While researching psychokinesis and spirit communication, I pulled a book off our shelves that I had forgotten about: Parapsychology: the Controversial Science, by Richard S. Broughton.
Psychokinesis – the ability to influence material objects through nothing but thought (think Uri Geller and spoons!) – happens frequently in spirit communication: lamps blink off and on, TVs go on and off, books topple from shelves, feathers or other objects suddenly show up where they couldn’t possibly be. I thought Broughton’s book might offer some insights. We’ve had numerous comments about this phenomenon under some of our posts. So anyway, I turned to his chapter on Contemproary Psychokinesis Research and ran across a section called PK Research Chinese-Style.
In the early 1990s, Zhang Baoshen, then in his mid-thirties, lived with his family in a 12-room suite at Bejing’s Institute of Space-Medico Engineering (ISME). He and his family had a chef, nurse, servants, and “all of it is provided by the state,” Broughton writes, “on condition that he doesn’t leave the country.” Why? He’s one of China’s super psychics.
Broughton says that Zhang was brought to the attention of Bejing scientists in 1982, when Chinese parapyschology – known as Exceptional Functions of the Human Body – was going through a rough patch of criticism. Between 1982-1984, Zhang was tested by both supporters and critics of the Party’s National Committee of Science. “After 1984, Zhang was no longer available to scientists outside of the military controlled ISME, also known as the 507 Institute of Spaceflight Department.” Apparently Zhang’s specialty was psychokinesis, specifically the ability to move small objects and insects in and out of sealed tubes.
In one experiment, Broughton writes, “a live insect was marked and placed inside a tube. The tube was sealed so that any attempt to open it would break a fine hair glued inside.” The tube was set on a table in front of Zhang, with two experimenters watching. “Several minutes later the insect, still alive, was outside the tube.”
A similar experiment was performed with specially marked pieces of chemically treated paper inserted in a tube, which was then melted so it was constricted at the midpoint. The ends were sealed with cotton wads that had been treated with a different chemical and were irreversibly sealed. With four experimenters observing from different angles, it took Zhang about five minutes to accomplish what he had with the insects. “The seal on the tube was undamaged and later inspection revealed traces of chemical reaction on the cotton, suggesting that the papers had passed through the cotton.”
Ok, so this isn’t what Stephen King’s Carrie could do. But it was enough so that Zhang’s work was kept quiet by the authorities. I Googled Zhang with different search phrases and didn’t find much about him now. There are references to the 1997 book called China’s Super Psychics, but I was curious about Zhang in 2010. I found a brief wikipedia entry and an article from 2005. There were a few others places where his name was mentioned, notably as a qigong master. But I didn’t find much of anything, at least in English, about what this enigmatic figure is doing now. Interesting, though, that qigong was outlawed in China in the summer of 1999 because of the government’s fear that it had attained cult status. New York Times article on that is here.
What began as a search for psychokinesis related to after death communication turned into a weird little mystery about Zhang. So Zhang, if you’re out there, please check in and leave us a comment!
i agree with everyone ~ GREAT TOPIC.
Just the other night, someone was on our patio. Possible intruder. Our back door is a glass french door and with the blinds raised 6" for the cat to look out, we saw legs and feet facing th door as if about to try the handle or break the glass. Needless to say my husband shouted deep from the belly a few angry choice words and they dissappeared. Nonetheless we ran outside with weapon and pitbull in hand. We sat in our breezway waiting for the police. 15 minutes go by and we decide to go inside. As we did, All the lights in the breezeway turned off for 3 seconds and turned back on (5 of them). We both felt "something" was there protecting us.
I also have a lil stuffed animan (a webkin to be exact) that sits up on my shelf next to my memoir of Mary things (sister who passed away)that has been found on the floor twice now during significant emotional times since she passed. A cardinal painting i look at everday was tilted one morning.
Love it!
Marcus,
just a note to say that I purchased a copy of " Sage of Synchronicity " from Amazon and read it and I liked it so much that I gave it a 5 star review under my Amazon name of Brizdaz
( Brisbane {BrizVegas}+ Darren = Brizdaz )
I even went out and bought myself a " Chucky " bobble-head doll and put it on my bookcase to remind my of the wounded child and one of those little Lego ( EGO ) man keyring torches to remind me to let the light ( higher self )pass through the head (bypass the Ego) and out through the feet.
Maybe in the future you could put out a CD version of the book.
Anyway,what I was going to write before all of the above was the Falun Gong distribute a free paper around Brisbane which I have often picked up and read from my local cinema called " The Epoch Times " and I must say there is some good stories in it and I can see why the Chinese government would want them banned.They are the Chinese equivalent of what the American mainstream media would call "Conspiracy Theorists". Here's a link on Wikipedia about the paper:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Epoch_Times
Cheers / Daz
Great comments and insights!
Lauren – love this story! I like that neither one of you were afraid, too.
Fascinating…….back in the early '80's I lived in a famously haunted house in Putney, Vermont; I often saw things displaced, lights went on and off, and once my roomate and I saw an antique clock (that didn't work) tick away for several hours. In retrospect, I'm surprised that neither of us was terrified, except that we both felt no fear of whatever "visitors" were there; in fact, we kind of felt like they liked us.
In her 1970 (?) book, "Living as if the God in All Life Mattered", Micaela Small Wright, the founder of Perelandra in Virginia, talks about Devas, beings from the plant kingdom, teaching her how to "manifest". I have the utmost respect for her, and see no reason why she would make it up.
A young man, age 23, became one of my clients and then one of my students, and continues working with me in certain areas although he is now 43. Years ago he moved to the NWest and has had the best of the best mentors. He is caucasian American, born in FL, and has become one of very few true Golden Shield QiGong Masters in the world. His abilities are astonishing, although he is not a showman (they aren't) nor does he speak of these learned abilities or brag about them. I am aware of them only because he has studied other subjects with me for twenty years and therefore I am privy to it. These Masters of that Chinese Art have mind-shattering abilities. I've witnessed only some of it. And their philosophy is simply beyond description. I consider it an honor and privilege to be close to this young man, and the roles have balanced. He has become a teacher in his own right.
Spectacular doesn't begin to say it. If everyone embraced the GSQG way of life, our world would be a maginificent place to live. cj
Always an interesting read when i come here. Wow.
Maggie – I think you're absolutely right!
Might just be me but I think that before Google became so used the internet used to have a lot more unique information out there…seems watered down now and harder to find people like Zhang. Just me?
Very interesting post.
Thanks, Marcus, for your 'on the ground' insight from China. Let us know if your wife comes up with any leads.
For readers who are not familiar with Marcus Anthony, he's a psychologist/futurist and author of a fascinating book, The Sage of Synchronicity.
He also has a blog with lots of interesting entries:
https://22cplus.blogspot.com/
It's an interesting topic. I live in Hong Kong and have lived in mainland China and return their regularly. I also write and research quite a bit about things related to synchronicity and spiritual development. However I confess I have never heard about Zhang Baoshen, nor the government's experimentation with PK. It's not surprising on the one hand, as the Soviets were right into this, and Beijing often copied whatever they were doing. We know a lot more about the Soviet stuff becasue the government fell and a lot of documents were released – not so in China.
The Chinese government is extremely fearful of anything to do with 'superstition' and religion. In the late 19th century the Taiping Rebellion, led by a fellow who said he was Jesus' reincarnated brother, lasted years and led to mass chaos and 30 million deaths. The Chinese are very superstitious, and more than a little gullible, if I may say so, so this in part explains the government's position.
The government often makes pronouncements about the importance of "scientific development" and the need to do away with 'superstition". There's no way they would ever publicly endorse any research into the paranormal.
I will ask my Chinese wife to do a Chinese web search on Zhang Baoshen – but I suspect he will have been blacklisted from search engines.
By the way, the government has not banned Chi Gong. It has banned a group called the Falun Dafa (Falun Gong), which used some ideas related to Chi Gong, but also has strongly cultist elements. Their leader is rather dodgy, but then again so are a lot of religious leaders round the world, so its debatable whether they really needed to be banned and persecuted. They don't seem to have caused any major problems in Hong Kong, Taiwan or other countries round the world.
Hope new zealand has recovered from that quake, Marja!
Ah fascinating stuff. Hopefully he finds your post that is if they don't keep him under control
Loved that book!
Grrr I posted a response and it never showed up.
I'm not 100% certain what was the cause of the spoon/fork bending. Poltergeist phenomenon has manifested in my life since childhood, but the silverware bending only happened during that 5 years when my daughter was with us.
In investigating poltergeist, the PPI team keeps in mind that there is a possible PK component in some documented cases: specifically with cases involving teens. Theoretically, it could be possible that some poltergeist cases could be a combination of a spirit and a PK gifted person. A spirit need to obtain energy from a source: electricity, human vitality, etc. PK ability possibly indicates a stronger energy source.
There is a fascinating book about a well documented PK person: "The PK Man", by Jeffery Mishlove, PhD.
Belief: I agree, Mike.
Debra – so this was truly psychokinetis, generated by your and your daughter rather than through spirit stuff? Funny. No matching silverware. Can I use that excuse??:)
Zhang story is interesting. China, it seems, makes interesting people "disappear".
There was an intense period ( approx. 5 years) in my life with alot of possible poltergeist activity . During these years, our forks and spoons would be bent went we went to use them. We stopped trying to have matching silverware, because it became too costly. My husband always insisted it was because my daughter and I together created this force. Interestingly, when my daughter moved out, the silverware stopped bending. And it's never happened in her own household. (there were other casualties as well: vcr's, toaster ovens,lamps.)
Fascinating subject. Guess most of us can't do this consciously because we don't believe we actually can. Hope Zhang sees the post!
Maybe it was your mindset. Maybe it was spirit contact. Maybe you're psychokinetic, Nancy!
That's been happening to me lately. I start to read about something and then it takes me in a whole new direction.
During times in my mid-twenties, usually involving high-drama, things would literally fly across the room. One time a cap from a catsup bottle flew from the cupboard to the other side of the living room. And a full garbage that was heavy, just fell over to the side. I attributed it to my mindset at the time.