Page 11 - 201205 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - May 2012

Mysteries of the Mind Mysteries of the Mind To our ancestors it may have seemed obvious that untoward happenings should be blamed on spirits, gods, and devils. But when modern investigators of the paranormal are confronted with a strange event, they tend to seek a human explanation believing that powers of the mind may be responsible for unexplained phenomena. The strange powers of the subconscious mind were first identified in th elate 19th century by psychologists, most notable among them Sigmund Freud. In the 1880’2 Freud was studying under the great French neurologist and hypnotist Jean-Martin Charcot, who was fascinated by the apparent influence of the mind over the body, especially in mental patients. For example, Freud noted how female patients diagnosed as suffering from “hysteria” might develop all the symptoms of pregnancy, including the swelling of the abdomen, without being pregnant. Clearly, he realized, no one would be capable of consciously and deliberately perceive the hidden object directly, through The person responsible, the theory suggestss, is developing the signs of pregnancy. Having clairvoyance, or whether he or she is in fact not consciously making objects fly through the worked with various hypnotized patients and using telepathy to read the mind of the person air, or bursting light bulbs, or affecting electric having observed Charcot’s experiments, Freud who put the picture into the envelope originally. current. It is the disturbed unconscious mind then reasoned that there must be some form of Many reported paranormal phenomena that is doing the damage - and with a force that unconscious mind, one that had in some ways might be explained by the existence of a special the conscious mind cannot match. greater power of this unconscious equivalent. psychic power that the unconscious mind Can this power of the unconscious mind, Individuals exerting the power of this produces only under extreme circumstances. if it truly exists, be deliberately harnessed? unconscious mind would not be necessarily be For example, there are few circumstances more Since psychic abilities seem to flourish un aware of what they were doing. To them the crucial than approaching death, and this unique extreme states, they might be encouraged by results might seem to be the work of outside moment is especially associated with creating conditions that are disorienting for the forces. paranormal phenomena.The out-of-body normal conscious mind. Experiments have Today many researchers feel that such experiences often reported by people near death shown, for example, that sensory deprivation - powers of the mind may be responsible for might represent a sudden intensification of ESP closing off an individual from sight, sound, and those aspects of the paranormal that are - allowing the dying person to “see” objects and even touch - appears to increase psychic collectively referred to as psi: extrasensory people well out of range of the normal senses. powers. Hypnosis is another reported technique perception (ESP) and psychokinesis (PK), It Similarly, it has been suggested that the for releasing the powers of the mind, inducing a was in the 1930’s that the term extrasensory appearance of a person’s ghost to a close state of receptivity to suggestion that makes the perception was coined by Dr. J.B. Rhine, who relative or friend at the moment of death might hypnotized subject capable of remarkable feats pioneered the statistical study of psychic powers be a form of telepathic communication - a of memory endurance, or gives them at Duke University, in North Carolina. ESP projection from the dying person’s mind to exceptional control over their bodies. And many encompasses telepathy, clairvoyance, another mind with which it feels especially in types of mystics, from medicine men to precognition, and retrocognition, and refers to tune. mediums, have used special rituals or various the apparent ability of an individual to use Other special powers that have been the mind altering intoxicants to induce trance states anyone of these powers to “see” or know about subject of research are direct knowledge fo the in order to enhance their psychic abilities. objects or events without the use of the known future (precognition) and the past Nowadays we are familiar with the used senses. Dr. Rhine and many other investigators (retrocognition), and the ability to control of meditation to induce relaxation. Hospitals have had no difficulty in accepting the objects by the power of the mind without around the world are also encouraging patients A@CC:3:=:DI D92D )&K>:89D 6H:CD ?@D 2C 2 physical contact (psychokinesis). Some to use their mental powers on biofeedback manifestation of the supernatural, but simply as individuals appear to have demonstrated techniques to regulate their heart rates or brain a function of the brain that science at the present psychokinetic ability under laboratory wave patterns. Thus it is perhaps not beyond the time is not able to explain. conditions, where, with great effort, they have realm of possibility to suggest that, in the not One standard method of testing for the appeared capable of moving a small object a too distant future, there might be similar 6H:CD6?46 @7 )&K:C D@ A=246 2 A:4DEB6 @7 2? few inches. Yet perhaps conscious efforts are developments in the exploitation of mind object in a seal envelope and then ask a subject beside the point. For the most remarkable power, for long-distance perception, to attempt to produce a drawing to match it. reported effects of psychokinesis seem t come communication between individuals, or the This is a task that some people who claim not from the conscious effort but from the control of objects. [] psychic powers seem to be able to perform unconscious mind. often. "0- B&C (65- ),16 "$A!06= In the case of a correctly identified Psychic disturbances with Rob McConnell picture in a sealed envelope, however, if special It is now believed by many researchers that the www.xzoneradiotv.com sensory powers exist, it is impossible to tell extraordinary range of effects attributed to or listen to our podcasts whether the psychic seer is able somehow to “poltergeists” are really a form of psychokinesis caused by an emotionally disturbed individual. www.xzonepodcast.com