The human interest in the paranormal can be witnessed through the widespread success of such themes in the media including books, television, and movies. People just cannot resist watching even a completely fictional take on the paranormal. There are countless movies featuring direct references of theme variations on tarot cards and ouija boards that only make the argument stronger. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the social acceptance of items that were once consider taboo and now sold as children's toys. However, due to this over exposure in the media the true essence and origin of extra sensory perception (ESP) has been forgotten by most people. The technical definition of ESP says that it is, "the ability to acquire information by means other than the five canonical senses (taste, sight, touch, smell, and hearing), or any other sense well-known to science (balance, proprioception, etc)".
ESP has a long presence in history and was known long before it became a pop-culture phenomenon like it is today. A study of different cultures, especially Egyptian and Chinese, reveals that these people did not consider ESP to something special. It was almost a given that everyone ought to be able to speak to god, or dead people, or simply other spirits. Of course, these beliefs had to be abandoned over time as the science movement gained popularity and all over the world every belief was viewed as a potentially superstitious bit of nonsense.
Modern science is more open to the thought of such abilities of the human mind and there is an increasing number of paranormal scientists who, through experiment they conducted, found themselves amazed that something very much like ESP seems to be happening with certain individuals. Paranormal studies and tests conducted are now showing strong evidence that so-called psychics are able to describe the contents of sealed envelopes and some of them successfully replicated the drawings of other individuals in other remote locations while the other person was still drawing the image. Parapsychology was earlier restricted to a few members but has increased in both credibility as well as the number of people are beginning to accept its legitimacy.
There is a great deal in common between the various psychic readings and the ESP effects of clairvoyance, telepathy, and precognition. Telepathy is well known as the means by which people can communicate with more than one person at a time without speaking or using any of the normal senses. It is direct transmission and reception of thoughts across the minds of the people involved, a kind of psychic telephone.
Clairvoyance is what is also known as the sixth sense or the second sight. Either term implies that things are seen that are not visible to the eyes and felt that cannot be perceived by any of the regular five senses. The person with this ability can perceive events that might be in the past, present, or future, taking place in a completely unknown location, and with absolutely no type of foreknowledge that would lead to such a perception.
Old religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, and other eastern religious beliefs all include the concept of spiritual growth and also reincarnation. In fact, it is one of those unsolved mysteries in science how some individuals are capable of nearly superhuman feats merely by belonging to such a religion even though they might not be active participants or adherents to the faith. These people often say that all human beings are capable of performing the same feat and that there is nothing special about their own mind or body.
The concepts of the balance of karma and spiritual growth are common across the aforementioned religions and even people who do not follow the doctrines but accept the spiritual aspects report an improvement. This is significant because it seems to imply that as an individual progresses with spiritual growth and improvement of karma, then the material world seems to automatically align itself with the spiritual trends leading to more peace and tranquility within and without.
Reincarnation philosophies believe that every one has a higher self that is truly enlightened and that our repeated lives are a means to seek the true balance in our Karma and become enlightened in spirit. The precise terms and details behind this process change with every religion yet the core issue remains the same. Another common point is that reincarnation is necessary because enlightenment is not a quick process and human life span is too short to achieve it in one attempt. One must go through several cycles, each acting as a further refinement on previous development, until we reach our higher self and enlightenment dawns.
There are many tales of Indian saints who have performed recorded feats that have earned them the superhuman status that their followers believe they deserve. Devraha Baba was one such saint who lived in the city of Mathura. The story goes that he lived for more than seven centuries and was known as the "Ageless Yogi" to those who knew him. He did this by conquering his hunger and also the time of death. Another yogi from India, Subbayah Pullavar, has been recorded to levitate for a full five minutes in the presence of a hundred and fifty witnesses. Probably the most widely recognized of all such saints is Sri Sathya Sai Baba who was named "Man of Miracle" and the title is well deserved if there is any merit to the tales associated with him.
Individuals like these were spiritual in nature and had dedicated several years to their spiritual growth. If one follows their example that it would seem that death itself is something that may be conquered through proper spiritual development. While these beliefs are quite ancient, it is clear that the early masters were successful in establishing a link between our spirit or karma and the cycle of reincarnation. It is assumed that once an individual has achieved a certain level of spiritual growth then their abilities are naturally enhanced and they appear to be superhuman to those who have yet to attain those levels.
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