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Forensic Parapsychology
Fri, 26/03/2010 - 19:46
Forensic Parapsychology, is this a real subject?
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It sounds cool:) I searched the net and found an Institute for Forensic Parapsychology, but I don't understand what it is.
I got the following from about Forensic Science wiki:
Forensic science is the application of a broad spectrum of sciences to answer questions of interest to a legal system. This may be in relation to a crime or a civil action.
I can't see this being associated with parapsychology. So perhaps:
Besides its relevance to a legal system, more generally forensics encompasses the accepted scholarly or scientific methodology and norms under which the facts regarding an event, or an artifact, or some other physical item (such as a corpse) are ascertained as being the case. In that regard the concept is related to the notion of authentication, where by an interest outside of a legal form exists in determining whether an object is what it purports to be, or is alleged as being.
But this generally relates to objects.
The word forensic comes from the Latin adjective forensis, meaning "of or before the forum". In Roman times, a criminal charge meant presenting the case before a group of public individuals in the forum. Both the person accused of the crime and the accuser would give speeches based on their side of the story. The individual with the best argument and delivery would determine the outcome of the case. This origin is the source of the two modern usages of the word forensic – as a form of legal evidence and as a category of public presentation.
In modern use, the term "forensics" in place of "forensic science" can be considered incorrect as the term "forensic" is effectively a synonym for "legal" or "related to courts". However, the term is now so closely associated with the scientific field that many dictionaries include the meaning that equates the word "forensics" with "forensic science".
And this definition about parapsychology:
Parapsychology is a discipline that seeks to investigate the existence and causes of psychic abilities and life after death using the scientific method. Parapsychological experiments have included the use of random number generators to test for evidence of precognition and psychokinesis with both human and animal subjects and Ganzfeld experiments to test for extrasensory perception.
So how does parapsychology fit in with legal evidence when psychic ability is not a recognised fact and psychic abilities are not physical objects. If it's just a metter of proving psychic ability, then why not just call it parapsychology.
Yes it is the legal asopect I was thinking about. I can accept Forensic Psychology, but struggle with Forensic Parapsychology
Generally, I say 'forensic' can prepended to any activity where the goal is to formally authenticate a claim using accepted, established methods. Drawing a line from the original Latin meaning, I'd say it's also related to dialectics, the practice of realising the truth using reason and logical argument.
Parapsychology actively investigates claims of PSI based phenomena, so why add the Forensic descriptor. It does not need it, unless, Forensic Parapsychology is differant to Parapsychology.
I think Forensic Parapsychology suggests a more 'applied' approach if you know what I mean, that it is concerned more with exploring narrowly defined events and synergies to solve a given mystery; whereas Parapsychology (without the descriptor) is more broad and academic, concerned with the fundamental principles of the subject.
The problem is, practically everyone (including myself) thinks of 'forensic' as existing primarily in a criminology setting. Perhaps 'Applied Parapsychology' would be more appropriate.
Does anyone know of anywhere you could take a parapsychology course?
It appears, from a quick online survey, that 'Forensic Parapsychology' applies to what we might otherwise call 'ghost hunting'. I'm afraid there is little evidence that there is any real research behind what is being offered at the Institute for Forensic Parapsychology. And I can find nothing else that is not linked to this Institute in some way which suggests that Forensic Parapsychology is a legitimate branch of the science of research Parapsychology as practiced by members of the Parapsychological Association based in the U.S.
[i]Anomalous Phenomena is Unexplained not Impossible
Psi is Subtle not Absolute
Anything is possible, it'a all a matter of Probability[/i]
For some reason, I said that name out loud and half expected to discover David Caruso lurking over my shoulder.
"So, the Ghost did it!"
Summum Nec Metuam Diem Nec Optima