FREE ESSAY ON EXTRA SENSORY PERCEPTION

EXTRA SENSORY PERCEPTION

Extra Sensory Perception
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? 
Bibliography
Microsoft Encarta 1997 Encyclopedia. Physical Research. O1993-1996 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