ESP & Psychokinesis

The term extra-sensory perception (ESP), introduced in the 1930s, comprises telepathy, clairvoyance and precognition, acknowledging that these categories may considerably overlap. Psychokinesis is the direct influence on matter by mind alone, without physical action. All have been successfully tested in the laboratory and studied in real life situations.

Experimental Parapsychology in the UK

The UK arguably leads psi research in Europe, having active centres in at least eight universities.

Psi Research in Russia

Limited but significant psi research has been carried out in Russia since the nineteenth century.

UK (Non-University) Paranormal Research

Overview of non-university organizations that carry out psi research.

Gifted People

Most people may only experience a psychic event once or twice in their lives, but for a few it’s a natural ability, which some develop as a professional career. Two types feature in the Psi Encyclopedia: those who have demonstrated telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition or psychokinesis in some way, and those who believe themselves to be in communication with the deceased.

Francis Bacon and the Occult

Francis Bacon (1561–1626) believed in the possibility of psi but opposed its investigation on theological grounds.

Rosemary Brown

Twentieth-century British medium who specialized in musical compositions she claimed were dictated to her by deceased composers.

Hélène Smith

Swiss medium (1861–1929), the subject of a classic study by Théodore Flournoy showing psychological dimensions of mediumship.

Mind & Body

This category contains articles that treat consciousness in relation to the body. Major topics covered include healing and psychotherapy; dreams and dreaming; and out-of-body experiences, end-of-life experiences, and near-death experiences, all of which suggest that consciousness may have an existence independent of the physical body.

Religious Levitation

Reports of individuals being seen, spontaneously and involuntarily, to rise into the air and remain suspended

Thoughtforms

Describes the concept of an entity created directly and exclusively by the mind, whether unconsciously or consciously.

Harry Edwards

Celebrated British spiritual healer of the mid-20th century, who engaged in vigorous controversy with religious and medical critics.

Survival of Death

Life continued in a spiritual or purely mental form after bodily death is a staple of religious beliefs worldwide, and likely is as old as humanity. The question of evidence for it has been central to the Society for Psychical Research since its founding in 1882. This category includes articles on mediumship as well as general topics related to the survival question. Other survival-related topics appear under other category headings.

Mediumship and Spirit Possession in Cross-Cultural Perspective

There is great overlap in the expression of mediumship and spirit possession.

Morselli’s Psicologia e Spiritismo

Study of Eusapia Palladino, with emphasis on clinical and psychological aspects of the case.

Mediumship and Pathology

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, some in medicine regarded mediumship as an abnormal condition.

Reincarnation

Reincarnation beliefs are widespread in the world and in recent decades researchers have found what they believe is evidence of them through the study of people (mainly children) who claim to have lived before. This category includes case studies and overviews of phenomena that appear regularly in the cases. Some articles deal with past life regression as well.

Dilukshi Nissanka (reincarnation case)

Child reincarnation case in which statements about a previous life were written down before investigations.

American Children with Past-Life Memories

List of cases of children’s past-life memories from the Americas, with descriptions.

James Leininger (reincarnation case)

Famous American case in which an initially sceptical father researched and verified his son's past-life memories.

Haunting

Location-based hauntings have been relatively little studied by parapsychologists, but the frequent incidence of apparitional episodes (the appearance of a deceased family member) attracted the attention of early researchers. Much interest has also centred on so-called ‘poltergeist’ episodes, of powerful domestic disturbances now often attributed to involuntary psychokinetic effects by living agents.

Psychological Aspects of Poltergeist Cases

Reasons to think that most poltergeist disturbances have living rather than deceased agents.

Miami Poltergeist

1960s episode in which Florida-themed souvenir items were seen repeatedly falling from warehouse shelves.

Hornby Apparition

This late 19th century case was discredited by discrepancies in the original account but an alternative interpretation has been advanced.

General Topics

This section lists articles on a variety of topics that are not found in any of the main categories, from brain research and altered states of consciousness to dowsing, crop circles and other anomalistic phenomena.

Kirlian Photography

Photographic technique pioneered in Russia that reveals light radiating from living organisms and other objects.

Psi Encyclopedia Style Guide

A reference for contributors to the Psi Encyclopedia, providing guidance on style and presentation.

Cold Reading

Discusses the psychological strategies that can be used to simulate a mediumistic communication or psychic reading.

Scientists & Authors

Here can be found more than 300 biographical profiles of key figures who have been involved in psi research and parapsychology as field investigators, experimentalists, theorists and commentators. Many have scientific and academic backgrounds – in psychology, physics, biology, philosophy, engineering and other disciplines.

Bruce Greyson

American psychiatrist at the University of Virginia who is the world's leading authority on near-death experiences.

Arthur Chattock

Arthur Chattock (1860–1934) was a British physicist who carried out telepathy experiments.

Bryan Williams

Student of cognitive psychology interested in field-like influences on the behaviour of random number generators.

Organizations

The oldest organizations devoted to parapsychology were member organizations like the Society for Psychical Research, established in London in 1882. Since JB Rhine founded the Parapsychology Laboratory at Duke University in 1930, there have been university-based units as well. This category comprises both historical and contemporary bodies concerned with research and education in parapsychology.

Center for Research on Consciousness and Anomalous Psychology (CERCAP)

Under Etzel Cardeña at Lund University. 

Journal of Parapsychology (JP)

Journal founded by JB Rhine at Duke University in 1937, historically devoted to experimental parapsychology.

College of Psychic Studies

British Spiritualist organization, offering mediumship training and courses related to consciousness, healing and the psychic arts.

Scepticism

Sceptics argue that psychics and mediums achieve their effects by trickery, that psychic experience is an illusory effect caused by a combination of brain misperceptions and confirmation bias, and that evidence of psi in laboratory tests can be attributed to poor methodology. This category includes biographies of leading sceptics as well as general articles discussing their allegations.

Ray Hyman

American psychologist, amateur magician and leading sceptic, co-founder of the Committee for the Scientific Inquiry (CSI).

Trevor Hall

English chartered surveyor and amateur conjuror (1910–1991), author of books attacking deceased psychics and researchers.

Michael Shermer

Well-known American author, media personality and career sceptic, founder of the Skeptics Society and its magazine Skeptic.