Paradigm Shift: Time to Rethink Reality

Paradigm Shift: Time to Rethink Reality

By Bob Davis, PhD  

Paradigm Shift: Time to Rethink Reality?

For centuries, science has helped us understand the physical world, from falling apples to far-off galaxies. But some experiences don’t fit neatly into equations or labs. They whisper from the edges of what we call “real.” Near-death and out-of-body experiences. Sudden healing. Telepathy. Mediums speaking with the dead.

For many, these are simply dismissed as hallucinations or wishful thinking. But what if they’re not? What if these “extraordinary human experiences” (EHEs) are clues, pointing toward a deeper, more connected reality?

Throughout history, every major scientific revolution has started with something strange. Something that didn’t fit. Galileo saw moons orbiting Jupiter and knew Earth wasn’t the center of the universe. Darwin saw patterns in nature that couldn’t be explained by tradition. Einstein bent time with math.

Now, we may be on the edge of another shift—one that centers on consciousness itself.

Why This Matters Now

Today’s science gives us amazing tools, but it struggles with questions like:

• Where does consciousness really come from?
• Why do people report vivid perceptions when their brains show no signs of activity?
• How do some people seem to know things they couldn’t logically know?

Instead of sweeping these mysteries under the rug, maybe it’s time to widen the lens. We don’t need to throw out science—we need to expand it.

Think of it like upgrading your operating system. Same machine, but with more possibilities.

The Core Idea: Mind and Matter Are Linked

The old view of reality says everything is physical. If you can’t see it, measure it, or touch it—it’s not real. But with near-death experiences, extrasensory perception  (ESP), or unexplained healings suggest there’s more going on.

What if consciousness isn’t just produced by the brain, but is a fundamental part of the universe?

This emerging model invites both objective science and subjective experience to the same table—not as rivals, but as complementary perspectives.

In the coming sections, we’ll explore research on ESP, healing with intention, mediumship, near-death experiences, and more—all pointing toward a paradigm where consciousness plays a central role in the structure of reality.

The evidence is growing. And so is the invitation to reimagine what it means to be human.

Extrasensory Perception: What If the Mind Reaches Further Than We Thought?

Ever had a gut feeling come true? Thought of someone right before they called? These moments might be more than coincidence—they could be hints of something deeper.

Extrasensory perception, often called our “sixth sense,” includes:

• Telepathy – mind-to-mind communication
• Precognition – knowing something before it happens
• Psychokinesis – influencing physical objects with the mind

Though often dismissed by mainstream science, researchers are uncovering cases that challenge our understanding of what the mind is capable of.

Children Who Just Know Things (Claircognizance)

Neuropsychiatrist Dr. Diane Powell (2015) has worked with children on the autism spectrum who display extraordinary mental abilities. One child, Ramses, could read in seven languages by the age of two—and appeared to communicate telepathically with his mother.

In her studies, several non-speaking children consistently achieved near-perfect results in telepathy-based tasks, using letter boards to communicate answers to unseen questions. No coaching, no trickery—just uncanny accuracy (Powell, 2008).

Other studies suggest these children are tapping into something beyond conventional brain function—possibly even what’s known as nonlocal consciousness (Tarrant, 2025).

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Dr. Etzel Cardeña analyzed more than 1,400 scientific studies in parapsychology and concluded that the evidence for ESP is as strong as many accepted psychological phenomena. (Cardeña. 2019). Even the American Psychological Association acknowledged that ESP research is methodologically sound and statistically significant (Utts, 2016). That’s a big deal.

The Global Mind Reacts

One of the most intriguing long-term studies is the Global Consciousness Project, which uses random number generators (RNGs) placed around the world. These RNGs normally spit out random results—but during moments of global focus, like natural disasters or major events, their output changes. They become statistically non-random (Nelson, & Bancel, 2016).

It’s as if focused human emotion and intention somehow influences the outcome of machines.

With over 500 events studied, the statistical odds against these deviations being due to chance are astronomical (one trillion to one).

Healing with Intention

Then there’s psychic healing, where belief, and focused intent lead to surprising results. Dr. William Bengston tested “healing with intent” on mice injected with aggressive cancer cells (Bengston, 2012).

The outcome? About 90% of the mice recovered completely—even when treated from hundreds of miles away, by people with no healing experience.

And when again injected with cancer cells, the disease never returned. The results hint at not only healing—but immune transformation.

If intention can heal from a distance, what else can consciousness do?

Mediumship: Is Someone Really There?

What if people really can communicate with the dead? Mediumship—long considered either fraudulent or wishful thinking—is gaining new respect through carefully controlled experiments.

In one method, mediums are given only the name of a deceased person. No photos. No background. Then they share detailed information about that individual—appearance, hobbies, even cause of death.

The results? Studies by researchers like Dr. Julie Beischel have shown that certified mediums consistently deliver readings that sitters say are highly accurate—and distinguishable from fake ones (Beischel, 2015).

A striking 75–83% accuracy rate has been reported in well-designed double- and triple-blind experiments (Beischel, 2015).

And skeptics who propose the “Super-ESP” theory—suggesting mediums pick up info telepathically from the living—still can’t explain how mediums describe people they never met, or how the deceased sometimes reveal facts that even the sitter didn’t know… until later verified.

Near-Death Experiences: Glimpses Beyond the Veil

NDEs often happen when someone is clinically dead—flatlined, no heartbeat, no brain activity—yet they return describing vivid, often life-changing experiences:

• 

  Encounters with loved ones

• Glimpses of a bright light or heavenly realm
• Watching their body from above

In one case shared by Dr. Bruce Greyson, a patient had a detailed encounter with a nurse who had died in a car crash just hours earlier. The patient not only knew she had died—but also the exact make and model of the car involved, even though no one had told him (Greyson, 2021).

Other stories include blind people seeing for the first time during their NDEs—and accurately describing rooms, instruments, or people present while unconscious (Long, 2023).

These are called veridical perceptions (VPs)—and they’re among the most compelling evidence for consciousness existing beyond the physical body.

Despite such compromised brain states, they are still able to report perceptions, memories, and experiences that many researchers interpret as evidence of life after death, called a Veridical Perception (VP). Individuals who report VPs provide accurate and specific details about physical surroundings, conversations, or events that took place while unconscious or clinically dead. This confirmation is crucial in distinguishing instances of VP from mere hallucinations or products of the brain and provide strong evidence for consciousness operating apart from the physical body (Moody, 2010).

Shared Death Experiences: When the Living Cross Over

Death Experiences (SDEs) happen when someone close to a dying person has an experience right as death occurs. The SDE involves receiving information related to the process of dying or the continuation of consciousness beyond death. Loved ones and healthcare workers who have a close bond with the dying person are more likely to report SDEs, suggesting that the likelihood of experiencing an SDE may be connected to the quality of the relationship between the experiencer and the dying individual.

They may:

• See a tunnel or light
• Hear a message from the dying
• Sense a presence or say goodbye

Unlike NDEs, these often happen to people in good health—sometimes even at a distance. And yet they feel real, vivid, and transformative. In contrast to NDEs, which are often subject to skepticism based on the potential influence of a dying brain, SDEs occurring in physiologically healthy individuals challenge the notion of these phenomena solely as products of a dying brain, suggesting that there may be distinct mechanisms at play in the two types of experiences.

Up to 64% of SDEs are reported to happen remotely, adding to the mystery of how consciousness may stretch across space and time. Not surprisingly, a significant majority of individuals report believing in an afterlife following their SDEs, with percentages as high as 87%

Kundalini Awakenings: Consciousness in Overdrive

Another extraordinary experience involves Kundalini awakening—a surge of energy often triggered by deep meditation, trauma, or spiritual practice. Spiritual experiences and especially a Kundalini Awakening (KA), is an energetic transformative EHE recognized in various traditions, especially among Eastern meditative, Hindu tantra and Yogic practices.

Traditional literature conveys “Kundalini” (i.e., Sanskrit for “coiled up”) as a broader phenomenon encompassing a large variety of spiritual experiences and non-dual meditation states. It is a profound and transformative experience that leads to a deep shift in one’s understanding of themselves, the world, and their place in it. It often involves a heightened sense of awareness, a deepening of spiritual or philosophical beliefs, and a fundamental change in values and priorities (Greyson, 2000).

People describe sensations of:

• Bliss or unconditional love
• Energy rising up the spine
• Perception of unity with all things

Scientists studying this phenomenon found that many experiencers report profound shifts in identity, values, and sense of time—suggesting that consciousness itself is expanding or evolving during the process.

Studies, including those by Taylor (2015) and Woollacott et al. (2020), suggest that a key aspect of KA is the dissolution of the physical and mental traits associated with ordinary consciousness, leading to an experience of “undifferentiated pure consciousness.” This heightened state is characterized by several notable attributes:

1) the transcendence of space and time,

2) objectivity and a profound sense of reality,

3) feelings of peace, bliss, and joy,

4) encounters with the holy or divine, and

5) the inexpressibility of the experience itself.

These findings highlight the relationship between KA and consciousness, suggesting that it plays a pivotal role in spiritual development, self-realization, and expanded awareness, often linked to energetic awakenings.

Closing Thoughts: Time to Rethink the Rules?

All of these experiences—telepathy, psychic healing, mediumship, near-death experiences, shared transitions, and spiritual awakenings—point to a central truth:

Consciousness may be more than a byproduct of the brain.

It may be a field, a force, or even the foundation of reality itself.

A growing number of scientists, psychologists, and philosophers agree: It’s time to rethink the old models by bringing the subjective experience and the objective measurable together. To stop dismissing anomalies—and start listening to what they’re trying to teach us.

The next great scientific revolution may not come from a telescope or microscope—but from the inner lens of the human mind.

And if that’s true, then exploring these experiences isn’t fringe… it’s frontier.

Are we ready to cross the bridge?

Let’s find out.

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References~

Bengston W. (2012). Spirituality, connection, and healing with intent: reflections on cancer experiments on laboratory mice. The Oxford Handbook of Psychology and Spirituality. New York, NY: Oxford University Press; 548–577.

Beischel, J. (2015). “Anomalous information reception by research mediums under blinded conditions II: replication and extension.” Explore, 11(2):136-42

Cardeña, E. (2019). The experimental evidence for parapsychological phenomena: A review. American Psychology, 73(5), 663.

Greyson, B. (2021). After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal about Life and Beyond. Essentials.

Greyson, B. (2000). “Some neuropsychological correlates of the physio-kundalini syndrome.” J. Transperpersonal Psychology. 32, 123–134.

Long, Jeffery. (2023). Review of Characteristics of the Near Death Experience Interview by Dave Beaty.

Moody, R. (2010). Consciousness Beyond Life, The Science of the Near-Death Experience. Harper Collins,

Nelson, R., & Bancel, P. (2016). Effects of Mass Consciousness: Changes in Random Data during Global Events. EXPLORE, 7(6), 373.

Tarrant, J. (2025). Science, Skepticism, and “The Telepathy Tapes”. Psychology Today.

Powell, D. (2015). Autistics, Savants, and Psi: A Radical Theory of Mind. Edge Science. 23, 12-18.

Powell, D. (2008). The ESP Enigma: The Scientific Case for Psychic Phenomena. Walker & Company.

Taylor, S. (2015). Energy and awakening: a psycho-sexual interpretation of Kundalini awakening. Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 47, 219–241.

Utts, J. (2016). Appreciating Statistics. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 111(516), 1373.

Woollacott, M., Kason, Y., & Park, R. (2020). Investigation of the Phenomenology, Physiology and Impact of Spiritually Transformative Experiences – Kundalini Awakening. EXPLORE, July. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.explore.2020.07.005.

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