From among the many uniquely human ability, telekinesis is one of the most controversial. In contrast to telepathy is more acceptable in scientific circles, telekinesis is still regarded as one of the phenomena that can not be proven scientifically, although its existence is quite accepted by many other scientists.
Many people believe that the ability of telekinesis is nothing more than a supernatural force relating to the activities of the devil. Others reject that notion and believe that real human beings are created by storing potential paranormal powers are waiting to be resurrected.
Now, we'll see how telekinesis coloring the world of science and how the controversy it generated.
Telekinesis The term was first used in 1890 by a Russian psychic researcher named Alexander N. Aksakof. In 1914, Psychokinesis term used by American writer named Henry Holt who was later adopted by his friend, the American psychic named JB Rhine in 1934, to refer to the ability to change the roll of dice.
Since then, these two titles are both used to refer to the same ability, the ability to influence the movement of an object from a distance. This could include lifting, shaking, bend, break or move objects up to lift yourself flying through the air (levitation).
Researchers from the psychology community prefer to use the term Psychokinesis, while popular culture like movies and books would rather use the term telekinesis.
The concept of Psychokinesis
The concept behind Psychokinesis / Telekinesis is the argument that all objects have energy. This makes us able to move the object by connecting our mental energy to the energy of the object.
With a concentration exercise which is quite complicated, someone called to evoke that power, ranging from moving the small things like atoms (Micro Psychokinesis) until things are more like a spoon (Macro Psychokinesis).
One of the experiments relating to micro Psychokinesis ever conducted in the basement of Varian Physics Building at Stanford University. At that time, the subjects of the experiment is a well-known psychic named Ingo Swann.
The purpose of this experiment is to determine whether Ingo can affect the magnetic field is created inside a closed room under the floor of the building.
When Ingo began to focus his thoughts on the magnetic field, the oscillation frequency of the magnetometer to be doubled for about 30 seconds.
Although it failed to turn off the magnetic field Ingo, but this experiment is considered successful to prove the existence of micro Psychokinesis ability in humans. Ingo Swann later became one of the important role the American military in the Stargate project.
Then, what about the Macro Psychokinesis?
Michael Crichton, an American author who wrote a bestselling novel Jurassic Park claims that he never managed to bend spoons with his mind while he was visiting a "party to bend a spoon". He describes this experience in his book, Travels published in 1988:
"I looked down. Spoon begins to bend. I had not even noticed before. The metal becomes soft like a soft plastic.
Spoon it does not heat up at all, only slightly warmed. Then, I could bend a spoon mouth using only my fingertips.
It does not require power at all. I remove the spoon, then try it again with a fork. After rubbing for some time, the fork was bent like a pretzel.
It's easy. I looked around the room and saw little children aged eight or nine years of large metal-metal bending. This is not engineering because they do not intend to deceive anyone. "
However, Crichton admitted that he did not know why it can bend spoons.
Senior researcher at the Institute of Noetic Sciences named Dean Radin also claims that he managed to bend a spoon with the power of the mind while experimenting with other colleagues.
Institute of Noetic Sciences itself is an organization founded by astronaut Edgar Mitchell and the investors named Paul N. Temple which aims to examine the hidden human potential.
Their research subjects including meditation, psychic abilities, and other alternative healing. Insititute is becoming popular as Dan Brown lifted it in his novel The Lost Symbol.
Regarding Psychokinesis, Radin says:
"Maybe in the next 50 years, we will use psychokinesis to open our garage doors or change the television channel we are."
If we are talking about Psychokinesis, then we must mention the name of Uri Geller, who is probably the most famous telekinetik experts in the world.
Geller was born on December 20, 1946 in Tel Aviv, Israel, and now settled in England. He claims to have the ability psychokinesis. The most famous attractions is to bend a spoon.
For decades, Geller build a glittering career on the basis of this ability. He appeared on various television and magazines in the world and make friends with many world celebrities like Michael Jackson.
Incredibly, Geller claims that he has strength comes from the extra terrestrial beings. In 1975, two scientists named Russell Targ and Harold Puthoff of Stanford Research Institute that examines Geller sure if they have genuine psychic abilities.
Can not be denied, the existence of Uri Geller helped make researchers more interested in investigating the phenomenon of telekinesis.
In addition to Geller, another character who is quite famous in connection with telekinesis is a psychic from the Soviet named Nina Kulagina (1926-1990). In the 1960s, a black and white film that shows Nina move an object without touching it exhibited to the public and immediately create a new passion in the world of parapsychology.
He told me if he ever saw a book jump off the shelves when he was in a room in which there is also an expert on women's telekinesis. In another experiment, Nina is able to separate the white and the yolk just looking at it.
Then he also managed to stop a frog's heartbeat from a distance. Nina admitted that she obtained that ability from his mother and began to realize it when he saw the objects moving around him when he was angry.
However, researchers need more solid evidence than just a movie.
Scientific evidence and the fall of Uri Geller
At present, when the spectacle of magic into everyday life, attraction to bend a spoon into something that is common to us. However, the attraction of this kind, properties used are the properties of the magician. If we give another property, can they do the same attraction?
The question is then used by skeptics to prove the claims of those who claim to have the power of Psychokinesis. Because the life of Nina Kulagina mostly spent in the Soviet, the skeptics turned them over to the celebrity targets psychokinesis, that Uri Geller.
If from the beginning of Geller only claims to be a magician, maybe the skeptics will not think much about him. However, since he claims to have supernatural abilities or Psychokinesis obtained from extra-terrestrial, the story becomes another.
Therefore, the skeptics were trying desperately to find an answer to a question: Is Uri Geller actually has the ability Psychokinesis or was he just using sheer magic tricks?
One of the skeptics who try to dismantle the secret Geller is James Randi.
In 1973, Geller was invited to a talk show called "Tonight Show" hosted by Johnny Carson. Carson himself had become an amateur magician. Unbeknownst by Geller, Carson asked for the help James Randi, who is also a magician, to find ways to Geller can not do magic tricks in performing the action.
Randi explains:
"I was asked to prevent the engineering effort. So I asked them to provide their own property and do not let Geller or his team members to approach or touch the property."
When the show began, a number of glass arranged on the table. One was filled with water. Geller then asked to guess where the water-filled glass. This attraction is called Hand Dowsing. Geller failed to perform the action.
The event of 1973 was regarded as the beginning of his downfall.
In 1996, Geller was in a show called Noel's House Party. Unbeknownst to Geller, a hidden camera placed in the room.
Then, when the time Geller asked to take action to bend a spoon, he was caught on camera was to bend a spoon with both hands while standing, and then show that as if he had bent it with the mind.
Disclosure of the various tricks to make a businessman named Gerald Fleming offered a reward of 250,000 pounds if Geller can bend spoons under conditions set by others. The prize is still unclaimed by Geller to date.
James Randi went even further. He offered a reward of one million dollars if anyone could perform psychokinesis or other paranormal abilities under conditions that have been agreed. This prize was not yet successfully claimed by anyone until now.
The absence of evidence is also confirmed by the United States National Academy of Sciences that investigated the phenomenon Psychokinesis at the request of the Institute of American military research. In 1986, they concluded that there were no scientific proof of the existence of psychokinesis abilities in humans.
Can we prove it?
Can we claim that the natural human ability of telekinesis is hidden? If it can, then the next question is: Can we do it in the conditions set by others?
Or the ability of telekinesis is related to the supernatural abilities that relate to the activities of spirits? Is not the spirit can move objects as seen in the phenomenon of poltergeist? If that is the case, then I think, fair if we can not prove it scientifically.
One million dollar prize promised by James Randy Foundation is still true today. If you think you have psychic abilities or Psychokinesis is true, you can contact James Randi to demonstrate your abilities. Maybe you could win a prize and become the new billionaires.
