gambler who believes in PK believes he can give the dice a mental nudge as
they’re rolling and influence the numbers that come up.
All four of the phenomena mentioned above are combined into a general class
of mental abilities called psi powers,powers of the mind that are thought to tran-
scend the conventional laws of physics and our ordinary understanding of natural
science. Psi powers are sometimes also called “wild talents.”(a) The power to move objects using only the energy of the mind is called.
(b) What kind of powers are called “wild talents” such as ESP and PK?Answers: (a) psychokinesis (PK); (b) Psi powers.Do psi powers, ESP and PK, actually exist? If one were to make a decision
on anecdotal evidence alone, then one would accept the reality of these pow-
ers. There are many stories and personal experiences that relate vivid and seem-
ingly convincing events that tempt skeptical observers to become believers.
However, anecdotes and personal experiences are hardly the stuff of science.
They can’t be verified. They are difficult or impossible to replicate. Often the
only witness is one individual. When the number of subjects in a study is only
one, the study has no reliability and can’t be generalized. Consequently, won-
derful stories aren’t sufficient evidence in favor of the hypothesis that ESP and
PK are real.
On the other hand, experimental science has explored psi powers. Joseph B.
Rhine (1895–1980), working at Duke University, conducted many experiments on
ESP and PK. He called the study of such phenomena parapsychology.Telepathy
experiments were conducted with the aid of a set of twenty-five cards called Zener
cards.There are five symbols and these are each repeated five times. PK experi-
ments often involved the tossing of dice because probable outcomes could be accu-
rately stated. Rhine’s research favors accepting the hypothesis that psi powers are
real. Others such as Charles T. Tart, using the experimental method, have obtained
results that are similar to Rhine’s.
On the other hand, many psychologists remain unconvinced. They point out
that there are flaws in the methodology of the various parapsychological experi-
ments. Also, it should be noted that such experiments do not consistently sup-
port the reality of psi powers. Skeptics assert that when parapsychological
experiments are well designed and tightly controlled, many of the positive results
fade away.
It is not possible at this time to make a simple statement saying that psychol-
ogy either accepts psi abilities as real or rejects them as false. It canbe asserted that
many psychologists—perhaps most—are unwilling to accept the reality of these
phenomena. They don’t believe that the data are sufficiently convincing.68 PSYCHOLOGY