The study of sensory and motor phenomena shown by some human beings (and some animals) that are posited to occur without the mediation of the known sensory and motor organs. The data of parapsychology are not accounted for by the tenets of conventional science.
The study of effects of the mind which appear not to be explained by known psychological or scientific principles, e.g. extrasensory perception and telepathy.
Study of psychic phenomena, such as extrasensory perception, clairvoyance, and telepathy.
A branch of psychology that studies apparently supernatural phenomena, such as telepathy (the communication of thought from one person to another without the use of physical senses), clairvoyance (the ability to be aware of objects or events by means other than physical senses), extrasensory perception (also known as ESP; awareness or knowledge that is acquired without the use of physical senses), and telekinesis (the movement of objects simply by thinking). Paranormal experiences may be linked to brain disorders in some cases.
The study of extrasensory perception, ‘psychokinesis, and other mental abilities that appear to defy natural law.
A brand of psychology that deals with alleged instances of extrasensory perception, telepathy, psychokinesis, clairvoyance, and associated phenomena.
The study of anomalous experiences and the beliefs arising from them, using the tools of psychology. The term implies an aspiration that the field will eventually be accepted and incorporated into mainstream psychology. “Parapsychology” literally means beside or alongside psychology. Regrettably, there is no universally agreed definition of parapsychology, but as many definitions as there are definers. To believe in the validity of parapsychology is to subscribe to a dualist model of the nature of humans, that there are two separate components: a physical or mechanistic one, and another nonmaterial one the mind, the spirit, or the soul. If this were proved beyond doubt it would corroborate the Platonic-Cartesian view of humankind.
Parapsychology has four main, but not entirely independent strands: telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, and psychokinesis (PK). The first three together constitute ESP and all four form psi. The parapsychologist’s job is to investigate one or more of these under properly controlled conditions to find out whether they happen and, if so, how, without making any a priori assumptions about whether the explanation is a new discovery in physics and/or biology or some new property of mind, outside conventional physics and/or biology. Parapsychology became established in the late 1920s and 1930s. Prior to that, psychical research, a term that some still prefer, had described and evaluated largely uncontrolled events but had also carried out some laboratory work. Parapsychology turned more toward controlled laboratory experiments (again not exclusively) but set its face against astrology, ufology, cryptozoology, and the like. While initially concentrating on card and dice experiments, which are open to statistical evaluation and therefore expected to be respectable scientifically, its range of experimental methods has been extended in recent years. Controls have been steadily tightened, and both skeptics and proponents have been involved in their monitoring. This increasingly scientific approach has been reflected in some relaxation of the traditional hostility of the orthodox science community. In 1969, the Parapsychological Association was admitted as an affiliated organization of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and in 1996 Professor Robert Morris, professor of parapsychology of the University of Edinburgh, was elected president of the Psychology Section of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. Neither development would have been possible only a few years earlier; even today very few respected refereed scientific journals will accept papers on the subject of parapsychology.
This field of psychology focuses on phenomena that are not readily explained by current scientific understanding. Examples of these occurrences include extrasensory perception (ESP), thought communication (telepathy), moving objects using the mind (telekinesis), and the ability to foresee future events (precognition).
Many so-called “paranormal” experiences might be attributed to psychological disturbances, while others could be the result of coincidence, self-deception, or deceit.