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{{redirect|Psions||Psion (disambiguation)}} |
{{redirect|Psions||Psion (disambiguation)}} |
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'''Psionics''' are a group of [[psychic]] abilities which parapsychologists claim can use the [[mind]] to induce [[paranormal]] [[phenomena]], including [[telepathy]], [[telekinesis]], [[pyrokinesis]] and [[List of psychic abilities|others]]. |
'''Psionics''' are a group of [[psychic]] abilities which parapsychologists claim can use the [[mind]] to induce [[paranormal]] [[phenomena]], including [[telepathy]], [[telekinesis]], [[pyrokinesis]] and [[List of psychic abilities|others]]. Practitioners of psionics are called [[psychics]], and sometimes refer to themselves as psions.{{Citation needed|date=January 2014}} [[Parapsychology]], a pseudoscience begun around 1889, aims to study psionic and other [[supernatural]] claims.<ref name=Melton>{{Cite book|last=Melton |first=J. G. |authorlink= |title=Parapsychology. In Encyclopedia of Occultism & Parapsychology |publisher=[[Thomson Gale]] |year=1996 |pages= |isbn=978-0-8103-9487-2}}</ref> |
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Psionics appear regularly in [[science fiction]]. A large industry exists whereby psychics provide advice and counsel to clients.<ref name="nisbet">{{Cite journal|author=Matthew Nisbet|date=May–June 1998|title=Psychic telephone networks profit on yearning, gullibility|magazine=[[Skeptical Inquirer]]|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2843/is_/ai_20615402}}</ref> |
Psionics appear regularly in [[science fiction]]. A large industry exists whereby psychics provide advice and counsel to clients.<ref name="nisbet">{{Cite journal|author=Matthew Nisbet|date=May–June 1998|title=Psychic telephone networks profit on yearning, gullibility|magazine=[[Skeptical Inquirer]]|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2843/is_/ai_20615402}}</ref> |
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Revision as of 13:52, 11 February 2014
Psionics are a group of psychic abilities which parapsychologists claim can use the mind to induce paranormal phenomena, including telepathy, telekinesis, pyrokinesis and others. Practitioners of psionics are called psychics, and sometimes refer to themselves as psions.[citation needed] Parapsychology, a pseudoscience begun around 1889, aims to study psionic and other supernatural claims.[1]
Psionics appear regularly in science fiction. A large industry exists whereby psychics provide advice and counsel to clients.[2]
Despite over a century of research, there is no evidence that psionic abilities exist.[3]
Etymology
John W. Campbell, an editor of a science fiction magazine, became enthused about fringe science[4] and, according to the The Routledge Companion to Science Fiction, he went on to define Psionics as "Engineering applied to the mind".[5] His encouragement of Psi led author Murray Leinster and others to write stories such as The Psionic Mousetrap.[4]
The term comes from psi (‘psyche’) and the ending -onics from electronics (machine), which implied that the paranormal powers of the mind could be made to work reliably.[6]
Fiction
Psionic abilities appear frequently in science fiction and are used as a substitute for magic, providing characters with abilities normally seen in the fantasy genre.[7]
See also
- List of psychic abilities
- List of superhuman features and abilities in fiction
- Psionics (role-playing games)
References
- ^ Melton, J. G. (1996). Parapsychology. In Encyclopedia of Occultism & Parapsychology. Thomson Gale. ISBN 978-0-8103-9487-2.
- ^ Matthew Nisbet (May–June 1998). "Psychic telephone networks profit on yearning, gullibility". Skeptical Inquirer.
- ^ Cordón, Luis A. (2005). Popular psychology: an encyclopedia. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press. p. 182. ISBN 0-313-32457-3.
The essential problem is that a large portion of the scientific community, including most research psychologists, regards parapsychology as a pseudoscience, due largely to its failure to move beyond null results in the way science usually does. Ordinarily, when experimental evidence fails repeatedly to support a hypothesis, that hypothesis is abandoned. Within parapsychology, however, more than a century of experimentation has failed even to conclusively demonstrate the mere existence of paranormal phenomenon, yet parapsychologists continue to pursue that elusive goal.
- ^ a b The Greenwood encyclopedia of science fiction and fantasy. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. 2005. ISBN 0313329508.
{{cite book}}:|first=has generic name (help);|first=missing|last=(help) - ^ The Routledge companion to science fiction (1st ed. ed.). London: Routledge. 2009. p. 410. ISBN 041545378x.
{{cite book}}:|edition=has extra text (help);|first=has generic name (help);|first=missing|last=(help); Check|isbn=value: invalid character (help); Explicit use of et al. in:|first=(help) - ^ "Online Etymology Dictionary". Etymonline.com. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
- ^ Poul Anderson. "Fantasy in the Age of Science", p 270, Fantasy ISBN 48-51518