Page 177 - Encyclopedia of the Unusual and Unexplained Vol. 3

158 Mysteries of the Mind

Telepathy is the transference of thought
from one mind to another. Distance and time
seem unable to affect this phenomenon.

Even from these brief definitions, it
becomes apparent that many attributes of
parapsychological, or psi, phenomena overlap.
It has long been a contention of serious para-
psychologists that each of these types of phe-
nomena is but a single aspect of the life and
the universe of which humans are a part. If
such parascientific phenomena as the projec-
tion of the astral self, the ability to glimpse the
future, and the facility to convey telepathic
impressions are established, the boundaries of
humankind’s universe become limitless.
Bruce Willis and Haley ences. Here are brief definitions of the areas of Nearly everyone has at one time or another
Joel Osment in the film ESP that are studied by parapsychologists: received what seemed to have been a glimpse
“The Sixth Sense”. into the world of ESP: Dreaming of a friend
Clairvoyance is the awareness, without
(AP/WIDE WORLD PHOTOS) from whom one has not heard in months, then
physical aids or normal sensory means, of what
receiving a letter from that person in the next
is going on elsewhere. In recent years, clair-
morning’s mail; hearing a telephone ring and
voyance has sometimes been called remote
being so certain of the identity of the caller
viewing.
that one calls him or her by name the instant
Out-of-body experience (also called astral one lifts up the receiver. These incidents are so
projection) is the apparent projection of the common that they receive little more than
mind from the body, often with the seeming half-joking comment. It is only when a para-
ability to travel great distances in a matter of normal event of shocking or dramatic impact
seconds.
startles the emotions that one relates it to oth-
Precognition (premonition) is the obtain- ers and, perhaps, even records it.
ing of information about the future that could According to parapsychological laboratory
not have been gained through normal means.
work with such phenomena, nearly everyone
has some degree of ESP. Perhaps many people
utilize extrasensory perception to a consider-
able degree as children, but as they mature,
EXTRASENSORY perception is defined tend to inhibit these subconscious faculties or
the acquisition by a human or animal mind of allow them to atrophy. Many parapsycholo-
gists, psychologists, anthropologists, and psy-
information it could not have received by normal, choanalysts, including Sigmund Freud
sensory means. (1856–1939), have theorized that telepathy
may have been the original archaic method by
which individuals understood one another. As
a better means of communication evolved—
Psychokinesis (telekinesis) is the move-
ment of objects, seemingly caused by some one that could be readily intelligible to the
force unknown to physical science. The direct sensory organs—the original archaic methods
action of mind on matter is the parapsycholo- were pushed into the background of the
gists’ current nominee as the energy involved human subconscious where they may still per-
in poltergeist cases—those bizarre occurrences sist, waiting to manifest themselves under cer-
when bottles and crockery float through the air, tain conditions.
fires break out on living room tables, or disem- It is obvious to psi researchers that some
bodied voices cackle threats and obscenities. individuals, functioning largely according to

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