Do you have psychic powers


What is parapsychology

Parapsychology is the "study of thethe universe.
evidence for psychological phenomena,A substantial portion of
such as telepathy, clairvoyance, andparapsychologists feel that over time
psychokinesis, that are inexplicable bythey have gathered at least a small
science." Parapsychology includes "...amount of data from properly controlled
any of several types of events thatexperiments, data that they feel can be
cannot be accounted for by natural lawtrusted for a small number of psi
or knowledge apparently acquired byphenomena. A smaller group believes that
other than usual sensory abilities." Thea great deal of evidence has been
Parapsychological Association definescollected, which, if it addressed more
parapsychology as the study of certainconventional phenomena, would be
types of paranormal phenomena, or ofsufficient to provide proof. Not all
phenomena which appear to be paranormal.parapsychologists agree, however. Some
The term, which comes from Greek paraparapsychologists hold that this
(beside/beyond), psyche (soul/mind), andevidence is not definitive, but
logos (account/explanation), was coinedsuggestive enough to warrant further
by psychologist Max Dessoir in the lateresearch.
1880s J. B. Rhine later popularizedContemporary parapsychology often looks
"parapsychology" as a replacement forat the statistical data of experiments
the earlier term "psychical research",for validation of psychic phenomena.
after psychic researchers began usingSome experiments have tested the
experimental methods to study psychicpossibility of ESP by having subjects
phenomena.In contemporary research, theguess targets such as cards, pictures,
term 'parapsychology' refers to theor videos. There have also been many
study of psi, a blanket term used bypsychokinesis experiments testing the
academic parapsychologists to denotepossibility that the mind can influence
anomalous processes or outcomes.random number generators. Other
The scientific reality ofexperiments, such as the ganzfeld
parapsychological phenomena and theprocedure, test for the possibility of
validity of scientific parapsychologicaltelepathy. In these experiments, a
research is a matter of frequent disputestatistical deviation from chance is
and criticism. The field is regarded byseen to be evidence of psi, which
critics as a pseudoscience. Encyclopediaparapsychologist feel indicates psychic
Brittanica notes that "...[d]iscussionphenomena.
about parapsychological phenomena hasAccording to parapsychologists such as
sometimes assumed emotional overtones,Dean Radin, who was formerly President
unsuitable to scientific discipline, andof the Parapsychological Association,
outspoken but contradictory opinions aremany of these experiments have had
still frequently voiced", and statespositive results, with subjects scoring
that "...[w]hen such extreme andsignificantly above chance. He says that
contradictory views are widely held, itwhen analyzed using statistics, this
is almost certain that the evidence issignificance has often been very
not conclusive either way and thathigh.[10](Radin 1997:84) The odds
confident conclusions are unlikely to beagainst chance of many of these
supported by a survey of all the knownstatistical outcomes often range from
facts."one in thousands to one in trillions,
Parapsychologists claim thatwhich leads Radin and other
parapsychological research isparapsychologists to believe that these
scientifically rigorous. Despitestatistically significant results are in
criticisms, a number of academicfavor of the existence of psi, or some
institutions now conduct research on theother unknown factor causing the
topic, employing laboratorydeviation.
methodologies and statisticalNot everyone agrees with this
techniques, such as meta-analysis. Theinterpretation of parapsychological
Parapsychological Association is thework. Although generally accepted within
leading association forthe parapsychology community, the
parapsychologists and has been a memberstatistical evidence for psychic
of the American Association for thephenomena has received strong opposition
Advancement of Science since 1969.from outside sources, notably from the
Parapsychology employs a number ofCommittee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI).
research methods in studying theSkeptical scholars such as Ray Hyman,
possibility of psychical phenomena.who was a founding member of CSI, has
Among these is the experimentalsaid that parapsychology needs to do
approach.more theoretical work and produce
Experimental researchresults which are more easily
A number of experiments have beenreplicable. He has also said that
conducted by parapsychologists since theparapsychology lacks a cumulative
1930s, utilizing a wide range ofdatabase, and that its claims are based
methodologies that have changed over theon the rejection of the null hypothesis.
years. As recently as 2006, computerIn other words, these experiments do not
scientists at the University ofdetect psi directly. Other scientists,
Manchester tested the possibility ofsuch as noted skeptic James E. Alcock,
telepathy by simulating a virtualhave questioned the methodology of these
computer world in the hopes that itexperiments and said there is a logical
would eliminate other forms offallacy in assuming that significant
communication. This constant refinementdepartures from the laws of chance are
of methodologies is in response toautomatically evidence that something
skeptical analysis of earlierparanormal has occurred.
experiments that call for a higherDespite controversy over
standard of practice in parapsychologyparapsychological work, new experiments
because positive results challengeand a refinement of older methodologies
well-established scientific models ofcontinue in the field.



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