Perspectives on Scientism, Religion, and Philosophy Provided by Parapsychology

• Published in: The Journal of humanistic psychology 1992-04, Vol.32 (2), p.70-100
• Main Author: Tart, Charles T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0022-1678; 1552-650X
• DOI: 10.1177/0022167892322006

Modern views of neural functioning hypothesize that we live in a largely automatized simulation of reality rather than being in direct contact with the world. Scientism, a view that distorts the scientific process to make it compatible with a materialistic philosophy, is an important component controlling the modern world simulation process. Some of its psychologically deleterious effects are discussed in relation to a belief experiment for discovering these effects on a personal level. Scientism cannot be dismissed simply because it is dis-spiriting, however. The facts of science cannot be rejected out of hand. Parapsychological research-thus plays a critical role in the transition from a modern to a postmodern view of human life; for, using the best kind of genuinely scientific method, its findings undermine scientism's claim to providing a total picture of life. In this way, parapsychological findings open us to serious consideration of a spiritual side to existence. The most solidly established parapsychological findings force us to consider a view of human beings that includes the possibility of Mind, without using the physical senses, sometimes reaching out directly, to touch other mindsoccasionally "perceiving" the state of the physical world and sometimes materially affecting it through volition alone, and sometimes foretelling a future that is materially unpredictable. Other parapsychological findings, less solidly established but still demanding consideration, suggest a view of the nature of Mind that includes its ability to heal the body in a psychic fashion, to observe the world from a location other than where the physical body is located, and possibly to survive physical death in some form.