Jane heard sounds and experienced smoke during psychological time exercises; Rob reduced automobile fuel consumption through subconscious suggestion.

Divide this into two studies: (1) Randomly assign approximately 180 participants to psychological time exercises, relaxation of equal duration, or a neutral task for four weeks. Simultaneously record audio and measure ambient particulate matter in the laboratory to distinguish external sounds and smoke from subjective experiences, and include an expectancy manipulation and sensory detection tasks. Allow approximately nine months. (2) Have approximately 120 drivers receive fuel-saving suggestions or a control intervention matched for expectancy. Measure consumption using calibrated fuel mass or flow meters in a counterbalanced crossover design, recording speed, acceleration, route, load, and environmental conditions under closed-course test conditions. Include automatically controlled driving conditions to isolate mediation by driving behavior. Each participant would complete four to six sessions, and the project would take approximately 12 months. Only reproducible differences under fixed mechanical conditions would support an explanation beyond behavioral change.

Expectancy, Driving Behavior, and Measured Fuel Consumption: A Pre-registered Crossover Trial

Only reproducible intention-related differences in fuel consumption under identical mechanical output and operating conditions would challenge the model that “fuel requirements are determined by vehicle operating conditions, efficiency, and the environment.”

Albert R. Powers，Yale School of Medicine, Powers Lab; Philip R. Corlett，Yale School of Medicine, Belief, Learning, and Memory Lab; Zoltan Dienes，University of Sussex

No external verification of the sounds or smoke, baseline fuel consumption, driving conditions, or content of the suggestions is provided, so the claim cannot distinguish among sensory priors, changes in driving habits, and anomalous mechanical effects.

Both cases lack independent verification; fuel consumption can decrease through smoother driving and does not automatically support direct mind–matter interaction. The [Powers Laboratory](https://medicine.yale.edu/lab/powers/publications/) and [Corlett Laboratory](https://medicine.yale.edu/lab/corlett/) study mechanisms of perception and belief.