Extra sensory perception
Extra-sensory perceptionJust what is parapsychology? This question is often asked and the reply given is very obscure. Parapsychology is often defined as the science of the unexplainable. Extra sensory perception falls into this science and is branched off into different, but specific groups. These groups define extra sensory perception as the ability to pick up information or manipulate things that normally can't happen in everyday life. Many people have claimed an ability of extra sensory perception, and many of their arguments are very effective, but there are many skeptics that claim that it is utterly bogus and cannot be reproduced under controlled situations. It has many believers and non-believers, but it is a often explored subject that interests people of all ages.
Parapsychology is one of the most interesting of all sciences. "Most sciences try to explain observable phenomena, parapsychology tries to observe unexplainable phenomena." (http://wheel.ucdavis.edu) This science is widespread throughout the world and pops up in many different cultures. "Scientific methodology in this field dates from the foundation in London of the Society for Psychical Research (1882) which sought to distinguish psychic phenomena from spiritism and to investigate mediums and their activities." (http://wheel.ucdavis.edu) The research started over one hundred years ago and their goal was to understand why unexplainable phenomena was occurring. "Modern experiments, notably at Duke University under Joseph Banks Rhine, in Britain at the Society for Psychical Research and in Russian research labs, have concentrated principally on extrasensory perception, psychokinesis, and astral projection." (http://wheel.ucdavis.edu) J.B. Rhine did experiments in the field of extra sensory perception to test if it actually existed. Rhine made the "ESP cards" famous by his use of them in guessing experiments. "Rhine claimed in his 1934 book, Extra-Sensory Perception, to have found overwhelming evidence of ESP." Joseph Banks Rhine was a pioneer in the science of parapsychology and he revolutionized the research into the subject.
There are three main branches of extra sensory perception, and the most known about and most popular is telepathy. "Telepathy was one of the first phenomena to be studied by physical researchers." The possible idea we can seize messages from other minds is very ancient. "When two people communicate without using the normal senses, the phenomenon is known as telepathy."(Psychology-447) This abnormal way of communication has sparked much interest into this subject, due to that fact that it is not a common sense people have. Recently a well know man, Uri Geller, had experiments performed on him to help prove to the world that telepathy existed. "Witnesses claim to have watched Geller, who once made a living as a stage magician, perform apparently impossible feats;... keys, spoons and other metal objects [would] bend by themselves." (Psychology-433) People accused him of being a fraud and many have asked him to reproduce the same results under restricted settings. "Scientists at the Stanford Research Institution decided to study Geller under controlled conditions" (Psychology-433) If Geller could satisfy the Stanford Research Institution, people of the world would be more...
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