As many may know and hopefully more will be informed this is PF’s 70th anniversary year. Admittedly a milestone all the more significant for us as we face without funding a finite end to our activities. Eileen Garrett’s talisman and ever turning spiral continues to revolve albeit regretfully at a slower pace. To renew our future dedication to the field as long as we are able I have looked to our past to gather inspiration. Taken from a report “ Five years of Activities” spanning January 1, 1954 to December 31, 1958 it warms my heart as apparently we have remained true to our founding mission. As our “Mrs. G” as she was with affection referred to around the office, wrote in that preface:
“The PF was established in 1951 as a non-profit educational organization to support impartial scientific inquiry into the total nature and working of the human mind, and to make available the results of such inquiry. The Foundation’s area of interest includes laboratory experiments such as those concerned with extrasensory perception and psychokinesis, as well as alleged spontaneous phenomena such as telepathy, clairvoyance and precognition. Increasingly, the scope of its inquiries has led to researches of significance to psychology generally, psychiatry, psycho-pharmacology, physics, medicine and religion.
Our Foundation has, since it began functioning, supported the work of individual scientists and of groups of scientists; it has organized conferences and symposia; it has established its own research division and publications; it has extended its offices to include a European research center; and it has drawn on scientists active in many fields of study to contribute ideas and develop new approaches to areas of common interest.
Not every effort has borne fruit; indeed, much remains to be done, even in such basic matters as terminology, the delineation of subject matters, the development of hypotheses and methods. Even the meaning of the concept “parapsychology” itself might gain from further definition.
Eventually, I hope the work begun by the Parapsychology Foundation, Inc. will be taken over and continued on a much larger scale by other foundations and institutions of higher learning. Until such time, we hope to expand our activities to the best of our ability and knowledge, always ready to try the untried, always prepared to venture on roads as yet unexplored.”
Eileen J. Garrett, New York, NY October 5, 1959
Obviously, I could not have said it any better. Sadly our European Headquarters and on site research laboratory headed by Dr. Karlis Osis is no more as times change but I am very proud that PF has continued to serve researchers, students and the public at large as Mrs. G stated “to the best of our ability and knowledge, always ready to try the untried, always prepared to venture on roads as yet unexplored”. Please join in our efforts with your tax deductible support via check or PayPal donation and consider us during your estate planning while spreading the word to those who will be interested in our work. Till next time and a few more twists of PF’s spiral….