Extrasensory Perception (ESP) and Paranormal Psychology.

Ask most people to name the five senses and they will answer with taste, touch, sight, smell, and hearing. They are right, in a sense (pun intended). But we also have a kinesthetic sense, vestibular sense, and a host of other sensory systems. Each body sense has a natural explanation and physiological processes. But can we sense things through non-physiological, extra-sensory processes? Do we have ESP? Extrasensory perception is said to be the sensation of energy that cannot be measured or studied in replicable experiments. People with extrasensory perception are said to be psychic. The study of ESP is part of parapsychology. Parapsychology is the study of paranormal psychological phenomena. Paranormal refers to any phenomena that is not replicable, “physically” impossible, not explainable by natural processes, or beyond the range of normal experience. Parapsychologists research phenomena like: Extra-sensory perception Psychokinetics, or moving or affecting physical objects by non-physical methods (mind over matter)  Survival of consciousness after death, near-death experiences, and out-of-body experiences. Mental telepathy (the sending and receiving of thought through brain waves) Clairvoyance or the ability to see or predict the future Ghosts, mediums, spirit communication, and automatic writing

A naturalistic worldview leads most psychologists to dismiss ESP and parapsychology. Most Christians also dismiss ESP and parapsychology, but for different reasons. Modern psychology dismisses parapsychology because modern psychology denies the existence of the supernatural, but a Christian worldview acknowledges that there is both a natural and a supernatural world. A Christian worldview believes that the spiritual can affect the physical world (Matthew 17:20), that we survive after death (John 3:16), and that we can receive messages through “extra sensory” means (Ephesians 1:18). A Christian worldview distinguishes between good spiritual forces (of God) and Satanic forces (Ephesians 6:12). Though parapsychologists generally attribute spiritual power to some benign universal consciousness or power, the Christian must remember that there is no middle ground and should approach parapsychology, if you must, with the most extreme caution.