One area in the field of parapsychological studies is that of psychic abilities. One carefully controlled type of scientific test to determine the presence of ESP, otherwise known as extrasensory perception, is what is known as the Ganzfeld Experiments.
This type of testing provides parapsychologists, (scientists who are experimenting with certain paranormal phenomena within a branch of psychology,) with a way to determine if ESP actually exists.
ESP Tests
The Ganzfeld Experiments allows for psychic testing when a person is deprived of one's natural senses including seeing and hearing. White noise is administered to the ears while half ping-pong balls are placed over the eyes. The idea is to have a person, known as a sender, to send psychic images to what is referred to as a receiver.
When conducting these experiments, it has been found that certain people make better candidates for these experiments than others. For one, the actual belief in psi ability. Believers of ESP are known as “sheep.” Those who do not believe are referred to as “goats.” Through testing it has been established that in ”sheep-goat” experiments, those who are considered to be sheep score higher in psychic testing than those who are determined to be goats.
Psychic Testing
There are certain personality traits which are more prone to psychic abilities than others. Extroverts tend to have more abilities than introverts. Through scientific study in parapsychology, it has been determined that those who practice a form of mental discipline, such as meditation, are more prone to be able to quiet the mind in order to receive information through ESP.
Additionally, people who believed that they had personally experienced some type of psychic event tend to perform better when participating in the Ganzfeld experiments. The same holds true for people who have previously participated in other types of psi experiments.
Trying to prove that certain aspects of the paranormal exists can be challenging to scientists in this area of psychology. Finding the right candidates for experiments can be a plus. Science has determined that certain variables exist within individuals to help predict successful performances in psychic testing, such as in Ganzfeld experiments.
Charles Honorton and his colleague Ephraim Schechter are to be credited for much of the research to this field. Their work with the Ganzfeld experiments has been highly successful. Curious about learning more about parapsychology? The Study of Parapsychology: A Branch of Psychology is a good introduction to the subject matter.
Source:
Parapsychology the Controversial Science, Richard S. Broughton, (Ballentine Books,) 1991
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