Psychic Phenomena And Mystical Experience

Mysticism and the paranormal have long been associated in two ways: in the repeated reports of mystically trained individuals acquiring paranormal abilities and in the warnings given in all serious mystical training schools that students who become interested in these abilities will cease to make progress. This essay, chapter 24 of Psychic Exploration, discusses those associations. The full volume of Psychic Exploration can be purchased as an ebook or paperback version from all major online retailers and at cosimobooks.com.

DIVBalanced attempt to understand and evaluate paranormal experiences, including mystical states, psychic phenomena (prophecy, poltergeists, water witching), occult experiences (astrology, UFOs, Bermuda triangle) and more. Role of physiology, conditioning and cultural context in determining nature and extent of paranormal activities. /div

The daughter of a man about to leave on a trip wakes up crying during the night. She has just had a nightmare that his plane will crash. The father flies without incident to Spain, but the next day, the plane he has taken to Spain crashes and burns outside Malaga on its return trip to New York. Was the dream a premonition? Many people experience similar phenomena, ranging from extra-sensory perceptions all the way to near-death experiences on operating tables. Are these events evidence of the paranormal, or are they mere coincidences or hallucinations? How should we regard such claims of supernatural experiences? Lives of the Psychics, a journey through the terrain of psychic phenomena, tries to answer these questions through interviews with practicing psychics, a survey of the heroic attempts of researchers to test psychic abilities in controlled experiments, and an exploration of out-of-body, near-death, and mystical experiences. Fred M. Frohock brings together a wide variety of psychic claims and examines them with a rich set of materials—interviews, critical anecdotes, history, multiple theories of the paranormal—that allows him to use whatever tools are necessary to illuminate beliefs in the supernatural. He relates real-life events to scientific studies, so the reader is a party not only to fantastic experiences and first-hand stories of the paranormal but also to the rationales for these experiences proposed by scientists. There is no more rewarding guide to the limits and powers of science in explaining psychic phenomena. To a field filled with uncertainty and suspicion, Frohock brings a discerning eye, a critical sensibility, and a fundamental sense of curiosity about the role of mysticism in science. Even skeptics will be intrigued.

This book is a captivating and thought-provoking journey into the world of the supernatural and mystical. The author shares his encounters with psychic abilities and paranormal phenomena, from hearing guiding voices (clairaudience) and having visions of the future (clairvoyance) to sensing events before they happen, performing psychic healings, and reading minds (telepathy). Through candid and introspective storytelling, the author reveals how these experiences have shaped his understanding of himself and the universe. He delves into the philosophical implications of a world where the paranormal and mystical coexist with the ordinary, challenging traditional beliefs and shedding light on the mystical experiences many people may have but rarely discuss because they fear being misunderstood. With a focus on the universality of these phenomena, the author emphasizes that mystical and psychic experiences are not limited to any particular religion, faith, or spiritual practice. He explains how ordinary individuals, regardless of their background or beliefs, can tap into their psychic abilities. This book is not about proving the existence of the paranormal, but rather a personal exploration of the unknown and a celebration of the vast possibilities of the human mind and potential. It invites readers to open their minds, question their perception of reality, and embark on a journey of another dimension of self-discovery. Whether you are a believer, skeptic, or simply curious about the mysteries of the universe, this memoir will captivate and inspire you. Embark on this extraordinary journey that challenges conventional perceptions and invites readers to embrace and activate the deeper world of an unexplained universe.

"Shifting Realities: Memoir Of My Personal Experiences With Psychic Abilities and The Paranormal" is a captivating and thought-provoking journey into the world of the supernatural and mystical. In this memoir, the author shares his encounters with psychic abilities and paranormal phenomena, from hearing guiding voices (clairaudience) and having visions of the future (clairvoyance) to sensing events before they happen, performing psychic healings, and reading minds (telepathy). Through candid and introspective storytelling, the author reveals how these experiences have shaped his understanding of himself and the universe. He delves into the philosophical implications of a world where the paranormal and mystical coexist with the ordinary, challenging traditional beliefs and shedding light on the mystical experiences many people may have but rarely discuss because they fear being misunderstood. With a focus on the universality of these phenomena, the author emphasizes that mystic experiences are not limited to any particular religion, faith, or spiritual practice. He explains how ordinary individuals, regardless of their background or beliefs, can tap into their own psychic and mystical abilities. This book is not about proving the existence of the paranormal, but rather a personal exploration of the unknown and a celebration of the vast possibilities of the human mind and potential. It invites readers to open their minds, question their perception of reality, and embark on a journey of another dimension of self-discovery. Whether you are a believer, skeptic, or simply curious about the mysteries of the universe, this memoir will captivate and inspire you. Embark on this extraordinary journey that challenges conventional perceptions and invites readers to embrace and activate the powers in the unexplained universe.

"In this book the approach of the natural sciences is adopted to confront the ontological question of how far mystical experiences can be considered as reports of an objective reality rather than reports of subjective delusions. Moving beyond traditional philosophical or cultural and theological interpretations of mystical phenomena, the author uses inductive inference to analyze claims made by secular and religious mystics, highlight links between altered states of consciousness and neurochemistry, and counters reductionist claims that mystical states are exclusively products of neurochemical, neurophysiological, or psychopathological factors. The text also considers the positive long-term effects of proper use of psychedelics and meditation. This fresh approach to mystical experiences will be of interest to scholars, researchers, and postgraduate students working in the areas of psychology and neuroscience, and with an interest in mysticism in religious studies and philosophy"--

Everton Maraldi explores how research on alleged anomalous processes informs the study of religious/spiritual experiences and examines the theoretical and methodological possibilities and challenges of an interdisciplinary dialogue between parapsychology and psychology of religion.