Psychic Abilities and Parapsychology

[michael eastwood]

Psychic abilities such as postcognition, psychometry, telepathy and
physical/mental mediumship are all branches of a broader subject known
as Parapsychology. People with psychic abilities are claimed to affect
or retrieve information through a channel that does not belong within
the scope of conventional or mainstream science. The credibility of
such claims has been vehemently questioned by many, due to lack of
evidence but its existence, however absurd it may seem, cannot be
simply discarded because of the deep roots Parapsychology has in
history and culture.
Anomalous Cognition:
These are the two types of psychic abilities or Parapsychology -
Anomalous Cognition and Anomalous Operation. Anomalous Cognition may
also be known as Extra Sensory Perception (ESP) and includes:
Telepathy: is the ability to communicate information mentally from one
person to another, without using any physical signs and other aids.
Precognition: is the ability to perceive information and predict
future events before they actually happen. This information is
achieved by a special mental ability and not deductive reasoning.
Postcognition or Retrocognition: is the ability to achieve information
about events that has already occurred which are usually unknown by
others. For example, "psychic detectives" claim to use this method to
detect possible murderers.
Psychometry: is another form of postcognition which enables a person
to achieve information about events that had already occurred by being
in close contact with the area or object where the event took place.
Clairvoyance: is the ability to perceive distant objects, persons, or
events. Sometimes clairvoyants may claim to have the ability to see
through opaque structures like brick walls, and perceive unseen energy
such as radio waves. Subtypes include clairaudience, clairalience,
clairgustance, and clairsentience.
Anomalous Operation:
Anomalous Operation, simply put, is communication by paranormal means.
The different types of Anomalous Operation are closely related which
include:
Psychokinesis: or telekinesis or remote influencing is the ability to
move physical objects and influence the behavior of matter mentally
without the aid of any other devices.
Out-of-body experience (OBE): is the ability to separate one's
physical body from the soul, spirit or mind. OBE is a common
phenomenon and often linked to Near-death experiences, dreams, alcohol
and drugs.
Astral Projection: is closely linked with Out-of-body experience. The
astral body is a "double" of the real physical body but separated from
it, moving freely on its own in the astral plane. Astral projection is
also often linked with drugs, dreams and NDE's.
Near-death experience (NDE): is one of the most common Out-of-body
experiences. When some people who are proclaimed to be clinically dead
are revived again, they relate experiences in which they travel out of
their physical bodies and see their own dead bodies.
Mediumship: in which private s'ances are performed to link spirits
with the living world by way of physical manifestations such as raps,
audible voices, body movements, and materializing figures of the dead.
Faith Healing: or spiritual healing is the ability to heal sickness by
spiritual means such as praying, pilgrimage, and other religious
rituals. Faith healing is also considered a form of alternative
medicine.