, personality psychology, and parapsychology. One of his most famous and controversial studies is known as the "Feeling the Future" study, which examined the idea of precognition or the ability to perceive future events.

In this study, Bem conducted a series of nine experiments in which participants were shown a series of pictures and then asked to identify which pictures contained an erotic image. The erotic images were randomly selected by a computer program after the participants had already made their choices. Bem found that participants were able to identify the erotic images at a significantly higher rate than would be expected by chance alone.

The results of the study were met with skepticism and criticism from many in the scientific community, who questioned the methodology and the validity of the findings. Some argued that the study was flawed because it did not account for possible experimenter bias or other factors that could have influenced the results.

Despite the controversy surrounding the "Feeling the Future" study, Bem continued to research parapsychology and psychic phenomena, including studies on telepathy, precognition, and psychokinesis. He also conducted research on topics such as self-perception, personality, and social influence.

Bem passed away in 2019, but his research continues to be studied and debated in the field of psychology.