It seems, after all, that our suspicions have been unequivocally confirmed: Parapsychology is indeed the ugly brother of psychology!

Anyhow, here’s the deal… I’m gonna give you a brief overview here of the couple of parapsychology schools that I found out there that I figure to be reliable and seem to provide a credible scenario where you can at least get some training in the world of parapsychology and parapsychological phenomena.

Remember, as I’ve said in my previous parapsychology posts, that I’m a layman in this field. I have no prior knowledge or training in Parapsychology, nor do I pretend to have either. I am just running this site for fun, and because I think parapsychology is weird and creepy, and as such I find it quite intriguing.

Now then, there are a couple of things that you really have to keep in mind and be careful of as you do your research on potential parapsychology schools where you can get your weird on:

1. There’s a difference between a school and an accredited school. Know that. Feel that. Know that again. This means that while there may be some “schools” out there that claim to offer degrees in parapsychology or majors of this kind that just does not mean in the slightest that that particular school is accredited in this field.
2. There are only a handful of accredited parapsychology schools out there who offer degrees; which brings me to my next point…
3. There are presently no accredited parapsychology schools in the United States. And that’s because we Americans like guns, and beer and reality TV, and these just do not mix with parapsychological phenomena, obviously; which brings me to another next point…
4. There are though, a couple of American Universities that do offer programs in paranormal studies and creepy subjects. So there’s that.
5. Lastly, and this is serious, avoid them “diploma mills” organizations. Please do so. Do not be an idiot. Avoid being as credible as Kent Hovind and his educational background. I beg of you.

Now then, without any further a due, here they are (in alphabetical order), the top parapsychology schools, or schools that offer some sort of paranormal studies program, that I was able to find on Google after a solid session of searches that lasted an entire 14 minutes.

Parapsychology Schools: Coventry University

These guys at Coventry are ahead of the pack it seems, in terms of offering parapsychology courses. They have one, and it seems pretty awesome.

Take a look at the description of their parapsychology course:

The course is delivered entirely online.

The Parapsychology MSc would be of particular interest to those looking to gain a PhD in Parapsychology who seek to gain a thorough understanding of the knowledge and skills required for further advanced study of parapsychology.

As my friend Borat would say: It’s a nice!

Parapsychology Schools: Edinburgh University – Koestler Parapsychology Unit

It has the phrase “Parapsychology Unit” in their name, for crying out loud. So we know this is good.

And it’s Edinburgh University, which even though it’s not an American University, it’s still a solid and credible school. Take a looksee at their historical description:

Parapsychology has been part of the University of Edinburgh since the appointment in 1962 of the late Dr John Beloff as a lecturer in the Department of Psychology. Beloff researched and taught parapsychology at Edinburgh until his retirement in 1985, though he maintained his connections with parapsychology and the department for another two decades. Many of Beloff’s graduate students are still active in the field today. Indeed, he played an important role in bringing the Koestler Bequest to Edinburgh.

Let’s go ahead and add this one to our list of solid, credible parapsychology schools.

Parapsychology Schools: International Consciousness Research Labs (ICRL)

These guys were formerly associated to the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research (PEAR) program.

Here’s what they say about themselves:

ICRL is an international, interdisciplinary, and inter-generational consortium of some 75 members, most of whom have been associated with the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research (PEAR) laboratory at Princeton University as interns or research collaborators over its thirty-year history. Our goal is to extend the work of PEAR into a broader range of inquiry; to encourage a new generation of creative investigators to expand the boundaries of scientific understanding; and to strengthen the foundations of science by reclaiming its spiritual heritage. Ultimately, we seek to integrate the subjective and objective dimensions of human experience into a self-reflective Science of the Subjective.

Another institution to add to the credible parapsychology schools out there.

Parapsychology Schools: The Center for Consciousness Studies at the University of Arizona

These guys have something going, in terms of trying to be considered a parapsychology school… Or at least they’re trying to.

I mean, here’s their motto:

Promoting open, rigorous discussion, of all phenomena related to the conscious experience.

That’s fair, and at least they’re keeping an open mind. And it’s the University of Arizona. So at least you know it’s a credible school, you know as it relates to being an accredited higher education institution, though not necessarily as an accredited parapsychology school, in and of itself.

Parapsychology Schools: The Rhine Research Center

They were affiliated to Duke University. This is as credible as parapsychology schools come.

Good stuff here, take a look the first paragraph from their about us page:

In 1930, academic research into the field of parapsychology began at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and in 1935 the Duke Parapsychology Labs were established. Joseph B. Rhine led this department and provided a professional study of parapsychology in a university environment. In 1937 the first Journal of Parapsychology was published to provide for a peer reviewed academic forum to record the work being done in the field, and this journal is still in publication today.



Me likey!

Parapsychology Schools: University of Amsterdam

Dick Bierman is the all you need to know about this one. The guy’s the weirdo in the picture, who also looks like he would eat my liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti, for calling him a weirdo.

I’m gonna stop now, before my surreal imaginative creations become a distinct reality. But not before letting you know that Dick offers a pretty damn awesome Parapsychology course at the University of Amsterdam:

Parapsychology Schools: Utrecht University

These guys are in the Netherlands as well, and they offer introductory courses on paranormal studies; even if they aren’t precisely an institution that does a whole lot of parapsychology research and education.

Nonetheless, they do have some Graduate and PhD theses on Parapsychology, it seems:

The aim of this thesis is to provide one of the first steps towards a profound analysis of the history of Dutch parapsychology. In my thesis I firstly address what has been written internationally about the history of psychical research, parapsychology and related movements.

Good enough for me.

Alright then, my precious weirdoes… That’s all she wrote for the moment.

I hope you enjoyed this general overview of the handful of parapsychology schools out there.

Take it easy, and see you next time.

Anyways, I’m gonna give you a quick, introduction to parapsychology from what I’ve been able to research on it so far; research that constitutes a solid seven and a half minutes of searching out for its definition in a variety of websites.

Remember, for the two of you reading, that I am a newbie in this parapsychology thing. I am NOT an expert, nor do I pretend to be one. However, I’ve always been intrigued by it, so I decided to start my own blog/site in order to shed a little light on parapsychological phenomena.

Even though I am thoroughly excited about the prospects of what parapsychology represents, in terms of insights into the human condition and the search for some of the most mysterious questions about life and the nature of human beings, I still haven’t made up my mind as it relates to its scientific value and credibility – and that’s something that I hope to discover as this site develops.

At the very least, it will provide me with some interesting new concepts for my brain to pick on, an avenue of solid time-wasting, and further complicate the search for answers to “the meaning of life”; here’s hoping that at the very end of this endeavor, the parapsychological world is more rooted in science than it is in fiction.

What is Parapsychology? A Couple of Definitions

Well, there are some subtle variations in the definition on parapsychology that several dictionaries, encyclopedias and sites out there offer. Although, most of them do share a common factor, in the sense that they all define parapsychology as having to do with the investigation of paranormal phenomena.

Which, to be honest with you, that, in and of itself, it’s a quite crappy explanation or definition. I want more. I need more.

Here are some parapsychology definitions from a couple of the more reputable dictionaries, encyclopedias and parapsychology related websites out there.

Parapsychology Definition: Merriam Webster’s Dictionary

A field of study concerned with the investigation of evidence for paranormal psychological phenomena (as telepathy, clairvoyance, and psychokinesis).

Parapsychology Definition: American Heritage Dictionary

The study of the evidence for psychological phenomena, such as telepathy, clairvoyance, and psychokinesis, that are inexplicable by science.

Parapsychology Definition: Collins English Dictionary

The study of mental phenomena, such as telepathy, which are beyond the scope of normal physical explanation.

Now then, bear in mind that those definitions above were strictly taken from dictionaries and, as you may have been able to gather, they freaking suck.

Let’s go to encyclopedias for a little bit more wisdom…

Parapsychology Definition: Encyclopedia Britannica

Discipline concerned with investigating events that cannot be accounted for by natural law and knowledge that cannot have been obtained through the usual sensory abilities. Parapsychology studies the cognitive phenomena often called extrasensory perception, in which a person acquires knowledge of other people’s thoughts or of future events through channels apparently beyond the five senses.

Parapsychology Definition: Encyclopedia.com

Parapsychology, or psychical research, is the area of science which studies such topics as telepathy and clairvoyance, precognition, psychokinesis, and survival after death. Its data seem to show that in some circumstances it is possible for some persons to make direct responses to events not present to their senses as well as to future events, and probably also to influence directly the movement of objects by “willing.”

Okay, now we’re talking. Those are surely a lot better and now were starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel. Or, actually, now we’re starting to build that solid foundation that’d hopefully lead us towards a wormhole of confusion and more confusion about what’s really out there in the world as it relates to human beings and the human realm of consciousness.

Now, in consideration of the fact that there are several Parapsychology Organizations out there, allow me to then use the definition of parapsychology that’s actually offered by the most renowned of them: The Parapsychological Association.

I mean, they should know what they’re talking about, right? Here it is…

Parapsychology Definition: The Parapsychology Association

Parapsychology is the scientific and scholarly study of three kinds of unusual events (ESP, mind-matter interaction, and survival), which are associated with human experience. The existence of these phenomena suggest that the strict subjective/objective dichotomy proposed by the old paradigm (see below) may not be quite so clear-cut as once thought. Instead, these phenomena may be part of a spectrum of what is possible, with some events and experiences occasionally falling between purely subjective and purely objective. We call such phenomena “anomalous” because they are difficult to explain within current scientific models.

Hmm… Me likey!

Say what you will about that definition. Maybe parapsychology is a suburb of Loonytown as some scientists claim… but maybe it isn’t. And it does sound interesting and intriguing enough to keep doing some solid research on it.

Which I will… See you next time.

In light of that, it is my intention to touch on a variety of parapsychology topics, for your amusement, and my very own. There will be some posts about the crazy aspects proposed by some delusional parapsychologists as well as some solid insight into more renowned and respected research and studies into this realm.

Now then, allow me to present to you some of those juicy parapsychological topics I’ll be expounding on as I continue to develop the conversation and debate of this field and its interesting realms.

Here they are:

Parapsychology Topics

1. What is Parapsychology?
   • Definition
   • History
2. Parapsychology Degree
   • Schools
   • Colleges
   • Programs
   • Universities
   • Courses
   • Classes
   • Education
   • Careers
   • Jobs
3. Parapsychology Articles
   • Books
   • Journals
   • Magazines
   • Research
   • Studies
4. Parapsychology Resources
   • Links
   • Organizations
   • Institutes
   • Foundations
   • Guides
   • Etc.

So you see, there’s plenty of stuff to pick on for me to develop. The plan here is to start with the basics, as in an introduction into what is parapsychology, and then as we go along and I start developing a decent idea of what the concept is and what it entails, then begin to delve into the more complicated aspects of it — including any and all sorts of “scientific” studies, research, and things of that nature.

Alright then, I will try to be back here with that first official article talking a bit about the history of parapsychology, what it is, and a layman’s terms definition, for you all — and by all I mean no one — to feast on.

Very well guys, take it easy.

But it sounds interesting, and Mr. Carl Gustav Jung was intrigued by it; and I love Carl Jung, so that’s good enough for me. Any individual with a badass quote such as the following, deserves my borderline-creepy admiration:

“As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being.”

Carl Gustav Jung, ladies and Gentlemen… Anyways, let’s get on with this, shall we?

What is Parapsychology?

Given that as of this particular instant that I am writing this, I know as much about parapsychology as Snooki knows about being classy, I will dedicate my efforts towards wasting some solid amount of time educating myself and learning a bit about the world of parapsychology and parapsychological phenomena.

But really, you might ask – but not really will because probably no one will ever read this I’m sure – why am I interested in parapsychology?

And I still don’t have an answer for that either, to keep keepin’ it real with you.

However, in essence, isn’t that in and of itself, a decent reason to explain any and all interest in the world of parapsychology? That you don’t know what in the blue hell it is, or why you like it, but for some reason, for some very particular reason, you just freaking do.

So allow me, for not the last time, to have something much smarter than me and who surely smells like fresh-spring roses – even in his current decomposed state – to put into words the main reason why I am interested in parapsychology… Have at it Mr. Jung:

“I simply believe that some part of the human Self or Soul is not subject to the laws of space and time.”

‘Nuff said…

Who is the Idiot behind this Parapsychology Website?

Alright then, I’m gonna go ahead and give you a quick insight into who I am and what I do, so you can try and conceptualize the idiot who’s writing so much crap about parapsychology at two in the morning.

Name: Judgmental Bastard – Well, not really, but for now that should suffice.

Where: United States

Age: Mid-20s

Profession: Lawyer – I’m still and idiot though, matter of fact, I think that unequivocally proves it.

Hobbies: Sports, Writing, Traveling, Procrastinating, Telling Kids Santa Does Not Exist.

Skills & Abilities: Sarcasm, Bad Jokes, Boring People, Pretentiousness, Bullshitiology.

And yeah… I’m already tired of writing. This would be awkward if someone actually reads it, but I’m pretty sure that’s not gonna happen, other than the notorious GoogleBot – you know what I’m talking about, GB. If the person who reads this a month from now has any questions or would like to know anything else about me, please go ahead and contact me and I’ll will not answer it. Ever.

Now, let’s get this seemingly endless post over with for the sake of humanity.

Tomorrow (Maybe) at What is Parapsychology?

If laziness allows me, tomorrow I’ll try to have something on the sort of stuff about parapsychology you’ll be seeing here, and the particular parapsychology topics that I will be graciously boring you with.

Alright guys, take care…