Selects: How ESP Works (?)

Extrasensory perception, commonly called ESP, encompasses several paranormal phenomena that extend beyond the known limits of our senses. It's often grouped together with the concept of psi, representing all types of unusual perceptual abilities.

Esp Includes Phenomena Like Telepathy, Clairvoyance, and Precognition

ESP includes abilities such as telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, and retrocognition, each representing a unique type of extrasensory experience.

Esp Types: Telepathy, Clairvoyance, Precognition, Retrocognition

Telepathy is the ability to read or transmit thoughts from one individual to another without using any known human sensory channels. Clairvoyance allows a person to see events, objects, or actions taking place in a different location as if they were present there. Precognition involves the capacity to see into the future and predict forthcoming events. Retrocognition, on the other hand, is the uncommon skill of viewing events from the distant past. However, recent quantum discoveries have prompted a new definition, proposing that decisions made in the future could influence past events.

1930s Researchers Coined "esp" and "Psi" for Paranormal Abil ...

Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant delve into the intriguing world of extrasensory perception (ESP), discussing various studies and experiments that have sought to investigate psychic phenomena such as clairvoyance, precognition, and retrocognition. They touch upon the pioneering work of J.B. Rhine, the controversial findings of Darryl Bem, and the perennial challenges of sensory leakage and reproducibility in ESP research.

Researchers Test ESP With Zener Cards and Random Number Generators

Various methods have been implemented to test ESP, including the use of Zener cards and random number generators to measure psychic abilities beyond the standard senses.

J.B. Rhine's Experiments Show Positive Zener Card Results

J.B. Rhine was one of the pioneers in conducting academic laboratory experiments to study psi at Duke University in the 1930s. Using Zener cards, which consist of a deck of 25 cards each marked with one of five symbols, Rhine tested the ability of individuals to correctly identify the symbol on a card without using their physical senses. Chuck Bryant tried a modern version of this test online with an automated process involving no other person, and he scored six out of 25. In Rhine’s studies, notable subjects like Hubert Pierce achieved seemingly remarkable results, including getting 25 guesses correct in a row and selecting 558 correct out of 1850 tests—a statistical rarity.

Experiments Suggest Significant Precognition and Retroactive Influence

Further experimenting with ESP, researcher Darryl Bem conducted nine experiments, which included tasks like predicting which curtain would reveal an erotic image on a computer screen, resulting in a slightly above-chance success rate and hinting at the possibility of precognition. Another of Bem’s experiments involved participants recalling words, with the findings suggesting that subjects were more likely to remember words that they would be prompted to type later, pointing towards retrocognition.

Critics Argue Experiments Face Sensory Leakage and Reproducibility Issues

Despite these findings, critics have raised concern ...

Various theories and explanations have been put forward to explain the phenomenon of extra-sensory perception (ESP), ranging from it being an innate human ability to simply a trick of the mind.

ESP: A Universal Ability or a Gift?

Some theorists and researchers believe that ESP, often referred to as psi, is a normal part of humanity. The term implies that ESP could be a universal ability or a special gift that we are yet to understand.

Theorists Propose ESP as Electromagnetic or Interdimensional

Chuck Bryant discusses the intriguing theory of spillover, which suggests that there could be another dimension with different laws of physics, and sometimes information from that dimension leaks into ours. This spillover could purportedly enable people to perceive events from the past or future.

Skeptics Say ESP is Explained by Cognitive Biases, Selective Attention, and Large Number Coincidences

However, skeptics challenge these ideas as unprovable and far-fetched. Josh Clark remarks that given the large number of people on Earth and the frequency of their thoughts, coincidences are bound to occur. Chuck Bryant agrees with the skeptics, suggesting that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. He believes that instances where someone's thoughts align with future events are merely coincidental.

Researchers Attribute ESP Experiences to Hyper-Observation and Intuition, Not Actual Paranormal Abilities

Researchers have speculated that what may seem like ESP could be the result of hyper-observation and intuition. Chuck Bryant and Josh Clark propose that people who seem to have ESP may actually be very observant and intuitive, noticing cues and information that others might not. They discuss how people with this heightened observance might detect micro-expressions or other subtle indicators, mistakenly attributing their ability to pick up such details to ESP.

For example, Clark suggests that subliminal cues in the environment may influence someone's conviction that they knew the phone was going to ring, rather than it being an instance of ESP. The brain is always processing sensory data, much of which doesn't reach our conscious awareness. Bryant further contemplates that his premonitio ...

Numerous experts and skeptics have raised concerns and skepticism regarding the validity and methodology of extrasensory perception (ESP) research.

James Randi Criticizes Parapsychology Research As Pseudoscientific and Prone to Fraud

Chuck Bryant discusses James Randi’s challenge to the parapsychology community by offering $1 million to anyone who can prove psychic abilities under controlled conditions. Randi's challenge, which has gone unmet, has been seen as a means to discredit attempts to legitimately disprove psychic abilities, potentially framing his skepticism as a belief system in itself rather than an objective critique.

Critics Claim Parapsychologists Like J.B. Rhine Eagerly Proved Esp, Manipulating or Ignoring Negative Results

Critics have scrutinized J.B. Rhine for being eager to prove the existence of ESP, which may have led to a biased approach in his research. An anecdote recounts that Rhine excluded certain test results that he suspected were purposefully incorrect in an attempt to skew his data and did not publish those findings. Furthermore, the Levy Affair, involving an engineer who tampered with equipment during a trial resulting in only positive ESP hits, further marred the credibility of his research. However, despite such setbacks and criticisms, Rhine was acknowledged for his willingness to address bias or fraud and he dedicated his career to the study of parapsychology.

Inconsistent Evidence for Esp Leads Science to Dismiss It As Unfounded

Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant point out that the scientific community often dismisses ESP due to its lack of consistent evidence and inability to be explained through current scientific understanding. Bryant notes that arguments claiming ESP does not diminish with d ...