Book ITC - A-8 TC in the General Public

A few years ago BENDER coined the term ‘occult wave’, which, in an ‘underground’ manner, also suggests the seamy sides of the growing interest in paranormal phenomena among a greater public. The state-run (European) radio and television corporations and the so-called ‘serious press’, presumably because of competition aspects, meanwhile are less retentive in their dealing with these topics difficult to assign to the usual categories. Journalists engaged to such extent that they run ahead of the pack in the usual ‘fight of all against all’ risk(ed) professional setbacks and exposure to open or underhand repression from superior editorial staff and from dogmatic confessional circles as soon as sanctioned core dogmas are questioned. All in all, the importance of extraordinary phenomena for humanity is not having adequate regard in the public [47].

[47] Without claiming completeness, the following positive examples can be mentioned: some particular broadcasts by ADLER (SWF3, Germany), series by EICHELBECK (ZDF, Germany, “Die Erde, der Himmel und die Dinge dazwischen” (earth, heaven, and the things between them)), SWF1, Germany: “Das darf doch nicht wahr sein” (I can’t believe it) giving short objective definitions, sometimes including discussions on terms used in border sciences. ZDF, Germany: SCHNELTING. In the USA, Italy, and since shortly in France, Spain and Holland, the situation is characterized by greater open-mindedness. OLSEN produced a rather long serial for SAT1, Germany, partly using material from his films. Last video: „JUERGENSON: Die Bruecke zur Unsterblichkeit“ (the bridge to immortality). A video on ITC is available in Swedish language, produced by ECKARDT/OLSSON. The Dutch and French TVs broadcasted neutral reports on the contacts at HOMES, the Dutch team having had the chance of recording a direct online contact. SAT1, Germany, broadcasted an Anglo-American team at HOMES. By this time, SWF, Germany, and RTL, Luxemburg, also have emitted several correct broadcastings.

Private stations show more flexibility. As the best model is to be regarded Radio-Tele-Luxemburg (RTL), from whose radio studios Rainer HOLBE in 1983 began to broadcast “Unglaubliche Geschichten” (Unbelievable Stories) weekly; from 1984 to 1988 he also ran on television every two weeks or so and counted an audience of approximately two million, till a denunciation without factual justification caused him to give up his position. Though in the jargon of some parapsychologists his airings were in a derogatory manner categorized as ‘pop parapsychology’, it is provable that they helped many persons to overcome their fear of talking frankly about events that weigh on them. The considerable amount of letters and calls received by the station documented the helplessness of those seeking advice (van den BUSSCHE). The supposition that the programs would encourage the spread of ‘occult practices’ among young people was not borne out (MISCHO: pilot study in Freiburg). Also in a series of books published as a RTL edition, HOLBE took particularly to ITC. After a longer pause two serials at SAT1 television were occasion for him to temporally work again for the public and to present ITC anew. Two accompanying books complete the telecasts. Meanwhile these themes have been taken up sometimes also by RTL, SAT1 and ARD Nord 3 TV broadcasting.

Apart from a few positive exceptions, border science subjects are treated on the lowest possible level in the yellow press and popular magazines. The inherent tendency towards sensationalism results in strongly reduced, distorted, partly even false presentations, which are less attributable to an incompetence or wilful malice of the interviewers than to almost unavoidable ‘editorial changes’.

In fact one only editor is able to withold certain news from the general public, or to transmit them formed in violent constructions. Regarding the behaviour of ‘scientific’ periodicals see 126: MARGENAU and LeSHAN addressed a letter to the ‘scientific’ periodical “Science” in which among others they asked which scientific laws were violated by the appearance of ESP. And that it was in no ways sure that the transmission of information had to be equated with energy or mass. After three further inquiries they still did not even receive an acknowledgement of receipt. Editor of this periodical: “American Association for the Promotion of Science”. What is known are statements made to SHELDRAKE’s morphogenetic fields: ‘’This infuriating treat … is the best candidate for burning there has been for many years’, (‘Nature’), see C-17 and [163].

[163] The neutral publication in the periodical TransKommunikation of the essentially identical transtexts that had spontaneously appeard on June 19^th, 1991 at HOMES in Rivenich and at CETL in Luxemburg were - without any further reference - commented (March 1992) in a circular of the Freiburger Institut fuer Psychologie und Grenzgebiete and Psychohygiene (institute for psychology and border domains and psychohygienics) with the following sentence: ‘Hans BENDER was no concealed spiritist as the already beginning transcommunicative creation of legends wants to make believe’. The author’s protestation against the implicit insinuations was replied to on April 30^th, 1992: ‘We may come to the following agreement: if you abstain from publishing so-called ‘passings of messages’ from Hans BENDER, there will be no more reason for me to speak of a creation of legends”. After a pause of 32 months Hans BENDER made contact again via radio and asked to transmit his greetings to two ‘Freiburger’ gentlemen. One of them did not react at all, the other one, in a letter dated March, 17^th, 1994, joined the “Zeitschrift fuer Spiritismus und verwandte Gebiete” (periodical for spiritism and related subjects) of the year 1987 in which was to read: ‘The editorship does not assume any responsibility for messages from the realm of spirits’. Even less understandable is the one-sided presentation of the person BENDER who had not at all continuously maintained the officially represented animistic mode of thought (see the results of examination of VOT and their evaluation in B-12.1, and GRUBER in 1993; regarding identification and the STEINER case, see F-38.12.

One could let such episodes rest; they are cited - unfortunately not only in the FRG - as examples of the usual modes of reaction of academical parapsychologists whose minds are closed to transcendency, whom one can see as ‘unpolitely called second-class scientists’ like an English physicist did.

As if these internals would not be enough, some years ago the German speaking intelligentzia was confronted with the following ‘scientific’ evaluation of VOT phenomena (Fokus 13/1994, p. 158/9): “Keine Chance fuer Spuk im Laendle” (No chance for spook in the county):

‘(The parapsychological service center) frequently receives calls from people having heard voices from the Beyond. In Austria even exists the Verein fuer Tonbandstimmenforschung (association for research on VOT). Hobby researchers believe recognizing secrete messages in the welter of broadcastings on the medium-wave range. Then the cassette serving as proof is full of thrilling messages such as ‘Babanzel’ or ‘Auf Wiederkontakt’ (till a next contact). Among German ghosts, too, re-unification seems to have taken place. In Saxon dialect a voice said with a nasal twang: ‘Now flash again’. – Using phantasy, it is possible to interprete almost everything from the pretended messages, says LUCADOU. He smiles at the zestful voice collectors: ‘I rather pity the tape freaks. Therefore, I am very kind with them.’ One has to read the last sentence – apparently cited word by word – twice to believe the disdainful arrogance lacking any differentiation of facts, which delivered it. Those who have not yet had enough of it may study the ‘First Report on Field Examinations’, patched up with the cooperation of the named gentleman after a visit made to Martin WENZEL (published under BERGER et.al. in JSPR). Similarly to the way in which the phenomenon of VOT was dismissed subsequent to the inglorious publication by ELLIS, the gentlemen now have polished off the transimages.

Finally (without claiming completeness!) be mentioned that in this same periodical JSPR was published a review on Ken WEBSTER’s book “The Vertical Plane” in which the reviewer, untroubled from any knowledge of the subject, disqualified the whole as Science Fiction.

Two examples from earlier times may illustrate the problematic situation regarding the conception ‘liberty of the press’:

Public announcement in the FRG of the results achieved with the Spiricom Mark IV system had been planned to occur about simultaneously with the press conference held at the National Press Club in a detached judicious atmosphere (1982, Washington DC, see A-6.3). But despite of his best efforts, the opposition of a ‘senior editor’ made DETERMEYER fail in getting the German press agency DPA to distribute an article on this subject. Later the ideological background underlying this editor’s biased prevarications could be clearly deduced from this gentleman’s other press releases. The corresponding ddp release of April 15^th, 1982 reads:

The book market is flooded with a wealth of more or less reliable parapsychological, esoteric, and ‘New-Age’ literature. VOT and ITC have been published in about 100 monographs - part of which is already out of print - in 11 countries (Germany, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Finland, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, USA) (G-41). By that time, the shorter empirical reports, mainly published in bulletins or similar publications of the private associations, and occasionally in literature on border sciences have no end. From 1989 till 2002 the periodical ‘Transkommunikation’, edited by Dr. med. Vladimir DELAVRE and the author under ‘Gesellschaft fuer Psychobiophysik e.V.’ (registered association for psychobiophysics), endeavoured objective presentation of ITC and related phenomena and their classification according to science. In A-6.1 are mentioned the “Basler PSI-Tage” of 1989 which were dedicated exclusively to TC. Further specific international congresses took place thereafter.

Not least in coherence with the investigations made on out-of-body- and near-death experiences, ITC appears to meet with increasing attention also in the German general public and from physicians. Science-fiction literature, cinema- and video films (SPIELBERG) contribute to a change of consciousness, in particular as regards children and young people. Paranormal events presented in a quite ‘natural’ manner build up new fields of thoughts and ideas, concepts which even in case of apparent rejection leave their trace in the subconscious. It is evidenced that part of their contents have been furnished by mediums (NICHOLLS). WIERGOWSKI (‘Die Andere Realitaet’ (‘the other reality’) year 11, no. 5/1993) cited in ‘Die spirituellen Hintergruende des Raumschiffs Enterprise” (the spiritual background of space ship Enterprise) that the ‘inventor’ of this science-fiction serial, Gene RODDENBERRY had received a great lot of his information via deep-trance medium Phyllis SCHLEMMER from a COUNCIL OF NINE whose members identify with the ELOHIM.

During the fifteen years that have passed since the first edition of this book the climate in the general public in respect of the border subjects has experienced a noticeable change. Consequential to the positive reactions of growing social strata to corresponding radio- and television transmissions as well as to publications in the press media, has increased the preparedness of the editorship to seize on these subjects. At the same time, the hitherto almost exclusively spiteful-critical tenor of the commentaries is decreasing. Contrary to this the concern the academical world in the FRG and in France has in them is unchanged, say naught. A certain hope resides in the freer American development, which is not constricted by governmental regimentation. So, for example, the ‘Institute of Noetic Sciences’ (IONS), founded by former astronaut Edgar MITCHELL and led by Willis HARMAN†, recently published for the first time an article on ITC written by MACY. This institute, sponsored by the FETZER- and ROCKEFELLER Foundation, sees its principal task in a revising of the metaphysical bases of contemporary science with the aim of doing scientific research on a spiritual consciousness that appears to be life’s supporting element. Similar trends are kept track of by a number of other college- and private research groups in the USA, and with the usual delay they might one day also come to Europe and be brought up to date.

By this the – in many places lost - angels have cropped up from the past. Modern popular tunes talk of sun and light, infinity, timelessness and eternity, of bridge-building, continuance of life, and finding together again in the Beyond. The BLAECK FOEOESS group of Cologne, for example, sings: ‘There is a life after death’, and Matthias REIM sings out: