![]() In the real world this level of psychic energy is only manifested in cases involving poltergeists, which occur in “the field” and are not generally amenable to laboratory study. Movie psychics routinely wield great powers of mind-over-matter in blockbusters and cult favorites such as The Medusa Touch, Carrie, Scanners, Star Wars and X-Men, where they are able to hurl large objects around with their PK abilities without breaking much of a sweat. Psychokinesis: the ability to affect the physical world using thought alone The most dramatic and cinematic of these psi abilities is psychokinesis (sometimes abbreviated as PK).Telepathy: the power to send or receive information from another person’s mind.Clairvoyance: the visualization of objects or events at a distance.Precognition: the ability to perceive future events before they occur.Parapsychologists have focused on researching four principal psychic abilities: Additionally, the most advanced psi research suggests some degree of psychic ability resides within everyone. Contrary to popular belief, individuals with augmented psychic abilities are in most cases not significantly different from the normal human population. It 1Ĭame into usage in the 1950s to replace the word “psychic,” which had fallen into scientific disrepute. The term psi (rhymes with I) is derived from a letter of the Greek alphabet that is used by parapsychologists to describe anomalous phenomena such as precognition, clairvoyance, telepathy and psychokinesis. This is in stark contrast to the pursuit of psi in the real world, where scientists strive to bring the light of reason and the scientific method to the study of the paranormal. Fiction films about the psychic realm do not constitute a separate genre, but are culled from the ranks of the horror, science fiction, film noir and dramatic genres (although the vast majority of them are to be found in a horror/sci-fi vein). The world of moviepsi is overlaid with supernatural imagery and is frequently presented in terms of ghosts, demons and other denizens of the netherworld. Sometimes the psychic individual is even an inhuman, extraterrestrial being. In the movies, psychics are usually portrayed as tormented, misunderstood loners whose paranormal powers make them unable to fit into mainstream human society. The word psychic evokes a variety of cinematic icons, from wizened, Old World fortune-tellers to high-tech Jedi Knights. These definitions describe the psychic realm as an occult territory existing apart from our everyday world of logic and science, and individuals who function within this realm as “sensitives” with special powers of mind. Webster’s dictionary defines psychic as both an adjective (“lying outside the sphere of physical science or knowledge”) and a noun (“a person apparently sensitive to nonphysical forces”). What, exactly, is meant by the term “psychic”? The word derives from the classical Greek word psyche, meaning the soul, the spirit, or the mind. ![]() In the 21st century, science has replaced magic and religion as an explanation for these unusual abilities, talents the public continues to regard with a mixture of awe, fear and skepticism. In ancient Greece the oracles of the gods foretold future events, while in the Old Testament, prophets of the Lord counseled Biblical kings. Preface Since the beginning of recorded history, humankind has had a fascination with individuals thought to possess seemingly miraculous powers of mind that enabled them to see the future, have visions of faraway events, read minds and perform other feats that defy ordinary explanation. Remote Viewing, Black Psi-Ops and Paranoia.Psi-Fi: Psychic Science Fiction Blockbusters.The Dark Side of ESP: Horror and Fantasy.ESP in Drama, Comedy and Children’s Films.A Brief History of the Paranormal in Fact and Fiction.McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640 Table of Contents Preface Cover photograph ©2009 Shutterstock Manufactured in the United States of America All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Includes bibliographical references and index. Cinema of the psychic realm : a critical survey / Paul Meehan. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGUING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Jefferson, North Carolina, and London ALSO BY PAUL MEEHAN Tech-Noir: The Fusion of Science Fiction and Film Noir (McFarland, 2008)Ĭinema of the Psychic Realm A Critical Survey PAUL MEEHAN
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