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Extrasensory Perception

Schmeidler, Gertrude
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📚 ABOUT THE BOOK

Unravel the psychological mysteries behind ESP, discovering why some minds glimpse the unseen.

This compelling collection, edited by Gertrude Schmeidler, delves into the fascinating question of why psychic abilities manifest inconsistently. It explores the psychological underpinnings that influence one's capacity for extrasensory perception, moving beyond simple belief to examine the internal factors at play. Through nine insightful essays, including a direct debate between skeptics and proponents, the book offers a clear overview of contemporary ESP research. It highlights the peculiar controversies surrounding the field, demonstrating how critics' questions often mirror broader challenges within psychology itself.

Key themes
Mind's Influence on ESP Debating Psychic Phenomena Advances in Parapsychological Research
Historical context

This work sits at the intersection of mid-to-late twentieth-century parapsychology and academic psychology, reflecting an era where ESP research sought legitimacy through rigorous psychological analysis rather than mere spiritualism. It represents a scholarly attempt to bridge the gap between occult phenomena and mainstream scientific inquiry.

Difficulty
●● Moderate
Fans will love it
Carl Jung · Dean Radin · Rupert Sheldrake · The GSR Proceedings
🕯️ Occult Philosophy
🏛 Routledge 📅 2009 📖 174 pages 📔 Paperback 📐 Paperback ISBN: 9780202362717
Fun fact
This collection offers a refreshingly balanced and intellectually stimulating examination of extrasensory perception, focusing on psychological nuances often overlooked. It excels at presenting the core debates within the field, making it indispensable for serious students of parapsychology. Readers seeking sensational claims or definitive proof may find its academic rigor less immediately gratifying. It stands as a foundational text for understanding psychic phenomena's scientific and psychological complexities.

📝 Description: Extrasensory Perception

If extrasensory perception is a common human ability, why can't we all score high on ESP tests? This book answers the question by describing psychological determinants of success and failure in extrasensory perception. Some of the most signifi cant points raised in the editor's enlightening introduction are developed in greater detail in the nine essays that follow, all of them important statements giving a clear picture of research into ESP and the debate that surrounds it. Each essay is followed by a comment relating the essay to the field as a whole. In essays on the debate about ESP, an attack (by C. E. M. Hansel) is followed by a rebuttal (by J. B. Rhine and J. G. Pratt), offering the reader insight into the peculiar tension surrounding the ESP controversy. The book also includes a balanced overview of problems in the field by J. C. Crumbaugh, and six other essays on the psychological factors that influence research on ESP. Controversy over ESP is of special interest also because the questions critics raise relate closely to problems within psychology itself. In addition, the essays reflect a quality common to much research: the excitement of uncovering results that advance our knowledge. This book is intended for supplementary course use. Because of the fundamental problems it addresses, it also offers richly rewarding reading for all teaching and practicing psychologists as well as for the interested generalist. A substantial number of research reports are cited throughout, so that any reader seeking further information will find the cited references invaluable.

💎 Expert review

💎
Esoterica Books editorial team
Occult literature desk
Schmeidler’s collection is a rigorous examination of the internal factors influencing extrasensory perception, making it a serious contribution to the field. However, it does not suit casual readers looking for thrilling ghost stories or definitive proof of the supernatural. Skeptics who prefer absolute dismissal over nuanced debate may find the proponent essays frustrating, while those seeking practical ESP training will be disappointed by its theoretical focus. It is best for academic-minded enthusiasts who appreciate the complexity of psychological controversies and wish to understand how critics' questions mirror broader challenges within psychology itself.
✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers seeking a substantive, non-sensationalist approach to psychic phenomena will find this volume invaluable. It is ideal for those tired of superficial claims who want to understand the psychological mechanisms that allow some minds to glimpse the unseen while others cannot. By presenting a direct debate between skeptics and proponents, it offers a balanced overview of contemporary ESP research. This book serves anyone interested in the intersection of consciousness studies and psychology, providing clarity on why psychic abilities manifest inconsistently without resorting to blind faith or dismissive cynicism.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —
⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.5/5
★★★★
If you've ever wondered why psychic gifts seem so elusive, or if you seek a rigorous, balanced examination of extrasensory perception, this book is for you. It's essential reading for those interested in the scientific exploration of consciousness and the mind's hidden depths.

Reader rating

4.5
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Esoterica Books editorial team

Schmeidler’s collection is a rigorous examination of the internal factors influencing extrasensory perception, making it a serious contribution to the field. However, it does not suit casual readers looking for thrilling ghost stories or definitive proof of the supernatural. Skeptics who prefer absolute dismissal over nuanced debate may find the proponent essays frustrating, while those seeking practical ESP training will be disappointed by its theoretical focus. It is best for academic-minded enthusiasts who appreciate the complexity of psychological controversies and wish to understand how critics' questions mirror broader challenges within psychology itself.

❓ Frequently asked questions

This book argues that psychological factors—like beliefs, mood, and even personality—play a significant role in one's ability to manifest or perceive ESP, explaining inconsistencies better than mere absence.
While it presents research exploring ESP, its primary focus is on understanding the psychological conditions influencing its manifestation and the academic debate surrounding its scientific study, rather than offering definitive proof.

📖 Who should read this

If you've ever wondered why psychic gifts seem so elusive, or if you seek a rigorous, balanced examination of extrasensory perception, this book is for you. It's essential reading for those interested in the scientific exploration of consciousness and the mind's hidden depths.

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Mind's Influence on ESP

This volume meticulously examines the internal psychological conditions that either foster or hinder the expression of extrasensory abilities. It investigates how various mental states, beliefs, and even personality traits might modulate an individual's success or failure in psychic tasks, shifting the focus from mere existence to the 'how' and 'why' of its manifestation.

Debating Psychic Phenomena

Central to the book is an exploration of the ongoing academic and scientific dispute surrounding extrasensory perception. Featuring direct exchanges between prominent critics and proponents, it provides an unfiltered look into the tensions and arguments that define the field, offering readers a comprehensive understanding of both sides of the complex debate.

Advances in Parapsychological Research

The essays showcase the methodologies and findings of early parapsychological investigations, offering a snapshot of the scientific efforts to quantify and understand psychic abilities. It illuminates the challenges inherent in studying such elusive phenomena, while also celebrating the persistent drive to uncover empirical evidence of the mind's non-physical capacities.

💬 Quotes from the book

“The persistent dismissal of statistically significant outcomes, when viewed through a critical lens, often reveals an a priori bias rather than a truly objective assessment of the data at hand.”

“An individual's unconscious expectations, emotional state, and even their conscious desire for success appear to modulate the subtle energetic pathways attributed to extrasensory reception.”

📜 Historical context

Published during a period of intense scientific scrutiny and public fascination with psychic abilities, this work stands as a pivotal document in parapsychology. It captures the spirit of an era when researchers earnestly applied empirical methods to phenomena often relegated to superstition, shaping the academic discourse on ESP's validity and mechanisms.

📚 Glossary

Extrasensory Perception (ESP)
Parapsychology
Clairvoyance

📔 Questions to reflect on

  1. How might your personal beliefs or skepticism about ESP influence your own potential for psychic experiences?
  2. Consider the ethical implications of studying and potentially harnessing extrasensory abilities. What safeguards would be necessary?
  3. In what ways do the debates surrounding ESP mirror broader tensions between established science and novel, unconventional phenomena?

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