TWO CHOSEN FOR THE 2019 LISETTE COLY AWARD

I am over the moon excited and proud to announce PF has managed to extend financial support for two very deserving researchers to attend the 2019 Parapsychological Association Convention next month in Paris, France.  Personally I still can’t believe the Board honored me by naming a grant after me…and I am not even dead yet!  Professionally I am elated that PF has been able to once again continue to support those working in parapsychology and especially those relatively new to the field.  We received several excellent applications which speaks well for the future of parapsychological research and were very hard put to choose only one winner. We tightened PF’s financial belt and looked metaphorically under the sofa cushions for spare change and have managed to fund two Lisette Coly Award winners.

Dr. Ana Stefanova has a Master degree in Medicine, master degree in Psychology and PhD in Folklore Studies (Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum)   Her Master thesis in Psychology was “The Evolution of the concept of community psychological phenomena in the works of CG Jung” and her PhD thesis was entitled “Analytical psychological approach to Bulgarian Folklore with Emphasis on Firedancing” (nestinarski ritual complex). She also works on the topic of analytical approaches to psychological approach to heavy metal culture. She has more than 20 publications in varying psychology academic journals in Bulgaria and abroad along with her work experience as ethnologist in the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and is an exhibited artist and illustrator.  Taken from her application in her own words “I have a strong interest in the field of parapsychology, both professional and personal.  Being Jungian, I think this interest is a natural and logical widening of my knowledge with practical and theoretical concepts and researches…I would be happy to meet new people, who work in different topics in parapsychology and to have the opportunity to discuss issues…Another reason for my wish to attend the PA is that in my country of Bulgaria we do not have parapsychology on a scientific level…My intentions are to following the convention return to present my impressions to colleagues and to the public so as to  in future  make my own contributions to the field.” It seems that Ana fits perfectly within PF’s intent to try and stimulate interest in parapsychology in diverse international, cultural and academic communities.  I join PF’s Past Presidents, Eileen J. Garrett and Eileen Coly in the hopes that our Lisette Coly Award winners will go forth and multiply!

Ramses D’Leon does not quite fit within the stated criteria for the award as he has already been working diligently in parapsychology with published papers and as Program Assistant for the 2018 PA Convention and as the current Program Chair for this year’s PA.  He, however, is no less deserving of our support.  While certainly no longer a Student Member of the PA he asked to be considered in his application not as the Program Chair but as a M.S. student trying hard to attend the convention.  Certainly, he is well deserving to partake of the fruit of his labor in crafting what has shaped up to be a stimulating and valuable conference and very much deserves to attend the convention.  His attendance is important for his own career advancement but will also no doubt add to the overall success and value of the meeting.   We therefore stretched the rules a bit and as it is after all an award in my name… it was hard for anyone to argue with me. Ramses is a psychologist, as well as researcher and educator in the field of parapsychology.   He serves as Director of the Unidad Parapsicologica de Investigacion, Difusion y Ensenanza UPIDE (Parapsychological Unit for Research, Diffusion and Education), the only parapsychology unit to date in Mexico.  His research interests include topics such as psychokinesis, physiological anticipation and transliminality.  He has published papers in two parapsychology journals, Argentina’s E-Boletin PSI Edited by Dr. Alejandro Parra and the Journal of Exceptional Experiences and Psychology.

So you can well appreciate my belief in PF money well spent!  It’s not too late for registration to the PA so you can still get in on the action.  If you do attend please welcome Ramses and Ana to the fold.  They will be sending me their conference experiences so I will report.  Until next time….