I have been a student and a contributor to the field of parapsychology for the last 35 years. And, it is with good authority that I highly recommend all of the books by Russell Targ -- for two simple reasons. First, Russell Targ is a very clear thinker. He expresses his thoughts easily and with great clarity (and wit!). Second, and I believe of even greater importance, Russell Targ is one of the most experienced and successful parapsychology researchers of the last fifty years. He writes from the perspective of an insider's insider. And, I regard all that he has to say to be of great importance to anyone trying to understand this very tricky field. 

In addition -- and this is particularly relevant to Do You See What I See? -- Russell, himself, has been on a path of personal transformation. This book is especially lucid in terms of integrating modern, scientific ideas with thought from Hindu and Buddhist teachings. 

Because it is autobiographical, this is the most wide-ranging of all of Targ's books. It is also the most personal. For anyone interested in the human story behind the career of a great parapsychology researcher (not to mention laser physicist), this book is a must read.

I took this photo of my grandfather in 1968 and I developed it myself. He was about 77 years old at the time (and I was 21). He died nine years later in 1977.

Grandpa Abe was a strong family patriarch and a very colorful figure. Several fascinating stories about him have been published in books by my first cousin, Steven V. Roberts -- including From This Day Forward and My Fathers' Houses: Memoirs of a Family.

Among the many gifts he gave me was a 300 power, astronomical telescope that I received at the tender age of 12 years old. I think this gift symbolized his earnest love of knowledge and intellectual exploration. He was born in Bialystok (now in Poland, then in Russia) and grew up in an era when the major form of transportation was the horse and buggy. He lived to see a man walk on the moon.

Recently, I have been thinking about the last face-to-face conversation I had with my grandfather. He was about 85 years old at the time and suffering from some dementia. But, it struck me then that he was speaking from a very mystical perspective.

He started out by explaining to me that he had invented a new word to describe an immeasurable distance. "Not millions," he said. "Not billions, but 'illions.'" Then he went on to suggest that, upon his death, he would be 'illions' of miles away from me.

But, he explained, that if I ever wanted to contact him, I would be able to do so, almost instantly -- simply by tickling the palm of my hand. And, if I did that -- no matter how far away he was -- he would always be there for me.

What a gift!

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Today, I have decided to sponsor the nonprofit Intuition Network in a fundraising challenge promoted by the Case Foundation and Parade Magazine. The goal is to get as many donors as possible between today and January 31. The minimum donation is $10.

A week ago, I was in Pasadena where I had the pleasure of watching the 119th annual Rose Parade. One of my best friends, Lynne Morris, actually choreographed and directed the grand opening of the parade. Perhaps some of you watched it on television.

Lynne worked with an organization called Up With People. And, her large cast of dancers and singers included students from many different countries - wearing their native costumes. It was quite an extravaganza with flags and drums and even jets flying overhead. It all involved very precise timing. Her entire production lasted just three minutes.

I am attaching some photos to give you a sense of this joyous event. Here are some images of Lynne's grand opening festivities.







Just as the dancers finished and were clearing away their stage props, before the parade formally began, three jets flew overhead. I was lucky enough to get a nice photo of them:



One of the most interesting floats in the parade featured this giant image of an American Indian. Remember it is entirely covered with flowers, seeds and plants. It was probably about fifty feet tall -- as you can see by looking at the horses at the base:

Anyone reading this blog who considers themselves to be a student of the paranormal will find that the Society for Psychical Research (SPR) is a very important resource. The organization was founded in 1882 and has a long history of scholarly investigations to its credit.

You can read a brief overview of the SPR in my online edition of my book, The Roots of Consciousness. And, I would also encourage you to visit the Society's webpage. Should you decide to join the Society, you will have access to their considerable online archive.

The graphic shown above is taken from the cover of the most recent issue of the Journal published by the Society. And, there are two articles in particular to which I would like to call attention.

The first of these was written by Seattle psychiatrist Vernon M. Neppe -- who was also a former chess champion in South Africa. Neppe provides a detailed -- and very insightful -- analysis of a chess match between grandmaster Victor Korchnoi and an ostensibly deceased, Hungarian chess master named Geza Maroczy. (Maroczy's chess moves were obtained through the auspices of a spiritualist medium.) I have reported on this case in a previous blog. Now, Neppe's analysis adds further detail and greatly increases the credibility of this case.

I regard this particular case to be of great importance for our understanding of the possible survival of human personality after death. It involves more than the mere communication of information from a paranormal source -- but the demonstration of a rare talent that, apparently, has survived the grave. The case is particularly interesting to me because of my own theory of Archetypal Synchronistic Resonance (ASR) that can be viewed as a potential alternative to the survival hypothesis. However, to be honest, I am hard pressed to explain this chess match as an example of ASR.

The other article that I found significant is the book review by John Poynton of a very obscure volume written by the South African physicist and mathematician J. H. M. Whiteman called Old and New Evidence on the Meaning of Life: The Mystical World-View and Inner Contest. Vol. 3. Universal Theology and Life in Other Worlds. I have referred to Whiteman, and a synchronicity involving his death earlier this year, in a previous blog. His work, in my estimation, is very important. He is one of the rare individuals gifted both with unusual mystical powers of insight and a contemporary education in science. Nevertheless, because of these highly refined talents, his work is hard to follow. John Poynton, to his credit, provides a very elegant, concise and insightful analysis of Whiteman's last book.

I would be remiss if I did not also mention that this issue of the Journal also includes a replication of an important parapsychological experimental study on the phenomenon known as presentiment. It involves brain measurements showing a sensitivity to emotionally charged stimuli -- before they are presented.

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I regard Stephan A. Schwartz as a hero of consciousness -- and have stated this clearly in a blog post about him from last September. But, I don't think I've said quite enough about this book. So, let me put it bluntly.

There are dozens of excellent books available now regarding the topic of remote viewing. Some of my favorite authors are Joseph McMoneagle, Russell Targ, Jane Katra, Hal Puthoff, Paul H. Smith, Lyn Buchanan, Angela Thompson Smith, Dale Graff, Jean Millay and Ingo Swann. I know all of these people personally. I respect and admire them all. I consider them friends and colleagues. I recommend all of their books.

But, if you could only read one book on remote viewing, or (better yet) if you were looking for the best book currently available on this topic, my recommendation would be Opening to the Infinite by Stephan A. Schwartz.

Frankly, this is a book that I had been asking Stephan to write for almost the past fifteen years -- and he was even so kind to credit me (along with his wife) in the acknowledgments for patiently urging him to write this book.

If psychic functioning is real, the best proof of that are the practical applications that result from it. And, nobody in modern human history has done more to further the practical development of parapsychology than Stephan A. Schwartz. He is not only a hero of consciousness, in my estimation. He is a living treasure to all of humanity. He's not likely to receive the honors that he deserves in this lifetime. But, in my view, you will be doing yourself a great pleasure and honor by reading his book.

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One of the main problems with psychology, during the past 100 years, is its general failure to deal with the deepest and most important problems concerning the very nature of mind itself. Academia, instead, has almost universally operated on the assumption that the mind is a product of the activity of the brain and nervous system.

However, there are serious problems with this epiphenomenalist view. These issues were clearly understood -- in the late nineteenth century -- by such great thinkers as William James and F. W. H. Myers (author of the 1903 classic, Human Personality and Its Survival of Bodily Death). But, for a century, in order to establish itself as a scientific discipline, psychology turned away from these profound issues -- in favor of behavioralist, positivist paradigm of thought.

In recent decades, however, a new wave of interest within consciousness is swelling up -- both within and without of academic. Certainly, for example, over a hundred books have now been published on the topic of physics and consciousness. In fact, it's fair to say that physics has been in the forefront of asking the deep questions concerning mind and body. Psychology and biology have been lagging behind.

Irriducible Mind addresses this lag. The authors bring to bear a wealth of empirical evidence from many disciplines: psychoneuroimmunology, psychopathology, studies of hypnosis and creativity, memory, near death experience, mystical experience, studies of genius, evidence for survival after death. They point out that the reductionist vision of the human mind is generally incapable of accounting for these observed and reported experiences.

They also point out that there is an interesting alternative in which one views the brain, not as the originator of consciousness, but (like a radio receiver) a receiving, filtering and transmissing consciousness. In this model, consciousness arises from another source. One might say that consciousness is as basic to the universe itself as is time, space, energy and matter. It is simply a given.

The authors suggest that psychology in the 21st century will be the further refinement of this second vision of consciousness. Their logic is compelling. Their scholarship is broad and inclusive. And, of great importance, this work is historically grounded. I consider it "must reading" for all serious students of consciousness.

This work, incidentally, originated from discussions sponsored by the Center for Theory and Research of the Esalen Institute. The primary authors, Edward and Emily Kelly, are affiliated with the Department of Psychiatric Medicine and the University of Virginia.

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Readers of my blog will know that, for the last three months, I have been very engaged in CNBC's "Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge," a stock picking contest (with a million dollar grand prize). For the last two weeks now, I have had outstanding portfolios -- and have come very close to winning the weekly $10,000 prize and entering the finals. My previous blog post was about Week 8. I finished in second place that week, competing against about 1.2 million other portfolios.

So, it is very gratifying for me to see that -- in this final week of regular competition -- I have five portfolios listed in the top ten for the week (in fact, five out of the top six). And, I believe that there are now about 2 million portfolios entered into the contest -- representing hundreds of thousands of contestants.

These consistently good performances in the contest are largely attributable to the "short squeeze" strategy about which I have blogged extensively, as an invited guest blogger, on CNBC's "Million Dollar Buzz" blog site. Also, if you are reading this and would like to understand better how to pick stocks, I would recommend my Handbook for Contestants in CNBC's 2007 Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge.

Of course, today is only Tuesday. Although I am currently the weekly front-runner, the final result for the week will only be known after the close of trading on Friday. In fact, it has been quite common for the early week front-runners to be overtaken by others before the week is over. So, it is good to have a detached attitude toward the contest.

I'll do my best, and if I'm lucky I might win. But, I have to say that the skills involved in stock market analysis are valuable life-skills. And, in fact, they can be worth much more outside of the contest than even the $1 million prize.

Soon this contest will be over. In fact, if I do not make it into the finals, it will be over at the end of this week. And, if I am lucky enough to proceed, it will still be over by the end of the month. In any case, life goes on.

I will return to my work as a teacher and writer, philosopher, investor, owner and co-owner of several businesses, husband, father, son, brother and friend.

The burst of inspiration that got me involved with this stock-picking contest has been a real adventure. Win or lose, I'm grateful that I listened to my inner voice on this one. (Actually, it's not as if I had much choice, my inner voice was quite strong and compelling.)

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Regular readers of my blog will know that approximately two months ago, in a burst of creative energy, I wrote a Handbook for Contestants in CNBC's Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge. Many interesting doors opened as a results of this Handbook, including five appearances on CNBC's "How To Win" program, plus numerous guest blogs on CNBC's "Million Dollar Buzz Blog."

One of my goals, in this process, has been to become the living demonstration of the principles about which I had been writing -- by actually becoming (at least) a finalist in the contest itself. As of this point in time, I cannot say that this has happened. I can only report, as the picture above shows, that one of my portfolios in the contest has gained 112.98% this past week.

Those of you familiar with this contest will know that each week a winner is chosen whose portfolio has appreciated the most during the week. This is the eighth week, so seven previous weekly winners have been chosen. To date, the greatest weekly gain has been about 93% -- or nearly 20% less than my portfolio has appreciated this week. So, whether or not I am selected as the weekly winner, I am very happy with this result. I believe it clearly shows that the principles about which I have been writing are capable of producing real-world results. And, I am looking forward to continued application of these principles in my own future trading and investing.

There are now well over a million portfolios entered into this year's CNBC Portfolio Challenge. So the odds of my becoming the weekly winner are extremely small. Furthermore, I have every reason to think that other people have done at least as well. My name has not shown up on the "leaderboard" for the week. And, of greater significance, I posted all of my stock picks -- in advance -- on CNBC's "Million Dollar Buzz Blog." (I was one of three invited "guest bloggers" there.) Anyone could have simply read my blogs and made the very same trading choices.

If I am selected as the weekly winner, I will receive a $10,000 prize and will be eligibe to compete in the "finals" to receive the $1 million prize (actually an annuity, not cash). And, of course, that will be very nice. But, even if -- after doing so well this week -- I fail to become the declared weekly winner I am very happy to have had this opportunity to study the market so carefully.

My strategy for the contest has been to pick a different stock every day of the week. The specific details of how I have done this are published in my guest blogs on CNBC.com (part of the "Million Dollar Buzz Blog") and in my Handbook for Contestants.

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St. Agnes Hospital, Where I Was Born in 1946

I was born and raised in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. I lived there until I left for the University of Wisconsin, Madison, at the age of 18, in 1965. And, I realize -- although I've only returned a few times in the last forty years -- that Fond du lac has left its imprint upon me.

Here's an interesting fact: Fond du Lac was recently named the "Safest City in America." That designation also reflects my memory of a very wholesome and safe place to grow up. I'm grateful for the education I received there and for my fond childhood memories.

"Fond du Lac" is French for "foot of the lake" -- because the city is situated on the south end of Lake Winnebago -- the second-largest, fresh water, inland lake within the United States.



So, activities like boating, fishing and swimming in the lake were a normal part of my childhood. I also have memories of huge swarms of lake flies.

The city has changed a lot since I left. Population has grown from about 29,000 to 42,000. There is a new high school. (I believe that L.P. Goodrich H.S., from which I graduated, no longer exists.) There is even a new college, a branch of the University of Wisconsin. The old "Beer Hut" -- where I used to hang out -- was torn down in 1972.



One of my recollections of growing up in Fond du Lac was that it was almost a patriotic duty to drink lots of beer on weekends (and lots of milk during the week). We didn't have seatbelts then, nor airbags, nor headrests on our cars. I remember the day vividly when six students (in the class ahead of mine) were killed while driving to their senior class banquet.

Speaking of the senior class banquet, one of the highlights of my life in Fond du lac was serving (at the request of my friend senior class president, Lowell Louis) as the master of ceremonies for the class of 1965 banquet. I remember introducing the school principal by saying that "Mr. Nelson really isn't bald -- he just has a six inch part in his hair." I also served as an editor on the staff of the student newspaper, and wrote a column called "The Mishing Link."



My Dad owned a furniture store in Fond du Lac -- Hy Mishlove's Home Furnishings. He advertised widely on television's channel 2 (out of Green Bay), as the "Furniture King of the Fox River Valley." So, even though we lived in relatively humble circumstances, I sometimes thought of myself as the "furniture prince." I didn't see much of my dad, growing up, as he was something of a workaholic. He pioneered the concept of a furniture store that was open on evenings and weekends. Once I turned 16, however, and started driving, I worked for him delivering furniture.

I went to summer camp at Camp Shaginappi on Lake Winnebago. That was a Boy Scout camp -- and, at the tender age of 15, became a camp counselor there. Also, my sister, Pamela, and I both went to Camp Anokigic, "on the shores of Little Lake Elkhart."



As a Jewish youth, growing up in a small, Wisconsin city, I felt that I was living a double life. I had one identity, and one set of friends, associated with my public school. There were 500 members of my graduating class at Goodrich H.S. Only three of us were Jewish. But, I was also active in the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization. And, spent a lot of time engaged in activities with Jewish youth from other small cities throughout the state. I became very active in this organization -- eventually becoming an officer of "District Six" that comprised six states and three Canadian provinces. This was a very vibrant life that my non-Jewish high school friends were, basically, unaware of.



In 1964, the country was going through a folk music fad -- and it became an important part of my life. A group of my high school classmates formed the Lindy Mike Singers (shown above). You can see me, at the tender age of 17, in the lower left, playing my baritone ukelele. Our high school band was invited to Washington, DC, to perform at the inauguration parade for Lyndon B. Johnson. So, to help them raise money for this trip, the Lindy Mike singers held our first and only concert in the auditorium of Roosevelt Junior High School. About 1000 people attended. It was another highlight of my young life.

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