SSE’s July Babies are in Good Company

Such archival material is certainly invaluable to frontier science. For instance, the Journal of Scientific Exploration’s Winter 2012 issue included a fascinating article by Carlos Alvarado, Michael Nahm, and Andreas Sommer. Their “Notes on Early Discussions of Mediumship” showed that the ideas of human agency behind mediumistic phenomena existed well before the founding of the Society for Psychical Research (SPR) in 1882, with earlier writers emphasizing physical forces rather than later psychological speculations. Read more details at: https://journalofscientificexploration.org/index.php/jse/article/view/6

And speaking of science books—don’t miss Debra Lynne Katz’s standout article in the Journal of Scientific Exploration (Summer 2022), titled “Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover: A Case Study and Comparative Analysis of Popular vs. Academic Psychology Books.” Katz’s study questioned the rigid divide between popular and scholarly psychology texts by analyzing books on “attention,” showing that so-called popular works can be both influential and therapeutically valuable. Her findings suggest that academic biases may be overlooking the true impact and complexity of these widely read materials. Get the full scoop at: https://doi.org/10.31275/20222463

This month, I want to speak not about frontier science—but about you.

The strength and vitality of the SSE doesn’t come from any single journal article, conference, or committee. It comes from our community… curious, bold, and dedicated individuals who care deeply about advancing knowledge beyond conventional boundaries. But for that engine of progress to keep running—and for the Society to flourish—we need your participation now more than ever.

Whether you’re a long-standing member or newly arrived, there are many ways to help grow the SSE mission:

• Support the Cause: Even a modest financial donation can help us to fund existing and new initiatives, support student researchers, and keep our operations independent and impactful. Every dollar makes a difference.

• Spread the Word: Invite a colleague to join the SSE. Forward our newsletter to a friend. Share an intriguing talk or JSE article on social media. Our collective reach multiplies with each new voice.

• Volunteer Your Expertise: Consider signing up as a peer reviewer for the Journal of Scientific Exploration. Your knowledge can shape the quality and rigor of the works that we publish.

• Update Your SSE Profile: Keeping your member profile current better helps us to connect you with relevant opportunities, collaborators, and important content.

• Share Your Ideas: Do you have an idea for a webinar, a podcast episode, a new topic for a special issue, or a regional event? Let us know. The Society grows through the creativity of its members.

This is a time of renewal and expansion for the SSE. But expansion doesn’t just mean bigger—it means deeper: more meaningful collaborations, more thoughtful inquiry, and more dynamic ways of engaging with the world. And that’s where you come in.

The Society thrives when we move beyond being passive observers to become active explorers. So please, take a small step today—donate, connect, share, or suggest. The future of scientific exploration depends not just on what we discover, but on how we come together to discover it.

Warmly,

James Houran, Ph.D.

Interim-President, SSE
Editor-in-Chief, JSE

Back to Top

Hot Off the Press: JSE Summer 2025 Issue

The Journal’s summer issue marks the first official output from SSE’s new partnership with SG Publishing Inc., which aims to further professionalize our Journal operations. And a special “thank you” to Heather Seunath at SG for all her enthusiastic support!

The latest issue of JSE offers a diverse mix of bold ideas, frontier science, and cultural commentary:

Plus:

Dive into the full issue at: https://journalofscientificexploration.org/index.php/jse/issue/view/109

Purpose and Pathways: Bridging Science, Spirit, and the Self

In this new essay based on a recent podcast conversation, Marsha Sims and David Lorimer share two interwoven stories of discovery—personal, intellectual, and deeply spiritual.

Sims reflects on her decades at the forefront of frontier science and consciousness research, offering a moving tribute to her creative and life partnership with astrophysicist Bernard Haisch. From music and opera to metaphysics and co-authorship, her journey affirms that a life’s purpose can transcend categories—and even illness—when guided by love and meaning.

Lorimer, host of Imaginal Inspirations and co-chair of the "Galileo Commission," echoes these themes through his own evolution from banker to philosopher-educator, championing values-based inquiry and the science of consciousness.

Together, their reflections celebrate the courage to question, the power of integration, and the necessity of bridging the seen and unseen.

Find their essay along with a link to their podcast episode here: https://www.scientificexploration.org/news/13519459

JSE’s Editorial Team Featured in the BIAL Foundation’s New Docuseries

The Society for Scientific Exploration is proud to share that JSE’s editors Brian Laythe and James Houran are prominently featured in the BIAL Foundation’s new documentary on Macro-Psychokinesis (macroPK)—the eye-visible, large-scale effects of mind-matter interactions.

Produced by the world-renowned BIAL Foundation, its thought-provoking new docuseries brings together leading voices in consciousness and anomalous phenomena. Both Laythe and Houran give their perspectives on the science, controversies, and future of macroPK-related research: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rg9HzKoisJE

Also see their full, individual interviews at:

• Dr. Brian Laythe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfYBjr3HNqg
• Dr. James Houran: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQid3i2Dza0&t=382s

SSE’s 2025 Virtual Conference Update

This year’s conference—“Exploring the Unexplained”—will be a convenient virtual event, with up to six invited speakers and many empirical and conceptual presentations across five program tracks:

• Unexplained aerial, oceanic, and terrestrial phenomena (aerial)
• Unexplained consciousness, intelligence, and nous phenomena (consciousness)
• Unexplained dynamics, energy, and kinetics phenomena (energy)
• Unexplained health, medical, and veterinary medical phenomena (health)
• Unexplained phenomena of sociological dynamics (social)

The Conference Committee received 70 submissions, which include studies based on original experiments, original data, reanalysis of existing data, quantitative modeling, qualitative hypothesis-testing, and case reports. This number significantly exceeded the number of presentations, including talks and posters, that could be accommodated in the two-day program. The Program Committee is carefully proceeding with reviewing the submissions and will have to make some difficult decisions.

Back to Top

Meet Mark Rodeghier, Ph.D.… a full SSE member since about the early 1990’s. His main contribution to the Society has been as an Editorial Board member of JSE—specializing in content related to UFOs/UAPs.

Mark has been involved in studying the UFO phenomenon since 1974 when he first volunteered at the Center for UFO Studies (CUFOS). He was mentored by J. Allen Hynek, and after Hynek passed away, has been the Scientific Director of CUFOS. His work has included the study of vehicle interference cases, the statistical analysis of UFO data, abduction cases, especially the psychology and sociology of abduction experiencers, and projects to measure physical changes associated with UFO experiences. He also led the CUFOS investigation of Roswell. In his day job, since earning a Ph.D. in sociology, he has consulted in statistical analysis and survey research for commercial firms, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and medical researchers, and has taught workshops on these topics.

Please talk about your career journey and what led you to your current work?

From a fairly young age I wanted to be an astronomer, and so following this path, I completed a B.S. in astrophysics at Indiana University. A further incentive was that J. Allen Hynek, famous UFO researcher (and whom I met in an advanced astronomy class in high school) was also an astronomer. After that, my trajectory to grad school diverted for a variety of reasons, with circumstance playing a key role. I grew up in northwest Indiana, right by Chicago, and Hynek had founded the Center for UFO Studies (CUFOS) when I was an undergrad. That opportunity was too good to pass up, and even though there were no paid positions, I volunteered at CUFOS and so began my long career in UFO (now UAP) studies. Eventually, I did go to graduate school, not in astrophysics but sociology, as my interests had shifted. I attended the University of Illinois at Chicago, where one of my mentors was Robert Hall, who had contributed to the social study of the phenomenon (and whose brother, Richard Hall, was a mainstay at NICAP, the Donald Keyhoe founded early UFO group). After receiving my Ph.D., in the sociology of science, I decided not to enter mainstream academia and instead became an independent consultant, capitalizing on my math background to provide statistical analysis, and my sociology training for survey development. I also taught many workshops in these subjects, often for the software company SPSS, which many in the social sciences will recognize. Later I eventually decided to focus on biostatistics and have been a statistician for many years for medical researchers, particularly on sickle cell disease. Having formal education in both the physical and social sciences has been invaluable for me in grappling with the UFO phenomenon.

What do you find most rewarding about your research in frontier science?

I’ve learned that while I value and enjoy doing research that fits within society’s approved boundaries, I’m drawn more to topics that are rejected by the mainstream consensus, and the UFO phenomenon certainly fits that description. First—and I didn’t initially realize this—studying UFOs means giving a voice to and recognizing the experiences of those who have a sighting. This was even more important years ago when there were fewer places to report a sighting, and when doing so was stigmatized. Second, working with colleagues who have a shared passion for a subject, that goes beyond the workaday world, is exhilarating and rewarding. It isn’t a job: it’s an intellectual adventure. Naturally, actually investigating UFO reports, and then doing research on them, is the most rewarding aspect of this work, and doing so has required me to be conversant across a wide range of scientific fields. UFO research is inherently multi-disciplinary, involving witness interviews, astronomy, physics, physiology, biology, chemistry, and more. That perspective fits naturally into the SSE mission.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your career, and how have you overcome them?

I suppose that one of the biggest potential challenges I ‘overcame’ was not joining academia, where my UFO work would likely not have been viewed supportively. This was a very conscious choice on my part, and overall it has worked out well, but I wouldn’t recommend it for everyone, and some good fortune is required (and perhaps some positive visualization). As with almost everyone working in areas represented by the SSE membership, funding is a continuing challenge. That’s true, of course, in science generally, but we know that those of us studying unconventional topics face a greater burden. At CUFOS we have never managed to obtain steady support, and this was true even for Hynek, despite his prominence and scientific reputation (although it was really a different era back then). What I have done, given these limitations, is devote a fair amount of time to mentoring and supporting colleagues, which has been crucial because the number of serious people involved has been small, so everyone counts. You need resources and people, and I, at least, attempted to increase the supply of the latter, with what I judge was some success.

How has being a part of SSE benefited you both professionally and personally?

I’ve most appreciated learning about the many other areas of research and meeting the people doing the work. I have always had a wide interest in scientific anomalies, not limited to UFOs, and learning how people approach problems in another topic has benefited my work by providing perspective and, specifically, methodology (such as the rigorous approach to experimentation in parapsychology). Also, it has been inspiring to see the craft and dedication my SSE colleagues bring to their pursuits. My long tenure as an Editorial Board member for JSE has allowed me to contribute to what is arguably the most important activity of the society, publishing peer-reviewed contributions in the study of topics neglected by science.

What advice would you give to someone just starting out in frontier science?

Begin by learning what has been done before, which includes reading the literature but also connecting with those involved in your area of interest. There are few opportunities to formally learn about a field so you need to be self-motivated and create your own educational program. It’s okay to start small and with modest aims and projects: some work is better than nothing. Be realistic about the time you can devote to the topic and work within those constraints. Don’t work alone, if possible, but get involved with an organization and with others. Everyone needs trustworthy colleagues for support, to tell you when you are off-base, and to share the journey. If you don’t have academic or professional training, that isn’t a hindrance. Being a citizen scientist is an option, and also acting as support for ongoing work.

Back to Top

A Farewell Funny

PUBLISHER: So it’s got vampires? BRAM STOKER: Yes. PUBLISHER: Sex? BRAM STOKER: Yes. PUBLISHER: A lunatic asylum? BRAM STOKER: Yes. PUBLISHER: It needs something more. BRAM STOKER: [scratches head] A… a cowboy? PUBLISHER: Sold!