POSTSCRIPT
by professor Georg Hygen.

We have had many clairvoyant people in this country through the years: Vis-Knut (1792-1876), Vis-Kari (1825-1913), Fløttumsgutten (the boy from Fløttum 1893-1923), Lebesbymannen (the man from Lebesby 1858-1929), Marcello Haugen (1878-1967), Karl Tandstad (1868-1950) and his daughter Olga Tandstad Skaue, Inga Tamnes and Anna Elisabeth Westerlund, to mention some of the best known persons (Bergo, 1974). What they all have in common is that they have been almost totally neglected by the scientific world. Professor Harald Schjelderup, the founder of psychology education in Norway, is as far as I know the only person from our universities who has taken clairvoyance and other paranormal phenomena seriously. His classic, «The hidden man» (1961, 2nd edition: 1984) still did not receive the recognition it deserved as a pioneer work. Dogmas and prejudices were too influential in the scientific world, - and still are. In connection with this it seems appropriate to quote one of the most outstanding brain researchers of our time, Sir John Eccles: The materialistic model of reality is totally insufficient when it comes to understanding the relationship between the activity of the brain cells and the organisation of our minds. That may only be explained from a dualistic model, where the mental component is in charge (Popper & Eccles, 1977)

Because Norwegian researchers in the post-war era tightened their materialistic blinkers even more, no «paragnosts» were studied in a careful scientific way. It has therefore become much too easy both at home and abroad to reject the many seemingly reliable reports about them as «anecdotal material», read   «unreliable».

As for the present case, it is sheer luck that the clairvoyant Lodvar Kaarstad and communication specialist Torstein Royne got in touch with each other and lived closely enough in the north of the valley of Valdres to carry out a fruitful project together in an atmosphere of mutual trust. I should add that they are both honest and truth seeking persons. This is important in area where there has been so much of the opposite.

This book is the first result to materialise after ten years of very active efforts, and I hope it puts an end to the scientists slumber on this subject. It is no longer feasible to use the worn-out «anecdote»-label. Royne has used modern technology in his research, and both Kaarstad’s reports and the confirmations by the many witnesses and advice-seekers have been documented beyond doubt. In this respect, this book is unique also on the international arena. The «explain-away» experts become lightweighters when presented with this material. They no longer have any weighty arguments. If they had, it ought to be explaining away all the nonsense they have postulated previously, but that seems of little importance now. What one might hope for, is that others will be courageous enough to follow in Kaarstad’s and Royne’s trail, and that the universities will finally have their eyes opened to what an enormously important research area this is, lying stale for much too long, in the shadow of prejudice.

Some eager materialists have from time to time uttered their fear that the impressive system of experience and insight that has been revealed within the naturalistic sciences would disintegrate if parapsychologic theories were allowed to break through. Fortunately this is only false alarm. This issue does not concern natural science. On the contrary, it is phenomena and experiences that cannot be explained on the basis of natural science, because at they are of a non-material character. It is not the established knowledge which fail here, but the preconception that there are no areas left of our reality which are still beyond the horizon of the materialistic-mechanistic sciences. Parapsychology is by nature a humanistic science. The focus is on humans and human abilities, especially powers of the mind and brain. In this area gauges and measures fail to serve their purpose. It is time we had some clairvoyance around these phenomena.

Speaking about clairvoyance, the kind which Kaarstad and Royne have recorded in this book, one issue is worth mentioning. Common experiences of clairvoyance usually deal with quite detailed visions with correct information about humans and animals, places and events which the clairvoyant person could not possibly have learned through his normal senses. For some of Kaarstad’s visions, however, other elements are involved too. He not only sees situations as they are at the actual time, but sometimes also as they have recently been, or how they will soon be. Notice episodes where Kaarstad for instance reports where a stray sheep or cow was going before it arrived at the present location (hindsight). Or other cases where the owner of a lost object learns that it will soon be returned (foresight).

The lack of respect for our usual understanding of time seems to be a characteristic of clairvoyance. This is something which we at this point can observe but not understand or explain.

Royne has told me that he has only included a small part of his material about Kaarstad in this book. He now wishes to continue with his work on this subject. But such research is not just «killing time». It is mostly hard work, with no time limits. Resources are needed, and I hope those who are in charge of research funds will understand how important it would be if Royne could get the support he needs to continue his work.