The word ‘psychic’ has been derived from the Greek word ‘psychikos’ which essentially means “mental” or “of the soul”. Psychic usually refers to a person who possesses extra sensory perception, usually an extra power outside the purview of a normal, average human psyche. It is observed and claimed that this extra sensory power of perception enables a psychic human being to perceive things that a normal, average human being cannot do in his normal senses. The word ‘Psychics’ refers to people who possess such extra sensory perception power. Psychics, at times, refer to the theatrical performers using cold reading, prestidigitation and other techniques for producing the appearances of such abilities.
A considerably large number of people in America have faith in the psychic. Forty one percent of the American population believes in psychics or in the extra sensory perception power, as revealed by a Gallup poll in 2005.
The concept of psychic is nothing new that has appeared all of a sudden. It has appeared regularly not only in fiction but also in science fiction. Two among the best examples are Jean Grey from the Marvel Comic Book Universe and The Dead Zone by Stephen King. There exists a large industry that includes psychics counseling and providing advice to their clients. Ironically, the debunkers call it putative power and describes as self delusion or intentional trickery. However, it has not stopped the psychics from being famous and popular. Some of the contemporary psychics who have come to be the focus of popularity and attention are John Edward, Miss Cleo and Sylvia Browne.
There have been much of controversies regarding the reality of psychic. Since there have been found no compelling evidence of psychic, the concept of psychic or psychic phenomenon has been rejected by the scientific community. It was in the year 2008 that a study using neuro-imaging was published, and the study reveals the strongest evidence so far against the existence of paranormal mental phenomenon.
The U. S. National Academy of Sciences produced a report in 1988 on psychic and its existence. The report ultimately concluded that even the research conducted over a long period of one hundred and thirty years failed to give some scientific justification for the existence of psychic phenomenon. In 1991 a survey was conducted to know the opinion of the scientists in the National Academy of Sciences. 96% of the scientists describe themselves as skeptical while only 2% of them believed in psychic or parapsychological phenomenon. Amazingly, 10% of all the scientists felt that more research in the parapsychological field ought to be encouraged.
On the other hand, attempts have been made as a part of the research work in the field of parapsychology so that random number generators can be used for testing psycho-kinesis. There was also the Ganzfeld experiment in order to test for the extrasensory perception. Several research trials have also been conducted to probe into the mystery of remote viewing, under contract by the government of the United States. What is most extraordinary, some of these tests like the Ganzfeld experiment have been put forward as excellent evidence for the parapsychology phenomenon. Another very important thing to keep in mind in this regard is that the parapsychological research involves certain methods or principles that do not exactly match with the standard theoretical models.
Belief in psychic is so strong and widespread among the modern people in almost all parts of the world that people even have started taking it up as their profession. It is not that all of them really have the extra sensory perception power. Yet, most astonishingly and quite amazingly a huge number of people claim that they have the psychic abilities. What is even more extraordinary is that some of such people start living just as the professional psychics do. The principal intention that they have is to earn the initial publicity. It is not even too hard for them since they can manage to become celebrities by hosting their own TV programs. Examples of psychics, who have come to be very popular through the talk shows or the TV programs, would include names like Sylvia Browne and John Edward. They are featured on the talk shows very frequently. In addition to this, they also have TV programs of their own.
It may seem to be quite surprising to you that there are psychics even among the celebrities. For instance, Danielle Egnew had already been a celebrity as a famous singer cum actress. She came to be a celebrity psychic, succeeding her psychic work with the law enforcement. She also made a number of predictions including the Twin Towers disasters and the Iraq War. All of them coming true, she is now making very frequent appearances in TV and radio. The irony remains that she is famous more as a psychic than as an actress or a singer. Tana Hoy is another very famous name among those who happen to be celebrities cum psychics.