Parapsychologists have been working on establishing a scientific basis for so called paranormal phenomenon such as psychic abilities for decades now – with mixed results. For the most part this consisted work has consisted of experiments aimed at demonstrating the existence or otherwise of such phenomenon according to the limited criteria of scientific proof. Whether or not it is possible to provide objective proof of such subjective things is questionable – after all science is a long way from being able to provide proof of the existence of other psychological states – such as love, for example.

What interests me is the idea that there may already be a scientific model through which paranormal abilities can be explained. The words paranormal and supernatural themselves seem to suggest that these things are outside of the normal workings of the universe and not subject to the same natural laws which govern other things.

This also seems to be the view of the general public – that the existence of psychic abilities runs contrary to the fundamental laws of physics. But it may be that this view is based on a model of physics which has been outdated for nearly a century. Modern science has moved a long way from the simple Newtonian model of the mechanical ‘clockwork universe’.

Quantum physics has demonstrated many strange truths, which are entirely consistent with the existence of psychic abilities. What Einstein described as ‘spooky action at a distance’, where two or more particles, separated by an arbitrarily large distance, still have an instantaneous connection and can influence one another’s behaviour, has now been demonstrated beyond doubt.

And there is one particular physical model which may be relevant. British physicist David Bohm has developed a mathematical model of quantum physics in which the whole (of the universe) is seen to be contained within each of its parts (such as an electron). This theory, called the Implicate Order, was developed to explain Einstein’s ‘spooky action at distance’, and other processes observed in experiments. But it may also help to explain the existence of psychic abilities.

If a tiny electron, or an atom, could be described as an ‘enfolding’ or the entire universe at a particular space-time coordinate, then so should a human being. And if we all contain the whole universe somehow ‘enfolded’ within us, then there is no theoretical reason why some people should not have the ability to access parts of this enfolded information.