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The Science of Parapsychology |
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When professional researchers of psychic phenomena refer to what they are studying, they use the word psi, which we introduced in Chapter 1. Psi is the first letter of the Greek word psyche, which refers to the breath, soul, and mind. (Hence, it is the root of the word psychology, the science of the mind.) The scientific study of psi includes areas such as telepathy, precognition, clairvoyance, and psychokinesis. |
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Modern science's early attempts to study psychic phenomena actually began over a century ago. In response to the highly popular Spiritualist movement, various scientists organized groups to investigate reports in that area. Numerous scholars founded the first, the Society for Psychical Research, in 1882 near Cambridge University in London. This organization focused on examining, and whenever possible debunking, the most famous mediums of the day. It established certain research standards and kept copious records. |
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Its counterpart, The American Society for Psychical Research, was formed in 1885 and remains America's longest standing organization with documented reports of psi research. It has an exhaustive library of information on almost every experiment conducted on just about every type of paranormal phenomena. You can visit them in New York City or look them up on the Web (http://www.aspr.com). |
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Who's Studying Psychic Phenomena? |
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A number of individuals and institutions are keeping their eyes on psi, and for a number of very different reasons. From the U.S. intelligence agency and the advertising industry to religious leaders and hardened skeptics, what's going on in the scientific world of psi is getting some widespread attention. |
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