Laser induced resonant fluorescence, sensitized fluorescence and laser "burn through" techniques have been used to study the electron collision rates in a well diagnosed helium plasma, with electron density ne = 5 × 1014cm-3 and electron temperature Te = 1.1eV, for excited states in neutral helium. Comparisons are made with theoretical calculations of a multi-level collisional radiative model of helium atom based on widely accepted electron collision rates. The model fails by substantial amounts to prodiot the plasma bohavionr. The experimental results suggest that electron oollisional transfer rates between excited states of helium atom are mnoh lower than those predicted by theory.