Welcome to the Psi Encyclopedia! We aspire to provide a comprehensive introduction to academic parapsychology, which studies the range of psychic experiences collectively termed ‘psi’.  The existence of psi phenomena – and the related idea that consciousness is independent of the physical body and so may survive death – is strongly disputed by materialist scientists, yet parapsychologists are convinced they have evidence for these things. The Psi Encyclopedia presents this evidence in nearly 750 signed articles by over 80 authors, many of them senior academics, arranged in categories and subcategories that highlight the major interests of the field.

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.

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.

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.

Gladys Leonard, medium studied by the Society for Psychical Research

Mediumship and Multiple Personality

The personalities of mediumistic communicators are similar to dissociative identity disorder.

vernon mews

Society for Psychical Research (SPR)

Membership organization founded in London in 1882 for the scientific investigation of claims of psychic phenomena.


European Children with Past-Life Memories

European children speak of past lives less often than Asian children do, yet the cases are very similar.

Bronislaw Malinowski among the Trobriand Islanders

Anthropology and Psi Research

Anthropologists have long been fascinated by belief in the supernatural, a near universal aspect of human culture.

Recent Additions

Explore the Psi Encyclopedia

ESP & Psychokinesis

Extra-sensory perception (ESP) comprises telepathy, clairvoyance and precognition. Psychokinesis (PK) is the direct influence on matter by mind alone. Both ESP and PK have been tested in the laboratory and studied in real life situations. They are thought to be united as capabilities of consciousness, distinct from the physical body. Together they constitute psi, in the strict sense of the term.

james kennedy

James E Kennedy

American psi researcher specializing in experimental research, methodology and theoretical development.

michael thalbourne

Michael Thalbourne

Australian psychologist (1955–2010) whose wide research interests included psi and mystical experience.

photograph of Freiburg, where the IGPP, a leading parapsychology centre in Europe

Psi Research in Continental Europe

This article provides an overview of psi research in laboratories across continental Europe.

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.

detail from Paradise: Ascent of the Blessed, by Hieronymus Bosch

Medieval Near-Death Experiences

Episodes described in Medieval writings are both similar to and different from modern accounts.

Asclepieion at Epidaurus, which contains inscribed descriptions of cures attributed to the healing powers of Apollo and Asclepius.

Dream Incubation

Dream incubation is the modern term applied to dreaming for purposes of problem solving, healing and divination.

Altered States of Consciousness

Altered States of Consciousness and Psi

Altered states of consciousness have long been known to be associated with psi experiences.

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.

Hester_dowden

Hester Travers Smith (Hester Dowden)

British automatist who believed she was in contact with the deceased Oscar Wilde.

Albert de Rochas

de Rochas on Physical Mediumship

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

photograph of Hélène Smith (Catherine-Élise Muller)

Catherine-Élise Muller (Hélène Smith)

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

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.

photograph of stone bridge and mosque at Adana

Ismail Altinkilic and Cevriye Bayri (reincarnation cases)

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

Ma Par, a Burmese girl born shortly after the end of World War II, had fair skin and blonde hair and recalled the life of a British pilot who died in Burma

Choice in Reincarnation

A variety of factors in reincarnation cases suggest that many aspects of the new life are chosen by the individual.

Pondicherry

Mallika Aroumougam (reincarnation case)

Reincarnation case notable for being reported from South India (most are in the north of the country).

Researchers & 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.

adrian parker 6

Adrian Parker

Anglo-Swedish clinical psychologist and parapsychologist who was among the first researchers to adopt the ganzfeld technique.


Lance Storm

Australian psychologist and parapsychologist who explores normal and anomalistic psychology using innovative methods.

bligh bond

Frederick Bligh Bond

English architect and archeologist (1864–1945) remembered for his medium-guided excavations at Glastonbury Abbey.

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.

Nineteenth-century table turning session

London Dialectical Society

19th-century rationalist debating club whose 1871 investigative report showed certain PK activity to be genuine.

photograph of Eileen Garrett

Parapsychology Foundation (PF)

US-based forum, founded in 1951 by Eileen J Garrett, that supports parapsychology internationally.

Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

Emotion and Motivation Laboratory

Laboratory which conducts psi research, based at the University of Munich, Germany.

Sceptical Views

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.

Richard Wiseman

Richard Wiseman

British psychology professor, media personality and bestselling author who is a high-profile critic of parapsychology.

james randi

James Randi

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

Ray Hyman

Ray Hyman

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

General Topics

This category contains articles on a variety of topics that do not fit well in any of the main categories, from dowsing to crop circles and other anomalistic phenomena, the Miscellaneous Anomalistic subcategory. Other subcategories list articles on psychics and mystic and on important articles, books and journals in the field of parapsychology.

padre pio3

Padre Pio

Italian Roman Catholic friar and mystic (1879–1968) known for producing 'stigmata', bleeding sores recalling Christ's crucifixion.

francis bacon 2

Francis Bacon and the Occult

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

photo of Natasha Demkina

Natasha Demkina

Russian woman who claims the ability to view inside human bodies and correctly diagnose diseases. Scientific tests have had mixed results.

Scroll to Top