Kids Know Best? Telepathy's Untapped Source
On this page
Why are children missing from paranormal research?
Imagine a seven-year-old telling their parent about a vivid dream that later seems to match real events, or a child who consistently knows when grandma is about to call. While parapsychology researchers have spent decades studying adults in laboratory settings, they've largely overlooked the very population that might hold the most intriguing clues. Researcher Donna Thomas noticed this glaring gap and asked a provocative question: What if we've been missing half the story by ignoring children's experiences entirely?
Researcher argues children should be included as active participants in parapsychology studies.
Despite decades of parapsychology research with adults, children's paranormal experiences remain largely unstudied. Researcher Donna Thomas noticed this gap and began questioning why an entire population was being overlooked. Her 2022 analysis suggests the problem goes deeper than simple oversight—it may reflect fundamental biases in how paranormal research is conducted.
Parapsychology research has systematically excluded children despite their frequent reports of unusual experiences, potentially missing crucial data due to outdated research approaches.
Key Findings
- Thomas found that children are systematically absent from parapsychology research despite having paranormal experiences.
- She argues this exclusion stems from traditional research methodologies that treat participants as passive subjects rather than active agents.
- Her own research with children produced different types of data when children were treated as collaborators rather than test subjects.
What Is This About?
Thomas conducted a theoretical analysis of existing parapsychology research to identify patterns of exclusion. She examined the literature to document how children are absent from most studies, despite anecdotal reports of their paranormal experiences. She also drew connections between the exclusion of children and the underrepresentation of women researchers in the field. Additionally, she reflected on her own research experiences working with children to illustrate how different methodological approaches yield different types of data.
This is a theoretical paper arguing for new research approaches with children in parapsychology, including discussion of the author's own research experiences.
The paper proposes methodological changes and discusses how different research approaches with children produce different kinds of data about paranormal experiences.
How Good Is the Evidence?
The paper cites only 3 other studies, reflecting the limited research attention this methodological issue has received in the parapsychology field.
This is a theoretical position paper rather than an empirical study, so traditional quality metrics don't apply. It was not pre-registered (meaning no analysis plan was filed beforehand), involved no experimental controls, and reports no statistical effects. The paper is published in a specialized parapsychology journal and presents the author's arguments based on literature review and personal research experience. The strength lies in identifying an important gap in the field, while the limitation is the lack of systematic data to support the claims about children's exclusion or the effectiveness of alternative methodologies.
This is purely theoretical work without empirical data or systematic analysis of existing research patterns. The claims about patriarchal exclusion lack quantitative support and rely heavily on ideological interpretation. The paper provides no concrete methodological alternatives or validation of proposed approaches.
Mainstream: Children's exclusion from parapsychology research is appropriate due to developmental and ethical considerations. Moderate: Including children could provide valuable data if proper safeguards and age-appropriate methodologies are developed. Frontier: Children may be more naturally attuned to paranormal phenomena and their exclusion represents a fundamental bias in consciousness research.
Misconception: Children can't participate meaningfully in scientific research. Reality: This paper argues children can be active collaborators in research when appropriate methodologies are used, potentially providing unique insights into paranormal experiences.
To settle this question would require systematic surveys documenting children's paranormal experiences, comparative studies testing different research methodologies with child participants, and demonstration that child-inclusive approaches yield more reliable or insightful data. This paper provides the theoretical framework for such research but doesn't yet provide the empirical evidence.
I argue for children's inclusion in parapsychology research, but with a caveat – as active agents, rather than passive objects.
Stance: Mixed
What Does It Mean?
The most intriguing aspect is the possibility that we've been studying paranormal phenomena with one hand tied behind our backs, potentially missing an entire dimension of human experience. What if children's naturally different relationship with reality holds keys to understanding consciousness itself?
It's like how children's perspectives are often overlooked in adult conversations about their own experiences—this researcher argues the same thing happens in paranormal research, where children's voices are missing from studies about phenomena they may actually experience.
This study illustrates how who we include or exclude from research can fundamentally shape what we discover—the methodology itself becomes part of the message.
Understanding Terms
What This Study Claims
Findings
Children are missing from contemporary parapsychology research despite having paranormal experiences
weakMethodology
Research with children as active agents produces different kinds of meanings and data about paranormal experiences
weakInterpretations
There are convergences between missing children and absent women researchers in parapsychology
weakTraditional research methodologies rooted in patriarchal systems may explain the exclusion of children and women researchers
weakThis summary is for general information about current research. It does not constitute medical advice. The scientific interpretation of these results is debated among researchers. If personally affected, please consult qualified professionals.