The American Institute of Parapsychology

Archive for May, 2011

By Dean Radin, et al (Parapsychology FAQ, 1995)

Note: For the most up-to-date version of Dr. Radin’s Parapsychology FAQ, please visit the Parapsychological Asociation web site: http://www.parapsych.org/section/36/frequently_asked_questions.aspx

Parapsychology is the scientific and scholarly study of certain unusual events associated with human experience. A long-held, common-sense assumption is that the worlds of subjective and objective are completely distinct, with no overlap. Subjective is ‘within us, inside our minds,’ and objective is ‘out there, in the world.’  Parapsychology is the study of phenomena suggesting that the strict objective/objective dichotomy may instead be part of a spectrum, with some phenomena occasionally falling between purely subjective and purely objective. We call such phenomena ‘paranormal’ or ‘anomalous’ because they are difficult to explain within current scientific models.

These anomalies fall into three general categories: ESP [extrasensory perception, such as telepathy and clairvoyance], PK [psychokinesis, or anomalous mind-matter interactions], and phenomena suggestive of survival of bodily death, including near-death experiences, apparitions, and reincarnation. Most parapsychologists today expect that further research will eventually explain these anomalies in scientific terms, although it is not clear whether they can be fully understood without significant (possibly revolutionary) expansions of the current state of scientific knowledge. Other researchers take the stance that existing scientific models of perception and memory are adequate to explain some or all parapsychological phenomena. 

Read the rest of this entry »