telekinesis

Telekinesis, also called psychokinesis, is the purported ability to influence physical systems or objects without direct physical interaction. Claims range from moving or bending objects and altering their speed to influencing machines or environmental forces, all through mental focus, intention, or other non-physical means. Telekinesis is distinct in many descriptions from telepathy, which concerns the transmission of information between minds.

Historically, telekinesis has roots in 19th- and 20th-century spiritualism and occult movements, where fraud and genuine experience were difficult to separate. In popular culture, the concept has become a common trope in science fiction and fantasy. Public attention rose with figures such as Uri Geller in the 1970s, though many demonstrations were later attributed to illusion or misdirection by professional magicians.

From a scientific standpoint, telekinesis is unproven. There is no consensus on a plausible mechanism by which the mind could exert force on matter without physical interaction. Systematic attempts in parapsychology have not produced reproducible, unequivocal results. Some experiments, including early studies with random event generators or dice, reported small effects, but these findings have not withstood rigorous controls or independent replication. Therefore the mainstream scientific community treats telekinesis as unsupported by credible evidence and often categorizes it as pseudoscience.

In practice, many purported psychokinetic effects can be explained by deception, cognitive biases, or experimental artifacts. Stage magicians have demonstrated how tricks can mimic telekinetic phenomena, underscoring the importance of rigorous methodology in evaluating such claims.

Telekinesis remains primarily a fictional and cultural concept rather than an established scientific ability. Related ideas include psychokinesis and other forms of extrasensory perception, though none have gained acceptance as scientifically validated phenomena.