What is parapsychology?
Parapsychology is the scientific and scholarly study of three kinds of unusual events (ESP, mind-matter interaction, and survival), which are associated with human experience. The existence of these phenomena suggest that the strict subjective/objective dichotomy proposed by the old paradigm (see below) may not be quite so clear-cut as once thought. Instead, these phenomena may be part of a spectrum of what is possible, with some events and experiences occasionally falling between purely subjective and purely objective. We call such phenomena “anomalous” because they are difficult to explain within current scientific models. Parapsychology only studies those anomalies that fall into one of three general categories: ESP (terms are defined below), mind-matter interaction (previously known as psychokinesis), and phenomena suggestive of survival after bodily death, including near-death experiences, apparitions, and reincarnation. Most parapsychologists today expect that further research wi
Parapsychology is the scientific and scholarly study of certain unusual events associated with human experience. These experiences have been called “psychic” for want of a better term. A common misconception is that a parapsychologist is a psychic, or someone who hunts for Bigfoot or UFOs, or an enthusiast of New Age thought or paranormal mysteries. These are incorrect. A parapsychologist is a scientist or scholar who is seriously interested in psychic experiences including telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition and mind-matter interactions (and more, as noted in the next FAQ item). Unfortunately, many telephone books and on-line sites use “parapsychologist” as a synonym for psychic entertainer, mentalist, conjurer, astrologer, or psychic reader. This is an inaccurate use of the term “parapsychologist.” The Parapsychological Association is an elected affiliate of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the largest scientific organization in the world. In contrast
“Parapsychology is the scientific and scholarly study of certain unusual events associated with human experience.” Basically, parapsychology is the study of phenomena that seem to cross the boundaries between mental intention and physical reality. Such phenomena are termed “anomalous because they are difficult to explain within current scientific models.” “These anomalies fall into three general categories: Extrasensory Perception (ESP), Psychokinesis (PK), and phenomena suggestive of survival after bodily death,” such as near-death experiences (NDE), hauntings, and reincarnation. While most parapsychologists believe that the current state of scientific knowledge will have to revised in order to incorporate the workings of psychic phenomena, other researchers continue to hold that the “existing scientific models of perception and memory are adequate to explain some or all parapsychological phenomena.
