Born in London in 1951, freelance writer Sue Blackmore holds degrees in psychology and physiology from Oxford University, as well as advanced degrees from the University of Surrey, where she earned her doctorate in parapsychology. Currently, she is a Visiting Professor at the University of Plymouth.

Blackmore’s early research into the paranormal was prompted in part by her own encounters with it, including a potent out-of-body experience that at first convinced her of the reality of psychic phenomena. 

Her own careful studies into the underlying psychology and sociology of belief in the paranormal set her on a trajectory of skeptical research and numerous publications about the pseudosciences, including psychic ability, astral projection, near-death experiences (NDE’s) and belief in ghosts. Blackmore is also notable for her three-year study on the phenomenon of sleep paralysis and its misinterpretation as a paranormal encounter.

In 1991, she became a CSICOP Fellow, the skeptical inquiry committee established in 1976 by co-founders James Randi, Isaac Asimov, Carl Sagan, and others. Shortly afterward, Blackmore discontinued her research into the paranormal and began studying consciousness and memetic theory.

Since 1997, Susan Blackmore has sat on the editorial board for the Journal of Memetics and continues to serve as a consulting editor for Skeptical Inquirer magazine. She has authored six internationally translated, critically acclaimed books on the subjects of the paranormal, memes, and consciousness, and is distinguished by her more than sixty published works in academic journals.

Dr. Blackmore achieved notoriety again as a 2008 TED lecturer on the topics of technologically disseminated memes, or “temes,” and was featured in Gianluigi Ricuperati's 2015 book, 100 Global Minds: The Most Daring Cross-Disciplinary Thinkers.

In recognition of her "daring cross-disciplinary thinking" and her lifetime of skeptical study, PPI proudly honors Susan Blackmore with its “Jaded Light” Award.

For more information about Dr. Susan Blackmore, visit her official website: https://www.susanblackmore.co.uk/.