Extrasensory perception: is it possible to read minds or feel the presence of spirits?

Cases of people with supposed special psychic abilities, such as telepathy or clairvoyance, are frequent in history. These types of abilities are usually classified as extrasensory perception. There are those who claim that developing this type of “gift” is possible, while others dismiss that idea.

Although it seems to be a topic that is linked to the “magical” or “mystical”, serious attempts have been made to investigate it scientifically. The findings in this regard are interesting, pointing to the idea that there is a considerable distance between what seems to happen and what actually happens.

What is extrasensory perception?

The term “extrasensory perception” (EP) refers to a set of supposed superhuman psychological abilities.. They are called “extrasensory” because, according to their description, they would not depend on “normal” human senses, such as sight or hearing. This type of perception is associated with other types of sensory abilities that we do not know well.

From a historical perspective, PE is a common theme within human cultures.. Ancient societies often relied on the talents of shamans or healers who possessed supposed abnormal abilities. Generally, its power was related to the presence of some deity, spirit or demon.

However, it was not until the 20th century that this phenomenon began to be investigated in the field of science. In this way, Joseph Banks Rhine, a botanist from the United States, began conducting experiments on extrasensory perception. He is therefore considered one of the leading figures in the rise of parapsychology as a field of research.

Types of extrasensory phenomena

Continuing with the above, Rhine developed research in order to verify different extrasensory phenomena. As a result of these studies, he was able to deepen his understanding of these concepts that we will learn about below.

Telepathy

Telepathy is a supposed psychic ability that allows its possessor to do different things. First of all, the person could read the thoughts and emotions of another without having to express them. Likewise, you would be able to convey your own ideas to someone else’s mind without using any type of language.

One of Rhine’s experiments to provide data in favor of telepathy was based on Zener cards. We are talking about a series of cards with figures that the experimenter shuffles and then chooses a card. The idea was for the participant to try to guess the card using her telepathic ability.

Clairvoyance

Another known extrasensory perception phenomenon is clairvoyance. It is the supposed ability to have visions about people or events. For example, a clairvoyant could divine the location of someone who has disappeared using her ability.

A famous experiment in clairvoyance was developed by Upton Sinclair, an American writer. Sinclair claimed that his wife was able to accurately reproduce the drawings he made, without seeing them. That is, it was as if she could visualize the figures from a distance through a kind of remote viewing.

Mediums

Mediums are often frequent characters in horror movies due to their supposed ability to contact spirits or demons. Those who identify themselves as mediums claim to be able to hear or feel beings from other worlds.. For this reason, it is common for them to get involved in the investigation of paranormal phenomena such as “haunted houses.”

One of the most famous mediums is Lorraine Warren, an American parapsychologist. She, together with her husband, were in charge of investigating different cases of “supernatural” activity. In fact, the popular movie The spellis based on one of his cases.

Is it possible to develop some type of extrasensory perception?

Those who defend the existence of extrasensory perception usually say that it is an innate human capacity. In other words, we are born with these skills, but they remain “dormant” due to lack of stimulation or practice. Following this logic, it would be possible to awaken our psychic gifts if we exercise ourselves for it.

Some techniques that tend to be recommended for this objective are meditation or yoga.. Also included are mental visualization exercises, the use of crystals with “mystical” properties and other types of rituals. Now, is it really possible? Let’s see what the scientific evidence says.

Scientific evidence on extrasensory perception

To begin with, the experiments that were carried out in the past to evaluate this type of perception were criticized at the time. For example, in the case of Zener cards, there was talk of a statistical factor in which the probability of success by chance was considered. In this same sense, Sinclair’s experiments were also questioned for their lack of scientific rigor.

On the other hand, many of the concepts on which PE is based cannot be verified with experiments either. The existence of phenomena such as chakras or psychic energy are incompatible with what we know about human anatomy. Many of them are based on ancient religious texts with inaccurate descriptions of the human body.

Furthermore, the experimental evidence is contrary to what the theorists who defend PE propose.. Huang (2019) published an article in which he explains that extrasensory phenomena are most likely associated with false perceptions. According to the author, a false internal stimulation would be confused with an objective stimulus that is detected through the senses.

Similarly, Liu (2021) conducted a meta-analysis on telepathy studies. In his conclusions he points out that, under experimental conditions, the effects of telepathy are almost “null”. Thus, although the hypotheses about extrasensory perception are interesting, there is not enough scientific evidence to support them.

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