( In 2004, Russia's largest publishing house, AST Publishers, bought the Russian language rights to Best Evidence. It was
translated and distributed worldwide in that language in 2005.)
“ Michael Schmicker's Best Evidence is indeed one – if the not the best itself – of the major books explaining and offering proof that
psi phenomena are here to stay whether we like it or not. However, liking it is more likely to lead to your own psi results than not
liking it. The book is written in a friendly reporter style with brief but clearly explained concepts, proofs, documentation of evidence,
and yes, even skeptics' rebuttals. I highly recommend this. Whether you are a skeptic (goat) or a believer (sheep) you will find much
to deal with here.”
Fred Alan Wolf, Ph.D, physicist, American Book Award-winning author of Mind into Matter, Taking the
Quantum Leap, and other books; formerly the "Resident Physicist" of the Discovery Channel's The Know Zone.
(click on underlined names to visit reviewers individual websites)
”A historic development is occurring: compelling evidence is being produced by admirable scientific experiments revealing a
dimension of consciousness which has been ignored within conventional science. This aspect of the mind functions infinitely - non-
locally - beyond the body and outside the present moment. These findings are of incalculable importance because of their
implications for the nature, origin, and destiny of consciousness. Skeptics may moan, bellow, and howl - but the evidence, as
Michael Schmicker shows in Best Evidence, continues to accumulate and is increasingly precise. Best Evidence is a dazzling
journey into one of the most important areas of science that has ever existed”.
Larry Dossey, MD, New York Times best-selling author of Healing Words: The Power of Prayer and The Practice of
Medicine.
"...an excellent collection of studies on ESP, mental healing, and other powers of the mind..."
www.Spiritsite.com. Visit site and do search for "Michael Schmicker" to read excerpt from Best Evidence on evidence for
mental/faith healing.
“Sometimes, the most astonishing events are not found on the front page of the newspaper or on the nightly television news.
Sometimes, earth-shattering discoveries hide in plain sight, or languish in obscure publications, until a persistent investigative
journalist uncovers the story. In Best Evidence, Michael Schmicker has uncovered not just one, but a half-dozen astounding stories,
any one of which can change the way we think about the nature of reality. I give this book my highest recommendation for anyone
interested in following a sound, sober investigation of a piece of the "paranormal" that is fast becoming normal.”
Dean Radin, Ph.D, engineer, psychologist, Founder of the Consciousness Research Laboratory and author of Entangled Minds:
Extrasensory Experiences in a Quantum Reality and The Conscious Universe: The Scientific Truth of Psychic Phenomena.
“You may not agree with all of the author's conclusions, but you are not likely to find a more accessible and up-to-date summary of
the evidence. Schmicker has done his research well and provides both a handy summary of the "best evidence" for the casually
interested and a useful source book for those who wish to dig deeper into these scientific challenges.”
Richard Broughton, Ph.D, former Research Director, Institute for Parapsychology, Rhine Research Center and author of
Parapsychology: The Controversial Science.
“Michael Schmicker has produced an excellent book for all interested in the study of psi phenomena. Not only does he provide
interesting descriptions of evidence supporting these events, he lists the reference that may be used to obtain more veridical data.
The first section addresses important issues about belief systems as they relate to phenomena. You may be surprised at the
famous scientists who have explored these areas. You may also be surprised at pronouncements made by other scientists deriding
advances only to be proven wrong. After all, Lord Kelvin thought X-rays were a hoax. My favorite quote attributed to a chief skeptic was
"An open mind is an empty mind." If you are wondering if there is scientific data to support unusual paranormal claims, there's a lot
more than you might think -- and this book will give it to you.”
Col. John Alexander, Ph.D, Army staff officer with the U.S. Government’s recently declassified STARGATE "remote viewing"
psychic spying program; Founding Member of the International Remote Viewing Assn. (IRVA); and author of Future War: Non-
Lethal Weapons in Twenty-First Century Warfare
"Best Evidence is an investigative reporter's three-year quest to uncover the best scientific evidence for paranormal phenomena.
Author Michael Schmicker addresses the commonly verbalized thoughts of the general public in chapters entitled, "Nobody Really
Believes This Stuff, Right?" "Yeah, But I'll Bet They're All Weirdos and Nut Cases," and "OK, But Do Any Scientists Take This Stuff
Seriously?" Schmicker has collected outstanding credible stories and experiences in fields of extra-sensory perception (ESP),
psychokinesis (PK), dowsing, the mind-body connection and faith healing, death bed visions, near-death experiences (NDE) , out-of-
body experiences (OBE), ghosts and poltergeists, mediums and channelers, and reincarnation. In so doing, he brings a
compilation of evidence that calls for further open-minded scientific exploration. Perhaps it is time to consider that such experiences
are, in fact, ‘normal’ phenomena."
Janet Cunningham, Ph.D, former President of the International Association for Regression Research and Therapies, Inc.
“Refreshing, in a word! This remarkable book helps science remember an old language with new applications for the changing
paradigm shift. Right-brainers and those who experience paranormal events are no longer considered crazy, just because they can't
"prove" their experience according to scientific norms. Here, the scientific method is not limited to investigation by using the five
senses. Rather, Michael Schmicker goes back to scientific traditions and expands the realm of proof to include all available
methodologies and tools to study unexplainable phenomena. This is a must-read for scientists and paranormal experiencers.”
Dr. Jeff Long, MD, Founder, Near Death Experience Research Foundation (NDERF) and Director, International Association of Near
Death Studies (IANDS).
”The subtitle says it all. Schmicker has done an excellent job condensing an enormous amounts of material and picking cases he
views as the "best evidence" for each of the topics in his subtitle. All in all a good primer accessible to everyone.”
www.Anomalist.Com, popular, high-traffic paranormal website. Best Evidence was selected as one of Anomalist magazine’s
“Notable Books for the Year 2000.”
”Do you have an open mind -- and are you ready to explore one of the most interesting collections of scientific evidence for
paranormal phenomena ever assembled between the covers of a book? If so, you're in luck! Michael Schmicker's book Best
Evidence presents a comprehensive overview of a wide range of "psi" phenomena including: extra-sensory perception,
psychokinesis (PK), dowsing, mental and faith healing, death bed visions, near death experience, out of body experiences, ghosts
and poltergeists, mediums and channelers, and reincarnation.
"What makes Best Evidence such a gem is that it not only clearly describes each kind of psi phenomena along with the facts
supporting its existence and references to the original studies and sources, but it also includes some intriguing insights about why
people sometimes avoid investigating the evidence surrounding paranormal phenomena. For example, Schmicker cites the work of
researchers like Kenneth Batcheldor, who has identified two blocks to PK production (ownership resistance and witness inhibition).
I find it just as interesting to examine the reasons why people find the subject of the paranormal disquieting as it is to see such a
thorough review of the evidence showing how psi is a real phenomena which simply won't go away.
"If you've ever wanted to tell your friends, colleagues and family that there is an ever-increasing body of scientific evidence proving
that the paranormal is part of everyday life, this is the book for you!”
www.RealityShifters.Com, online e-zine out of Berkeley, CA with 3,500 subscribers worldwide, edited by author and Berkeley
physicist Cynthia Larson.
“In Best Evidence, Michael Schmicker explores the scientific data that have been developed pertaining to a wide range of anomalous
phenomena. These include mediums, ghosts, spontaneous healing, reincarnation, near death experiences, poltergeists, and
several others. Schmicker is an experienced investigative reporter who has taken a fair and impartial look at these areas that are of
interest to so many. The unique aspect of the book is that he not only provides an excellent overview of the material about each topic,
he then provides the reader with scientific sources from which they can obtain more detailed information. This will be a great service
to those who have an interest in a specific subject and appreciate being pointed in the right direction. Anyone who has attempted to
research these controversial topics knows just how difficult if is to sift through massive amounts of inadequately prepared popular
literature to find veridical information.
"The book opens with an intelligent discussion of belief systems including data from polls taken pertaining to those who have had
experiences with psi phenomena. Extrapolating from numerous professional polls, Schmicker notes that the percentage of people
who believe they have personally had one or more of these experiences is very substantial. Next he addresses the fact that many
notable people are included among those who have publicly made statements affirming what apparently happened. His list of
scientists involved comes heavily from membership in the Society for Scientific Exploration of which he is an affiliate.
"There is also a section containing examples of scientists who were preeminent in their respective fields but went on to denigrate
advances in other areas that turned out to be accurate and are now commonly accepted by the scientific community. Some famous
examples include Lord Kelvin’s pronouncement that X-rays would prove to be a hoax, rejection of Joseph Lister’s notion that germs
caused infection, and Scientific American’s branding of the Wright Brothers as a “pair of hoaxers.” Readers will find the comment
attributed to Dr. Lewis Wolpert, chairman of COPUS (the British version of CSICOP) particularly troublesome when he stated “Open
minds are empty minds.”
"The second section of the book outlines the best evidence for each of the phenomena that he explored. While I am familiar with
most of the topics covered, I have been most closely associated with near-death experiences. One of the primary arguments
presented by skeptics always revolves around the quality of the data and lack of controls during experimentation. In general they
have little knowledge of these fields but in fairness, many of these phenomena occur spontaneously and often are not readily
subjected to laboratory rigor. The search has gone on without much success for the definitive case that would defy conventional
explanation and meet all of the questions of the skeptics.
"However, if there were ever a case that did happen under extremely controlled conditions it is that of a woman known by the
pseudonym Pam Reynolds. Michael Sabom, himself a cardiologist, first reported the case in his 1998 book Light & Death. Most
incidents of NDEs happen spontaneously due to illness or accidents and the information provided is purely subjective. Frequently
we cannot confirm that the individual was actually close to physical death and instrumentation to support those claims is rarely
available. The Pam Reynolds case meets the most stringent requirements for controls and should even force us to reexamine our
definition of death. In 1991 Pam Reynolds underwent brain surgery during which she was put into full hypothermic cardiac arrest.
Her vital signs were carefully monitored including cessation of heartbeat, draining of all blood from the brain, no cortical brain activity,
and her core body temperature was dropped to 60 degrees. By all known standards Pam Reynolds was clinically dead and
remained that way for many minutes. Yet she was revived and continues to live a healthy life.
"While her physical death was assured, what Pam Reynolds reported was equally important. Most of the experience she had during
her operation is subjective. However, like a few other NDEers, she provided information about what happened to her in the operating
room that was corroborated by technical witnesses. Although she previously did not have specific information about the procedures
that were performed on her, she provided detailed descriptions that were later substantiated. She also reported being in an out-of-
body state and proceeding through a tunnel of light. During her visitation she claims that she had the opportunity to meet with
relatives she knew to have been deceased. While that aspect may be subjective, it receives strong inferential support given her
objective clinical condition at the time.
"The book contains a myriad of similar stories concerning personal experiences—the kind that drive human interest in the study of
phenomena. While Schmicker does not have the answers to these exotic and sometimes teleological questions, he does point the
way for further study."
National Institute of Discovery Science, a U.S. non-profit anomalies research organization
“Best Evidence is a rare find on the New Age bookshelf: Unlike the typical touchy-feely, first-person, "Here's my story of how I died
and came back"-type book, this is a serious compilation of scientific studies into paranormal phenomena. Michael Schmicker is an
investigative reporter and editor of a high-tech industry newsletter. He's used his objectivity and research skills to produce this
comprehensive yet concise overview of what he considers the best scientific evidence for still-unexplained occurrences. Schmicker
tackles ESP, psychokinesis, dowsing, ghosts, mediums, reincarnation, death-bed visions, out-of-body experiences, and the mind-
body connection, devoting a chapter to each. Each chapter starts with a clear explanation of what the phenomenon is, then details
the most thorough scientific studies into it. Each chapter ends with a section of "Highly Recommended Reading," a short overview of
what Schmicker has found to be the best books on the subject. The author finds plenty of evidence to back up belief in the
paranormal.... This book is an invaluable resource for students of the supernatural. The 30 pages of chapter notes alone could serve
as the syllabus for a lifetime of study into the various enigmas. Schmicker has done the grunt work of reading some 140 books to
distill the most undisputed and intriguing evidence that the mind has powers we have been remiss in developing.
"His no-nonsense style lifts these mysteries out of the spooky, flaky, occult realm and into the dispassionate light of the science lab.
It's now up to researchers-and all the rest of us-to continue the work of discovering and using the mind's full potential.”
Fate Magazine, Aug. 2001
“If I were teaching an introductory course on the paranormal to college-level students, this would likely be the prescribed text. The
author has gathered the best scientific evidence for ESP, psychokinesis, faith healing, dowsing, deathbed visions, near-death
experiences, out-of-body experiences, ghosts, poltergeists, mediums, channelers, and reincarnation. He presents it in an analytical
and easy-to-read manner.
“In the preface, Schmicker, a veteran business writer living in Hawaii, divides the potential readership into five groups. The first group
he refers to as debunkers. "Such self-appointed guardians of scientific truth share many of the traits of religious fanatics - sincerity
poisoned by an unshakable belief in an immutable orthodoxy; extreme zealousness in the hot pursuit and punishment of deviant
thought and behavior; and an atrophied sense of humor," he describes this group, commenting that the book will have
no appeal to them because they think they have all the answers, even before the questions are asked. At the other extreme are the
true believers. Likewise the book is not for them, as they do not need scientific evidence to bolster what they have already accepted.
"In between are the comfortable disbelievers, the true skeptics, and the cautious believers. Schmicker doubts that the evidence
offered in the book will convince the comfortable disbelievers, because there is almost always an alternative explanation that they
prefer to accept, apparently wanting to play it safe by siding with the conventional. The book, he says, is for the true skeptic and the
cautious believer. I fully agree.
“Schmicker, an associate member of the national Society for Scientific Exploration, begins by observing the beliefs of the American
public, as reported by Gallup and other pollsters, relative to various paranormal subjects, including life after death. He then goes on
to examine the scientific approach, mentioning numerous well-known and reputable scientists who have been able go beyond the
self-imposed limits of science in exploring
different aspects of consciousness and the paranormal. He points out how many of yesterday's heresies in science have turned
into today's orthodoxy.
“In the chapter on ESP, Schmicker summarizes the work of Dr. J. B. Rhine at Duke University, while also citing the Honorton Ganzfeld
studies and the Department of Defense's remote viewing program. For PK, he discusses the feats of Daniel Douglas Home and the
laboratory testing on him by Sir William Crookes, the reputable English physicist credited with discovering the element thallium. On
the topic of mental and faith healing, he examines the landmark research on meditation conducted by Dr. Herbert Benson and Keith
Wallace. The Osis and Haraldsson projects are offered as the best evidence in the deathbed vision subject matter. Leonora Piper,
keenly studied by reputable scientists representing the Society for Psychical Research during the early 1900s, is the most credible
medium. The work of Dr. Ian Stevenson is discussed in the chapter on reincarnation. For each topic, Schmicker cites a half dozen or
more credible sources.
"Ridicule doesn't make them disappear," Schmicker writes of the phenomena. "Education doesn't make them disappear; the
immense technological achievements and intellectual prestige of modern science cannot eradicate beliefs in them. Perhaps it's
time to sit down and honestly examine the best evidence believers and experiencers can offer for the existence of these science-
challenging phenomena."
“For the true skeptic or the "cautious believer," this book has much to offer. For Academy members, it can serve as a quick reference
guide on the various topics, but even the well-read member might find several sources in this book that he or she was not previously
aware of. I know that I did.”
The Journal of Religion and Psychical Research, Summer 2001. Review by Michael Tymn.
