Telepathy

Telepathy ( altgr. τῆλε tēle "remote ", " far " and πάθος páthos " experience ", " action ") is a coined by Frederic Myers term for the ability to spatially and temporally seemingly separate phenomena without the known senses to detect. These perceptions are called among other things, mind reading, telepathy or clairvoyance.

The so-called parapsychology tries to find evidence for telepathic perceptions among others. For the real existence of such perceptions, there is no scientific explanation models.

Word origin

Telepathy is a word created by the British author, poet, critic and essayist Frederic Myers, which was first published by him in December 1882 before the Society for Psychical Research (SPR ) in London. The hitherto common name thought transference ( German: " telepathy " ) for the phenomenon has been replaced by Myers neologism.

Scientific research

Zenerkarten

Investigations into the presumed existence of telepathy, among other so-called " Zenerkarten " were used. The name is said to come from Joseph Banks Rhine, is said to have named the cards after his colleague Karl Zener. On the cards of five different symbols are shown: a circle, a cross, three wavy lines, a square and a five-pointed star. A common set consists of 25 cards ( five cards of each symbol ).

Research projects at universities

At some universities of parapsychology research is being conducted as a branch of psychology in telepathy in the frame. From 1954 to 1998 there was headed by Hans Bender Department of Frontier Areas of Psychology whose research will continue through the 1950 Bender founded by Institute for Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health in Freiburg at the University of Freiburg.

Misperceptions of perceptions

Telepathic phenomena are often attributed to miscalculations of perceptions. There are studies being deduced that people who hold paranormal phenomena possible, even for scientifically describe, more in favor of paranormal explanations and that faith goes hand in hand at paranormal phenomena with an increased ability to fantasize, a lower degree of critical thinking skills and a reduced ability to estimate probabilities. Some of these people have an increased activity of the right brain was found that supposedly allows conclusions on strengths in the emotional, creative field and weaknesses in solving logical tasks.

Cold reading is a technique that can suggest that an allegedly clairvoyant person possesses information that they may have received only by supernatural means.

Since 1922 prize money for the detection of parapsychological abilities are advertised by different organizations. Currently there are more than 20 different organizations that have announced a total of more than 2.4 million U.S. dollars worldwide. The biggest prize for the detection of psychic abilities such as telepathy is currently being advertised with a million dollars from the James Randi Educational Foundation. Since 1922 has been successful not only by these organizations test conducted on paranormal abilities.

Medial implementation

Within the science-fiction literature, there are numerous stories and novels that deal with the subject of telepathy. In his novel Psi- Patt U.S. American science fiction author Lester del Rey described with the gift of telepathy related psychological dangers and torments for those affected. The author Marion Zimmer Bradley ( The Mists of Avalon ) created a world whose history, culture and technology is largely based on the inheritable telepathic abilities aristocratic families in their Darkover novels.

In addition to literary texts, there are a number of cinematic interpretations of the theme. One of the oldest is Village of the Damned (1960, original title Village of the Damned ) by Wolf Rilla. The film is based on the novel Cuckoo Child (AKA Midwich Cuckoos The ) by John Wyndham and describes the example of twelve born inexplicably children as an alien power attempted by the telepathic influence to dominate people. The same horror film Village of the Damned ( 1995) by John Carpenter is a remake of the film by Wolf Rilla. In the movie Ghostbusters - Ghostbusters (1984 ), an experiment is carried out with Zenerkarten beginning. In the film scanner - Your thoughts can kill (1981 ) by David Cronenberg, and the two sequels is the central theme of telepathy.