Elmer Velasquez
Topic #2
PSYC 101
September 7, 2015

Samuel Moulton and Stephen Kosslyn used brain scanning to test whether individuals have knowledge that cannot be explained through normal perceptual processing. They claim that if any ESP process exists, the participants’ brains should respond differently to ESP and non-ESP stimuli. Instead, the results showed that participants’ brains responded identically to ESP and non-ESP stimuli, despite reacting strongly in how emotions the stimuli were. To manage a better test of ESP, the authors decided to develop a new method, which directly addressed the presumed source of ESP: namely, the brain. They argue that because the brain enables perception and stores information, even events people don’t consciously perceive or information they can’t consciously remember, it can offer a much more comprehensive test for ESP than self-report or behavior. To study whether or not ESP exists, Moulton and Kosslyn presented participants with two types of visual stimuli: ESP stimuli and non-ESP stimuli. These two types of stimuli were identical with one exception: ESP stimuli were not only presented visually, but also were presented telepathically, clairvoyantly, and precognitively to participants. Supporting ESP can be hard. Nearly half of the adults in the USA believe in the existence of ESP. I do not. Just as Moulton says, “one cannot affirm the null hypothesis.” Although at the same time some null results are stronger than others.

Reference
Lavoie, A. (Ed.). (2008, January 3). Neuroimaging fails to demonstrate ESP is real. Retrieved September 7,