Conference hydra::dejavu

    There are two hypotheses about ESP.  One is that it's a developing
    sense; others, that it's vestegial. [There's a third that it doesn't
    exist, but let's put that one aside. :-)]
    
    The "developing sense" hypothesis says that as a mind reaches greater
    complexity, so does the ability to use psi functions.  However,
    if that's true, then the functions will develop in both hunters
    and prey.  The eland, for instance, will strive to sense lions better;
    the lions will strive to hide their (mental) presence better, and
    thing will balance out.
    
    The "vesteigal sense" hypothesis says that the more complex the
    mind, the greater the _self_ awareness, the less able one ought
    to be to "tune in" to a communal consciousness, such as a school
    of fish.  Therefore, the lower animals might well be able better
    to handle the appropriate psi functions than humans.  Some of the
    parables of early "Atlantis" posited a group mind rather than
    individuality.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.
    

    .1

    The developing sense hypothesis: Prey animals would not only like to
    read the minds of the hunter, but the minds of other members of the
    group, say, for the selection of a mate. With the other senses so well
    developed wherever the environment permits the channel to be useful,
    it seems odd that the psi ability is not more wide spread.

    The Vestigial sense hypothesis: The example of a school of fish was
    interesting. Come to think of it, the "communal mind" does explain
    how some species of fish seem to change direction as a group almost
    instantaneously. Maybe, psi is a property of the "mind", as opposed
    to, say, of the "brain".

    Rav

    	See MTV::SF Note 370 on ESP.
    
    	Larry
    

    re:.0
    
    Perhaps we are all born with an ability to know our connection into
    the web of life, and we all have the "instinctive" abilities of
    animals.  I know groups of natural people who seem to react in unison
    as they move through the woods in a group.  They remind me of wolves
    as they go.  I have worked with them on awakening all of my senses,
    and to me, most of the things that someone labels as EXTRAsensory
    perception are actually NORMALsensory perception in a "natural body".  
    
    The eye perceives the vibration of light.  The ear perceives the
    vibration of sound. It is a pure, natural, and open heart that
    perceives the vibrations of the "web".
    
    Unfortunately most people have dulled all of their senses.  Very
    few people see more than that which is blatently obvious.  The constant
    din of city life obscures our hearing.  Taste is nothing more than
    the constant bombardment of the body with the flavor of MSG. 
    
    Maybe it isn't ESP that is evolving; maybe its complacency and a
    lack of individual responsibility that is !!! 

    ESP might simply be very difficult to do well and reliably.  It
    would be really useful if an animal could defend itself or hunt
    with laser beams, but so far natural luminescence doesn't go far
    beyond lightning bugs.
    
    Earl Wajenberg

    Re .6:
    
    True, but evolution has had some oddball tricks up her sleeve. 
    Frinstance, the electric eel produces respectable amounts of power,
    and one wonders just how it evolved up to that level of output.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.
    

RE: .7
    
    Step by step.  The electric eel lives in muddy river water, where
    sight is limited.  As well as being able to generate electric current
    it can detect it.  It uses this as a primitive radar.
    
    Small amounts of current are useful for this, but those able to
    generate slightly more were slightly better able to navigate.  This
    would lead to a selective advantage to ever increasing amounts of
    electric current.  At some point it would get strong enough to "sting"
    and act as a defensive weapon.  The rate of increase in power would
    be expected to increase at this point at an even faster rate.
    
    ...Until it starts reaching levels where sufficient power is generated
    to actually do damage to other organisms.  At this point it becomes
    an offensive weapon.  The development of higher power levels stops
    when the cost of powering it, "maintaining" it, and self immunity
    breaks even with the benefits.
    
    The only "hard" step is the initial development of an electric sense.
    It is the difficulty of this step that keeps all muddy-water dwellers
    from being "electric".  Once a rudimentary sense like this develops
    the rest is automatic and highly predictable -- you will eventually
    end up with a system like the electric eel has, used for paralyzing
    prey, defending itself and navigation.
    
    				Topher

    
      Carry that eel stuff too far and ZZZZZAP!  Spontaneous Human
    Combustion!
    
          (Anyone want to talk about that subject?)
                                                            Herb