A New and Generic Approach to Classifying Anomalous Phenomena

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A New and Generic Approach to Classifying Anomalous Phenomena

David Rousseau (2000)
Centre for Fundamental & Anomalies Research

Abstract

This paper presents a classification system for anomalous phenomena that has the potential to improve the accessibility and usefulness of anomalous data.

Parallels are drawn with the classification of diseases in medicine, where diseases are described in terms of symptoms, and grouped according to the bodily system that appears to be malfunctioning. By following this analogy, it is shown that traditional spontaneous paranormal phenomena (diseases) can be characterised as combinations of unique anomalies (symptoms) of the sort typically investigated in laboratories. This approach validates both classes of terminology in common use, and clarifies their scope and value.

A definition of Anomalous Phenomena is given that includes (but is wider than) the categories 'paranormal' and 'psi' phenomena The new terms Chi Phenomena and Chi Anomalies are proposed to distinguish between such anomalous phenomena when of a complex co-ordinated kind ("diseases") and when of an atomic kind ("symptoms").

It is shown how the disease-symptom analogy leads to a classification proposition whereby anomalies can be classified in terms of the mainstream theory they challenge. It is shown that to apply this principle a model of how orthodox theories combine to establish the scientific paradigm must be developed. It is shown how such a task can be accomplished, and example classifications using such a structured system are given.

This work forms a core part of a broader project to create a catalogue of 'best in class' anomalous cases. The aim is to present a relatively model-neutral repository for the best data that the field has to offer, in order to facilitate their use in ongoing scientific enquiry.

This paper was published in the Journal of the Society for Psychical Research (JSPR), April 2002, under the title Challenging the Paradigm Systematically: A New and Generic Approach to Classifying Anomalous Phenomena. The paper is reproduced here as PDF, with kind permission of the JSPR.