Why do people believe so strongly in ESP despite no clear empirical support for its existence? This ...

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Why do people believe so strongly in ESP despite no clear empirical support for its existence? This question will begin an interesting class discussion and will enable you to introduce principles that will be reinforced later in the text. First, belief in ESP illustrates our tendency to be easily persuaded by vivid anecdotes and experiences. For example, even when college students have been forewarned about a “mindreader’s” tricks, they may, after viewing their dazzling performance, be convinced that they are a true clairvoyant. Vivid personal experiences are much more compelling than the abstract statistical data from dozens of laboratory experiments that fail to show the existence of ESP. Second, we are often unaware of the factors that influence our thought processes, which may lead us to “create” explanations for our experiences. For example, a couple may be watching a TV program when one suddenly suggests they invite certain friends over for dinner. The spouse claims to have been thinking the same thought. Is this mental telepathy? Probably not. It is more likely that some stimulus on the TV screen, perhaps the image of an automobile like that of their friends, triggered a common memory. Third, we may fail to recognize chance occurrences for what they are. Deficiencies in our statistical intuitions may lead us to see ordinary events as almost impossible. For example, what are the odds that at least two people in a group of 30 will have the same birthday? Most people grossly underestimate the correct answer—7 in 10. Given the billions of events that occur, sheer chance tells us some “extraordinary” coincidences are certain to occur. Here’s one of our favorites: The King James version of the Bible was completed when William Shakespeare was 46 years old. In Psalm 46, the forty-sixth word is “shake” and the forty-sixth word from the end is “spear.” (Even more incredible is that someone discovered this!) The “illusion of personal control” may also lead us to perceive phenomena that are really not there. Yale University researchers relied on this tendency in manufacturing a false belief in ESP among their students. Students tried to mentally transmit five symbols to other students who guessed what was transmitted. ESP success rate was no better than chance. When students were drawn into the drama by being given a “warm-up” period before the actual testing began, however, they were “confident” that ESP was transpiring more than 50 percent of the time. Finally, people may believe in ESP because they want to. We humans have always had a hard time accepting our finiteness. Believers in ESP proclaim a potential for omniscience. Some scientists argue that as an escape from humdrum life, pseudoscience offers phony mysteries instead of real mysteries, and that it displaces science with science fiction. Discussion prompts: What are your thoughts about ESP? Have you ever seen evidence of ESP? If so, what might be some alternate explanations? Which of the reasons one’s belief in ESP might persist do you find most compelling? Your journal should be at least 300 words (make a note, as this is higher than the normal word count!). Make sure you also cite any and all sources.