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.

Psychedelics and Psi

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

Experimenter Effects

Parapsychologists have come to believe that experimenters play a major role in influencing the outcome of psi tests.

Psychology and Parapsychology

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

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.

Ingo Swann

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

Sylvan J Muldoon

American who wrote about his out-of-body experiences, which occurred throughout his life, and which he was able to control.

Oskar Estebany

Twentieth-century Hungarian-Canadian psychic healer whose abilities were demonstrated in successful laboratory experiments.

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.

Psychedelics and Psi

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

Dream Incubation

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

Induced After-Death Communication (IADC) Therapy

Therapy thought to bring relief by facilitating visions of deceased loved ones.

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.

Thompson-Gifford Case

19th century case of a jeweller who was driven to produce high quality paintings in the style of a recently deceased landscape painter.

Table-Turning

‘Table-turning’ (or ‘table-tipping) refers to the anomalous movement of tables and other furniture during mediumistic seances.

Philip Psychokinesis Experiments

Landmark 1970s experiment in which a Canadian sitter group created PK 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.

Dutch Children with Past-Life Memories

List of 31 cases of Dutch children who spoke of previous lives, investigated by Titus Rivas and his team.

European Children with Past-Life Memories

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

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.

Beaulieu Abbey

Ghostly sightings have frequently been reported in a ruined Cisterican abbey in the town of Beaulieu, Hampshire.

Eleonore Zugun (Talpa Poltergeist)

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

Angelique Cottin

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

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.

Scientific Mysticism

Describes the theory of mathematician and mystic Michael Whiteman, based in part on his own experiences.

Journal of Parapsychology (JP)

Journal founded by JB Rhine at Duke University in 1937, historically devoted to experimental parapsychology.

Human Radiations

The idea that humans radiate biophysical forces was once used to explain phenomena such as auras, ESP, healing, and luminous effects.

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.

Hamlin Garland

Hamlin Garland (1860–1940) was an American psychical researcher, noted for his investigation of the Buried Crosses communications.

David Vernon

British psychologist specializing in neuroscience, cognition and research methods, who has carried out psi research as well.

Patrizio Tressoldi

Italian psychologist and consciousness researcher who has developed new ways to investigate presentiment and psychokinetic effects.

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.

Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS)

American research institute co-founded in 1973 by astronaut Edgar Mitchell to research human potential using scientific methods.

Heartmath Institute

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

Windbridge Institute

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

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

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

Blackmore-Sargent Controversy – A Reconsideration

This article presents a new analysis of cheating accusations made by Susan Blackmore.

Reincarnation Case Studies: Criticisms

This article addresses objections critics have raised to the reincarnation case research of Ian Stevenson and others.