Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam   

‘Expand research in Parapsychology’

VISAKHAPATNAM: Research in Parapsychology should be expanded in the country as it provided a rich ground, speakers said at the inaugural of a national seminar on “Parapsychology from Indian Philosophical Perspective,” here on Monday.

Addressing the meeting, former Andhra University Vice-Chancellor and founding father of the Department of Psychology and Parapsychology K. Ramakrishna Rao said the western model was closed and did not permit such a research. He recalled his endeavour to launch the department more than 40 years ago returning from Duke University at an invitation from the then UGC Chairman D.S. Kothari though not as an independent one as planned at the beginning. While it was one of the better departments, the purpose for which it had been started became more and more marginalised, he said. The work being done by the Institute of Yoga and Consciousness, however, continued to be referred worldwide.

Prof. Ramakrishna Rao, who is also Chairman of Indian Council of the Philosophical Research, said a few years ago an international seminar on parapsychology and yoga was organised at the university after which he offered to fund rebuilding laboratories spending Rs.25 lakhs and crores of rupees later. But it did not materialise, he said. Now it was proposed to spend Rs.1.5 crores initially on an Institute for Parapsychology at GITAM University and subsequently another Rs.3 to Rs.4 crores.

Andhra University Vice-Chancellor Beela Satyanarayana referred to parapsychology as mentioned in the Puranas. Research was required as people still hesitate to donate organs after death because of their beliefs. He, however, wanted the former Vice-Chancellor to fund public universities rather than ‘deemed to be’ universities that faced no fund crunch.

Director of Laboratories of Fundamental Research, Palo Alto, Edwin May delivered the key note address.

Principal of College of Arts and Commerce L.K. Mohana Rao, Registrar P.V.G.D. Prasada Reddy, seminar director V.Gowri Rammohan and Head of the Department T.V. Ananda Rao spoke.

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