Is telekinesis a reality

asks Shenoy:
A. Lots of people think so. Telekinesis is the power to move objects using only your mind - for example, Uri Gellor and his bending forks.

�

If you look up 'telekinesis' on the Internet, you'll find thousands of webpages telling you how to develop your own telekinetic powers. However, you'll probably find an equal number of webpages debunking the idea as a Victorian parlour trick.

�

Q. Isn't there any scientific evidence then
A. Not actual proof, no. However, that's not to say that scientific bods don't take it seriously: there are a number of academic types doing serious research on telekinesis and other paranormal phenomenon.

�

Q. What sort of research
A. Dr Paul Stevens, from the department of parapsychology at Edinburgh University, thinks that we have the power to affect the tiny currents in sensitive electronic equipment. And that this could be used in the future to control computers.

�

He is carrying out a study on the mind's latent powers to look for a link between electromagnetic fields, extrasensory perception (ESP), and the power to influence electronic equipment just by thinking about it.

�

Q. Has he had any success
A. He says that previous experiments were encouraging, and he believes it could be down to some form of electromagnetism. He said, 'We do know that humans have an electrical field around them and they do give off electromagnetic waves in a variety of frequencies.'

�

Q. Does anyone else agree with him
A. Yes. Professor Brian Josephson, who won the Nobel Prize in 1973 for his research into superconducting materials, is a firm believer in paranormal effects. His view is that some of the strange effects seen in the behaviour of subatomic particles could explain mind-reading, seeing-at-a-distance and telekinesis, for example.

�

Q. How does that work, then
A. Quantum physics concerns the behaviour of tiny things, such as light particles and electrons, which behave in unpredictable ways. Some of the behaviour is so weird that scientists have come up with the term 'quantum spookiness 'to describe it. One of the oddest things that happens is that by actually looking at an experiment, you can influence the result.

�

Q. Eh
A. It seems that by actually measuring how much radiation is being emitted by a piece of radioactive metal, you can affect the rate at which it emits radiation.

�

That's a bit odd...
Exactly. And Professor Josephson believes his research may provide an explanation for 'quantum spookieness'.

�

Q. So telekinesis may just be able to affect tiny things
A. Professor Josephson believes so, otherwise, he says, we'd be able to see them all the time. He also says, 'I'm sure that if these effects were larger, they would disrupt the working of the brain.'
�
Q. What should I do if I think I have telekinetic powers
A. Contact the James Randi Educational Foundation which was set up by the American magician James Randi. It is offering a prize of one million dollars to anyone who can prove that they have supernatural powers.

�

Do you have a question for Body & Soul Post it here

�

By Sheena Miller