Free Dreams of Origami by Elenor Gill Page B

to renew my interest. Hence I get invited to things like Tuesday evening, even though it was a public meeting.’
    ‘I see. I must say I was surprised to find so many academic bigwigs attending an event like that. It seemed too far-out and freaky for intellectuals.’
    ‘Not at all. I assume you’ve not heard of the Koestler Parapsychology Unit? It’s part of the Psychology Department of the University of Edinburgh, and has its own chair. Some American universities have set up their own research units, too. As you say, a little controversial for Cambridge, perhaps, but there’s a lot of interest among the students and several of the Forum committee are members of the university faculty.’
    ‘Really? So exactly what do they mean by “parapsychology”? And what is a psychic, what do you do? What’s the difference?’
    ‘Oh, heavens, those are rather broad questions.’ Gideon laughs. ‘If I answered fully we could be here all night. Right, to put it very, very simply, a parapsychologist is a scientist or scholar who is seriously interested in psychic experiences. That might mean telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition—a whole range of mind-matter interaction.’
    ‘What about UFOs and ghosts?’
    ‘Ghosts, yes, and UFOs. Anything that is potentially measurable or verifiable.’
    ‘What are they hoping to find?’
    ‘It may be that what science knows about the nature of the universe is incomplete.’ He picks up a flier from the table, an A5 sheet advertising a forthcoming drama at the Mumford. ‘We certainly don’t know enough about the relationship between the mind and the body. They might, in fact, be two separate and independently functioning items. Perhaps humans are capable of much more than we have assumed so far. And historically what have been called miracles may simply be the application of a different set of rules.’
    ‘But you call yourself a psychic. So, where do you come in?’
    ‘Well, you might say I am one of the phenomena they study.’ Hiseyes are focused on the paper in which he is making a complex series of folds.
    ‘But you also call yourself a parapsychologist, don’t you? Surely you can’t be both?’
    ‘I confess I’m a bit of an anomaly. I practise psychism, yes, but in my writings and research I try to maintain a degree of objectivity. And I emphasize facts and look at the evidence. At least, as far as possible, and some of the time I confess it isn’t. That’s why I became disillusioned with the so-called scientific researchers.’
    ‘How come?’
    ‘Well, take the whole issue of survival after death, which is one of the main areas of investigation. There’s no way anyone can maintain objectivity, it’s just not possible. Sooner or later, everyone dies. Try finding a researcher who doesn’t have a personal interest in their own mortality.’
    ‘That’s true.’ Lacey speaks quietly. Something in her voice alerts Gideon to that dark shadow he felt earlier.
    ‘But in some respects,’ he continues, ‘it was more the ethical implications that concerned me. For instance, there’s the whole problem of the academic researcher and their personal interests. There’s a certain kudos to be gained by the recruitment of high-profile members. However, we have here the cream of the country’s intellectuals, students on the brink of a brilliant career, respected professors with ambitions for faculty chairs. Think of the rewards. All the glittering prizes. Are they going to risk offending the establishment and blow their entire future by claiming they have proof of the existence of a poltergeist? I think not. Far safer to debunk everything regardless. They don’t necessarily set out to do that—not intentionally, anyway. But, as I say, in parapsychology there is no such thing as purely objective opinion.’
    ‘It’s a bit like being a reporter, then. No such thing as the truth, just someone’s version of it.’
    Gideon laughs. ‘Exactly. So that’s why I became