DOI: 10.23793/zfa.2026.COMP1
Journal of Anomalistics 26-1 as PDF (10.2 MB)
Journal of Anomalistics 26-1 as PDF (compressed, 5 MB)
Journal of Anomalistics 26 (2026), No. 1, pp. 6–13
DOI: 10.23793/zfa.2026.006
Editorial
"Effort Structure" and Superhumanism
"Mühestruktur" und Superhumanismus
PDF full text (Englisch, pp. 6–9)
PDF full text (German, pp. 10–13)
Main Articles
Journal of Anomalistics 26 (2026), No. 1, pp. 14–36
DOI: 10.23793/zfa.2026.014
Non-Classical Correlation Between Subjective and Objective Color Observations
Markus A. Maier, Anastasia Vogel, Johannes Storch, Moritz C. Dechamps
Abstract
In recent research testing the non-commutability conjecture of the Generalized Quantum Theory, Maier and Dechamps (2025) reported macroscopic complementary relations empirically documented as non-classical correlations between subjective assessment of likability of colors and variations of objective documentations of these colors. Specifically, they found higher likability mean scores in a condition where objective color parameters were not erased and stored in a result file compared to a condition in which these parameters were erased and inaccessible by experimenters. This effect was robust across four studies. Each study’s design in this series of experiments was intentionally confounded with a “color bias” variable. Only limited sets of colors after random creation were specifically assigned to one of the two conditions, so that the effect of the erasure manipulation could alternatively be explained by the specific features of the colors assigned to conditions (the confound was later statistically ruled out by permutations). The presence of a confound was introduced to avoid the impact of the NT axiom, which forbids a strict causal testing approach. Rather, according to the NT axiom when macroscopic complementary relations are tested in a strictly causal way, initial effect documentations should be followed by a decline within and across studies. In the study presented here, the studies of Maier and Dechamps (2025) were conceptually replicated by a strict, i. e. unconfounded, causal testing strategy, to explicitly test the proposed impact of the NT axiom. In two experimental conditions (within-subjects) objective color parameters were either stored or not stored. Assignment of colors to conditions was randomized on the participant level this time ensuring an unconfounded design. The prediction derived from the NT axiom was that under such circumstances the erasure-dependent likability effect should initially be found and later drastically decline. The results supported this prediction: A higher likability mean score was initially found in the non-erasure compared to the erasure condition with strong Bayesian evidence (BF10 = 39.77), replicating the previous findings but now followed by a decline within the study. These findings are in line with the conjectures of the GQT. Specifically, they indicate that subjective assessments and objective measurements of colors are non-commutable and that the data follow the predictions of the NT axiom exhibiting an “effect and decline” data pattern when strictly causally tested. An additional permutation analysis showed that the probability to find such an effect and decline data pattern by chance was very low (p < .03) indicating that it could hardly be interpreted as “false positive” finding. The impact of this and the previous results on the validity of the GQT in describing psychophysical relations as non-classical correlations between spatio-temporally separated subjective assessments and objective measurements of colors is discussed.
Keywords
Generalized Quantum Theory, non-transmission axiom, NT axiom, macroscopic complementarity, macroscopic non-local entanglement correlation, psychophysical interaction, subjective-objective duality
Journal of Anomalistics 26 (2026), No. 1, pp. 37–74
DOI: 10.23793/zfa.2026.037
Macroscopic Complementarity Between Subjective and Objective Food Image Assessments
Markus A. Maier, Anastasia Vogel, Moritz C. Dechamps
Abstract
The Generalized Quantum Theory (GQT) proposes that subjective experiences and objective physical measurements constitute macroscopic complementary subsystems related through acausal, non-local entanglement correlations. The non-commutability conjecture of the GQT predicts that measurement within one subsystem modifies the state of the entire system, including the eigenvalues of the complementary subsystem. Maier and Dechamps (2025) provided preliminary evidence for this conjecture by demonstrating that the storage (non-erasure) versus erasure of objective color parameters (hue and lightness) systematically affected subjective likability ratings across four studies (higher subjective likability mean score in the non-erasure compared to the erasure condition). The present research conceptually replicated these color-erasure findings in a different stimulus domain. In four studies (total N = 647), participants rated photographs of food dishes on subjective tastiness while the objective food parameters (calorie values and stimulus IDs) were either stored (non-erasure condition) or permanently deleted (erasure condition). As in the color studies, limited stimulus sets were fixedly assigned to conditions within each study, deliberately introducing a stimulus-bias confound to protect the acausal complementary relation from the destructive impact of the non-transmission (NT) axiom. Following a predefined three-step analysis plan, preregistered Study 1 (Step 1) documented a strong erasure effect on tastiness ratings. Participants evaluated food dishes as more appetizing in the non-erasure compared to the erasure condition (BF10 = 1309.22, d = .66), and Studies 2a–2c (Step 2) replicated this effect with three independently drawn stimulus sets (BF10s ranging from 10.40 to 26 × 10¹⁵, ds ranging from .26 to .50). In Step 3, preregistered overall analyses including a stratified permutation test (p = .002), a multilevel model (β = 4.72, p = .011), and sensitivity analyses ruled out the biased stimulus assignment alternative. These findings provide cross-domain evidence for the non-commutability conjecture: the documentation of objective stimulus parameters appears to acausally co-relate with subjective evaluations, consistent with macroscopic complementary relations as proposed by the GQT. The implications for substance dualism, physicalism, and dual-aspect monism are discussed.
Keywords
Generalized Quantum Theory, macroscopic complementarity, macroscopic non-local entanglement correlation, non-commutability, erasure paradigm, psychophysical interaction
Journal of Anomalistics 26 (2026), No. 1, pp. 75–119
Comments to Maier et al.:
"Non-Classical Correlation Between Subjective and Objective Color Observations: Change of Effect as a Function of its Empirical Documentation"
and
"Macroscopic Complementarity Between Subjective and Objective Food Image Assessments: A Conceptual Replication of the Color-Erasure Effect"
- Thomas Rabeyron: Beyond the Principle of Elusiveness? Analysis of the Experimental Results of the Erasure-Confound Paradigm ( PDF full text)
DOI: 10.23793/zfa.2026.075 - Ian Tierney: Macroscopic Complementary – Questions and a Conjecture ( PDF full text)
DOI: 10.23793/zfa.2026.097 - Harald Walach: Chasing the Wind: Empirical Signatures of Generalized Entanglement ( PDF full text)
DOI: 10.23793/zfa.2026.113
Journal of Anomalistics 26 (2026), No. 1, pp.120–145
DOI: 10.23793/zfa.2026.120
Authors' Response
- Markus A. Maier, Moritz C. Dechamps: Acausal Psychophysical Correlations in a Causally Closed World?
Evidence from (Un)Confounded Erasure Paradigms and the Limits of Physicalist Methodology
Journal of Anomalistics 26 (2026), No. 1, pp. 146–176
DOI: 10.23793/zfa.2026.146
Probing Top Performers in a Forced-Choice Clairvoyant Task
Helané Wahbeh, Michael Kriegsman, Beth Glick, Arnaud Delorme, Dean Radin
Abstract
This preregistered study analyzed more than 25 million trials from a web-based forced-choice remote viewing task to examine patterns of clairvoyant performance across all participants and among a subset of top performers. At the aggregate level, runs ending at the four planned lengths (5, 10, 25, or 100 trials) conformed to chance expectations. In contrast, optionally stopped runs displayed systematic fluctuations: short runs (1–3 trials) were above chance before declining, runs of 11–19 fell below chance, and runs beginning at 20 showed recurring above-chance spikes at every fifth run length (e. g., 30, 35, 40, 45, 50), which diminished beyond 80 trials. A Monte Carlo simulation matched to the empirical stopping distribution clarified the extent to which these patterns could be reproduced by optional-stopping behavior alone, with much of the run-length pattern, including the 11–19 trough and round-number variability, falling within the simulated null envelope. Exploratory analyses of top performers, defined post-hoc as the 1,235 users (2.64%) who exceeded chance uncorrected, after no users survived the preregistered FDR-corrected criterion, examined belief in psi, prior precognitive experience, meditation, total trials, and optional stopping as predictors. Optional stopping was the predictor most consistently associated with hits, both on first trials and across all trials, where it also interacted with belief, prior precognitive experience, and meditation jointly with cumulative task experience. Effect sizes were small (Δp and Cohen’s d near zero for most predictors), and findings are interpreted as exploratory. The results suggest that group-level outcomes primarily reflect optional-stopping and related behavioral dynamics, whereas top-performer analyses surface more nuanced, but small, context-dependent associations between belief, experience, and behavior. These findings highlight the methodological challenges of large-scale, open online testing and the value of preregistered, participant-level approaches, combined with benchmark simulations, for distinguishing behavioral artifacts from potential psi signals.
Keywords
clairvoyance, forced-choice task, optional stopping, top performers, individual differences, preregistration
Journal of Anomalistics 26 (2026), No. 1, pp. 177–215
DOI: 10.23793/zfa.2026.177
Development of a Dual-Mode Application for Psi Research
Brian Laythe, James Houran
Supplemental data file (csv-file)
Abstract
We present the development and pilot evaluation of the Immersive Psi Test (IPT), a dual mode application for research on anomalous cognition that integrates forced choice measurement with AI supported narrative immersion to enhance ecological engagement. The IPT combines five image-based forced choice trials (“explicit psi”) with ten covert narrative decisions (“implicit psi”), using normed “enchanted” (high emotion and numinosity) and “disenchanted” (low emotion and numinosity) photographs to influence aesthetic-transformative experience. Enchantment Manipulation checks confirmed strong valence separation (d = 3.63) and broadly acceptable randomization, with only minor deviations in one trial. In a convenience-sample pilot study (N = 126), explicit psi performance with image selections did not exceed chance, whereas implicit psi via narrative choices in the enchanted condition produced a very small but statistically significant deviation above chance (p = .016; h = 0.09). Measures of transliminality and encounter proneness correlated as expected (ρ = .52) but neither predicted psi outcomes in our sample. These findings demonstrate the operational feasibility of the IPT framework and provide potential evidence of condition-specific implicit psi effects. Reliance on a convenience sample limits generalizability, so the outcomes should be regarded as a proof-of-concept versus confirmatory evidence. Future research should employ preregistered designs, stratified sampling, and enhanced randomization controls to determine whether observed effects reflect genuine anomalies or methodological artifacts.
Keywords
immersive testing, instrumentation, liminality, narrative engagement, psi
Journal of Anomalistics 26 (2026), No. 1, pp. 216–254
DOI: 10.23793/zfa.2026.216
Ghosthunting-Gruppen und Ghosthunter in Deutschland
Gerhard Mayer, Sonja Nowara
Abstract
We conducted two online surveys with German ghost hunting groups (GHGs) and individual ghost hunters. The first questionnaire targeted entire teams, the second individual members. Our goals were (1) to understand the current GHG scene in Germany – their composition, investigation approaches, and exceptional experiences (ExEs) – and (2) to gain insight into the people engaged in this time- and resource-intensive hobby. We developed two questionnaires and included two established scales in the individual version to assess exceptional experiences (Fragebogen zur Phänomenologie außergewöhnlicher Erfahrungen [Questionnaire on the Phenomenology of Exceptional Experiences, PExE II]) and paranormal beliefs (Belief in the Supernatural Scale [BitSS]). We received twenty-one team responses and thirty-nine from individuals. Results from study 1 showed that GHGs exhibited similarities in site selection, investigative methods, use of technical equipment, and types of recorded anomalies. Social media now largely replaces traditional websites and local TV features. However, teams differ in documentation practices and how they handle collected data. Group sizes, founding dates, and annual investigation frequency vary widely. Study 2 found that ghost hunters reported more ExEs than student samples and hold stronger paranormal beliefs (BitSS). Surprisingly, 85% believe in a link between paranormal phenomena and the deceased, while 30% identify as atheists or agnostics – suggesting belief in spirits of the deceased is not necessarily tied to belief in God. For ghost hunters, ExEs are typically not distressing but inspire curiosity and further pursuit. Nearly two-thirds stated that prior ExEs were key motivators for taking up ghost hunting. In addition to the entertainment aspect, the possibility of ‘real’ contact with the supernatural plays an important role for many ghost hunters, something that cannot be found in media offerings on this topic. The motivation of ghost hunters ranges from scientific interest to the desire to confirm or question their own beliefs.
Keywords
ghost hunting groups, extraordinary experiences, exceptional experiences, paranormal beliefs, technical equipment, paranormal investigations
Continued discussions on previous contributions
Journal of Anomalistics 26 (2026), No. 1, pp. 255–258
DOI: 10.23793/zfa.2026.255
Kommentar zu Sybo Schouten: The Use of Psychics in Police Investigations of Missing Persons in Zeitschrift für Anomalistik, 25(2) (2025), pp. 306–389
Mehr Skepsis als Zustimmung – deutsche Landeskriminalämter zum Einsatz von Hellsehern bei der kriminalistischen Arbeit
Ulrich Magin
Obituaries
Journal of Anomalistics 26 (2026), No. 1, pp. 259–263
DOI: 10.23793/zfa.2026.259
Nachruf auf Prof. Dr. phil. Dieter Vaitl (1940–2026)
Jürgen Kornmeier
Journal of Anomalistics 26 (2026), No. 1, pp. 264–272
DOI: 10.23793/zfa.2026.264
Prof. Dieter Vaitl (1940–2026) am IGPP – eine persönliche Erinnerung
Eberhard Bauer
Journal of Anomalistics 26 (2026), No. 1, pp. 273–275
DOI: 10.23793/zfa.2026.273
„Gleitflug ins Licht”. Nachruf auf Professor Dieter Vaitl (1940–2026)
Ina Schmied-Knittel
Journal of Anomalistics 26 (2026), No. 1, pp. 276–280
DOI: 10.23793/zfa.2026.276
In Memoriam: Stephen Edward Braude (1945–2026) – der Jazzphilosoph sui generis
Etzel Cardeña
Journal of Anomalistics 26 (2026), No. 1, pp. 281–283
DOI: 10.23793/zfa.2026.281
Nachruf auf P. Andreas Resch (1934–2026)
Peter Mulacz
Journal of Anomalistics 26 (2026), No. 1, pp. 284–286
DOI: 10.23793/zfa.2026.284
Nachruf auf Josef Dvorak (1934–2026)
Peter Mulacz
Book Reviews
Journal of Anomalistics 26 (2026), No. 1, pp. 287–292
DOI: 10.23793/zfa.2026.287
Dean Radin (2025). The Science of Magic: How the Mind Weaves the Fabric of Reality
Reviewer: Gerhard Mayer
Journal of Anomalistics 26 (2026), No. 1, pp. 293–297
DOI: 10.23793/zfa.2026.293
Corey Lee Wrenn (2025). Vegan Witchcraft: Contemporary Magical Practice and Multispecies Social Change
Reviewer: Meret Fehlmann
Journal of Anomalistics 26 (2026), No. 1, pp. 298–303
DOI: 10.23793/zfa.2026.298
Abstracts-Dienst / Literaturspiegel
Frauke Schmitz-Gropengießer, Gerhard Mayer