The Global Consciousness Project - wishful thinking
Google reveals ~8500 links to the Global Consciousness Project. Few are skeptical. Skeptical site, GCP on Crank.net
The basic notion (from the GCP page):
The mind's extended reach remains to be fully defined in scientific terms, but research on human consciousness suggests that we may have direct communication links with each other, and that our intentions can have effects in the world despite physical barriers and separations. We are compelled by good evidence to accept correlations that we cannot yet explain. It appears that consciousness may sometimes produce something that resembles, at least metaphorically, a nonlocal field of meaningful information.To begin what's a field of information? Is it like a field of encyclopedias? If we're compelled by good evidence, what is that evidence? No scientist I know accepts correlation as evidence for disembodied intelligence.
The human nervous system is electromagnetic; it's activity is intrinsically measurable. We know that human signalling involves broadcasting (speaking, writing) and receiving (hearing, looking). Both require specialized organs and codes (language) which must be learned.
That global consciousness involves unknown forces is a complication not an insight. Since the nervous system is electromagnetic, these unknown forces must be transduced to electromagnetism. We'd need an organ to convert the signal on the way out and another to convert it on the way in (analogs of voice and ears).
Furthermore different brains are unlikely to process consciousness in similar ways, especially brains operating in different languages. Universal coding of consciousness is implausible.
Keep in mind that although the atmosphere is a good medium for transmitting information, neither gases nor vacuum are plausible media for storing information.
Like most paranormal concepts, global consciousness inspires wishful thinking, not insight. GCP satisfies item 3 of Robert Park's voodoo science (marginally measurable events) as well as item 7 (violates known laws of physics). Unfortunately most people feel they've experienced ESP. Extinguishing misconceptions is harder than learning good science.
Robert Ehrlich discusses statistical difficulties with this sort of research in Eight Preposterous Propositions
