ESP: Extrasensory Preception

Kevin Sim

6/5/09

Extrasensory Perception : ESP

A famous poet once said, “The body is the soul’s prison unless the five senses are fully developed and open” – but in today’s world our senses not only consist of the widely known five senses: touch, taste, hearing, smell, and sight but also the kinesthetic and vestibular senses. In count to these two additions, an eight sense approaches through brewing controversy, known as extrasensory perception or ESP. More commonly known as the “sixth sense” in popular media through movies and television series – psychic abilities such as reading minds or sensing spirits have become commonplace in everyday conversations. Though often ridiculed for the sheer fact that psychic abilities go beyond the norm of reality (or at least what we know of it today) – much of the public still hold superstitious beliefs that say otherwise. Diviners, Oracles, and Seers whose practices come from ancient times still take hold in today’s society and although no real scientific evidence proves the existence of such abilities, parapsychologists or those who specialize in the study of the paranormal, have been conducting laboratory experiments in search of such a phenomenon.

The term “ESP” was coined by Sir Richard Burton in 1870 after a series of title developments. In the 19^th century it was called “cryptesthesia,” and later labeled “relethesia” which was a term for the specific ability of clairvoyance- or seeing “in the distance”. Then, a researcher by the name of Lousia E. Rhine defined the term “general extrasensory perception” or GESP to include both telepathy and clairvoyance. Today’s definition of ESP includes not two, but three abilities: telepathy, (the ability to transfer information on thoughts or feelings between individuals without the use of the five classical senses), clairvoyance (the ability to gain information about an object, person, location or physical event without the use of the five classical senses), and precognition (the ability to perceive information about places or events through paranormal means before they occur). ESP is also a branch from the term psi which includes both ESP and PK (psychokinesis, a term used to describe the ability to use the mind to affect physical objects).

In 1892, a French researcher, Dr. Paul Joire used the term ESP to describe the ability of a person who had been hypnotized to the point of a “trance state” being able to externally sense things without using their ordinary senses. However, the phenomena of ESP itself have been indicated much earlier time. From shamans and oracles in native tribes who were known to have visions of the future, to prophets from the biblical times who in instances were dictated to have clairvoyance– the belief and practice of ESP existed all throughout history.  Even today, society is known to hold superstitious beliefs – performing illogical routines or practices to prevent an external source known as “bad luck” or “bad omens”. The term “mother’s intuition” has also been widely used – noting a sense of ESP connection between mothers and their children. Articles after articles, such “abilities” have been publicized – such as how Anne Steiner used her mother’s intuition to save her family from a falling tree that crushed their house in Seattle.

Many theories come and go about the usage of ESP but no clear evidence dictates the actual cause of such phenomenon. Researcher Lousia E. Rhine proposes that ESP starts in the unconscious – a collection of mental phenomena that manifests in a person’s mind but which the person is not aware of. With this theory, contact is made between the center of the mind and the world – although the person remains unaware of this contact until such information is brought to the conscious level. This theory was branched out of psychiatrist’s Carl G. Jung’s theory of the “collective unconscious.” Jung’s theory proposed that a wide pool of accumulated wisdom and experiences of the human race were present in the mind but only realized when brought to the conscious mind. Other theories of explaining ESP have emerged amongst many parapsychologists as well – attempting to bring more of a biological aspect to their explanations. One such theory involves macrophages, or cells present in the connective tissues, lymph nodes, and bone marrow of the bodies – tied to nerve endings. Such theory states that these macrophage cells are the body’s ESP organs, sending and receiving stimuli that are way below normal human perception levels. Such cells are more sensitive and active during childhood, but deteriorate without proper diet – which gains support from the idea that children tend to me much more creative or imaginative than adults – due to their more sensitive “touch” with the paranormal. Other theories involve the presence of two subconscious. Apart from the normal subconscious – a layer of perception beneath conscious awareness, this second subconscious often referred to as the superconscious, soul, subliminal self, transcendent ego, or dream self, perceives stimuli from the “other reality.” The theory rests on the hypothesis that two realities exist instead of one – the physical and another reality. Such theory is thus supported by the idea of the “dream world” being a gate way or looking glass through the other reality, which is why this second subconscious is sometimes referred to as the “dream self”.  ESP is then the occurrence of integration between both these realities. However, this other subconscious is not easily accessed and thus infrequent and possibly random – since if the barrier between these two realities were broken – all unconscious thought would flood over the conscious mind. The controversy then lies in the fact that ESP would not be able to be performed by will on demand – and thus unable to be proven or disproven in laboratory experiments. These are only a few of the many theories that exist thus far.

Though lack of evidence (emphasized by skeptics) suggests the inexistence of ESP – society today uses the term lightly and some individuals even choose to publicize their so called “abilities” (though most of these self proclaimed psychics were proven to be frauds). From television shows such as the “medium” to psychic reality shows like “Crossing Over with John Edward” – psychics have been publicized for many years throughout history and have been gaining public acceptance. It is said that everyone is born with ESP capabilities but some possess more than others. According to a survey published in 1987 by the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Council, 67% of all adult Americans believed they have had an experience with ESP at least once in their lives. This was then compared to the same survey given eleven years earlier which said that only 58% believed in an ESP occurrence. The trend suggests that there is an increased general acceptance of the possibility of ESP.

Even with increasing acceptance of ESP, and continuous research in the paranormal – many are still skeptical of such a phenomenon for the sole reason that it cannot be explained or quantified by physical laws. However, research in quantum physics is beginning to provide evidence to the existence of as second, nonmaterial universe. So perhaps the time is fast approaching where scientists will come into terms with the paranormal universe and the myth “that an extrasensory force exists in another reality, and intersects and integrates with the physical world.”

Bibliography

Beloff, John. Parapsychology: A Concise History. Palgrave Macmillan, 1997.

Georges Charpak, Henri Broch. Debunked!: esp, telekinesis, and other pseudoscience. JHU Press, 2004.

Henry, Jane. Parapsychology: research on exceptional experiences. Routledge, 2005.

Martin, Michael. ESP: extrasensory perception. Capstone Press, 2006.

Myers, David G. Psychology. Worth Publishers, 2003.

Rhine, Joseph Banks. Extra-Sensory Perception. Branden Books, 1983.

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