Parapsychology is a science that studies phenomena that we understand as supernatural and search for natural causes for these events. Still, the etymology of the word carries a meaning of "study of what is outside the psyche," that is, it studies the hypothesis of the existence of means of communication that go beyond the known human senses, such as telepathy and clairvoyance. Butparapsychology is a little deeper, and if you want to learn more about it, follow us in this article!

What is parapsychology?

Parapsychology is a science that studies paranormal phenomena, that is, extraordinary events and happenings that go beyond the limits of what we consider normal, such as, for example, premonitory powers, levitation of objects, miraculous healings, possession, among others.

For psychologist Wellington Zangari, a Brazilian specialist in parapsychology, these phenomena have nothing mystical or supernatural about them. They are just natural events that we still don't know about, and for lack of explanation, they end up falling into the realm of religion and superstition. For him, seeking this explanation and fitting it into scientific theories is the essence of psychology, he said in an interview with SuperInteresting.

The fields of parapsychology are diverse, as there are different paranormal phenomena already reported, but the main pillars of this field of study are the following:

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- Possible existence of phenomena associated with extracerebral memory (also known as retrocognition), which includes near-death experiences, consciousness projection, mediumship, among others;

- Research into the existence of extrasensory perception, that is, a form of communication between people or between beings from other planes that uses methods other than the five human senses; examples are telepathy, precognition, and clairvoyance;

- The hypothesis that it is possible to perform physical action on a physical object without using physical means (human or mechanical force, for example), what is known as telekinesis, which includes levitation of objects, among others.

What are the main fields studied by parapsychology?

Below is a list detailing some of the main fields of study in parapsychology:

Precognition: receiving or perceiving information and events before they have actually happened, the famous prediction of the future.

Apparitional experiences: Probably the most romanticized among parapsychology studies, it is the field that studies alleged apparitions of ghosts and other supernatural entities.

Reincarnation: theory that there is in every human being a soul, which transcends the current existence and returns to life, in another form, after the current life has ended.

Near-death experiences: type of sensation felt by a person who has been very close to death or who has experienced a clinical death, but has been brought back through medicinal and scientific methods.

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Telepathy: study of the existence of the ability to transmit thoughts and feelings between individuals using senses other than the five natural human senses.

Clairvoyance: There may be ways of receiving information about distant events or places where the supposed clairvoyant has never been, and about which he would have no way of knowing except through some supernatural experience.

Psychokinesis: supposed ability of the human mind to manipulate matter, space, time, or other types of energy still unknown to modern science.

These are just some of the fields of study of parapsychology, but there are many others.

Origin of parapsychology

Created in the 19th century, parapsychology grew out of movements that were known as mesmerism and spiritualism, but it was not until the early 20th century that botanist Joseph Banks Rhine and psychologist William McDougall adopted the term to refer to what they considered a new line of psychology.

In 1882 the Society for Psychical Research was inaugurated in London, which aimed to investigate phenomena connected with the mind and soul of individuals.

It took a few decades before the first real study on the subject was conducted. It was in 1943 that the Rhine Research Center at Duke University in the United States published a paper on the ability of 50 children from native communities in Canada to guess what was written on a card. This practice is considered unethical to this day because it uses children without consent.of the parents and the way they approached the children at the time.

Nevertheless, great names joined this parapsychology proposal, such as the essayist Frederic W. H. Myers and Henry Sidgwick, members of Cambridge University. Besides them, physicists Sir William Fletcher Barrett, Kg Arthur Balfour and Balfour Stewart also participated in these studies.

In Brazil, parapsychology became popular between the 1960s and 1980s, when scientific studies conducted abroad began to be used here to attest or contest supernatural phenomena, especially those related to religions.

Father Quevedo was one of the biggest names related to the studies of parapsychology. Deceased in 2019, Quevedo is still remembered for his work in unmasking charlatans and also for the institute, which bears his name, and still delves into these studies even after his death.

Clinical Parapsychology

Clinical parapsychology is an area that studies parapsychological phenomena, but aims to bring to the individual the cure of some diseases through mental reprogramming. It believes that diseases are a reflection of our feelings and says that everything that manifests itself in the physical has a mental or psychological origin, therefore it is possible to cure the body's ills if we discover which triggersFor this, clinical parapsychology uses techniques such as hypnosis, deep relaxation, and access to memories and traumatic memories through regression.

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Through the techniques, especially hypnosis, mental reprogramming, memory regression and mediumship, the professionals who perform the technique are supposed to be able to discover the causes of physical diseases. Now you must be wondering which emotions can trigger the most common diseases, right? Below we have separated a list with some of the main diseases and their causesemotional according to clinical parapsychology:

• Anxiety: little confidence;
• Fat: need to feel protected;
• High blood pressure: unresolved emotional problems.
• Low blood pressure: little love received in childhood;
• Cancer: deep sorrow;
• Insomnia: guilt and fear;
• Headache: low self-esteem;
• Colds: mental confusion;
• Asthma: suppressed crying or sadness;
• Acne: lack of self-acceptance;
• Cholesterol: fear of accepting happiness;
• Tumors: feeding off sorrows.

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Parapsychology is the study of the possibility of supernatural manifestations in our normal, everyday life. Although it purports to be a serious field that combats charlatanism and deception, it is not considered a science because it does not use scientific methods. Now that you know what it is, are you going to seek clinical parapsychology? Ah, just don't substitute therapy with a psychologist or a consultationBefore resorting to this technique, consult your doctor.