The Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research group (PEARS) has announced on their website that the controversial laboratory will end its relationship with the Ivy-league school at the end of this month.

The reason? Administrators feel that many of its basic research goals have been reached. Further investigations will be carried out through a new non-profit organization, the International Consciousness Research Laboratories, according to a statement on the Web site.

PEAR opened in 1979 under the guidance of Roger Jahn, dean of Princeton's School of Engineering and Applied Science. Its mission, according to the Web site, was to pursue "rigorous scientific study of the interaction of human consciousness with sensitive physical devices, systems, and processes common to contemporary engineering practice."

Those of us who were around in the late 70s will remember that extra-sensory perception was a very hot topic, with late-night hosts showing off people who could bend spoons with nothing but concentration. Now, the subject is more relegated to magic tricks used for children's birthday parties or to break the ice at a singles party. PEAR's work, according to the group's Web site, doesn't involve spoons. Instead, activities of the human mind are measured with sensitive physical devises and systems that have been created for use in other scientific applications.

PEAR's new organization, ICRL will be independent of Princeton, which many thought was an odd host for what some might consider an unscientific subject. Like PEAR, ICRL will focus on quality research, educational initiatives and practical applications.

One relatively new aspect of the research team will be the inclusion of entrepreneurs who might be willing to market some of the group's research. Researchers will serve as advisors to both businesses and venture capitalists seeking to find profitable ways to use ESP research.

In fact, researchers are already working with one company, Psyleron Science and Implications. This company offers consumers a chance to develop mental powers by discovering how the subconscious mind affects day-to-day behavior. For businesses, the company offers to gather research and discover how the world of the subconscious can play a role in operations. The site mentions as an example the possibility that choosing to do things on certain days or certain times might yield better results simply because of the connection with the subconscious world.

According to the Web site, one popular Princeton course has grown out of the work of PEAR. "Human/Machine Interactions" is an undergraduate course that brings together students and faculty members from many disciplines: engineering, computer science, physics, psychology and philosophy. The course studies the role the human consciousness plays in machine technologies. With PEAR's closing, it is unclear what will happen to this course.

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