Freaky Phenomena: Psychic Abilities (PDF)

Ten percent of the human brain is made up of neurons that do the actual thinking, but what of the remaining 90 percent? Some scientists say we have only tapped into a small portion of the brain's potential. The human brain is capable of some extraordinary things, and thinking and experiencing emotions may be just the tip of the iceberg.There are people throughout the world who claim to have unusual mental abilities. Some claim they can move objects with their minds or control fire. There are even accounts of people having out-of-body experiences—a sensation of being outside one's own body, typically of floating and being able to observe oneself from a distance.Psychic Abilities takes a look at people who claim to have these special gifts and the science behind them.PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Each title in this series contains a foreword by the Senior Research Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, color photos throughout, and back matter that includes an index and further resource lists of books, films, and Internet resources. Key Icons appear throughout the books in this series, encouraging library readers to build knowledge, gain awareness, explore possibilities and expand their viewpoints through our content-rich nonfiction books. Key Icons in this series are as follows: Words to Understand are shown at the front of each chapter with definitions. These words are set in boldfaced type in that chapter, so that readers can reference back to the definitions—building their vocabulary and enhancing their reading comprehension. Sidebars are highlighted graphics with content rich material within that allows readers to build knowledge and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Educational Videos provide links via QR codes to online video content that gives a multimedia dimension to the topics. And a Series Glossary of Key Terms is included in the back matter containing terminology used throughout the series. Words found here broaden the reader's knowledge and understanding of terms used in this field.