psychical

Psychical is an adjective relating to the mind or soul, and in historical and parapsychological contexts it denotes phenomena attributed to mental processes beyond ordinary physical means. In English texts from the 19th and early 20th centuries, psychical research described the systematic study of claims such as telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, and psychokinesis, collectively known as psi phenomena.

Etymology and usage have influenced the term’s trajectory. Derived from Greek psyche meaning "soul," psychical was widely used as a neutral descriptor for phenomena thought to be produced by the psyche rather than by conventional sensory or motor channels. The term gained prominence with the growth of psychical research, notably through the Society for Psychical Research, founded in 1882 in London to investigate spiritual and paranormal claims in a methodical way. The field later evolved into parapsychology, which applies broader scientific frameworks to the study of psi phenomena.

Topics and methods associated with psychical research include alleged extrasensory perception (ESP), telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, and psychokinesis. Researchers have employed experimental designs such as Zener-card tests and Ganzfeld experiments, alongside documented case studies. The scientific status of psychical phenomena remains controversial; conclusions are hindered by issues of replicability, methodological rigor, and potential biases, leading many mainstream scientists to regard psi claims with skepticism.

Today, the term psychical is largely historical or used in specific literary or scholarly contexts. Contemporary discussion more commonly uses parapsychology or the term psychic to describe related phenomena and abilities.