‘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.

The sense of being stared at

Sense of Being Stared At: Experimental Evidence

Recent investigations suggest that the phenomenon is real.

uri geller bending spoon

Metal-Bending Research

Survey of research into claims that cutlery and other metal objects can potentially be bent by mind force alone.


Psychische Studien (journal)

Early German psychical research journal (1874–1925) that contained reports of experiences and investigations.

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.

photo of Henry Gross dowsing

Henry Gross

American game warden and dowser (1895–1979) who located water for landowners in his home state of Maine and in Bermuda.

photo of Edgar Cayce

Edgar Cayce

American psychic famous for trance readings in which he diagnosed the cause of medical symptoms and prescribed effective remedies.

photo of Leonora Piper

Leonora Piper

American trance medium (1859–1950), the subject of extensive investigations by British and American psychical researchers.

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.

photograph of Sylvan Muldoon, author of books on 'astral projection'

The Phenomena of Astral Projection (1951)

Classic study of OBEs, described in the context of the occult idea of 'astral projection'.

Pam Reynolds

Near-Death Experiences – Paranormal Aspects

List of NDEs with confirmed clairvoyance and other paranormality.

spiritual healing

Psi Healing Research

This article assesses the quality and outcomes of research into various forms of complementary and alternative medicine.

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 Joonas Kokkonen

Survival: What Makes An Ideal Case?

Stephen Braude considers flaws in survival research and outlines what would make an ideal case.

Duncan MacDougall

Soul Weighing Experiments

Attempts have been made to confirm the existence of a soul by seeking a change of weight in bodies at the point of death.  

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Raymond Lodge

The soldier son of Sir Oliver Lodge who was killed in battle in 1915 and subsequently communicated with his family through mediums.

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.

Virginia Tighe, who under hypnosis recalled a nineteenth century life as Bridey Murph

Past Life Regression

Detailed and historically accurate 'memories of previous lives' are routinely elicited during past life regression therapy.

The African Cycle of Life – Birth, Life, Death and Rebirth (source: Swali Africa)

Signs of Reincarnation in Africa

Reincarnation beliefs in Africa are associated with signs such as a parent’s dreams and a child’s birthmarks.

Mandy Seabrook, an English girl who at age two recalled accurate memories of having been her dead infant sister

European Children with Past-Life Memories

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

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.

Andover, a market town in Hampshire, UK

Andover Poltergeist

Poltergeist disturbances in a household in Andover, southern England, in 1974.

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Vienna Workshop Poltergeist

A Viennese member of the Society for Psychical Research describes poltergeist distrurbances he witnessed.

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Baldoon Mystery

Poltergeist disturbances that occurred in 1829 in Ontario, Canada, were the subject of 26 eye-witness reports.

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.

Sally Rhine Feather

Sally Rhine Feather

Retired American clinical psychologist, daughter of JB Rhine and Louisa Rhine, who carried out psi experiments in the 1960s.

Arthur Guirdham

Arthur Guirdham

English psychiatrist (1905–1992) who attracted notice with books claiming the group reincarnation of members of the Medieval Cathar sect.

photograph of Rene Warcollier

René Warcollier

French psychical researcher (1881–1962) who published numerous studies of telepathy by means of transmission of drawings.

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.

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College of Psychic Studies

British Spiritualist organization, offering mediumship training and courses related to consciousness, healing and the psychic arts.

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.

photograph of James Randi

The One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge

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

james randi

James Randi

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

cold reading 2

Cold Reading

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

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.

ufo

UFOs/Aliens and Psi

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

kirlian leaf

Kirlian Photography

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

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Photography and the Paranormal

Apparently paranormal images captured on film are vulnerable to claims of misinterpretation, malpractice or fraud.

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