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There have always been claims that some people possess an
innate ability to 'see outside the senses'. Researchers have tried for centuries
to establish without doubt that ESP exists, and there have been hundreds of
experiments carried out to determine whether ESP exists in the past century
alone. The results have been varied, but one fact remains: despite hundreds
of experiments, no psychic has been able to perform a psychic feat in a carefully
controlled setting in the presence of neutral scientists. While a few experiments have been cited as proof that ESP
exists (notably those conducted by J.B. Rhine in the 1930s and a review of ganzfeld
experiments by noted psychologist Daryl J. Bem in the 1990s), critics point
out that many of those experiments were poorly designed, and offered opportunities
for fraud and error. There have been no successful studies or experiments that
could be replicated by other researchers - a prime condition of proving a hypothesis. Replicability is one of the key aspects of scientific inquiry.
In order to be considered valid proof of a hypothesis, an experiment must meet
certain criteria. It must be designed to eliminate or take into account other
explanations for the results. It must take place under controlled circumstances.
Records of all trials and observations must be scrupulously kept. And the results
must be reproducible by other scientists performing the same experiment under
the same conditions. So far, every major experiment into the existence of ESP
has failed at least one of those criteria. One of the most outspoken ESP skeptics is former stage magician
James Randi. Randi is famous as an exposer of frauds and a debunker of false
psychics. In 1996, Randi's organization, the James Randi Educational Foundation,
put up $1 million as a challenge to "anyone who can show, under proper
observing conditions, evidence of any paranormal, supernatural, or occult power
or event." The challenge has stood since then. While there have been many
applicants, not one has been able to pass even the preliminary criteria for
the challenge. A million dollars is a powerful motivator for anyone who possesses
true psychic ability to step forward and prove it - but so far none have been
able to do so. Why then do people continue to believe in ESP? According
to many psychologists, the answer is a simple one - people believe because they
want to believe. And as long as there are people who want to believe, there
will be people out there willing to exploit that belief - and people like Randi,
looking for proof that ESP does - or doesn't - exist.
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