In 1978, a substantial grant was given to the Parapsychology Association of Riverside, Inc. to conduct a longitudinal investigation into the power of the mind to heal physical pathologies using hypnosis and regression as the primary interventions for healing. While hypnosis was to be used in all cases, the precise nature of the therapeutic intervention was left to each of the researchers involved in the project. The following report gives the reader an overview and summarizes the project. The full project report, including data tables, photographs, and case studies, as well as a bibliography and other materials, has been published as APRT Monograph No. 1, 1993.
by Hazel M. Denning, Ph.D., Project Director
Abstract
The Parks Research and Education Project was announced in 1978 in the Newsletter of the Parapsychology Association of Riverside, Inc. (PAR) and, at completion, 916 participants were tabulated in the final analysis. Twelve researchers were selected who had a background in the counseling field and additional training was provided in hypnotic techniques including regression techniques. The researchers worked with participants for three years, with two, three, and five year follow-ups. The greatest value of the project was most dramatically revealed in those cases in which cancer, psoriasis, arthritis, migraines, and degenerative diseases were totally eliminated.