PARANORMAL PSYCHOLOGY

Psychology studies a cognitive phenomenon called extrasensory perception. Here a person acquires knowledge of other's thoughts and future events through channels beyond the 5 senses. Parapsychology is a discipline concerned with investigating events that cannot be accounted for by natural law, or knowledge that cannot be obtained through the usual sensory abilities. in includes the study of psychic phenomena and mental abilities like telepathy and telekinesis.

Para psychology is a branch of psychology that studies psi experience, i.e. paranormal events. Para psychologists aim to test the existence and explore the nature of experiences and abilities in the paranormal realm.

Society of Psychical Research was established in London in 1882 which initiated studies in this field. popular research in the field has been conducted by J. B. Rhine or Joseph Banks Rhine coined the term extrasensory perception (ESP). other popular names are Arthur Balfour, Charles Richet, and Henry Sidgwick.

Parapsychological phenomena can either be: 1. Psi Gamma/ cognitive or 2. Psi Kappa/ Physical.

1. Psi Gamma is also called the sixth sense. it is the ability to acquire information through non-sensory and non-physical methods. It includes clairvoyance, telepathy, or precognition.

2. Psi Kappa is the ability to move objects or affect things through non-physical methods like levitation of objects or bending of metals through psychokinesis, telekinesis, psychic healing, apparitional experience, etc.

Some of the terms above are explained below...

1. telepathy: it refers to communication between people via direct transfer of thoughts between minds. also called mind reading or mind-to-mind communication.

2. telekinesis: the claimed ability to move objects at a distance by mental power or other non-physical means.

3. Psychic Healing: a pseudo-scientific belief that healers can channel healing energy into a patient and effect positive results.

4. Apparitional experience: the apparent perception of either a loving being or an inanimate object without there being any material stimulus for such perception.

Critics of parapsychology cite a lack of robust evidence and difficulty in repeating the apparent findings. it is often called a pseudoscience due to lack of concrete evidence.