British Council Presents
Extrasensory Perception by Katherine Bilsborough
ESP or extrasensory perception is a catch-all expression for the alleged ability of certain people to receive transmitted thoughts from others, to transmit their own thoughts, to see what will happen in the future or to be able to move objects from one place to another without physically touching them. These special people are called psychics or sensitives. Some believe that we all have this ability to some degree but that most of us choose not to develop it.
Some people are happy to believe in ESP while others are firm disbelievers. Parapsychologists who are dedicated to scientifically studying the claims that are made, lend a certain seriousness to the subject. They have identified four distinct types of ESP:
clairvoyance describes the act of being able to obtain knowledge of a person or event without the use of the normal senses;
telepathy is the process by which a person is able to read another person’s thoughts without the use of any of the normal senses;
psychokinesis is the ability to influence a physical object just by thinking about it;
precognition is the term applied when somebody is able to foresee future events.
Many people are sceptical about ESP. Alongside the existence of documented evidence there are plenty of claims that have turned out to be fraudulent. For most people it is difficult to accept such claims without having had first-hand experience. The lack of scientific evidence is another factor to take into account. On the other hand, most of us have, at some time, experienced a seemingly inexplicable occurrence – hearing the telephone ring and knowing who will be on the other end of the line or cases of coincidence that seem to be too extreme to be accidental.
Over the years there have been numerous ESP experiments conducted by serious scientists in serious institutions. Joseph Banks Rhine, a botanist at Duke University, published a famous book in 1934 called Extra-Sensory Perception in which he claimed to have overwhelming evidence of ESP. However, other scientists have been unable to duplicate his results since. This has resulted in the book losing much of its original credibility and fame.
The Ganzfield experiments are considered to have been the most carefully scrutinised ESP experiments. Alleged psychics had their eyes covered and ears blocked while a ‘sender’ attempted to transmit messages. Later the psychics would compare the messages received with the original messages sent out. There was a great deal of excitement and interest at the time but the research failed to produce convincing results.
One of the strongest criticisms against ESP is that in order for it to exist, the fundamental laws of physics would necessarily have to be broken.
Human beings are attracted to the whole spectrum of supernatural phenomena. ESP will always continue to fascinate. This becomes clear when we see how much of the media is dedicated to the topic: magazines, journals, websites and television and radio programmes. Some of the most successful films in recent years have fuelled interest among the younger generations who are starting to ask the same questions and to look for explanations for the same phenomena as their parents and grandparents before them. Who knows? One day we might just find these answers because one thing is certain: ‘The truth is out there.’
Word Search
See if you can find these words in the grid. They can be horizontal, vertical, diagonal and backwards.
EXPLANATION
ALL_G_D
CO_NC_DEN_E
PH_S_C_L
CR_T_CI_M
P_Y_C_IC
DI_BEL_EV_R
S_E_TI_AL
EVI_EN_E
SC_ENT_FIC
Joke Teacher
Question: How do you cook toast in the jungle?
Answer: Put it under the gorilla (pronounced as ‘griller’).
Question: What’s the difference between a buffalo and a bison?
Answer: You can’t wash your face in a buffalo.
This type of English joke works because when we’re talking certain words often have weak forms, so that they end up sounding like other words. For example, the word bison can sound like basin. Look at the joke below and see if you can work out what the weak form is.
Question: Why did the cookie cry?
Answer: Because its mother was a wafer so long.
VOCABULARY
Five words/phrases from the text:
• sceptical: showing doubt
• evidence: that which proves or disproves a theory
• botanist: a specialist in plants
• convincing: easily believable
• criticism: a critical comment
EXERCISE ONE
Vocabulary gap fill. Now use the five words/phrases to fill the gaps in the sentences below:
Police are looking for _______[1] to prove that the suspect is guilty.
I’ve always been _______[2] about the existence of the Loch Ness Monster.
My main _______[3] is that the film is too complicated.
Her father is a _______[4] so their house is full of plant books and specimens.
Can you give me one _______[5] argument why I should lend you my car?
EXERCISE TWO
Comprehension: answer the folowing questions according to the text:
1 What do we call people who possess ESP?
2 Why has Rhine’s book lost credibility?
3 What is the main reason for ESP not being generally accepted?
4 How do younger generations become interested in ESP?
5 What are the different types of ESP?
Answers:
Vocabulary: 1. evidence; 2. sceptical; 3. criticism; 4. botanist; 5. convincing
Comprehension:
1. People who possess ESP are called psychics or sensitives.
2. Because scientists have been unable to duplicate his results.
3. Because it breaks the laws of physics.
4. Through media and films.
5. Clairvoyance, telepathy, psychokinesis and precognition.
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