‘Psi’, the Greek letter ψ, is the modern term for psychic phenomena. The existence of psi – and the related idea that consciousness is independent of the physical body (and so may survive bodily death) – are disputed, as they seem to violate well-established natural laws. However, researchers are convinced they have evidence for these things, posing a challenge to materialist science. The Psi Encyclopedia presents their reasoning in over 700 signed articles by 86 authors, many of them senior academics. It also provides links to books, articles and videos that are free to view.

Featured

Key Topics

photograph of JB Rhine, one of the first to explore psychological variables underlying psi

Psychology and Parapsychology

Explores the overlap between psychology and parapsychology, such as personality and other variables linked to psi.

albert einstein2

Eminent People Interested in Psi (list)

A list of some 200 scientists, thinkers, writers, and artists who took seriously the possibility of psi.

Ingo Swann, one of the first remote viewers

Remote Viewing

An experimental form of clairvoyance, in which a suitably trained person attempts to visualise the topography of a distant scene.

Tunnel in Near-Death Experience

Near-Death Experience (Overview)

This article describes anomalous mental events reported by people who have survived a near-fatal accident or illness.

Early reincarnation beliefs in the West are associated with the Greek philosopher Pythagoras in the sixth century BCE

Reincarnation: An Introduction

This introductory article covers beliefs in reincarnation, evidence for reincarnation, and sceptical views of the research.

image of dice being thrown

Psychokinesis Research

Overview of experimental research on mind-matter interaction, commonly referred to as psychokinesis (PK).

Psychologist Gardner Murphy led the ASPR during its heyday in the 1960s.

American Society for Psychical Research (ASPR)

The oldest parapsychological organization in the United States, founded in 1884, now practically defunct.

photo of N'kisi, an African Grey parrot involved in ESP experiments

Animals in Psi Research

Describes informal observations, early tests and modern lab experiments looking at animals' psychic capabilities.

Recent Additions

Explore the Psi Encyclopedia

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.

photo of psychic detective Noreen Renier

Psychic Detection

The record of psychics involved in police work is mixed, with striking successes in some cases, complete failures in others.

fmri

Neuroimaging and Psi

Recent advances in brain imaging technology have been exploited in several lines of psi research.

eeg

The Brain and Psi

Describes how electroencephalography (EEG) and brain imaging technology are being used to demonstrate psychic functioning.

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.

photo of Henry Gross dowsing

Henry Gross

American game warden and dowser (1895–1979) who located water for landowners in his home state of Maine and in Bermuda.

croiset newspaper articles

Croiset Archive

Details of correspondence, reports, films and other materials relating to the Dutch psychic Gerard Croiset (1909–1980).

photo of Franek Kluski

Franek Kluski

Polish banker (1873–1943) with psychic abilities and for some years submitted to investigation as a materialization medium.

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.

The French philosopher Émile Boirac was a leading representative of the neo-mesmeric movement

Neo-Mesmeric Movement

Modern version of early hypnotism, or animal magnetism, which attributed trance states to physical agents.

Alzheimer's patient

Terminal Lucidity

Persons with long-term dementia and other severe neurological disorders may return to mental clarity shortly before dying.

photograph of Pam Reynolds

Pam Reynolds (Near-Death Experience)

This near-death experience of an American woman is regarded as especially significant..

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.

photo of mourner in cemetery

Perspectival Postmortem Awareness

How could a deceased person view events in the physical world in the absence of a body with sense organs?

photograph of the R-101 at its mooring

R-101 Airship Disaster

Classic case, in which a communicator identified himself as captain of an airship that had crashed two days earlier.

Photograph of a sitting for physical phenomena of mediumship at Scole, Norfolk

The Scole Circle

This Norfolk-based group held séances during the 1990s, claiming to have communicated with spirits and observed other phenomena.

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.

The claim of a British man to have identified a former past life as a person who died in the sinking of the Titanic is considered unlikely by reincarnation researchers. Image: "Untergang der Titanic" by Willy Stöwer, 1912.

Reincarnation Fraud and Self-Deception

Reincarnation cases considered by researchers to be spurious, based on fantasy or fraud.

Auschwitz-Birkenau

Will (reincarnation case)

Case of an American who seems to recall the past lives of two German military men who were killed during World Wars I and II.

pilgrims bathing in the Ganges in Varanasi (Benares)

Jagdish Chandra (reincarnation case)

An Indian boy remembered a previous life as the pampered son of a corrupt official in a distant city.

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.

James Herrmann, aged 12, was the focus of the anomalous disturbances at his family's Seaford, Long Island home

Seaford Poltergeist

Poltergeist-type disturbances in 1958 in Seaford, Long Island, New York, centering on a 12-year-old boy.

Harry Price, ghost hunter

Ghost Hunting

'Ghost hunting’ is a popular term for the investigation of claims of site-based phenomena, such as apparitions and poltergeists.

poltergeists

Poltergeists (Overview)

This article provides an introduction to poltergeist research, describing major cases and theoretical perspectives.

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.

Ghost Meter Pro

Electromagnetism and Paranormal Phenomena

Electromagnetism may be implicated in reports of seemingly paranormal phenomena.


Psi Encyclopedia Style Guide

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

photography2

Photography and the Paranormal

Apparently paranormal images captured on film are vulnerable to claims of misinterpretation, malpractice or fraud.

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.

mrb

Mary Rose Barrington

British lawyer (1926–2020), longtime vice-president of the SPR and investigator of paranormal phenomena.


Brian Laythe

American psychologist and parapsychologist whose research interests include paranormal beliefs and experiences.

portrait by George Harcourt. Photo credit: Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford

LP Jacks

British preacher and philosopher (1860–1955) who was interested in psychical research and wrote about issues related to postmortem survival.

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.

IGPP, Wilhlem Straße 3a, Freiberg, Germany

Institute for Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health (IGPP)

The IGPP is a German parapsychology organization based in Freiburg.

photograph of Sydney, Australia

Australian Institute of Parapsychological Research (AIPR)

Australia’s oldest extant psi research organization, founded in Sydney in 1977.

Tuscon, Arizona

Windbridge Research Center

Non-profit research institute based in Tucson, Arizona, dedicated to the rigorous study of mental mediums.

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.

book cover of Betrayers of the Truth: Fraud and Deceit in the Halls of Science, by William J Broad and Nicholas Wade (1983)

Fraud in Parapsychology and Other Sciences

The assumption that psi researchers are more likely to commit fraud than other scientists is wrong.

Ray Hyman

Ray Hyman

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


CEM Hansel

British psychologist who authored controversial critiques of parapsychology.  

Scroll to Top