Parapsychology and the Human Condition

To many, the human experience is very concrete. We are living, breathing creatures, placed on this earth for a finite length of time. Regardless of the means or method, there comes a time when all of us must leave - a time that is representative of the conclusion of our stories ... a final chapter in the novels of our lives ... the all-inclusive result of the struggles, passions, and joys of the human condition ... a journey to the end, which we all must make. Or must we?

Take a trip to your local bookstore, and you are likely to find a wealth of material claiming that death is not the end. Since the beginning of recorded history, there have been thousands upon thousands of documented cases of paranormal experiences. How many of us have ever been awakened by mysterious noises in the night? How many of us have ever felt the presence of a deceased loved one? How many of us have ever felt our hearts resonate in our chests as we walk through a graveyard? Whether we like it or not, ghost sightings and hauntings appear to be strikingly real aspects of our seemingly concrete world.

As an individual who passionately believes in the study and understanding of paranormal phenomenon, I often feel the need to answer the obvious question - what is a ghost? The answer is complex, as several different theories exist on the subject. As a student of psychology and a practicing mental health professional, I feel that the study of this subject can be an important addition to our mental and spiritual health. If you seek to understand your experiences with the paranormal, the specialty area of parapsychology may be of great interest to you.

Parapsychology Defined

For necessary purposes, psychology as a field of study is greatly dependent upon research and scientific fact. As a result, studies dealing with unexplained and often immeasurable phenomenon have been largely neglected. As a branch of study, parapsychology attempts to remedy this. Parapsychology is loosely defined as the study of supposed evidence of paranormal phenomenon that is inexplicable by science. Parapsychology is limited in scope to three distinct categories: telekinesis, telepathy, and precognition. Telekinesis is defined as the ability to move objects through the utilization of mind power alone. Similar to telekinesis, telepathy is the ability to communicate information across space through the utilization of mind power alone. Precognition, as you may have suspected, is defined as the ability to see events of the future before they occur. This is also known as clairvoyance. All three of these categories are closely related to spiritualism, the alleged ability to see, hear, and effectively communicate with spirits of the dead.

In large part, parapsychology asserts that our minds and spirits are entirely independent of our bodies. This implies that we have the ability, if we so choose, to engage in a nonmaterialistic lifestyle. With that said, we have within our possession a repertoire of skills designed to unlock the door to areas of our existences that we once thought impossible. Through being in touch with the spiritual parts of our minds, we gain a more complete knowledge of ourselves and the world we live in. As the study of parapsychology continues to grow, topics are likely to be limited by other fields. As long as any inkling of some sort of scientific explanation exists, parapsychological phenomenon cannot be proven.