The concept of Extrasensory Perception (ESP) refers to having knowledge of a person’s life or the future without the use of any of the accepted established senses, such as sight, taste, or touch. Over 40% of Americans believe in ESP and include in this their belief in paranormal experiences. The belief in ESP is so widespread that significant amounts of money have been spent to study ESP further and its potential impliacations, including government and military-funded grants (Lilienfeld, Lynn, Ruscio, Beyerstein, 2009).
ESP is associated with different “skills”, such as telekinisesis, mind-reading, and psychic ability. These came into contemporary culture through the success of so-called mediums like Ms. Cleo and other television psychics who made money off of people’s believe in the supernatural or ESP. By claiming to see the future, these personalities cashed in on people’s beliefs and superstitions.
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ESP has become so prevalent because it is a strong part of pop culture. From shows like the Twilight Zone to X-Files, from a young age people are bombarded with shows highlighting the possibilities presented by ESP. Everything from self-help books to independent classes promise to develop an individual’s ESP abilities. The authors claim this is because we have a natural need to believe in something larger than ourselves. Selective memory and perception enhances coincidence to see beyond normal, strengthening belief in ESP. People with a strong belief in ESP pay special inadvertent attention to moments that reinforce their belief and ignore what would disprove it (Lilienfeld, Lynn, Ruscio, Beyerstein, 2009).
Scientists have studied it since the late 19th century. While scientist Joseph Banks Rhine and Louise found positive results, other scientists could not get the same results when they recreated the study. Another study that generated a lot of discussion was the Fanzfeld method. The test subjects’ eyes were covered and their ears covered with headphones playing white noise. A person in another room would attempt to mentally send images to the test subjects. Studies aiming to replicate it achieved the results via pure chance rather than actual ESP. In particular, the study done by Milton and Wiseman showed analysis of Ganzfeld studies showed the results from these studies going back to 1974 showed no evidence whatsoever of ESP. (Lilienfeld, Lynn, Ruscio, Beyerstein, 2009).
Scientists who border the line between skeptic and believer state that the “scientific ‘bar’ necessary to accept the existence of ESP should be set very high. After all, the very existence of ESP would run counter to most established physical laws related to space, time, and matter”. As there are definitive natural laws governing how the world and its systems work, having ESP be considered truth would completely undermine other scientific principles that are accepted as proven fact, and therefore should be judged more critically and suspiciously (Lilienfeld, Lynn, Ruscio, Beyerstein, 2009).
With the backlash against personalities like Ms. Cleo and other television paranormal “experts”, it is surprising that so many people still believe in psychics today. The desire to believe in something larger and greater than ourselves is apparently incredibly strong, forcing them to believe in something that seems impossible to scientific law (Lilienfeld, Lynn, Ruscio, Beyerstein, 2009)..
There are significant amounts of studies that disprove the possibility of ESP, and yet people still grasp onto the handful of unscientific studies that “prove” its existence. In order to even vaguely entertain the idea of ESP as an actuality, extensive scientific study with replicated results from a major, respected institution is necessary (Lilienfeld, Lynn, Ruscio, Beyerstein, 2009).
