In psychology, perception refers to the understanding and interpretation of sensory information. Perceptual psychology is a subfield of cognitive psychology which involves the conscious and unconscious natural features of the human cognitive system. Extrasensory perception is not included within the five senses and is considered the sixth sense of human beings.
Extrasensory perception, or ESP, is a disputed content in neuroscience and psychology. Extrasensory perception is defined as the reception and processing of information that is not obtained through the physical senses but is sensed b the mind of an individual. Joseph Banks Rhine, in the year 1934, popularized the term extrasensory perception. There is various research to find out the cause of extrasensory perception. Some believe all humans have some degree of extrasensory perception that is experienced occasionally. However, on the other side, some individuals believe that only some people have the special power that permits them for extrasensory perception. Para-psychology elaborates on situations, behaviors, and experiences that are special. Those unusual situations cannot be elucidated in finite terms. Para-psychology has two divisions those are
Psychokinesis − This term defines events that happen without the involvement of any living being.
Extrasensory perception − It defines perceptions the brain receives or communication that happens without the involvement of any five sensory organs. Extrasensory perceptions can be divided into three parts.
Precognition − Knowledge regarding future events without any logical explanation is known as precognition.
Clairvoyance − Awareness of unknown objects without any previous contact or knowledge regarding them.
Telepathy − Communication between people separated by a geographical barrier with no feasible form of prior contact.
It was not until the 1930s that the phrase "extrasensory perception" became popular, according to Duke University psychologist J.B. Rhine established a facility dedicated to the research of the sixth sense. Rhine rose to prominence for his work with decks of "Zener cards," each of which included one of five symbols. According to the American Psychological Association, he would flip through a deck of 25 of these cards and have research participants name the symbol on each without seeing the card itself. In theory, the typical individual had a one in five, or 20%, chance of correctly guessing the identity of each card. Rhine discovered, however, that individuals consistently guessed the correct card more than 20% of the time.
Terence Hines writes in his book "Pseudoscience and the Paranormal(opens in new tab)" that Rhine's study, which he published in a book named "Extrasensory Perception" (Boston Society for Psychic Research, 1934), drew both criticism and curiosity. One review of the book published the same year in Nature suggested that Rhine's strong confidence in ESP may have influenced his findings. However, Rhine's study aided the development of the new area of parapsychology. He founded the Parapsychological Association in 1957, an organization dedicated to studying psychic encounters that still exists today.
In distinct ways, the different kinds of extrasensory perception present themselves. Based on the situations and the different types of extrasensory perceptions, individuals can face symptoms such as
Precognition − An individual who faces precognition has an unclear idea or knowledge of upcoming events. This state is experienced by an individual either while awake or dreaming. One of the features of precognition is being unpleasant, which makes an individual depressed and nervous.
Telepathy − Telepathy is mostly common among people who are related to each other by the relation of love or affection. Sometimes close friends, relatives, or married couples face this unexplained communication without using their sensory organs. This type of communication involves emotional and physical signs, which are not possible to explain by scientific means.
There are some ways the diagnosis of extrasensory perception. Those are
Mind Reading − Mind reading is part of forced-choice experiments, and J.B.Rhine first starts it in the year 1930. In this process, he used decorative cards and asked the participants to identify the card by looking at the person experimenting. The experiments can be done with symbols, alphabets, numbers, and others.
Free Response Studies − This involves distinctive experiments like making a dream or hallucination state. The individual enters into this state as the internal noise that goes on within the brain is reduced.
Remote Viewing − This kind of free response study in which the experimenter sits with the patient, and an assistant drives them to an unspecified location before returning the patient to the same location. Both the patient and the experimenter are unaware of the place. In this way, a patient is observed if he/she has an idea of the location without any prior information.
Patients who are diagnosed with extrasensory perception by using this process were disposed to be more selective and never repeat their choice because of heightened perception that there must be some reason that such repetitive questions are taking place. Thus, the study of 1990 showed that randomness had a different influence on an individual's extrasensory perception, and everything happening in the world was governed by paranormal behavior.
According to parapsychologists, extrasensory perception may be due to a particular kind of activity in the brain. Research has been done to recognize the exact region of the brain that regulates the function of extrasensory perception. Furthermore, from those studies, it can be suggested that the brain's right hemisphere appears to e captivated during extrasensory perception. Emotional trauma because of displacement or losing a close relative or friend can lead an individual to face extrasensory perception.
There are some treatments for curing extrasensory perception. Those are
Psychiatric Counseling − Patients with extrasensory perception cannot share their unusual experiences and need to communicate with a psychiatrist to understand what is happening to him/her/ Because of this condition, the psychiatrist analyzes the case and provides accurate counseling.
While evaluating the patient, the psychiatrist must confirm and understand the precognitive nature of the patient. This is needed as they may blame the healthcare professional for all catastrophic events if only one of them was correctly predicte.
Sometimes some patients may face physical symptoms similar to those experienced by a close friend or family member, separated by time and geography without prior knowledge. In these cases, the healthcare professional must ask the patient if he/she faced any emotional trauma or if anyone close to them faces the same physical symptoms.
From the above discussion, it can be concluded that extrasensory perception is the paranormal ability concerning the reception of information not received through the recognized physical senses. Still, senses with the mind, and this extrasensory perception is considered the sixth sense. Extrasensory perception has several causes, symptoms, diagnoses, and treatments, which are discussed here.
Perception is needed in everyday life as it is a vital mediating cognitive process. Through perception, an individual interprets the stimulus or circumstances they have faced. The factors influencing perceptions are an individual's attitudes, expectations, behavior, motivation, and interests.
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