Premonitions of Pregnancy

Dear Participant,

You are invited to participate in a dissertation research study seeking to gain understanding of the transformational significance of premonition-like experiences of pregnancy prior to conception. This research is being conducted to move me forward in meeting the requirements of the (PhD) program at Sofia University located at 1069 East Meadow Circle in Palo Alto, California, 94303. Your participation in the study is greatly appreciated and equally valuable in contributing to a greater understanding of premonition-like experiences of pregnancy  prior to conception, the states of consciousness that allow for such occurrences, and how those premonition-type experiences might transform a person’s life. In order to participate in this study, you must be over the age of 18 years, and must have had at least one premonition-type experience of becoming pregnant prior to conception. It is not mandatory that you carried the child to term. Participants who had premonitions but never conceived will be excluded.

As part of the study, this survey will be used to assess your interest in and level of experience with the subject matter. If you are interested to participate further, you’ll be asked to complete no more than three interviews at a mutually agreed upon time and location, each lasting no more than three hours a piece. Procedures for the interview will follow current public health guidelines for social distancing and every effort will be made to guarantee safety and comfort during the interview.
 
All interviews will be recorded as audio and/or video recordings for my accuracy when gathering data. If it is not feasible to meet with you in person, or if you choose not to be interviewed in person, the interview can be conducted on the phone or by online video-chatting using Zoom.us. (Please see: https://zoom.us/legal for details about Zoom.us’s privacy policy.) In-person interviews will be held in a neutral location of your choosing.

To protect your privacy, a pseudonym will be assigned to you, and your identifying information will be protected. The names of any individual you discuss during the interviews will also be changed to a pseudonym and the information will respectfully be held in confidence. All material associated with this study, both digital and on paper, will be password-protected and/or stored in a locked closet in perpetuity or until destroyed. If a professional transcriber is hired to transcribe the interviews, a Transcriber Confidentiality Agreement will be signed by that individual prior to services rendered.

Personal benefits for participating in this study could include the gaining of insights and revelations that lead to a greater sense of understanding yourself and the ways in which having a premonition-type experience of pregnancy prior to conception has impacted your life. I do not anticipate that you will be exposed to any risks or dangers as a result of your participation. However, in the event that you wish to further process what has arisen during the study, I will provide you with a list of therapists or mental health professionals. if you choose to seek these services as a result of this study.

If you have any questions following the interview, you are welcome to contact me, Amber Voiles, by email at amber.voiles@sofia.edu or at +1 (323) 806-2081. If at any point during your participation in this research study you have questions or concerns about your individual rights and/or the manner in which you have been treated, you may contact the chairperson for my dissertation committee, Marilyn Schlitz, at marilyn.schlitz@sofia.edu or by phone at (650) 493-4430. Additionally, you may contact the Dissertation Office of Sofia University via telephone at (888) 820-1484 or via email at dissertation@sofia.edu.