Extra-sensory perception facts for kids
Extra-sensory perception (ESP) is a special idea about how some people might gain information without using their normal five senses. These senses are sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Because it's different from these, ESP is often called the sixth sense.
The study of extra-sensory perception is part of parapsychology. This field looks at mental abilities that seem to go beyond what science usually explains. However, most scientists think of ESP as a pseudoscience. This means it looks like science but does not follow all the strict rules of scientific testing.
Contents
What is Extra-sensory Perception?
Extra-sensory perception is the idea that a person can get information in ways that are not yet understood by science. It suggests that our minds might have abilities beyond what we normally use. People who believe in ESP often describe it as a natural, but rare, human ability.
Types of ESP
There are several different types of ESP that people talk about. Each one describes a unique way of getting information without using the five senses.
Telepathy
Telepathy is the idea of knowing what another person is thinking or feeling. This happens without any talking or body language. It is like reading someone's mind directly. For example, if you suddenly know what your friend is about to say, some might call that telepathy.
Clairvoyance
Clairvoyance means seeing or knowing about events or objects that are far away. This happens without actually being there. It is like having a clear vision of something happening somewhere else. An example might be knowing about a specific event happening in another city.
Precognition
Precognition is the idea of knowing about future events before they happen. This is like having a glimpse into what is going to occur. For instance, if you have a dream about something that later comes true, some might call that precognition.
Psychokinesis
Psychokinesis, sometimes called "mind over matter," is the idea of moving or changing objects with your mind. This is not about knowing things, but about influencing the physical world. An example would be if someone could make a spoon bend just by thinking about it.
Parapsychology and ESP
Parapsychology is the scientific study of psychic phenomena, including ESP. Researchers in this field try to use scientific methods to test if these abilities are real. They often design experiments to see if people can show ESP under controlled conditions.
Why Scientists are Skeptical
Most mainstream scientists do not accept ESP as a real phenomenon. They have several reasons for this view.
Lack of Evidence
The main reason for skepticism is the lack of strong, repeatable evidence. For something to be accepted by science, experiments must be able to be done again and again. Each time, they should show the same results. With ESP, experiments often fail to show consistent results.
Pseudoscience Concerns
Because of the lack of consistent evidence, many scientists call parapsychology a pseudoscience. This means it uses some scientific-sounding terms but does not always follow the strict rules of scientific research. For example, it might not be possible to prove that ESP does not exist, which is a problem for scientific testing.
Alternative Explanations
Scientists often look for normal explanations for events that seem like ESP. For example, what looks like telepathy might just be good guessing or paying close attention to small clues. What seems like precognition could be a coincidence.
Related pages
Images for kids
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Hubert Pearce with J. B. Rhine.
See also
In Spanish: Percepción extrasensorial para niños
