What Is Parapsychology?
Parapsychology
What Is Parapsychology?
Parapsychology (from the Greek: παρÜ para, "alongside" + psychology) is the scientific study of paranormal phenomena. The "paranormal" (beside or beyond the normal) refers to unusual experiences that do not seem to be explainable in terms of our everyday understanding or known scientific principles. Paranormal experiences often seem weird, uncanny, or unnatural. Typically they are quite rare but there are a few exceptional "stars" who have regular paranormal experiences and may show seemingly consistent paranormal ability.
Parapsychological research involves a variety of methodologies, including laboratory research and fieldwork, which is conducted at a number of universities and privately funded laboratories around the world. Experiments conducted by parapsychologists have included the use of random number generators to test for evidence of psychokinesis and sensory-deprivation. Parapsychologists have generated a number of meta-analytical studies based on this research, which combine the data from previous experiments into one large data set. Several of these statistical analyses have been presented to wider academic community in the pages of mainstream scientific journals and have attracted discussion and debate.
People differ in their attitudes towards the paranormal. At one end is the devout believer who will not consider any counter arguments or evidence. At the other end is the aggressive sceptic who dismisses or seeks to debunk any apparent evidence for the paranormal. Somewhere between these two extremes is the open-minded inquirer who has no particular axe to grind and is willing to consider the evidence on its own merits. Parapsychological research operates somewhere in this open-minded middle ground, although the burden of proof always lies with those who would make paranormal claims.
Most paranormal phenomena can be categorised in terms of whether they are primarily MENTAL (involving the obtaining of information in paranormal ways) or PHYSICAL (involving paranormal influences on physical objects, events or processes, or on living systems). In practice, however, this distinction is often blurred (e.g., a phenomenon may have both mental and physical features). Additionally, there are varieties of MISCELLANEOUS phenomena that do not fit neatly into either category. Many parapsychologists do not accept some or all of these miscellaneous phenomena as the legitimate study of parapsychology.
Mental Phenomena (Examples):Extrasensory Perception ,Telepathy,Clairvoyance and clairaudience,Psychometry Precognition and Premonitions, Remote Viewing ,Mental mediumship,
Past-life memories,Out of body and near death experiences,Apparitions,Automatic writing
Physical Phenomena (Examples):Psychokinesis,Physical mediumship,Psychic photography,Thoughtography,Healing,Poltergeist activity,Materialization and dematerialization,Levitation
Miscellaneous Phenomena (Examples):Bizarre coincidences,Miracles,Unidentified Flying Objects,Other mysterious sightings,Alien Abductions,Animal Mutilations,Corn Circles,Stigmata ,Occult systems of knowledge and practice,Psychological Phenomena (e.g., lucid dreaming, glossolalia).
Zener Cards
Zenner cards are cards used to conduct experiments for extra-sensory perception(ESP), most often clairvoyance. Perceptual psychologist Karl Zenner designed the cards in the early 1930’sfor experiments conducted with his colleague, parapsychologist J.B. Rhine.
