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Randall Fontes - From the
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"Star Gate"
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Meditation
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Bob Swanson and Randall Fontes
taught Parapsychology at De Anza College
De Anza College Nightwire Newspaper
Continuing Education Students of De Anza College

What is Parapsychology?Bob Swanson

Al Thompson

ESP, the occult, personal awareness; these are all areas covered by the phenomenon of Parapsychology. This is also the subject of an off campus class conducted by psychology Instructor, Bob Swanson.

Swanson's interest in parapsychology came about through his search for an alternative to drug oriented experiences. He felt there must be a way to experience the same type of mind control without the harmful side effects often attributed to drugs.

Swanson feels that parapsychology is the answer to his search and it would seem that there are many others who feel the same, as more than twenty students were turned away from his class. Another indication of the interest that the subject of parapsychology engenders is the response to a questionnaire Swanson and his associates circulated on campus. Of the 1000 copies passed out, 318 were returned. This is a fantastic response, as anyone associated with such surveys knows.

Some of the statistics revealed by the survey are rather interesting, though certainly not conclusive.

More than 90% said that they had had two or more psychic experiences, and yet only 30% felt that others would believe them. It is this ignorance that Bob hopes to overcome with his class. He likened the situation to the similar feelings concerning sex in the past.

"It was like everyone was doing it, but no one talked about it."

Bob related that the purpose of parapsychology class was to help each individual find his inner energy.

Mr. Swanson, who is currently working on his Masters degree in psychology, spent two years in India studying meditation and parapsychological phenomenon. He recommends Swami Gurupremananda in San Jose as a good local teacher of yoga.

Parapsychology, according to Bob, goes back as far as Biblical times. “Christ was a parapsychologist. He taught the lesson of finding Inner peace.”

Though the field of parapsychology covers many things, the class concentrates on the self analysis and personal awareness.

I was impressed by the frank and honest answers given by Mr. Swanson to his students questions. He seemingly is a very open and forthright person.


 
This is a copy of the original proposal prepared by Bob Swanson as part of his graduate work at Sonoma State University. His proposal was accepted by De Anza College in Cupertino, California.  These classes were taught by Bob Swanson and Randall Fontes. 

Special thanks to John White, Director of Education at "The Institute of Noetic sciences" for his encouragement and for reviewing and commenting on the draft class proposal. The Institute was formed to conduct research and to educate the public regarding paranormal phenomena. It was founded by Astronaut, Dr. Edgar D. Mitchell who had conducted parapsychological experiments from the moon.


Introduction to Parapsychology
Class Proposal to San Francisco
Bay Area Community Colleges

The first of my special field projects is a proposal submitted to Bay Area Community Colleges to initiate introduction to Parapsychology classes that would educate students to the field of Parapsychology. 

Rationale
Psychic phenomena have been long overlooked by the scientific community. However, in recent years, many notable research organizations have begun to conduct research in the field, both in the Soviet Union and in the United States. The work of Dr. Harold Puthoff and Russell Targ at Stanford Research Institute, has received attention from the scientific community at large. They have published papers in Nature (Targ and Puthoff, 1974), Britain's most reputable journal and in Proceedings of the IEEE (Puthoff and Targ 1976) an Engineering Journal. Their work was done with such notable psychics as Uri Geller and Ingo Swann. In 1969 the American Academy for the Advancement of Science elected the Parapsychological Association to membership.

Thus it is apparent that there is a need to educate the public about the recent findings in the field of parapsychology.

Procedure

The class syllabus, introductory letter and personal resume (Appendix A), was prepared to include the goals of the course, class content and appropriate text material. Included was a structured grading procedure. A straight forward cover letter was then prepared to accompany the class syllabus. Finally, a resume of my qualifications as class instructor was included to be sent with the above materials. The proposal was then mailed to the following Bay Area community colleges: 

Canada College, Redwood City, Chabot College, Hayward, College of San Mateo, San Mateo, De Anza College, Cupertino, Foothill College, Los Altos Hills, Ohlone College, Fremont, San Jose City College, San Jose, West Valley Community College, Campbell.
Results

This proposal was accepted at De Anza College by the Psychology Department and the Board of Trustees, "Introduction to Parapsychology" is now a permanent part of the De Anza College curriculum, transferrable to the California State College and University system as well as the University of California. The first class began Spring Quarter 1975. Due to the popularity of the class in the first quarter, a second section of the class was opened. The class has been offered each quarter to date with more than full enrollment. As the class instructor, I have found the class a challenging and a rewarding experience.
 


 
Letter to San Francisco Bay Area Community Colleges

Please find enclosed a course outline for a proposed class called "Introduction to Parapsychology" that I would like to teach in your Evening College beginning Fall, 1974.

Parapsychology is a growing field of major interest both to the scientific community and to the world at large. Many fine scientists and research institutions are now probing to find the answers to a phenomenon that has occurred cross culturally since the dawn of history. Perhaps the finest research facility in the world, Stanford Research Institute, is now conducting serious research in the area of parapsychology and paraphysics. This frontier area of science is of interest to the lay public as it is rooted in the depths of human potential. Man's science has been seeking knowledge of the basic truth of existence in this universe. The behavioral scientists have said that man uses, perhaps only one tenth of his brain. If that is true, what abilities does man have in the other nine tenths? Perhaps answers to the spiraling problems that man faces in his physical environment are the problems of his inner mental environment. These problems affect and concern every individual.

Now, in this time of change, it is important to explore all areas of existence so that we can plan for the future. It is important that each man be kept abreast of the latest research findings in such frontier areas. It is in this spirit that I propose this course, to be taught at your college, as a four unit, transferrable course.

In fall of 1973, Santa Rosa Junior College began its first course in parapsychology. In their first semester, the course was so popular that they had to turn away a large number of students. Foreseeing the demand for this class, the college provided the instructor with a teaching assistant so that they could accommodate a greater number of students. Over sixty students of varied backgrounds were admitted. In light of such serious interest, they are now expanding their program and adding a new course to broaden their curriculum. The course is to be an in depth course in research parapsychology.

California State College, Sonoma is now in the process of forming an interdisciplinary program in parapsychology that would result in a baccalaureate degree. This program is being formed in cooperation with their psychology, physics, and interdisciplinary studies departments. The program is proposed to begin in fall of 1974.

If you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me. If you would like to meet with me or you would like me to meet with faculty, administration, or the board of trustees, I would be quite enthusiastic about doing so. 

Sincerely,

Robert E. Swanson, Jr.

als

encls:
1) Parapsychology class proposal
2) Relevant Newsweek article, March 4, 1974
 


 
INTRODUCTION TO PARAPSYCHOLOGY

The goals of this course are: 1) to give the serious student an academic introduction to the field of parapsychology, 2) to acquaint him or her with the history of parapsychological experience from the ancient scriptural text of the east and west to the modern scientific approaches of the more recent past, 3) to introduce the new material being generated by the recent interest of modern science in this field, and 4) to explore the implications of parapsychology on future technology, psychology, sociology, and spirituality. The course will be four units, meeting four hours per week. There will be no prerequisites.

Following is an outline of the course content.

I.  History of Parapsychology

A.  Parapsychological phenomena in ancient times. 
B.  Early scientific research in parapsychology.

II. Description of Parapsychological Phenomena

A. Telepathy
B. Clairvoyance
C. Precognition
D. Telekinesis
E. Out of the body experience
F. Psychic healing

III. Parapsychology and Methodology

A. Research methods
B. Modern recording instruments
C. Effects of environment on experimentation

IV. Theoretical Physics and Parapsychology

A. Electromagnetic radiation
B. Tachyon theory

V. Psychology and parapsychological phenomena

A. Psychic energy
a. Freud
b. Jung

VI. Research in Altered States of Consciousness and Parapsychology

A. Dreams and telepathy research of Dr. Stanley Krippner of Maimonidies Dream Laboratory.
B. Psychotropic drugs and mystical experience
C. Hypnogogic and hypnopompic states 
D. Hypnosis

VII. Neural Psychology and Parapsychology

A. Review of research in left and right hemispheres of brain
B. Intuition and the right hemisphere
C. Bio-energetic fields and acupuncture

VIII. Methods of Training

A. Yoga
B. Meditation
C. Za-zen
D. Biofeedback
1. EEG (electroencephalogram) 
2. GSR (galvonic skin response)

IX. Current Research with Biological Sensing Devices

A. Kirlian photography
B. Backster effect (plants as bio-sensors)

X. Futuristic Potentials of Parapsychology

A. Instantaneous communication
B. Possibilities of faster than light travel
C. Filling in the communications gap between people
D. Influence of parapsychology in the changing social structure
E. Possibility of survival of consciousness after death

Required Text:

Psychic Exploration, (A Challenge for Science)
By Edgar D. Mitchell, Edited by John W. White (G. P. Putnam, 1974)

Required Magazine:

Psychic Magazine (Exploring the Extended Nature of Man and the Universe)
(subscription or library copy)

Required Magazine Articles:

1. "Particles Beyond the Light Barrier," by Bilaniuk and Sudarshan, Physics Today, May 1969

2. "Tachyon Paradoxes," by Schulman, American Journal of Physics, May, 1971

Recommended Reading:

  • The Psychology of Consciousness, by Robert o. Ornstein (Freeman 1972) 
  • Altered States of Consciousness, by Charles Tart (Doubleday-Anchor 1972) 
  • The Highest State of Consciousness,by John W. White ()
  • Frontiers of Consciousness, by John W. White (Julian' Press 1974) 
  • Journeys Out of the Body, by Robert Monroe (Doubleday 1971)
  • Galaxies of Life, by Stanley Krippner and Daniel Rubin (Gordon & Beach 1973)
  • Psychic Discoveries Behind the Iron Curtain, by Ostrander, Shiela and Lynn Schroeder (Prentice-Hall 1971) 
  • Dream Telepathy, by M. Ullman, S. Krippner, A. Vaughn (Macmillan 1973) 
  • Autobiography of A Yogi, by Paramahansa Yogananda (Self Reallzation Fellowship 1969)
  • Chitshakti Vilas, The PIay of Consciousness, by Swami Muktananda Paramahansa Shree Gurudev Ashram, Ganeshpuri, India 1972) 
  • Journey to Ixtlan, by Carlos Castaneda (Simon and Schuster 1972) 
  • The Natural Depth in Man, by Wilson Van Dusen (Harper & Row 1973)
This class will include lecture, discussion, reading, presentations by guest speakers, movies, and demonstrations of research equipment (Kirlian photography camera, electrical potential measuring device for plants, biofeedback equipment, etc.)

Each student will contract for the grade that they wish to receive. A student may take the class for either a grade or on a credit/no credit basis.

For the grade of "C" the student must:

1. Read required text
2. Write one paper
3. Read one book from recommended reading list
4. Attend class
For the grade of "B" or "A" the student must complete all of the above requirements and put together a written or oral project. The grade of "A" or "B" will be given according to the quality of the project.

The Plant and Human Consciousness Research at SRI

RARE DOCUMENT!
Organic Biofield Sensor
By: H. E.  Puthoff and R. Fontes
Very few of the original copies of this one of a kind document are known to still exist detailing the use of plants as a human biofield sensor.  You can download "Organic Biofield Sensor" in Adobe .pdf format:
Download - Organic Biofield Sensor
R.Fontes@comcast.net
Report Summary and Conclusions
Report Summary and Conclusions
"Organic Biofield Sensor"
By: H. E.  Puthoff and R. Fontes
Electronics and Bioengineering Laboratory
S.R.I  Project 3194 (Task 3)
November 1975
Randall Fontes
Randall Fontes, M.A.
worked with the twice nominated physicist for the Nobel Prize 
Dr. Harold E. Puthoff and
Russell Targ at Stanford Research Institute (SRI International): 

CIA-Initiated U.S. Government
program to investigate paranormal abilities; code name "Star Gate"

 
The Play of Light Meditation Experience Page
The Play of Light Meditation Experience
 
Journey into The Play of Light
The Play of Light is about the Beauty of Light, of Sound and of Form. As each of these is deeply resonant with the other, the underlying unity that they share is revealed within their dance; and can be realized through direct experience. Within this experience, the mind becomes still and spontaneous Meditation arises. I have developed this technique over a period of 45 years, and this is as effortless and joyful a path into meditation as I am aware of.
The Play of Light Meditation Experience
Individual and Group sessions are available. Please call or email me, I look forward to sharing this experience with you.

Randall Fontes
R.fontes@comcast.net

The Play of Light 
Art and Science in the Spirit of Meditation

The Play of Light Meditation Experience

Be Still 
Be Still Within 
Be Still Within Yourself 
Be Still Within Your Own Self 
Be Still Within Yourself 
Be Still Within 
Be Still 
Be
 
 

ph: 510.235.5371 
cell: 510.772.9762
 

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In Quest of the
Spiritual Jewel
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Secret Life of
Plants
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of Paranormal Abilities
"Star Gate"
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