Lalsingh Harribance was born to an East Indian family in southern Trinidad on November 11, 1939. He was raised as a Hindu, but attended Christian schools in his earlier years and was eventually baptized at the age of 26. It was at this time that he chose the name, Sean, by which he is known today. After leaving school during his teenage years, in order to help his family, he worked in the oilfield and later was employed as a cashier for the bus service. It was then that a man named Richard Jackman became aware of Sean's abilities. Mr. Jackman, then editor and manager of the Trinidad Guardian, became more and more interested in the accuracy of Sean's predictions. After getting to know Sean, Mr. Jackman decided to introduce him to a psychologist named Hamllyn Dukhan. Dr. Dukhan had been informed of Sean's acute perception and decided that scientific testing was necessary to document the full extent of his abilities. After several years of testing, Sean was then invited to the Foundation for Research on the Nature of Man to be further researched by Dr. J. B. Rhine in 1969. Sean worked with Dr. Rhine, Dr. William G. Roll of the Psychical Research Foundation, and various visiting professors and researchers. Thirty-four papers were published in scientific journals as a result of work done with Sean. The studies were based on testing that was done under very strict conditions where the use of all five senses was blocked. The probability of Sean having gotten the test scores by chance was one in 100 trillion. Moreover, Sean was the first to get high scores on ESP tests where EEG, EKG and galvanic skin response sensors were used. He was also the first to show a link between high ESP scores and a specific brain wave. In 1976, the parapsychology labs could no longer give him a salary so he moved to Maryland in search of research funds from government sources. In Maryland he did some work with Mankind Research, and continued some part-time research with Duke University. Sean began to realize that by proving himself to others, he could generate further interest in parapsychology, and the psi research. During his personal consultations with clients, which included doctors, lawyers, politicians and others, Sean continued to demonstrate that his abilities were genuine. After witnessing his extraordinary abilities, Sean's clients spread the word and encouraged friends to visit him and experience these abilities for themselves. Sean's number of clients continued to increase because of the accuracy of his predictions. Sean did not advertise. He made a number of successful national predictions, for when those come true it can convince a greater number of people and be further proof for ESP and precognition. Unfortunately, Sean was not successful in obtaining the research funds he needed in Washington D.C. He found it necessary to move closer to his clients in Texas and Louisiana, those that had supported him since the early 1970's. In 1981, Sean has lived in Sugar Land, Texas with his wife, Christine, and two children. He continues to visit with clients. Since moving to the United States, Sean has done over 50,000 readings. Many visit him repeatedly over the years. In 1995 the not for profit corporation, the Sean Harribance Institute for Parapsychology Research, Inc. (SHIPR Inc) was founded. In 1997 and 1998 Sean, Dr. Roll, and (in 1998) Cheryl Alexander (from the Rhine Research Center) traveled to Dr. Persinger at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, to participate in the brain studies presented at the Parapsychological Association meeting in August 1998. Authors: Mathew D. Hunter, Bryce P. Mulligan, Blake T. Dotta, Kevin S. Saroka, Christina F. Lavallee, Stanley A. Koren, Michael A. Persinger Affiliations: Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory; Departments of Biology and Psychology; Behavioural Neuroscience, Human Studies, and Biomolecular Sciences Programs, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Publication: Journal of Consciousness Exploration & Research | December 2010 | Vol. 1 | Issue 9 | pp. 1179-1197 | ISSN: 2153-8212 | Published by QuantumDream, Inc. (www.JCER.com) ABSTRACT: The attribution of unobservable cognitive states to others, a component of the 'Theory of Mind', involves activity within the right temporoparietal region. We tested an exceptional subject, Sean Harribance, who displayed a reliable, consistent configuration of QEEG activity over this region that was confirmed through source localization software. The blind-rated accuracies of the histories of 40 people shown in 40 different photographs were strongly correlated with the quantitative occurrence of this conspicuous QEEG pattern displayed during Mr. Harribance's 'intuitive state'. The proportions of specific microstates were also strongly correlated with his accuracy of discerning the historical characteristics of the people in the photographs. Compared to the normal population his microstates were half the duration and his sense of 'now' was about twice as fast as the average person. During his intuitive states there was strong congruence of activity between the left temporal lobes of participants who sat near Mr. Harribance and the activity over his temporal (primarily right) lobes within the theta and 19-20 Hz band. Reversible increases in photon emissions and small alterations in the intensity within the nearby (up to a 1 meter) geomagnetic field along the right side of his head were equivalent to energies of about 10^-11 Joules with amplitude modulations in the 0.2 to 0.6 Hz range. The results indicate even exceptional skills previously attributed to aberrant sources are variations of normal cerebral dynamics associated with intuition and may involve small but discrete changes in proximal energy. We suggest that the unique organization of Sean Harribance's brain has allowed apparent access to information from others' memories. His accuracy has been sufficient to maintain his employment and be accessed by multiple private and government agencies. Quantitative EEG analyses indicated a fixed pattern of reliable increases in power over portions of the right hemisphere. The total numbers and durations of this configuration were significantly correlated with rated accuracies of information of people within photographs. SH displayed microstates that included normal as well as unique patterns whose durations were about half the values obtained for the average person. The actual stimuli that became the information experienced by SH during his interpretations are not clear. The marked coherence of cerebral activity between SH and the participants during his close proximity and display of the IS indicates that a component of the information may originate from within the brains of the participants or a third factor shared by both. The discrete changes in photons concomitant with alterations in the intensity in the surrounding geomagnetic field in the vicinity of SH and the participants indicate involvement of physical mechanisms worthy of thorough exploration. In conclusion there is evidence that Sean Harribance intuits verifiable information about the history and status of others and that the processes are: 1) associated with discrete patterns of his brain activity, and, 2) consistent with the current understanding of the 'Theory of Mind'. Key words: Theory of Mind; microstates; temporoparietal region; geomagnetic alterations; photon emissions; intuitive states. 1. Introduction: A fundamental human ability to predict and to interpret the behavior of others can be explained by a 'Theory of Mind' (Happe 2003; Saxe and Wexler 2005). This is a process by which most healthy adults attribute unobservable cognitive states to others and integrate these states into a coherent model (Saxe and Wexler 2003; Vogeley 2001). Regions near the temporoparietal junction of the human brain have been implicated in a broad range of social cognitive tasks including recognition of faces and inferences about other's thoughts. Sean Harribance (SH) possesses an ability to infer lifetime 'experiences' of the putative memories of others while viewing photographs of a person or individuals known to this person while the latter is present. SPECT displayed increased uptake of tracer and perfusion within the superior medial portion of the right parietal cortices during these experiences (Roll et al. 2002). Using QEEG, reliable signatures involving his right temporoparietal region were found that were associated with ratings of accuracy for his statements. This stable pattern is termed the Harribance Configuration (HC). Two potential mediums hypothesized to contribute to reception of information include biophoton emissions and the shared geomagnetic field. 2. Materials and Methods: 2.1 Participants: All subjects provided written informed consent under Laurentian University Research Ethics Board approval. Testing occurred between 12:00-17:00 local time. 2.2 Data Acquisition and Analysis: - 2.2.1 Quantitative Electroencephalography (QEEG): Monitored via Grass Instrument Model 8-16 C EEGs and Mitsar 201 system amplifier (19 AgCl electrodes, 10-20 international standard). Source localization was performed using sLORETA. - 2.2.2 Rated Accuracy: 10 photographs provided by 4 individuals (N=40). Comments scored blind by providers across categories (false, generally true, specifically true, future references, don't know). - 2.2.3 Microstates: Extracted following Koenig et al. (2002) procedures from 19-channel EEG. - 2.2.4 Temporal Discrimination ('Sense of Now'): Measured discrimination threshold between two discrete stimuli appearing on a screen. - 2.2.5 EEG Responses of Proximal Subjects: Recorded QEEGs of 3 individuals while SH interpreted their photographs at distances of 1-2 m. - 2.2.6 Photon Emission: Model 15 Photometer from SRI Instruments placed 0.15 m from the right side of SH's head in the dark. - 2.2.7 Proximal Changes in Geomagnetic Field Intensity: Measured via MEDA FVM-400 magnetometers at 25 cm and 1 m. 3. Results: - 3.1 QEEG: High frequency (gamma range, 30-40 Hz) configurations over right rostral-parietal-temporal (C4, T4) and right central/orbital frontal regions during interpretational states (IS), specific to right frontal (F4, F8), central (C4), and temporal (T4) around 20 Hz. - 3.2 Accuracy: Total comments M=18, SD=4.7. Categories: false 7%, generally true 42%, specifically true 25% (summed true 67%), don't know 9%, future 18%. Correlation between relative accuracy and numbers of HCs was r = 0.46 (p < 0.001). - 3.3 Microstates: SH's microstates during rest were about half the normal duration (approx. 7 Hz vs 3-4 Hz). Four anomalous microstate patterns emerged during IS. - 3.4 Temporal Discrimination: SH's threshold was 10-20 ms, significantly faster than normal controls (>28 ms). - 3.5 Proximal Subject EEGs: Subjects showed increases in beta and gamma activity over temporal lobes and coherence in the 19-20 Hz and 30-40 Hz bands with SH's right temporal lobe. - 3.6 Photon Emission: Reversible increase of approx. 1 unit transmittance (~1.5 x 10^-11 J/s) at 0.15 m from the right hemisphere during IS with 0.2-0.4 Hz modulation. - 3.7 Geomagnetic Changes: Static geomagnetic field was ~2000 nT less over right temporoparietal region. During IS, transient shifts of ~150 nT (equivalent to ~10^-11 J) occurred. 4. Discussion & 5. Conclusion: SH's intuitive abilities represent a functional variant of normal cerebral processes associated with Theory of Mind and intuition, mediated primarily by the right temporoparietal lobe. The correlated physical changes in biophoton emission and local geomagnetic intensity (~10^-11 J) suggest physical, measurable mechanisms operating in the personal proximal environment. Selected Scientific Reports: - International Journal of Neuroscience: 'Neurobehavioral and Neurometabolic (SPECT) Correlates of Paranormal Information: Involvement of the Right Hemisphere and its Sensitivity to Weak Complex Magnetic Fields' by Dr. Roll, Dr. Persinger, Dr. Webster, Tiller, Cook, Vol 112, No. 2, Feb. 2002, pp. 197-224. - International Journal of Psychophysiology: 'Neurophysiological Research on an Individual Experiencing Anomalous Mental Phenomena: a Case Study' by Dr. Cheryl Alexander, Vol 35, No. 1, Feb 2000, pp 42-43. - Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience: 'The Neuropsychiatry of Paranormal Experiences' by Dr. Michael Persinger, Vol 13, No. 4, Fall 2001, pp 515-524. - Journal of Parapsychology: Multiple publications between 1968 and 1998 covering ESP, REG PK, two-choice clairvoyance EEG studies, and verbal response tests. - Perceptual and Motor Skills: 'Experimental Induction of the "Sensed Presence" in Normal Subjects and an Exceptional Subject' 1997, pp 683-693. - Proceedings of the Parapsychological Association: Papers from the 6th, 7th, 8th, 41st, and 45th annual conventions (1969-2002). - Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research: Articles by Helmut Schmidt (1976) and others (1970-1973). - Research in Parapsychology: Studies on complex psi, precognition, and EEG correlates (1972-1975). Books and Biographical Inclusions: - Advances in Parapsychological Research, Vol. 2 (Plenum Press, 1978) - Diabolical Possession and Exorcism (Tan Books) - The Encyclopedia of Parapsychology and Psychical Research (Paragon House, 1991) - Extra-Sensory Powers, A Century of Psychical Research (Overlook Press, 1977) - Handbook of Parapsychology (Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1977) - Into The Unknown (Reader's Digest, 1981) - Marquis Who's Who in America, Science and Engineering, Medicine and Healthcare, and The World (2002-2005 editions) - Parapsychology: A Century of Inquiry (Dell, 1975) - Parapsychology and the Nature of Life (Harper and Row, 1975) - Parapsychology, The Controversial Science (Ballantine Books, 1991) - Possible Impossibilities: A Look at Parapsychology (Houghton Mifflin, 1977) - Psi Search (Harper and Row) - Psychic Exploration (Putnam's Sons) - Super Senses (New York Book Co, 1976) - The Psychic Realm (Random House, 1975) - Time-Life Nature/Science Annual 1974 - America's Registry of Outstanding Professionals 2004. By Michael A. Persinger, Ph.D., C.Psych. Clinical Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Published in J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 13:515-524, November 2001. Key Words: Paranormal Experiences From the perspective of modern neuroscience all behaviors and all experiences are created by the dynamic matrix of chemical and electromagnetic events within the human brain. Paranormal experiences might be considered a subset of these neurogenic processes. Experiences attributed to paranormal phenomena typically: 1) are dominated by a sensed presence, 2) appear to involve acquisition of information from distances beyond classical senses, and 3) imply distortions in physical time. Most paranormal experiences have negative affective themes with emphasis on death or crisis, occurring predominantly at night (2:00 to 4:00 AM). Temporal lobe seizures and sensed presences share variance within the human brain. Patients with complex partial seizures involving the amygdala and hippocampus report more frequent paranormal-like experiences. Direct surgical stimulation of mesiobasal structures in the temporal lobes evokes comparable vivifications of ongoing experiences. A continuum of temporal lobe sensitivity exists in normal populations. Individuals with elevated scores on inventories of temporal lobe signs exhibit enhanced alpha rhythms and report more frequent paranormal experiences. Geomagnetic Activity and Paranormal Experiences: Global geomagnetic activity is empirically linked to reports of bereavement apparitions (typically within 3 days post-mortem when dream sleep is disrupted and CRF, ACTH, and cortisol are elevated). Modest shifts of 40 to 50 nT in geomagnetic field strength correlate with increased incidence of limbic seizures and paranormal reports. Nocturnal melatonin levels decrease while epileptogenic neuropeptides increase. Experimental Simulation of the Sensed Presence: Application of weak (1 to 5 microtesla), complex, frequency-modulated magnetic fields over the right hemisphere reliably elicits the sensation of a 'sensed presence' in normal individuals. This phenomenon represents awareness of the right hemispheric equivalent of the left hemispheric sense of self. Patterns such as a 'chirp' sequence followed by bilateral amygdaloid burst-firing evoke these experiences consistently. Haunts and Presences as Evoked Experiences: Locations associated with haunting phenomena typically exhibit localized physical anomalies (low-frequency magnetic field bursts, ultrasound). Exposing individuals to frequency-modulated magnetic fields in the laboratory replicates terror, fear rushes, and sensed apparitions with concomitant paroxysmal temporal lobe EEG discharges. Clinical Populations: Patients with mild traumatic brain injury often suffer a disruption of their sense of self and report increased incidences of sensed presences (often aversive if felt on the left, neutral/positive if on the right). Weak, complex pulsed magnetic field therapy (30-minute sessions over 6 weeks) demonstrated significant clinical reduction in depression. Experiences of God: Epileptiform activity over the right temporal lobe is observed during profound religious experiences. Counterclockwise circumcerebral rotation of magnetic pulses interacting with 20-ms increments of conscious processing produces subjective time distortion and sensations of cosmic harmony. Experiences About Others: Telepathic dream studies at Maimonides Medical Center (Ullman & Krippner) showed maximum target congruence during nights with geomagnetic quiet (< 20 nT). Special Cases: 1. Sean Harribance: A sensitive with a history of childhood brain trauma displaying right temporoparietal deficits. In double-blind photograph trials, participants correctly identified 6 to 8 of 10 narratives generated by Harribance. Imaging showed increased SPECT tracer uptake in the right paracentral/superior parietal lobule, and enhanced alpha rhythms over the right parieto-occipital region during tasks. Complex magnetic fields over his right hemisphere modulated his accuracy and alpha rhythm suppression. 2. Ingo Swann: An artist who co-developed remote viewing. Tested on hidden magazine targets, Swann showed significant target congruence strongly correlated (r ~ 0.6) with 7 Hz paroxysmal spike bursts over his right occipital region. Conclusion: All paranormal experiences are understandable in terms of brain functions and neuroelectromagnetic dynamics, bridging the gap between subjective anomalous experiences and objective neuroscientific mechanisms.