Conferences and other Presentations

2007

French, C. C. (2007). Anomalistic psychology and critical thinking. Presentation to the 13th Congress of the European Council of Skeptical Organisations, "The Assault on Science: Constructing a Response", Dublin, 7-9 September 2007.

French, C. C. (2007). Why do we believe in strange things? Invited presentation to the Royal Society of Edinburgh Conference "Tall Tales About Mind and Brain", Edinburgh, 5-7 September 2007.

French, C. C. (2007). Seven years of weird science at Goldsmiths: An overview of the work of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit. Invited presentation to the 31st International Conference of the Society for Psychical Research, Cardiff University, 31 August - 2 September 2007.

French, C. C. (2007). The psychology of anomalous experiences. Invited presentation to the London and Home Counties Branch of the British Psychological Society, London, 28 February 2007.

French, C. C. (2007). Near-death experiences: Glimpses of the afterlife or visions of a dying brain? Invited presentation at "Entrances and Exits: The art and science of birth and death", Theatre Royal, Winchester, 9-11 March 2007.

2006

French, C. C. (2006) Memory for anomalous experiences. Invited presentation to the Bial Foundation's 6th Symposium "Behind and Beyond the Brain", Porto, Portugal, 29 March to 1 April 2006.

French, C. C. (2006) Invited participant in chaired discussion with Rupert Sheldrake, Peter Fenwick and Deborah Delanoy ("Is there any evidence that the mind extends beyond the brain?") at the British Association for the Advancement of Science Festival of Science, University of East Anglia (subsequently broadcast on Radio 4's "Material World" programme), 5 September 2006.

French, C. C. (2006) Memory for anomalous experiences. Presentation to Eyewitness Workshop, Stirling University, 19 September 2006. French, C. C. (2006). Paranormal experiences and memory for anomalous events. Invited presentation to Skepsis Congres, Hogeschool Domstad te Utrecht, Netherlands, 28 October 2006.

French, C. C. (2006). Has Rupert Sheldrake proven the existence of telepathy? Invited presentation to the Ethical Society, Conway Hall, London, 5 November 2006.

French, C. C., Santomauro, J., Fox, R., Hamilton, V., & Thalbourne, M. (2006) Psychological and parapsychological aspects of the alien contact experience. Bial Foundation's 6th Symposium "Behind and Beyond the Brain", Porto, Portugal, 29 March to 1 April 2006.

French, C. C. (2006) Memory for anomalous experiences. Invited presentation to the Bial Foundation’s 6th Symposium “Behind and Beyond the Brain”, Porto, Portugal, 29 March to 1 April 2006.

French, C. C., Santomauro, J., Fox, R., Hamilton, V., & Thalbourne, M. (2006) Psychological and parapsychological aspects of the alien contact experience. Bial Foundation’s 6th Symposium “Behind and Beyond the Brain”, Porto, Portugal, 29 March to 1 April 2006.

2005

Blagrove, M., French, C. C., & Jones, G. (2005). Probabilistic reasoning, affirmative bias and belief in precognitive dreams. 22nd Annual Conference of the International Association for the Study of Dreams. Berkeley, California, 24-28 June 2005.

French, C. C. (2005) Invited participant in chaired discussion with Rupert Sheldrake on the paranormal at Cheltenham Festival of Science, 8-12 June 2005.

French, C. C. (2005) The psychology of superstition. Invited presentation at the British Association for the Advancement of Science Festival, Dublin, 8 September 2005.

French, C. C. (2005) Weird science: The psychology of anomalous experience. Invited presentation, British Psychological Society Edinburgh Lectures, 8 November 2005.

French, C. C., Haque, U., Davies, R. E., Bunton-Stasyshyn, R., Kim, S., & Bejanyan, K. (2005) The “Haunt” Project: Can we build a “haunted” room? European Skeptics Congress, Brussels, Belgium, 13-16 October 2005.

French, C. C., Santomauro, J., Fox, R., Hamilton, V., & Thalbourne, M. (2005) Psychological and parapsychological aspects of the alien contact experience. Invited presentation, Conference on Developing Perspectives on Anomalous Experience, Liverpool, 4 June 2005.

French, C. C., Wright, D., & Ost, J. (2005) Ten years on from the BPS report. Invited presentation to the British False Memory Society Annual General Meeting, London, 23 April 2005.

Ivtzan, I., & French, C. C. (2005) Exploring territory of no-boundary: RNG-meditation experiment. Ninth Annual Conference of the Consciousness and Experiential Psychology Section of the British Psychological Society: Reconstructing Consciousness, Mind and Being. St Anne’s College, Oxford University, 16-18 September 2005.

Wilson, K., & French, C. C. (2005) The relationship between the creation of false memories and belief in the paranormal. PsyPAG 20th Anniversary Conference, University of Exeter, 23-25 August 2005.

2004

French, C. C. (2004) Weird science at Goldsmiths: The psychology of anomalous experiences, Inaugural lecture, Goldsmiths College, 13 January 2004.

French, C. C. (2004) The psychology of anomalous experiences: Seeing shouldn’t always be believing. Invited presentation to the Irish Skeptics, Dublin, 2 June 2004.

French, C. C. (2004) The psychology of paranormal belief and experience. Invited presentation to the Scottish Society for Psychical Research, Glasgow, 2 September 2004.

French, C. C. (2004) The state of British scepticism. Invited presentation to the Fifth World Skeptics Congress, in Abano Terme, Italy, 8-10 October 2004.

French, C. C. (2004) Weird science: The psychology of anomalous experience. Invited presentation, British Psychological Society London Lectures, Kensington Town Hall, 6 December 2004.

French, C. C., & Wilson, K. (2004) The psychology of self-deception. Invited presentation to the Fifth World Skeptics Congress, in Abano Terme, Italy, 8-10 October 2004.

Ivtzan, I., & French, C. C. (2004). Testing the validity of Tarot cards: Can we distinguish between a real and a control reading? 47th Annual Convention of the Parapsychological Association, 5-8 August 2004.

Wilson, K., & French, C. C. (2004). Memory conformity and paranormal belief. 47th Annual Convention of the Parapsychological Association, 5-8 August 2004.

2003

French, C. C. (2003). Incredible memories: The relevance of reports of anomalous experiences to false memory research. Presented at one-day scientific conference “Remembering Trauma: Current Theory, Research & Practice”, Royal Society of Medicine, London, 4 September 2003.

French, C. C. (2003). Invited Keynote Address on “Anomalistic Psychology”. 11th European Congress of the European Council of Skeptical Organisations, Kings College London, 5-7 September 2003.

French, C. C. (2003). Invited discussant at a symposium on “Science at the fringe” at the British Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Conference, Salford University, 10 September 2003.

French, C. C. (2003). Invited contributor to interactive science event “The truth is out there” at the Science Museum’s Dana Centre, London, 9 December 2003.

Savva, L., & French, C. C. (2003). An investigation into precognitive dreaming. David Mandell: The man who paints the future? Annual Conference of the Society for Psychical Research, Manchester Metropolitan University, 5-7 September 2003.

2002

French, C. C. (2002). Fantastic memories: How reliable are reports of anomalous events? Seminar presented by the Institute for Cultural Research, “Memory Matters”, School of Oriental and African Studies, London, 16-17 February 2002.

French, C. C. (2002). Dying to know the truth. Contribution to panel discussion: “Near-death experiences: Beyond the dying brain?” Edinburgh Science Festival, 14 April 2002.

French, C. C., Rose, N. J., & Blackmore, S. J. (2002). Paranormal belief and interpretations of sleep paralysis. 45th Annual Convention of the Parapsychological Association, Paris, 5-9 August.

Savva, L., & French, C. C. (2002). Is there time-reversed interference in Stroop-based tasks? 45th Annual Convention of the Parapsychological Association, Paris, 5-9 August.

Savva, L., & French, C. C. (2002). Use of a complex psi-mediated timing task. 26th International Conference of the Society for Psychical Research, Manchester, 30 August – 1st September.

2001

Crawley, S., French, C. C., & Yesson, S. (2001). Evidence for transliminality from a subliminal ‘ESP card-guessing task’. British Psychological Society Centenary Annual Conference, Glasgow, 28-31 March 2001. (Abstract published in Proceedings of the British Psychological Society, 9(2), 173).

French, C. C. (2001). The psychology of alien abduction. Invited keynote presentation to the  British Psychological Society’s Annual PsyPAG Conference, Sheffield University, 23-25 July 2001.

French, C. C. (2001). Paranormal perception? A critical evaluation. Seminar presented by the Institute for Cultural Research, “Seeing how to see: A close look at perception”, Royal Society of Medicine, London, 17-18 February 2001.

French, C. C., O’Donnell, H., & Williams, L. (2001). Hypnotic susceptibility, paranormal belief and reports of ‘crystal power’. British Psychological Society Centenary Annual Conference, Glasgow, 28-31 March 2001. (Abstract published in Proceedings of the British Psychological Society, 9(2), 186).

Holden, K. J., & French, C. C. (2001). Psychological needs and belief in psychics and astrologers. European Congress of Psychology, The Barbican Centre, London, 1-6 July 2001.

Savva, L., & French, C. C. (2001). Evolution and psi: Investigating the presentiment effect as an adapted behaviour. Society for Psychical Research 25th International Conference, Clare College, Cambridge, 14-16 September 2001.

2000

French, C. C. (2000). Past and modern versions of scepticism. Perrott-Warrick Conference on Rational Perspectives on the Paranormal. Trinity College, Cambridge, 3-5 April 2000.

Holden, K., & French, C. C. (2000). Why do people believe in psychics? Psychology Postgraduate Affairs Group Annual Conference, Glasgow University, 18 July 2000. (Abstract published in Proceedings of the British Psychological Society, 9(2), 106-107).

1999

French, C. C. (1999). Many happy returns? Investigating reincarnation claims in the Lebanon. Conference on “Parapsychology: Current status and future prospects”, co-organised by the Association for Skeptical Enquiry (ASKE) and Goldsmiths College, Goldsmiths College, University of London, 16 July 1999.

French, C. C. (1999). Scepticism, the paranormal and the media: A British perspective. European Skeptics ’99 Conference, Maastricht, the Netherlands, September 17-19.

French, C. C., & Williams, L. (1999). Crystal clear: Paranormal powers, placebo, or priming? Sixth European Congress of Psychology, Rome, 4-9 July 1999.

1998

French, C. C. (1998) The psychology of superstition. Conference on “Paranormal and Superstitious Beliefs: A Skeptical Examination” organised by the Association for Skeptical Enquiry and Manchester Humanists, Manchester Metropolitan University, 13 November 1998.

1997

French, C. C., and Blackmore, S. (1997) Population stereotypes and paranormal belief. Fifth European Congress of Psychology, Dublin, 6-11 July.

1996

French, C. C. (1996) The psychology of psi. British Association Annual Festival of Science, University of Birmingham, 8-13 September.

French, C. C., Herrmann, D., Hales, S., and Northam, C. (1996) Psi in the eye of the beholder? Sheep-goat differences in judging paranormal evidence. XXVI International Congress of Psychology, Montreal, Canada, 16-21 August. (Abstract published in the  International Journal of Psychology, 31, 260.)

French, C. C., and Kerman, M. K. (1996). Childhood trauma, fantasy proneness and belief in the paranormal. British Psychological Society London Conference at the Institute of Education, London, 17-18 December. (Abstract published in Proceedings of the British Psychological Society, 5(1), 54.)

1993

French, C. C. (1993). Sorting the sheep from the goats: Psychological factors underlying belief in the paranormal. Fifth European Skeptics' Conference at Keele University, 29-31 August.

1990

French, C. C. (1990). Belief in the paranormal: do sheep and goats process information differently? British Psychological Society Annual Conference at University College of Swansea, 5-8 April. (Abstract published in the British Psychological Society 1990 Abstracts, 69.)