‘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.

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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, which began with dice-throwing and now employes random-number generators.

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.

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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.

Rio de Janeiro

Psi Research in Brazil

This article traces the development of interest in psi phenomena and parapsychological research in Brazil.

twins

Twin Telepathy

Suggestions of telepathy between twins often appear in the popular press, but there is as yet no sustained research in this area.

photo of Wolfgang Pauli

Observational Theories of Psi

Review of research on the idea that psi works by cognizing and manipulating the invisible underworld of quantum probabilities.

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.

malcolm bessent

Malcolm Bessent

English-born Malcolm Bessent participated as a subject in successful dream precognition experiments carried out in the US.

rosemary brown

Rosemary Brown

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

doris stokes3

Doris Stokes

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

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.

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.

Harry Edwards2

Harry Edwards

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

psychedelic 2

Psychedelics and Psi

A gradual easing of restrictions means that psi research with psychedelics, once prevalent, could soon resume.

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.

Queen_Victoria_by_Bassano

Queen Victoria and Spiritualism

Queen Victoria took an interest in Spiritualism, particularly after the death of her mother and Prince Albert.

photograph of James Hyslop (1854-1920), one of the first to refer to spirit obsession in a therapeutic context

Spirit Release Therapy

Clinical treatment used with patients who appear to be ‘possessed’ by harmful spirit entities.


Lurancy Vennum

American case (of a 13-year old girl appearing for some months to be possessed by the spirit of a girl who had died years before

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.

Thusita Silva remembered a past life that ended by drowning

Thusita Silva (reincarnation case)

Sri Lankan case of a girl who recalled a life which ended by drowning when she fell off a footbridge.

photograph of Auschwitz death camp

Past-Life Memories of the Holocaust

Memories of Nazi concentration camps are largely uninvestigated accounts sans past-life identifications.

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.

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.

The Petit Trianon, Versailles

Versailles ‘Time-Slip’

An experience in the gardens of Versailles, described by two Englishwomen in their 1911 book An Adventure.

The Cideville Poltergeist

Cideville Poltergeist

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

Contemporary illustration. Source: Mary Evans Picture Library

Angelique Cottin

French girl who was the centre of psychokinetic disturbances that made an international sensation.

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.


William Bengston

American sociologist and practitioner of ‘energy healing’ (1950–2025) who engaged in successful laboratory tests.

photo of Walter Franklin Prince

Walter Franklin Prince

Episcopal minister and psychical researcher (1863–1934) known for his study of ‘Doris Fischer’, a case of multiple personality.

Mark Boccuzzi

Mark Boccuzzi

American psi researcher, co-founder of the Windbridge Research Center, which is concerned primarily with mantal 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.

california

Southern California Society for Psychical Research

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

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.

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.

harry houdini

Harry Houdini

The legendary stage magician (1874–1926) was hostile to Spiritualism and wrote books about his debunking of mediums.


CEM Hansel

British psychologist who authored controversial critiques of parapsychology.  

Michael Shermer

Michael Shermer

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

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.

photo of crop circle in a wheat field

Crop Circles

The intricate patterns that sometimes appear in crop fields have been attributed to various factors, including supernatural ones..


Eyewitness Testimony (Analysis)

This article discusses the reliability of eyewitness testimony about paranormal events.

kirlian leaf

Kirlian Photography

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

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