Psychokinetic Energy: Is it a Fact or a Friction?

Due to the fact that many illusionists claim to have telekinetic powers, psychokinesis is often thought of as a simply a “parlour trick”. There has been a long series of people claiming to possess the powers to influence physical objects with their brains, among the most common is spoon bending as popularized by Uri Geller. A good number of these have been proven illusionists or hacks, who happen to lose their abilities when the conditions are not favourable. Some even claim that psychokinesis and psychokinetic energy does not exist at all.

One of the most famous sceptics is James Randi who has offered $1,000,000 to anyone who can prove they possess such abilities. Nobody has collected this prize money yet and the challenge was ended in 2015 with James’s retirement.

The belief in psychokinetic energy and other related phenomena seems to be something that is common in a wide variety of cultures around the world including Australia, the Americas, Africa, and even the West. The Bible makes multiple references to such events.

There have been numerous entertainers or famous “psychic” who have used psychokinesis for the purpose of entertainment. Among the most famous is Uri Geller, who gained popularity by bending spoons on Johnny Carson with the power of his mind. Many of these performers, including Geller, have been proven as frauds, though they maintain that their powers are real and that the tests were unfairly administered.

Despite this, they still manage to have a large following and make money by the feigned demonstration of these abilities.

People seem to be particularly fascinated by the prospect of having “mystical” powers. This can be implied by the popularity of superhero films. From the telekinesis of Jean Grey from X-Men to the invisible force fields of Susan Storm from Fantastic Four, some of the most famous comic book characters possess such abilities. These powers are not only limited to comic book superheroes. Roald Dahl’s Matilda, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter, and the Jedi/Sith of Star Wars all possess some form of psychokinetic abilities.

Whether or not these abilities actually exist outside of fiction, it cannot be denied that psychokinetic energy remains a large element in storytelling that is adept at capturing our imagination and are linked to some of the most profitable media produced in the last 100 years.

There have been many studies to try to prove the existence of psychokinetic abilities and psychokinetic energy in the lab, with mixed results. Researchers have differentiated between the ideas of macro- and micro-psychokinesis. The former is the obvious movements of objects with the mind.

Any attempts at capturing macro-psychokinesis (basically telekinesis) have failed. Psychologists generally regard its existence as a myth, though it may be because of poor experiment design. Therefore, some psychologists have chosen to study micro-psychokinesis.

Another reason for this is that skeptics can easily find alternative arguments for macro-events. Basically, parapsychologists are trying to measure if one’s intention can have any effect on the outcome of dice rolls or output of random number or random event generators. Some studies have found a minor, but significant effect, though this may be due to publication bias.

Many people have had experiences where they have seemingly caused a result consistent with those of psychokinesis. There have been countless reports of spontaneous psychokinetic experiences such as clocks stopping when a loved one dies or making light bulbs explode. There is the suggestion these have been caused by extreme stress.

Some have argued that this may not actually be a causal link between the desire to manipulate something and the result and one is making coincidental relationships into something more. When mixed with confirmation bias, this can cause the illusion of control.

It can also be hypothesized that many instances of spontaneous psychokinesis may be disregarded as accidents or coincidences as well, which may create under-reporting of such phenomena.

The main difference between the two phenomena is that telekinesis uses the power of the mind to move objects directly, while psychokinesis uses the mind to influence people’s actions. For example, we could use psychokinesis to make someone bring the remote control to us, but we could also use telekinesis to move the remote control into our hands.

In the distant future, technological advances may make it possible for people to possess psychokinetic or telekinetic powers, although current parapsychological research has found no evidence of such talents. The dream of telekinesis may soon become a reality thanks to BCI technology, which allows individuals to directly manipulate objects and machines with the power of their minds.

Devices that facilitate the direct observation of brain activity and its subsequent translation into physical actions are classified within the field of brain-computer interface (BCI). Electrodes are implanted in the brain to record neuronal activity when it fires, or activates, in order for BCIs to function. Software then decodes and converts the resultant data into actions that may be performed physically, such as navigating a computer cursor or using prosthetic equipment. Moreover, researchers are developing less hazardous and uncomfortable non-invasive techniques for gathering brain data through the skin and hair.

It has been argued that telekinesis is simply another ability that those who have control over vital energies can harness. As everything is connected together and one can learn to control the vibrational force of these energies, this can give one the power to manipulate physical things. This can be developed through concentration and meditation techniques. It is merely a function of tuning the brain to send out waves that cause the right types of vibrations to affect the structure of objects.

The belief that certain types of yoga may unlock these types of abilities is linked to various Buddhist and Hindu traditions. One of the most famous is levitation during intense meditation. There are a myriad of other powers mentioned as being related to a yoga practice, but these are not meant to be a goal of yoga and often detract from an effective yoga practice. There is some suggestion that these were exaggerations.

There have been objects claimed to measure psychokinetic abilities. One such device is the Egely Wheel, a device that allegedly works by concentrating one’s psychokinetic energy into the wheel to make it spin. It is said to spin faster when one is in a peaceful or happy state of mind.

By most definitions, energy healing can be viewed as an application of psychokinetic energy. This is a large varied area of study and there exists many different forms. There have been studies that show that the intention of healing others can have a positive effect. The fact that some of these energy methods have found significant results in some studies despite an absence of physical touch shows that there is the possibility that the mind can have some effect on others. One must be careful to be too hasty with such conclusions, though, as there can be other explanations for these results, including the power of placebo.

Some scientists suggest that our heart may be the center of a communication system within our bodies and that the energy for inter-cell communication may have an effect on other people or organisms. There is some suggestion our minds hold some control of the physical aspects of our own body. Through concentration and meditation one can control their heart rate or reduce pain responses.

There is a belief in some esoteric circles that our brains have the ability to influence our world through intention. In an oft-disputed interpretation of quantum theory as espoused by Deepak Chopra and others, it is argued that the way we think changes reality. Tied in with this is the law of attraction, the idea that positive thoughts attract positive results. However, there are some who argue that this interpretation of quantum physics is not correct or just a misunderstanding of science.

On a purely philosophical level, the fact that we don’t have superpowered humans operating around the world in both malevolent or benevolent ways suggests a few possible conclusions.

One, these abilities are extremely rare or difficult to cultivate. It could also suggest that we just don’t understand it. Possibly their effects are relatively minor or unintentional, as shown by the fact that even the most famous practitioner, Uri Geller, uses it to merely bend spoons.

Another possibility is that those who have these abilities operate in secrecy. Finally, a person could simply take a skeptic’s view and conclude that they don’t even exist.

Updated: July 14, 2024. – This article was originally published on February 8, 2021.