Can two people exchange information without seeing or hearing one another?
Researchers at UC Santa Barbara are inviting local residents to help investigate this longstanding scientific question as part of a large-scale international research collaboration.
The Ganzfeld Multi-Lab (GML) Project brings together six research laboratories across multiple countries to investigate whether information can be transferred between individuals through means beyond established sensory channels.
At UCSB, the study is being conducted through the META Lab in the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences.
Local adults aged 18 and older are invited to participate in the study, receiving $20 per session. Each individual may participate in two sessions, once in each experimental role, for up to $40 in total compensation.
No previous experience with psychology experiments, meditation, or telepathy is required.
The Ganzfeld procedure is a longstanding experimental method used to investigate claims of extrasensory information transfer.
During the experiment, two participants are assigned different roles:
• The sender views visual information and attempts to mentally communicate it to another individual.
• The receiver is physically separated from the sender and experiences a controlled sensory environment designed to reduce external distractions.
The receiver subsequently completes a task designed to evaluate whether information about the sender’s target was identified more accurately than would be expected by chance.
Participants have the opportunity to return for a second session, switching roles to experience both sides of the experiment.
Importantly, the research does not assume that telepathy exists. Rather, it seeks to test the hypothesis using standardized experimental procedures, careful controls, and data collected across multiple independent laboratories.
The project involves research teams at UCSB, Chapman University, and collaborating institutions in Germany, Hungary and Brazil.
By implementing a common experimental protocol across laboratories, the research team said it aims to obtain a larger dataset and assess whether reported effects from earlier Ganzfeld experiments can be reliably reproduced.
The project is organized through the Paradox Science Institute, which supports research investigating unconventional scientific questions using rigorous empirical methods.
The UCSB research team is currently seeking participants from Santa Barbara, Goleta, Carpinteria, and neighboring communities.
• Participants must be at least 18 years old and meet study eligibility requirements.
• Participation takes place in person at UC Santa Barbara.
• Each research session lasts about two hours.
• Participants receive $20 per session.
• Participants may complete two sessions, once as sender and once as receiver, earning up to $40 total.
• Individuals may register independently or indicate someone they would like to participate with. Both individuals must register and meet eligibility requirements.
• Scheduling information and detailed instructions are provided following registration and screening.
Participation is voluntary, and individuals can withdraw from the research. Interested residents can learn more and complete the initial eligibility questionnaire here:
https://ucsb.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9v54VO1BqrCXvAG
International project website:
https://www.ganzfeld.science/
Research organization:
https://paradoxscience.org/
Questions or participant inquiries can be directed to metalab@psych.ucsb.edu
UCSB Institutional Review Board Protocol #241-26-0180.