parapsychology means what?

Answer 1

"Para" as in the study of the "para"normal or supernatural.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parapsychology

Answer 2

Parapsychology is the study of certain types of paranormal phenomena. The term is based on the Greek para (beside/beyond), psyche (soul/mind), and logos (account/explanation) and was coined by psychologist Max Dessoir in or before 1889. Its first appearance was in an article by Dessoir in the June 1889 issue of the German publication Sphinx.[1] J. B. Rhine later popularized "parapsychology" as a replacement for the earlier term "psychical research", during a shift in methodologies which brought experimental methods to the study of psychic phenomena.[1]

In contemporary parapsychology, the term refers to the study of psi, a Greek letter (Ψ, ψ) indicating psychic phenomena.[2][3][4]

The scientific reality of parapsychological phenomena and the validity of scientific parapsychological research is a matter of frequent dispute and criticism. It is regarded by critics as a pseudoscience, but proponents claim that parapsychology research results are scientifically rigorous. Despite criticisms, a number of academic institutions now conduct research on the topic, employing laboratory methodologies and statistical techniques, such as meta-analysis. The Parapsychological Association has been a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for over 20 years.[5]

Answer 3

There are a couple of good answers here. I would just like to add that parapsychology is NOT the study of bigfoot, ufos, or astrology. The scope of parapsychology is limited to mental phenomena.

Answer 4

Parapsychology is the study of certain types of paranormal phenomena. The term is based on the Greek para (beside/beyond), psyche (soul/mind), and logos (account/explanation) and was coined by psychologist Max Dessoir in or before 1889. Its first appearance was in an article by Dessoir in the June 1889 issue of the German publication Sphinx.[1] J. B. Rhine later popularized "parapsychology" as a replacement for the earlier term "psychical research", during a shift in methodologies which brought experimental methods to the study of psychic phenomena.[1]

In contemporary parapsychology, the term refers to the study of psi, a Greek letter (Ψ, ψ) indicating psychic phenomena.[2][3][4]

The scientific reality of parapsychological phenomena and the validity of scientific parapsychological research is a matter of frequent dispute and criticism. It is regarded by critics as a pseudoscience, but proponents claim that parapsychology research results are scientifically rigorous. Despite criticisms, a number of academic institutions now conduct research on the topic, employing laboratory methodologies and statistical techniques, such as meta-analysis. The Parapsychological Association has been a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for over 20 years.[5]

Answer 5

it is the scientific study of paranormal phenomena. The "paranormal" (beside or beyond the normal) refers to unusual experiences that do not seem to be explainable in terms of our everyday understanding or known scientific principles. Paranormal experiences often seem weird, uncanny, or unnatural. Typically they are quite rare but there are a few exceptional "stars" who have regular paranormal experiences and may show seemingly consistent paranormal abilityPeople differ in their attitudes towards the paranormal. At one end is the devout believer who will not consider any counter arguments or evidence. At the other end is the aggressive sceptic who dismisses or seeks to debunk any apparent evidence for the paranormal. Somewhere between these two extremes is the open-minded inquirer who has no particular axe to grind and is willing to consider the evidence on its own merits. Parapsychological research operates somewhere in this open-minded middle ground, although (adopting Occam's razor) the burden of proof always lies with those who would make paranormal claims.

Answer 6

para means beside or outside of. when you say paranormal or paralell, you are saying beside or outwith the normal, or beside the line. Parapsychology should probably be called cryptopsychology as it looks into the supernatural elements of the psyche. this involves the study of telekenesis, telepathy, premonition and the like.

Answer 7

Parapsychology is the study of certain types of paranormal phenomena. The term is based on the Greek para (beside/beyond), psyche (soul/mind), and logos (account/explanation) and was coined by psychologist Max Dessoir in or before 1889. Its first appearance was in an article by Dessoir in the June 1889 issue of the German publication Sphinx.[1] J. B. Rhine later popularized "parapsychology" as a replacement for the earlier term "psychical research", during a shift in methodologies which brought experimental methods to the study of psychic phenomena.[1]

In contemporary parapsychology, the term refers to the study of psi, a Greek letter (Ψ, ψ) indicating psychic phenomena.[2][3][4]

The scientific reality of parapsychological phenomena and the validity of scientific parapsychological research is a matter of frequent dispute and criticism. It is regarded by critics as a pseudoscience, but proponents claim that parapsychology research results are scientifically rigorous. Despite criticisms, a number of academic institutions now conduct research on the topic, employing laboratory methodologies and statistical techniques, such as meta-analysis. The Parapsychological Association has been a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for over 20 years.

Scope of parapsychological study

According to the Parapsychological Association, parapsychology is limited in its scope to the study of three main classes of paranormal phenomena.[6] These classes include:

* Mental phenomena: often described as extrasensory perception, this class includes unusual mental states or abilities, such as telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, retrocognition, remote viewing, psychometry, xenoglossy, mediumism, channeling, clairaudience, clairsentience, and possession. This class involves some type of information transfer occuring outside the confines of one's five senses.[7][8][9][10]

* Physical phenomena: this class includes unusual physical occurrences, such as psychokinesis (often referred to as telekinesis), poltergeists, stigmata, paranormal vanishing, reality shifts, materializations, psychic healing, faith healing, morphic fields[11], and synchronicity. These types of phenomena often involve the mind influencing its physical surroundings.[8][12][13]

* Survival phenomena: this class deals with the survival of consciousness after physical death and includes ghosts, out-of-body experiences (OBEs) (also known as astral projections), reincarnation and near-death experiences (NDEs)

Other reported phenomena which are thought to be paranormal, but which are outside these classifications, are often considered outside the current scope of parapsychology.

Answer 8

In medical terminology para- means beyond; psycho: combining form means mind or mental; -ology means study of. parapsychology literally means study of beyond the mind. But in practical terms its the study of those things beyond normal then normal realm of human consciousness and science. In English the study of ghosts, psychic phenomenon, etc.

Answer 9

The study of extrasensory perception, such as thought transference (telepathy) and clairvoyance.

Answer 10

Knowledge behind the five senses.