Psychokinesis (PK), also called telekinesis, is the claimed ability to influence physical objects or processes by the mind alone, without any known physical means. It has been reported in seance rooms, tested with dice and random number generators, and popularized by stage performers. There is no reliable scientific evidence that it exists, and it is generally regarded as pseudoscience.
Psychokinesis (PK) at a glance
| Also known as | Telekinesis, PK, "mind over matter" |
|---|---|
| Field | Parapsychology |
| Types discussed | Macro-PK (visible effects) and micro-PK (statistical effects) |
| Key laboratory research | J. B. Rhine's dice tests at Duke University from the 1930s; PEAR lab, Princeton (1979-2007) |
| Famous claimants | Nina Kulagina, Uri Geller |
| Scientific status | No reliable evidence; generally regarded as pseudoscience |
Definition and Terminology
The word psychokinesis combines Greek psyche (mind or soul) and kinesis (motion); telekinesis means "motion at a distance." Parapsychologists group psychokinesis with telepathy, clairvoyance and precognition under the broader label "psi." They distinguish macro-PK, large visible effects such as levitating tables or bending metal, from micro-PK, small statistical effects such as a slight bias in the fall of dice or in the output of an electronic random event generator.
Other claimed forms include levitation of the body or of objects, metal bending, influence on living systems such as plant growth (sometimes called bio-PK), and spontaneous, unintended effects blamed on a living person, which parapsychologists call recurrent spontaneous psychokinesis and which folklore knows as poltergeist activity. Because these claims vary so widely, researchers stress that each has to be judged on the quality of its own evidence.
From the Seance Room to the Laboratory
Accounts of objects moving without contact are found in many religious and folk traditions, from miracle stories to poltergeist reports. In the nineteenth century, the Spiritualist movement produced mediums who were said to make tables tilt, instruments play and objects appear, the last known as apports. Several famous mediums, including Eusapia Palladino, were caught using trickery, although some investigators remained convinced that part of their phenomena was genuine.
In the 1930s J. B. Rhine at Duke University began testing whether volunteers could influence the fall of dice by concentration. Rhine reported small effects above chance, but critics pointed to problems with dice bias, recording errors and selective reporting. Later researchers replaced dice with electronic random number generators. The best-known program was the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research (PEAR) laboratory, run by Robert Jahn from 1979 until it closed in 2007. It reported tiny effects that independent teams failed to replicate consistently.
Famous Claimants and Investigations
During the Cold War, films of the Soviet woman Nina Kulagina apparently moving small objects across a table drew wide attention; skeptics noted that the conditions allowed concealed threads or magnets. In the 1970s the Israeli performer Uri Geller became famous for spoon bending and stopped watches. Magicians, including James Randi, showed that the same effects can be produced by sleight of hand, and Geller's powers failed to appear under conditions designed by conjurers.
Between 1979 and 1981 Randi's Project Alpha placed two young magicians in a parapsychology laboratory, where for a time they were accepted as genuine psychics. The hoax illustrated how easily researchers without training in deception can be fooled.
Since then, informal claims of PK, such as spinning paper "psi wheels" or moving objects in videos, have circulated widely online. Simple explanations such as air currents, static electricity, heat from the hands and editing usually account for them, and none has held up when tested under controlled conditions.
The Scientific View
Mainstream science does not accept that psychokinesis exists. In 1988 a panel of the U.S. National Research Council found no scientific justification for the existence of phenomena such as extrasensory perception or "mind over matter." Encyclopaedia Britannica similarly notes that decades of experiments have produced no convincing evidence, and that apparent positive results can be explained by bias, flawed methods and chance.
Physicists add that PK would conflict with well-tested principles such as the conservation of energy and momentum, and no plausible mechanism has been proposed. Psychologists point to cognitive factors that make PK feel real, including the illusion of control, confirmation bias and misjudging probabilities. Parapsychologists who continue to study PK acknowledge that effects, if any, are small and hard to replicate.
PK in Culture and Esoteric Thought
Psychokinesis is a staple of fiction, films and comics, often as a power of the mind trained through discipline or awakened by crisis. In some esoteric and New Age writings, influence of mind over matter is linked with ideas about will, subtle energy and animal magnetism. Many people also explore related themes as a way to reflect on focus and intuition. Understood as a cultural and psychological subject, psychokinesis tells us a great deal about how people seek meaning in unexplained events, even though claims of real PK have not stood up to controlled testing.
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Frequently asked questions
Is psychokinesis real?
There is no reliable scientific evidence that psychokinesis is real. Controlled experiments with dice, random number generators and claimed psychics have not produced consistent, replicable results, and many famous demonstrations were explained as conjuring. Scientists generally regard psychokinesis as pseudoscience.
What is the difference between psychokinesis and telekinesis?
The two terms are generally used as synonyms for the claimed ability to move or affect objects with the mind. Some writers reserve telekinesis for the movement of objects and use psychokinesis more broadly, including supposed effects on random processes or living systems.
Who studied psychokinesis scientifically?
J. B. Rhine tested dice-throwing at Duke University from the 1930s, and the PEAR laboratory at Princeton studied random event generators from 1979 to 2007. Critics, including the psychologist Ray Hyman and the magician James Randi, challenged the methods and conclusions of such research.
Sources and further reading
This entry replaces an article from the original Mystica encyclopedia (online since 2001). It was rewritten from the sources above by The Mystica Editorial Team under our editorial standards. Last reviewed: September 30, 2026.