Gary Schwartz
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Gary E. Schwartz, PhD, is a professor of psychology at the University of
Arizona best known for controversial experiments with mediums.
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Biography
* 2 References
* 3 Books
* 4 External links
[edit] Biography
Schwartz received his PhD from Harvard University, and was a professor of
psychiatry and psychology at Yale University as well as Director of the Yale
Psychophysiology Center and co-director of the Yale Behavioral Medicine
Clinic from 1976-1988. He is the Director of The VERITAS Research Program of
the Human Energy Systems Laboratory in the Department of Psychology at the
University of Arizona.[1][2]
In his early career, Schwartz published extensively on biofeedback research,
and health psychology. Schwartz's major research focus for the past ten
years has been in the fields of parapsychology and consciousness-based
healthcare. The goal stated by VERITAS is to test the hypothesis that the
consciousness of a person survives physical death. To this end, Schwartz has
performed experiments at the University of Arizona that tested well-known
mediums such as John Edward of TV's Crossing Over and Allison DuBois, the
inspiration for the TV drama Medium. Based on research that Schwartz has
characterized as formal scientific experiments under controlled conditions
as well as informal readings on himself, Schwartz concluded that DuBois
could indeed contact dead people, saying, "There is no question this is not
a fraud, some people really can do this, and Allison is one of them."
Schwartz says his experiments with DuBois included a reading for celebrity
physician and author Dr. Deepak Chopra following the death of his father
that Chopra characterized as 77% accurate.[3]
Schwartz's methods have prompted criticism by skeptics such as University of
Oregon professor Ray Hyman, who says they deviate from the accepted norms
of scientific methodology, and criticizes Schwartz for research errors such
as inappropriate statistical tests and using subjects predisposed to believe
in psychic abilities.[4] Skeptic Robert Todd Carroll maintains that
Schwartz's evaluation of mediums is subjective and a product of wishful
thinking.[3][5] When skeptic James Randi asked the University of Arizona to
submit Schwartz's research data to an independent panel for evaluation as
part of his $1 Million Challenge, Schwartz declined because he believed the
panel, which was picked by Randi, would be biased.[6] Schwartz has also been
accused by psychic Laurie Campbell and Allison DuBois of exploiting their
publicity value.[7]
Schwartz is the co-author of The Living Energy Universe, and is the author
of The Afterlife Experiments: Breakthrough Scientific Evidence of Life After
Death and The Truth About Medium as well as authoring over 450 scientific
papers and editing academic books.
