| There are many psychological phenomena which | | | | measurable data. Otherwise we'd be forced to |
| science doesn't yet fully understand. | | | | accept any story about ghosts or alien abductions. |
| Parapsychology is the discipline which attempts to | | | | In the 1980's Stephen LaBerge developed an |
| investigate them. Although parapsychologists use | | | | interesting experiment at Stanford University. He |
| the scientific method for many of their | | | | recruited a bunch of people who claimed that |
| experiments, they will often use other methods, | | | | they could lucid dream. He told them that when |
| such as qualitative analysis and case studies. | | | | they became lucid, they should send a signal to |
| Parapsychology deals with topics such as: | | | | the outside world by performing a particular |
| telepathy, clairvoyance, reincarnation, hauntings, | | | | back-and-forth eye movement. Normally, our |
| psychokinesis, precognition, remote viewing, and | | | | eyes dart all over the place when we dream |
| near death experiences. | | | | during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. If he |
| Many scientists deride parapsychology as a | | | | could show that people can make the eye |
| "pseudo-science". They see little value in spending | | | | movement which he taught them, then he could |
| time investigating phenomena which haven't been | | | | demonstrate that these people actually did |
| demonstrated to be technically true. This is, | | | | become conscious in their sleep, could remember |
| however, a defining feature of parapsychology. | | | | instructions given to them while they were |
| When a phenomenon is actually demonstrated to | | | | awake, and could deliberately carry out those |
| be true, it is no longer in the domain of | | | | instructions. |
| parapsychology: it simply becomes part of | | | | LaBerge hooked up special eye-tracking |
| psychology. | | | | equipment to his subjects, and he got the data he |
| A good example of this is Lucid Dreaming. Lucid | | | | wanted. He demonstrated scientifically that Lucid |
| Dreaming is a phenomenon whereby a dreamer | | | | Dreaming is a real phenomenon, and it moved |
| becomes conscious of his dream while it is taking | | | | from the realm of parapsychology into |
| place. Becoming aware of a dream while in the | | | | mainstream psychology. |
| dream itself appears to provoke a change in our | | | | So that's one example of a phenomenon which |
| consciousness. The dreamer gains access to all his | | | | was "upgraded" from parapsychology to |
| waking memories and can exercise a certain | | | | psychology. Many scientists have become jaded |
| degree of control over the dream world. | | | | because there are so many fraudsters who use |
| Lucid dreaming was largely derided by many who | | | | trickery and illusion to demonstrate that these |
| said that there was no evidence for it. The only | | | | phenomena are real. Most of parapsychology is |
| support for it was a bunch of personal anecdotes. | | | | indeed unproven, so it is a good idea to remain |
| Science cannot rely on anecdotes: it must rely on | | | | skeptical; but we should keep an open mind. |