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Among the Stanford Research Institute's first subjects was a psychic named Ingo Swann. In addition to being skilled at remote viewing, he showed an ability to affect with his mind what he saw at a distance. In a particularly impressive experiment, he was able to create measurable changes in a magnetometer, a device especially designed to resist any change from external influences. Not only was this device enclosed in a vault in an eight-ton iron vault set in concrete beneath the building, but it was also protected by several layers of various metals and a supercooled electrical coil to shield against magnetic influences. |
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Interestingly, Swann's own early experiences with creating PK phenomena related to plants. He began by purchasing a small, unhealthy-looking plant and sending it positive thoughts. He claimed that the plant sent him telepathic messages about what it needed (more or less water, more copper oxide in its soil, for instance) through visual images. He then tried testing effects of negative thoughts on a different plant, by sending it untrue threats that he would poison it. Supposedly, the plant's health weakened at first, until it became evident that Swann would not carry out his threats. |
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Believing the reports of so many fascinating feats, whether as scientific experiments or personal pastimes, may be more difficult than actually accomplishing these feats. And yet, most people feel that at least a few of these amazing abilities are actually real. Science is coming much closer to proving their existence, but no one is able to prove how. |
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Physics? Magic? Or Intuition? |
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Theories on how PK works are about as numerous as the types of PK feats, ranging from physics to fraud. In fact, we can't even mention all the theories that physicists put forth because the scientists themselves don't even agree upon any one of them. But some scientists are beginning to see similarities between the bizarre events associated with psi and the workings of subatomic particles (bits of matter that are even smaller than atoms). Both appear to act randomly, without specific patterns. |
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Other researchers look at neutrinos as possible prototypes for how psi works. These particles move at the speed of light and may even pass through physical matter because they consist of pure energy. Some recent scientists extend this concept to theorize on the possible existence of psi particles, giving them names such as mindons, psychons, and psitrons. Pretty original names, huh? |
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Other scientists present ideas that do not try to specify physical mechanisms that make PK work. Some suggest that PK results from nonphysical energy, a psychic energy rather than a physical type. It may originate from a person's mind, or already exist, but is susceptible to the mind's mental manipulations or directions. Another theory is that some form of biological gas emanates from the body and forces an object to move. But various experiments have done a pretty good job of ruling out this possibility. |
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