Grad, Bernard (1920-)

Canadian biologist who experimented in the field of paranormal healing. Grad was born February 4, 1920, Montreal, Canada. He attended McGill University (B.S., 1944; Ph.D., 1949), where he remained through his professional career. He was a research assistant, lecturer, and assistant professor at McGill. In 1985 he became an associate professor at the University of Quebec, Montreal. He became well known for his research on cancer.

As early as the 1940s Grad became interested in the orgone energy theories as postulated by Wilhelm Reich. The death of his daughter further stimulated his interest in spiritual healing, and in 1957 he came to know Oscar Estabany, a Hungarian refugee who professed to have healing powers. Working with Estabany in the 1960s, he carried out a series of experiments on plant seeds and mice that resulted in some of the strongest evidence of a healing power to arise in parapsychology. In a series of more complicated tests, all carried out with double blinds, Grad was able to isolate a healing power that seemed to radiate from Estabany. It could be transferred to plant seeds to stimulate their growth, to mice to speed healing, and even to water used for plants.

Sources:

Grad, Bernard. "Paranormal Healing and Life Energy." American Society for Psychical Research Newsletter 7 (1981).

——. "Some Biological Effects of the 'Laying on of Hands': A Review of Experiments with Animals and Plants." Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research 59 (1965).

——. "A Telekinetic Effect on Plant Growth." International Journal of Parapsychology 3 (1961); 5 (1963).

Grad, Bernard, Remi J. Cadoret, and G. I. Paul. "The Influence of an Unorthodox Method of Treatment on Wound Healing in Mice." International Journal of Parapsychology 3, no. 2 (1961).