FieldBranches5 nodes

Parapsychology

For everyone

The field that investigates claims such as extrasensory perception (telepathy, precognition, remote viewing) and the influence of mind on matter (psychokinesis, telekinesis) with experimental methods. It has its own peer-reviewed journals (e.g. the Journal of Parapsychology) and associations. The results of decades of experiments, and how to interpret them, are disputed between the field's proponents and its critics.

For specialists

The field's main methods are forced-choice guessing tests, ganzfeld (sensory-isolation) telepathy experiments, psychokinesis experiments with random number generators (RNGs), and meta-analyses of these. The debate centres on small effect sizes, publication bias, replicability and compatibility with known physical laws. Parapsychology was among the fields that adopted practices such as preregistration and adversarial collaboration before mainstream psychology.

Claims

The cumulative results of parapsychology experiments point to an ability to acquire information or exert influence not explained by known sensory channels.^[1]

Positions

Parapsychology researchers: Meta-analyses show small but consistent effects that chance cannot explain.^[1]
Critics: The effects can be explained by methodological flaws, publication bias and analytic flexibility; extraordinary claims require stronger, replicable evidence.^[2]

Connections

Parent

Humanity

Sub-branches

Rhine and the extrasensory perception experiments Ganzfeld telepathy experiments Near-death experiences The "Feeling the future" experiments Telekinesis and psychokinesis

Psychology and mind

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New research in this branch

Notable in peer-reviewed journals

Near-death experiences — Jorge Andrés Delgado‐Ron · 2026-05-24 · Canadian Medical Association Journal
Operationalizing near‑death experiences: Stability of the NDE Rasch hierarchy over two decades — Marieta Pehlivanova, Rense Lange, Bruce Greyson et al. · 2026-01-18 · Consciousness and Cognition
Does Psychological Flexibility Correlate with Mystical Experiences: A Machine Learning Approach Including State of Surrender, Near-Death Experiences, and Psilocybin Consumption — Dylan Briggs, Thomas B. Sease, Ruthie Menou et al. · 2026-04-30 · Behavioral Sciences
Children’s near-death experiences: A narrative review and future directions for investigating near-death experiences with children. — Donna M. Thomas, Graeme O’Connor · 2026-03-30 · Psychology of Consciousness Theory Research and Practice

New papers →

Sources

ArticleCardeña, E. (2018). The experimental evidence for parapsychological phenomena: a review. American Psychologist 73(5), 663–677DOI 10.1037/amp0000236 archive
ArticleReber, A. S.; Alcock, J. E. (2020). Searching for the impossible: parapsychology's elusive quest. American Psychologist 75(3), 391–399DOI 10.1037/amp0000486 archive

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Cite this page

APA

Athena contributors. (2026). Parapsychology. Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/parapsikoloji/

BibTeX

@misc{athena_parapsikoloji,
  title        = {Parapsychology},
  author       = {{Athena contributors}},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/parapsikoloji/}},
  note         = {Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Accessed: 2026-11-01}
}

Added: September 27, 2026 · Last changed: September 27, 2026 · Page history

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