PSYCHO-KINESIS

Psychokinesis, or PK, is the supposed ability of the mind to affect matter. Best known through the spoon bending antics of Uri Geller, a spontaneous form of PK is believed, by some, to be behind the poltergeist phenomenon.
For research purposes the phenomenon is split into micro and macro PK. Micro research began proper with the help of random number generators, devised in the 1960 by physicist Helmut Schmidt. Here the subject attempted to affect the random nature of the process. Since then, a whole range of similar tests have been devised by scientist Robert Jahn at Princeton.
Research into PK began with J B Rhine and his dice throwing experiments in the 1930s. He attempted to get subjects to affect the statistical rate of the dice landing on particular numbers.
Macro PK research attempts to affect matter on the scale above the statistical. Since the 1960s, groups of people have gathered regularly to produce phenomena in ‘mini-labs’, hermetically sealed glass boxes containing objects, first devised by William Cox. Previously, a team of enthusiasts known as SORRAT had attempted to use concentration to levitate tables and other objects.
Occasionally movement of objects has been recorded in such boxes. A further macro PK test was the Philip Experiment, where researchers met to produce a fictional entity to levitate a table. They claimed success. But in the main, results from both micro and macro PK have been disappointing. This means the ability does not exist, or is so slight as to be of little use.

© Anthony North, November 2006

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