Honorton, Charles (1946-1992)

Parapsychologist. Born at Deer River, Minnesota, in 1946, Honorton studied at the University of Minnesota from 1965 to 1966, during which time he was research coordinator for the Minnesota Society for Psychic Research. In 1966 he became a research fellow at the Institute for Parapsychology, Foundation for Research on the Nature of Man, and the following year was named a senior research associate at the Maimonides Medical Center Dream Laboratory. A short time later he became the director of research and joined with Stanley Krippner and Montague Ullman in receiving the first federal grant for research in parapsychology, from the Public Health Service, National Institute of Mental Health. In 1979 Honorton became director of the Psychophysical Research Laboratories in Princeton, New Jersey.

Honorton has written widely on parapsychological subjects but is best known for his experiments with the Ganzfeld setting, a procedure that establishes an environment of reduced sensory alertness. (Strong sensory input is believed to impede ESP. ) Honorton has argued that the Ganzfeld procedure is the most effective way to produce the kind of repeated ESP results parapsychology seeks. The Parapsychology Association awarded Honorton its Exceptional Contribution Award in 1988. In 1990 however, the published results of extensive tests of an automated nature met with continued criticism by Dr. Ray Hyman.

Honorton was a longtime member of the Parapsychological Association. He served on its council and held the offices of secretary, vice president, and president (1975). He was also a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Society for Psychical Research. Honorton died in 1992.

Sources:

Honorton, Charles. "Has Science Developed the Competence to Confront Claims of the Paranormal?" In Research in Parapsychology 1975, edited by J. D. Morris, W. G. Roll, and R. L. Morris. New York: Parapsychological Association, 1976.

——. "Meta-Analysis of Psi Ganzfield Research: A Response to Hyman. Journal of Parapsychology 49 (1981).

——. "Psi-Mediated Imagery and Ideation in an Experimental Procedure for Regulating Perceptual Input." Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research 68 (1974).

——. "Separation of High-and Low-Scoring ESP Subjects Through Hypnotic Preparation." Journal of Parapsychology 28 (1964).

——. "Significant Factors in Hypnotically-Induced Clairvoyant Dreams." Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research 66 (1972).

——. "State of Awareness Factors in Psi Activation." Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research 68 (1974).