‘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, 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.

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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.


Jaytee (pet telepathy)

This article describes experiments that appeared to demonstrate a telepathic link between a dog and its owner.

cover image of Psychology: The Science of Mind and Behaviour, by Passer and Smith

Parapsychology in Psychology Textbooks

Describes how psychology textbooks persistently misrepresent the field of parapsychology.

photograph of Edinburgh University

Experimental Parapsychology in the UK

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

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.

Carlos Mirabelli, Brazilian spirit medium (1889-1951)

Carlos Mirabelli

Brazilian medium (1889–1951) credited with phenomena of similar power and frequency to those associated with DD Home.

photo of Gladys Osborne Leonard

Gladys Osborne Leonard

British trance medium who collaborated with SPR investigators in the 1920s and 1930.

photograph of Hélène Smith (Catherine-Élise Muller)

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.

Pam Reynolds

Near-Death Experiences – Paranormal Aspects

List of NDEs with confirmed clairvoyance and other paranormality.

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.

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.

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.

Photograph of examples of the 1500 Aztec Indian crosses found buried in remote locations

The Buried Crosses

Describes successful efforts in the 1930s to locate buried Aztec Indian relics from information provided by a spirit medium.

Tuscon, Arizona

Windbridge Institute

Institution founded in 2008 to conduct research on psi functioning, with an emphasis on real-world applications.

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The Glastonbury Scripts

Communications through a medium, seemingly in an attempt to help an archaeologist with his excavations.

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.

Çengelköy, an Istanbul suburb on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus strait, where Kemal remembered having lived in a previous life

Kemal Atasoy (reincarnation case)

Case of a Turkish Alevi boy who recalled being an Armenian man who resided 500 miles away in Istanbul.

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Sunil Dutt Saxena (reincarnation case)

North Indian case of a boy who began to talk about being a wealthy businessman when he was less than two years old.

image of therapist with patient

Regression Therapy

In hypnotherapy, apparent past-life memories are treated less as descriptions of true events than as metaphors that aid in healing.

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.

Eleonore Zugun

Eleonore Zugun (Talpa Poltergeist)

Adolescent Romanian girl (1913–1991), the centre of a well-documented 1920s poltergeist-type episode.

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Drummer of Tedworth

Poltergeist case investigated by Joseph Glanvill (1636–1680), one of the first to receive serious scrutiny.

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.

image of low frequencies

Infrasound

Infrasound (audio frequencies below normal human hearing) has been suggested as the cause of paranormal-seeming effects.

Anthropologist Roger Wescott (1925-2000) coined the term anomalistics

Anomalistics

Anomalistics is the study of anomalies unexplained by science, similar to Forteana, but with a greater emphasis on scientific evaluation.

ufo

UFOs/Aliens and Psi

Review of the research literature on UFO sightings and alien encounters, which may include claims of psi phenomena.

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.

emma hardinge britten

Emma Hardinge Britten

British writer and stage performer (1823–1899) remembered for her advocacy of early Spiritualism.

Rollin McCraty

Rollin McCraty

Rollin McCraty is an American psychophysiologist who has carried out research in the relationship between heart and mind.

Carlos Alvarado

Carlos S Alvarado

Researcher, author and educator (1955–2021) in the field of parapsychology, with a focus on the history of early psychical research.

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.

photograph of Eileen Garrett

Parapsychology Foundation (PF)

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

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.

Waterside Campus, University of Northampton

Exceptional Experience and Consciousness Studies (EECS)

Based at the University of Northampton, this is the largest centre for parapsychological research in the world.

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.

james randi

James Randi

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

Richard Wiseman

Richard Wiseman

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

photograph of James Randi

The One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge

Prize offered until 2015 by the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) but never awarded.

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