**TL;DR – Extrasensory perception (ESP), psi (the first letter of the Greek word, psyche) or sixth sense as it’s more commonly known has always been associated with being mysterious and even supernatural. Parapsychologists are sure ESP is real while scientists are skeptical. This is mainly due to the fact that most of the evidence provided is based on personal experience. Well, just because science cannot adequately prove the existence of ESP does not mean that it doesn’t exist.** Eric Haseltine (2015), a former intelligence officer and entertainment executive who was also formally trained as a neuroscientist, confirms that we do indeed have a sixth sense and that we should trust it – “There are scientifically valid reasons to trust your feelings and intuitions.” He makes use of the following statement as a basis, to prove that this is true: “Much of what you know, you know without knowing how you know it.” Furthermore, he uses some scientific explanation examples versus paranormal explanation examples to demonstrate this proof as a reality. The first example he provides is: imagine you are sitting in a noisy restaurant with your eyes closed while someone walks by – close to your left side. You’d sense their presence, even if they made no sound. According to him this awareness is done automatically without one even having to think about the following, “Hmm. The restaurant noise in my left ear just got more quiet than the noise in my right ear, therefore a sound shadow must have passed by my left side and the most likely source of such a moving shadow would be a walking human.” Another example of “knowing without knowing” is the way in which your brain locates sounds. Again, with your eyes closed, if someone were to snap their fingers above your head – on your right side, you’d be able to accurately point in the direction of the sound. You’d even be able to estimate how far away it was without consciously examining how you were able to do it. According to Haseltine both of these examples are from a phenomenon known as “implicit learning.” What this means is that although we usually pay attention to events, it is possible to tap into memories formed by associations to which we do not pay explicit attention to – like a sort of unconscious awareness. However, he does also point out that not all unconscious awareness is learned. For example, determining the location of where and how a sound is heard, is hardwired into our brains – we are born with this. Similarly, the responses that we have to chemical signals in body odor are possibly also wired into us at birth. Nevertheless, he informs us that it is useful to be aware that one is aware of things, whether it is learned or innate – even though we aren't aware of why we are aware, as such awareness can decrease harmful self-doubts. So while we might not have any concrete or absolute evidence that ESP exists, it’s evident (at least from a subjective point of view) that there is a place for mystical and paranormal experiences. Or as Haseltine puts it, “…there are scientifically valid reasons to trust your feelings, perceptions and intuitions, even when you can’t sense how you sense them.” What's more, we need to remember to take into account that while our understanding and awareness of otherworldly things (ESP) on a certain level is by no means complete, this does not mean that it's not real. ESP very much exists but is just lacking some substantial and sufficient evidence – as proof. Yes, You Have a Sixth Sense, and You Should Trust It https://www.psychologytoday.com/za/blog/long-fuse-big-bang/201504/yes-you-have-sixth-sense-and-you-should-trust-it [accessed February 21, 2021].

- ESP doesn't seem to scientifically [hold up](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/140121-esp-clairvoyance-sixth-sense-science-telepathy). But those who believe in it won't take that to be the last word, certainly. And there are other forms of investigation that have seemingly demonstrated at least some type of evidence in favor of ESP. - Between 1972 and 1995, the United States Government operated [Project Stargate](https://www.history.com/news/cia-esp-espionage-soviet-union-cold-war). Its aim was to investigate the potential for psychic phenomena in military intelligence applications. Uri Geller, a self-proclaimed psychic, was an early part of this project. [The project's documents](https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP96-00787R000700110003-2.pdf) were released to the public by the CIA and detail a number of instances in which Geller was able to correctly draw random images that matched or were similar to the images drawn by a team of people who were securely placed in another room. The documents conclude, at one point: “As a result of Geller’s success in this experimental period, we consider that he has demonstrated his paranormal perceptual ability in a convincing and unambiguous manner." - Additionally, [Britannica's page on ESP](https://www.britannica.com/topic/extrasensory-perception) states that "although many scientists continue to doubt the existence of ESP, people who claim this ability are sometimes used by investigative teams searching for missing persons or things."

**Can we empirically demonstrate the existence of extrasensory perception?** Extrasensory perception is associated with supernatural allure and various personal accounts in its favour. However, scientific evaluations of whether it truly exists have yielded disappointing results. - [This meta-analysis](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10414223/), a comprehensive review of 30 studies on extrasensory perception, is a clear example. Each of the studies attempted to demonstrate whether participants exhibited extrasensory capabilities by comparing the results of their performance in various tasks to results expected by chance. There was no [statistically significant](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/statistical-significance.asp#:~:text=Statistical%20significance%20refers%20to%20the,attributable%20to%20a%20specific%20cause.) conclusion, implying that none of the studies observed a participant with extraordinary sensory capabilities. Proponents of extrasensory perception might argue that experiments are not be the _only_ source of verification. Extrasensory perception may still exist and simply cannot be observed in the rigorous and predictable manner assumed by the scientific method. If we choose to remain loyal to our current means of understanding the world, however, it appears as though we have more evidence against the reality of extrasensory perception. Yet, the conclusion of the study cited above is not that extrasensory perception is not real, but that the particular methodology employed to observe it, the [Ganzfeld technique](https://psychology.wikia.org/wiki/Ganzfeld_experiment), is not an effective way of _"producing ESP in the laboratory"_ (Milton, 1999). - Other psychologists have since performed similar meta-analyses, such as [Storm and Ertel (2001)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11393304/) that, conversely, support the viability of the Ganzfeld method and imply that the studies in their review do indeed demonstrate the potential existence of ESP. - [This paper](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7530246/), Rabeyron (2020), presents the study of psi - mental phenomena which transcend the explanatory limitations of traditional science - as one that could alter how we approach parapsychology. He presents the implication that the human conciousness may interact with the environment in a manner that cannot be observed through our current methods of empirical study. Rabeyron presents an interesting paradox, assuming we accept the existence of _psi_ on the basis of the experiments that yielded [positive results](https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1994-20287-001), and the potential for positive results in future replications. If our consciousnesses are capable of directly interacting with the environment, the experimental observer must be capable of subconsciously interfering with the demonstration of ESP by the participant. The researcher would no longer be independent from the data collection, thus introducing an uncontrollable variable that could confound the results. Results both in favour and against psi thus cannot be trusted. Overall, there are several issues underlying the study of extrasensory perception. These include replicability, [general criticisms](https://psychology.wikia.org/wiki/Ganzfeld_experiment#Criticism) relating to how the Ganzfeld and Bem methods have been employed, Rabeyron's paradox, whether the setting of an experiment is appropriate for the observation of psi, and the overarching question of whether we can ever observe _any_ parapsychological effects in a controlled laboratory or experimental setting.