Parapsychology
Another possible source of evidence for the soul is parapsychology, the study of such unusual
phenomena as extrasensory perception (mind reading, remote viewing, or precognition) and
telekinesis (mind over matter). Such phenomena would be very difficult to explain from the
perspective of mind-brain identity, because they seem to violate basic principles of physics. For
example, telekinesis would require that brains somehow have the ability to influence external objects
through means other than the forces currently recognized by physics. Precognition would require some
way in which events in the future could cause changes in present brains. If parapsychological
phenomena are real, they would indeed provide empirical support for the hypothesis that there is
more to mind than brain.
Historically, efforts to validate parapsychology have not been even moderately successful.
Informal studies of extrasensory perception and telekinesis, such as performers who seem to bend
spoons just by looking at them, are worthless because of their lack of controls that rule out fraud and
selfdeception. When attempts have been made to conduct carefully controlled experimental tests of
extrasensory perception, the results have been at best very weak and open to many methodological
criticisms, such as sloppy design or statistical errors. Hence parapsychology provides no more
support for the existence of the soul than do séances and near-death experiences.
Consciousness