Editing Parapsychology (section)

===Modern era===
[[File:Bernard-carr.jpg|thumb|upright|left|alt=[[Bernard Carr]], past president of the [[Society for Psychical Research]]|[[Bernard Carr]] (astronomer), one-time president of the [[Society for Psychical Research]]]]

Since the 1980s, contemporary parapsychological research has waned considerably in the United States.<ref name="Smee">{{cite journal |last1=Odling-Smee |first1=Lucy |title=The lab that asked the wrong questions |journal=Nature |date=28 February 2007 |volume=446 |issue=7131 |pages=10–11 |doi=10.1038/446010a |pmid=17330012 |bibcode=2007Natur.446...10O |s2cid=4408089 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Early research was considered inconclusive, and parapsychologists faced strong skepticism from their academic colleagues.<ref name="Melton"/> Some effects thought to be paranormal, for example, the effects of [[Kirlian photography]] (thought by some to represent a human [[Aura (paranormal)|aura]]), disappeared under more stringent controls, leaving those avenues of research at dead-ends.<ref name="Melton"/> Most parapsychology research in the US is now confined to private institutions funded by private sources.<ref name="Melton"/> After 28 years of research, [[Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research Laboratory]] (PEAR), which studied [[psychokinesis]], closed in 2007.<ref name="Smee"/>

Two universities in the [[United States]] have academic parapsychology laboratories. The Division of Perceptual Studies, a unit at the [[University of Virginia]]'s Department of Psychiatric Medicine, studies the possibility of [[reincarnation research|survival of consciousness after bodily death]], [[near-death experiences]], and [[out-of-body experiences]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.medicine.virginia.edu/clinical/departments/psychiatry/sections/cspp/dops |title=The Division of Perceptual Studies – School of Medicine at the University of Virginia |publisher=Medicine.virginia.edu |access-date=2014-04-11 |archive-date=2014-05-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508224826/http://www.medicine.virginia.edu/clinical/departments/psychiatry/sections/cspp/dops |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Gary Schwartz]] at the [[University of Arizona]]'s ''Veritas Laboratory'' conducted laboratory investigations of [[mediums]], criticized by [[scientific skeptics]]. Several private institutions, including the [[Institute of Noetic Sciences]], conduct and promote parapsychological research.<ref name="Smee"/>

Over the last two decades, some new sources of funding for parapsychology in Europe have seen a "substantial increase in European parapsychological research so that the center of gravity for the field has swung from the United States to Europe".<ref name=hji/> The United Kingdom has the largest number of active parapsychologists of all nations.<ref name=hji>Harvey J. Irwin and Caroline Watt. [https://books.google.com/books?id=E3EzxyOufbgC&q=attacks+on+parapsychology An introduction to parapsychology] McFarland, 2007, pp. 248–249.</ref> In the UK, researchers work in conventional psychology departments and do studies in mainstream psychology to "boost their credibility and show that their methods are sound". It is thought that this approach could account for the relative strength of parapsychology in Britain.<ref name="Smee"/>

As of 2007, parapsychology was researched in some 30 countries,<ref name=hji/> and some universities worldwide continue academic parapsychology programs. Among these are the [[Koestler Parapsychology Unit]] at the [[University of Edinburgh]];<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.koestler-parapsychology.psy.ed.ac.uk/ |title=Koestler Parapsychology Unit|publisher=University of Edinburgh|access-date=2008-04-10}}</ref> the Parapsychology Research Group at [[Liverpool Hope University]] (this closed in April 2011);<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hope.ac.uk/parapsychology-research-group/parapsychology-research-group.html|title=Parapsychology Research Group|publisher=Liverpool Hope University|access-date=2009-08-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110820073028/http://www.hope.ac.uk/parapsychology-research-group/parapsychology-research-group.html|archive-date=2011-08-20|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hope.ac.uk/parapsychology-research-group/studying-parapsychology.html |title=Studying Parapsychology |publisher=Liverpool Hope University |access-date=2009-08-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110819072707/http://www.hope.ac.uk/parapsychology-research-group/studying-parapsychology.html |archive-date=2011-08-19 |url-status=dead }}</ref> the SOPHIA Project at the [[University of Arizona]];<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lach.web.arizona.edu/veritas_research_program|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110326053523/http://lach.web.arizona.edu/veritas_research_program|url-status=dead|archive-date=2011-03-26|publisher=University of Arizona|title=The VERITAS Research Program|access-date=2007-11-14}}</ref> the Consciousness and Transpersonal Psychology Research Unit of [[Liverpool John Moores University]];<ref>{{cite web|date=2007-09-17|url=http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/NSP/100541.htm|title=Consciousness and Transpersonal Psychology|publisher=Research Unit of Liverpool John Moores University|access-date=2007-11-14|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101217090508/http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/NSP/100541.htm|archive-date=2010-12-17}}</ref> the Center for the Study of Anomalous Psychological Processes at the [[University of Northampton]];<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.northampton.ac.uk/research/psychology/the-centre-for-the-study-of-anomalous-psychological-processes-csapp |title=Center for the Study of Anomalous Psychological Processes |publisher=University of Northampton |access-date=2007-11-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131116114021/http://www.northampton.ac.uk/research/psychology/the-centre-for-the-study-of-anomalous-psychological-processes-csapp |archive-date=2013-11-16 }}</ref> and the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit at [[Goldsmiths, University of London]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/apru/ |title=Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit|publisher=Goldsmiths, University of London |access-date=2007-11-14}}</ref>

Research and professional organizations include the [[Parapsychological Association]];<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.parapsych.org/ |title=Parapsychological Association|journal=Nature |volume=181|issue=4613|pages=884|access-date=2007-11-14|bibcode=1958Natur.181Q.884.|year=1958|doi=10.1038/181884a0|s2cid=4147532|doi-access=free}}</ref> the [[Society for Psychical Research]], publisher of the ''Journal of the Society for Psychical Research'' and ''Psi Encyclopedia'';<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spr.ac.uk/ |title=Society for Psychical Research|website=spr.ac.uk|access-date=2007-11-14}}</ref> the [[American Society for Psychical Research]], publisher of the ''Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research'' (last published in 2004);<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aspr.com/index.html |title=American Society for Psychical Research |website=aspr.com|access-date=2007-11-14}}</ref> the Rhine Research Center and Institute for Parapsychology, publisher of the ''[[Journal of Parapsychology]]'';<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rhine.org/ |title=Rhine Research Center and Institute for Parapsychology|publisher=Rhine.org|access-date=2007-11-14}}</ref> the Parapsychology Foundation, which published the ''International Journal of Parapsychology'' (between 1959 and 1968 and 2000–2001)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parapsychology.org |title=Parapsychology Foundation |website=parapsychology.org|access-date=2007-11-14}}</ref> and the Australian Institute of Parapsychological Research, publisher of the ''Australian Journal of Parapsychology''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aiprinc.org |title=Australian Institute of Parapsychological Research |website=aiprinc.org |access-date=2007-11-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110828192605/http://www.aiprinc.org/ |archive-date=2011-08-28 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The ''European Journal of Parapsychology'' ceased publishing in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ejp.org.uk/ |author=Stevens, Paul |editor=Baker, Ian |location=UK |publisher=Poole House |issn=0168-7263 |title=European Journal of Parapsychology |access-date=2007-11-14 |archive-date=2011-08-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110815131533/http://ejp.org.uk/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Parapsychological research has also included other sub-disciplines of psychology. These related fields include [[transpersonal psychology]], which studies transcendent or spiritual aspects of the human mind, and [[anomalistic psychology]], which examines paranormal beliefs and subjective anomalous experiences in traditional psychological terms.<ref name="Smee"/><ref name="Zusne 1989">{{cite book | last1=Zusne | first1=Leonard | last2=Jones | first2=Warren H. | title=Anomalistic psychology: a study of magical thinking | publisher=L. Erlbaum | publication-place=Hillsdale, NJ | year=1989 | isbn=0805805087 | oclc=19264110 | page=}}</ref>