mod-psi@ulowell.UUCP (12/16/86)
Status: R
The word "psi" is a technical term from parapsychology. It was originally
coined by parapsychologists as a noun to mean, roughly, "the unknown
explanatory mechanism(s) (normal or paranormal) behind the anomalous
phenomena studied by parapsychologists." It was carefully chosen to avoid
any connotation as to the nature of those mechanisms. It is frequently
used today as an adjective (e.g., "psi phenomena").
Psi can be divided into two categories ESP and PK (the terms psi-sub-gamma and
psi-sub-kappa were coined as names for these two categories, but these terms
never really caught on. I don't remember which is which). Many phenomena
have aspects of both.
ESP (ExtraSensory Perception) is when an organism (usually human), referred to
as the "percipient", seems to "know" things when there is no known
physical way for the organism to learn them. The two major categories of
ESP are clairvoyance (when the percipient seems to know about things
physically separated from them) and precognition (when the percipient
seems to know about things which have not yet occurred, and which cannot
reasonably be deduced from information available to them, normally or
clairvoyantly, in the present). Other categories of ESP exist (e.g.,
retrocognition, active-percipient telepathy) but have not been demonstrated
to exist as distinct phenomena from the major two. That is, all experiments
which *seem* to involve these other phenomena can be explained entirely
in terms of clairvoyance or precognition.
PK (PsychoKinesis) is when an organism (usually human), referred to as the
"agent", seems to be able to effect external physical systems when there
is no known physical way for it it do so. PK is subdivided in
a number of ways. The most generally used division is into "static" and
"dynamic" PK. Dynamic PK involves the apparent modification of the
probabilities associated with highly random systems. The term dates from
when such systems were "moving" systems such as tumbling dice. It now applies
to such things as the modification of the rate of decay of radioactive
substances as well. Static PK involves the movement of objects which would
not normally be expected to move in that way, e.g., the levitation of an
object which is just sitting on a table. Static PK is *very* much more
rare than dynamic, and the evidence that it actually exists is many times
weaker than for dynamic PK. The terms "micro-PK" and "macro-PK" mean almost
the same thing as "dynamic" and "static" PK, respectively.
The term telekinesis (sometimes abbreviated as "TK") means the same thing
as PK. It is used almost exclusively in science fiction and by occultists.
It is now virtually never used in a scientific context.
The modern name for the scientific study of psi phenomena is "parapsychology".
An older term is "psychical research". Some modern researchers prefer to
use the term "parapsychology" for laboratory research, and "psychical research"
to refer to "field" research, such as the investigation of mediums or
poltergeist.
You may, of course, if you wish, use the above terms any way you wish. Keep
in mind, however, that these are all technical terms coined by
parapsychologists or psychical researchers for quite specific use in technical
communication. Unlike "common" terms, these technical terms have precise
"correct" meanings, and if you use them incorrectly, you may be saying quite
specific things which you did not mean. You also tend to blunt the precision
of the terms when used correctly, and thus do everyone a diservice. So
please, try to use the words correctly -- don't say "clairvoyance" when
you mean "telepathy".
The term "psionics" seems to have been coined by John W. Cambell, the editor
of the magazine "Astounding Science Fiction" (later retitled "Analog" and
still published under that name). The word was formed by combining
the words "psi" and "electronics".
Its a little hard to say anything about the various people who claim to be
doing "psionics", but generally they are heavily motivated by electronic
analogies, they are heavily into building "gadgets" (i.e., they tinker a
lot), their theories frequently are logically rather weak and poorly thought
out, and they almost never submit their theories to meaningful scientific
tests which would rule out other conventional or paranormal causes for
their results.
*Something* real and useful may have been done in the name of psionics but
I haven't seen any evidence for it. Generally, the claims of "psionicists"
seem to be a result of wishful thinking, known subtle or not-so-subtle
effects, self-fulfilling prophecy and selective reporting.
The term "psionics"is also used in much of the translation of Eastern
European parapsychological research. Overall, the "Soviet" work which is
available in the west, perhaps because of censorship or because of deliberate
"misinformation", is of very poor scientific quality.
Topher Cooper
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Disclaimer: This contains my own opinions, and I am solely responsible for
them.