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.

Psi Research in China

Recent experimental and theoretical work in China includes successful attempts to train ESP abilities in blind children.

Psi Research in North America

Key organizations and individuals involved in psi research in the US and Canada, from the 1930s to the present.

Unusual Ways of Testing for Psi

Psi abilities have been tested in more ways than the usual ones of card guessing, dice throwing, remote viewing and Ganzfeld.

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.

Alex Tanous

Alex Tanous (1926–1990) was a noted New England psychic and parapsychologist, who contributed to out-of-body research.

Doris Stokes

Doris Stokes (1920–1987) was a controversial celebrity medium who was much in the public eye in Britain during the 1980s.

Ingo Swann

American artist (1933–2013) whose psychic ability led him to participate in successful ESP and PK experiments in the 1970s.

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.

Thoughtforms

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

Distressing Near-Death Experience

Although most reported near-death experiences (NDEs) are pleasant, almost one in five are disturbing.

Psychoanalysis and Psi

Psychoanalysts have often reported instances of psi occurring between patient and practitioner.

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.

De Rochas on Physical Mediumship

A 1896 book gives a detailed description of phenomena produced by Eusapia Palladino and others.

Did Robert Swain Gifford Survive Death?

Analysis of the Thompson-Gifford case of ostensible possession as evidence of survival.

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.

Dorothy Eady/Omm Sety (reincarnation case)

British woman who as a child was obsessed with ancient Egypt and became an Egyptologist.

Ismail Altinkilic and Cevriye Bayri (reincarnation cases)

Two Turkish children recalled lives as a married couple who were killed the same night.

Suzanne Ghanem (reincarnation case)

Lebanese Druze case of a Druze woman who died in the USA and was reborn in Lebanon, recalling many names.

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.

Seaford Poltergeist

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

Ghost Hunting

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

Cideville Poltergeist

Mid-nineteenth century French poltergeist case, with testimonies given in court about the phenomena.

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.

Eminent People Interested in Psi (list)

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

Cold Reading

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

Kirlian Photography

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

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.

Cesare Lombroso

Influential Italian criminologist, doctor and psychiatrist (1835–1909) who engaged in psychical research and endorsed Eusapia Palladino.

Helen Salter

British psychologist and psychical researcher (1883–1959) who helped study the mediumistic Cross-Correspondences.

Oliver Lodge

British physicist (1851-1940) remembered for his pioneering early work in electricity and radio, who became an active investigator of mental mediumship.

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.

American Society for Psychical Research (ASPR)

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

Heartmath Institute

California-based research institute investigating the relationship between heart and mind.

Southern California Society for Psychical Research

Organization founded in 1961 and merged with the International Foundation for Survival Research, now also defunct, in 1983.

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.

Martin Gardner

American critic of parapsychology and paranormal claims (1914–2010), a founding member of the modern sceptical movement.

Ray Hyman

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

James Randi

Canadian-born conjurer (1928–2020) and public scourge of psychics, faith healers, parapsychologists and practitioners of alternative medicine.