Extra Sensory Perception Essay, Research Paper

Have you ever had the feeling that you?ve been in an establishment before

you?ve actually gone inside? Did you ever feel like you?ve known that

something was about to happen before there were any signs that it was about to

occur? If you?re not a skeptic about the powers of the mind, then there might

just be an explanation for your seemingly coincidental premonitions. It?s a

phenomenon called extra sensory perception, better known as ESP. The textbook

definition of this classification of parapsychology is "sensing"

anything beyond the normal.(www.paranormalatoz.com) Most scientists do not

believe that this phenomenon exists. Nevertheless, controversial evidence can be

used to sway the incredulous. By viewing and researching evidence of ESP and/or

having a personal experience, the truth lies within the eye of the beholder. The

man who said it best was C.G. Jung during a lecture given to the Society for

Psychical Research in 1919. He quotes, "I shall not commit the fashionable

stupidity of regarding everything I cannot explain as a fraud." (http://moebius.psy)

ESP includes telepathy, precognition or premonition, and clairvoyance or

"remote viewing".(www.paranormalatoz.com) Telepathy is the direct

response to another individual?s thoughts.(Schmeidler,805) Premonition is a

direct response to a future event.(Schmeidler,805) Clairvoyance is the direct

response to a future event.(Schmeidler,805) These types of ESP and other forms

of parapsychology were not even studied until 1882.(Schmeidler,806) In 1882, the

Society for Psychical Research was established in London , England by a

extraordinary group of Cambridge scholars. Its purpose was to examine allegedly

paranormal phenomena in a scientific and unbiased way. It was the first society

of its kind in the world. (http://moebius.psy) This society is still in full

operation today, 117 years later. The actual term extra sensory perception

wasn?t used until the early 1930?s. During this time an American scientist,

Joseph Banks Rhine first began his ground breaking experiments testing ESP?s

validity.(Encarta) His research was conducted at the Parapsychology Laboratory

of North Carolina?s, Duke University.(Encarta) Rhine?s most well-known

experiment involved a deck of twenty-five cards. On the cards, written in heavy

black ink, each card had a different design on them. The designs included a

star, a cross, a square, or wavy lines.(Encarta) The concealed deck of

twenty-five cards was shuffled. One random card was drawn from the deck at a

time and the test subject was asked to identify the hidden marking on the

flip-side of the card. If the test subject correctly identified five out of

twenty five cards correctly, it was considered pure chance.(Encarta) Rhine and

his associates concluded that if the individual named six out of ten of the

cards correctly, then indeed the test subject possessed extra sensory

perception.(Encarta) From his experimentally proved evidence, it can easily be

seen which stand Rhine took on the controversial existence of ESP. However, not

all scientists had acknowledged the authenticity of his trials and the

legitimacy of this branch of pseudo-science called parapsychology. Certain

scientists do not believe in the reality of extrasensory perception due to their

lack of faith in the experiments that test it?s existence. These scientists

claim that the ESP experiments are hard to if not impossible to repeat.(Encarta)

In researching, scientists also observed that test results differ according to

the subject?s attitude. Individual?s that had biased opinions of the ESP

testing did not score nearly as high as those who were open-minded toward the

experiment. (Schmeidler 805) Psychologists analyzing the testing methods

concluded that the subjects who doubted the credibility of extrasensory

perception were consciously trying to succeed in the testing, but could have

been unconsciously wanting to fail.(Schmeidler 805) This is an example of what

scientists call the "file drawer" effect. This is better explained by

stating that the "?results that the experimenter likes are published, but

other results stay buried in the files." This makes it hard to know if

information given is accurate or falsely misinterpreted.(Schmeidler 806) This

main recognition of possible false data is why the majority of conventional

scientists disregard the findings made in the field of parapsychology. The

discoveries are labeled unscientific or at best inconclusive. However, even if

the most solid evidence is found to conclude that ESP does in fact exist, there

will always be the skeptical scientist who will feel that the entire basis on

which parapsychology is grounded is nothing but a fraud. Perfect examples of

this ignorance are psychologists, Samuel Moss and Donald C. Butler. Both

psychologists are set in denying the existence of ESP despite seemingly

well-founded evidence. Their mutual view is that the widespread belief in extra

sensory perception can be, "attributed to cultural and psychological

factors."(Rubenstein,46) For example, Christian theology supports the

presence of spiritual phenomena. (Rubenstein,46) According to Moss and Butler

children might also be prone to believing in ESP because of fairy tales and

television shows featuring heroes that possess supernatural powers. This would

be an acceptable explanation for ESP fraudulence , except for the blatantly

noticeable fact that children aren?t normally found setting up their own

fortune telling businesses claiming to predict the future. The adult population

makes up the majority of people who publicly profess their telepathic or

premonition abilities. However, overall Moss and Butler believe that the,

"?power to predict and control without undue effort is alluring that

wishful thinking becomes hardened beliefs." Which undoubtedly explains

those among us that have proceeded from their childhood?s still believing that

the powers of their favorite super human idols are in fact real. Not all

scientists conform to one set method of reasoning. One of these psychologists,

K. Ramakrishna Rao has fought back against the negative remarks made by

psychologists who do not accept the existence of ESP. Rao argues that

indifferently to what other scientists believe, that experimental design of

successful experiments in parapsychology are just as good as any in the

behavioral sciences.(Rubnstein, 58) Parapsychologists, even tried to convince

conventional scientists that ESP is in fact a sixth sense with support from

quantum physics.(Encarta) Why should the same experimental methods be used to

test two completely different areas of study? It doesn?t make sense. This was

Rao?s point exactly, that it was unjust to compare two uncommon things and

judge between the two on which is correct. The main complaint of the

conventional scientists, was that the parapsychology experiments lacked a key

factor in scientific discovery methods. This factor being repetition. Rao also

argued that experiments involving extrasensory perception were indeed repeated

to a certain extent.(Rubnstein, 58) However, the scientists based their argument

over parapsychology on inadequate testing procedures alone. The rebuttal to that

argument was exactly what Rao had believed in all along. Simply that

"?the scientific method, as currently understood, is too restrictive a

formulation for exploring the unknown."(Encarta) Since the early, ground

breaking experiments of Joseph Banks Rhine, the parapsychology world has come a

long way. Announcing his retirement in 1965, Joseph Banks Rhine transferred all

of research to an organization called the Foundation for Research on the Nature

of Man. (Encarta) Since that, parapsychology has become better established in

universities across the nation. Educational institutes are beginning to offer

more credit courses based upon the field of parapsychology. (Encarta)

Encouraging the further exploration of the field involving extrasensory

perception, grants are presented to various organizations such as the

Parapsychological Association and the American Association for the Advancement

of Science. Though most conventional scientists continue to discredit

extrasensory perception, there is some evidence that almost everyone has at

least some faint ESP ability. How else could something as seemingly coincidental

as "mother?s intuition" be explained? History tells us stories of

ESP as well. For example, what about the enlightenment of a 12 year old girl,

Jean D?Arc, who saved the nation of France because of her foretelling visions?

The fact is that, there is evidence out there. Getting individuals to believe in

its substantiality is another battle. Despite this, soon enough, through

continuous research and testing of parapsychology, the evidence that currently

exists will be proven valid and these inquiries and many others concerning the

unknown will be answered. The real question is, can anyone predict when?

Microsoft Encarta 1997 Encyclopedia. "Physical Research". У1993-1996

Microsoft Corporation. Rubnstein, Joseph and Slife, Brent D. "Has Science

Discredited ESP?". Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial

Psychological Issues. 3rd edition. The Dushkin Publishing Group, Inc. Sluice

Dock, Guilford, CT. 1984. pp.46-59 Schmeidler, Gertrude. "Extrasensory

Perception". The Encyclopedia Americana. International Edition. Grolier

Incorporated. Danbury, CT. 1997. Vol.10. pp.805 & 806 http://moebius.psy.ed.ac.uk/~spr/

www.paranormalatoz.com/esp.html