"XENOLOGY" - (Atanes' thought development)

The "land of the hidden" is very broad and uneven, and is divided into regions that are not necessarily linked directly. Detractors, charlatans, skeptics -among which are those curious characters who, while not thinking at all, never allow the entry of electronic voice phenomena researchers at home, just in case- and even their own experts and scholars, have collaborative on the clarification of the terms designating the various islands of the "land of the hidden" contributing, therefore, a game of confusion that only benefits the confusion.

To begin, we state the three major thematic categories that encompass roughly, all volumes on the shelves ready for one of those rare books libraries: esotericism, occultism, and parapsychology. These three words, despite many ordinary citizens think, do not deal much less the same thing. Let's go by steps.

Esotericism refers to the transmission of an ancient and secret knowledge to a limited circle of insiders, using symbols (1). Throughout this brief description and have passed the most important concepts of esotericism: Tradition, Symbolism, Initiation. The scholar Rene Guenon attached decisive importance to the first: the Tradition. He denied, and the condition of all those esoteric groups which, even calling himself so, not meeting the requirement to ensure, through a strict hierarchy and a process of teacher initiated instruction, teaching an ancient tradition that, according he was-is-in essence common to all sub-esoteric traditions.

The practice of esotericism would therefore lead to the initiation of faculty interested in this knowledge-closed to outsiders-and firm commitment not to disclose anything outside statement there. The purpose of this participation is to achieve a symbolic knowledge to discover the mysteries of existence and, consequently, we autorrealice and perfect. Within the esoteric traditions as we embrace Kabbalah, Sufism, Gnosticism, Freemasonry and Alchemy, some of them closely linked to the great monotheistic religions, and hence constitutes the esoteric side of the coin, the doctrine accessible to the public .

Occultism embraces all those practices that aim to lead to the apprehension of reality through such procedures magical or supernatural, that is detached from physical causality and grafting on pure analogy: here we find Magic, Santeria, Astrology, Satanism, the various Mancia and communication with the spirit of the dead, or Spiritism, although there are some who propose to separate this latter category. The occult is not nourished by the great and primeval tradition which Guenon said (2).

Parapsychology is a branch of knowledge that studies all those unexplained phenomena for the official science, with application of imperfect but useful scientific method. Its area of study encompasses two broad areas: psi-gamma phenomena, or nature subjective and psi-kappa phenomena or objective nature. Psi-gamma phenomena are those that do not interact with the physical environment, and that only occur in the mind of an individual or several, such as precognition, telepathy or clairvoyance. The psi-kappa phenomena have a transformation of the physical environment. We understand as such: the teleplastias, psychokinesis, the poltergeist, the EVP or quackery.

In my opinion, the term "parapsychology" is inappropriate to suggest, and therefore lead to the belief in the psychological or mental origin of these phenomena. Moreover, by being excluded from his field of research-at least nominally, other puzzles left by the hand of official science, which studies such as ufology or cryptozoology, the need to encompass everything, from resort to the use, again, vague terms. This is what happens with "para-" which, etymologically, it usually has the meaning given "examination of what is next studied by the science", but "study next to scientific study". No scientist in turn, therefore.

On the other hand, the use of the term paranormal is a logical nonsense type this sentence: the origin of paranormal phenomenon is very likely (3). Consider: a phenomenon may appear normal or paranormal, but it is likely or not. If parapsychology wants to base its study on the scientific method, as presumably do not pretend to determine the paranormal phenomenon. If so, we would be doomed to a plain and simple tautology: study the paranormality to certify their paranormal. It's like someone bring us a rare phenomenon and we say: look how strange it is. Immediately we would be compelled to respond: It is rare we see that we are not blind, but tell us something more about its nature. I am sure that this and no other reason is that, without a reasonable hypothesis towards which to focus their investigations, many so-called "researchers" of the paranormal are in fact paranormal phenomena "collectors". The accumulation of data is, of course, an essential preliminary work, and someone has to. But you never get anywhere if the method of investigation is limited to cataloging and analysis.

Is required, as was needed to explain the fall of an apple, a falsifiable hypothesis that gives meaning to the accumulation of data (4). And paranormality certification is not a falsifiable hypothesis. With it only establishes a feedback loop-and self-satisfaction, which leads nowhere. Let's be blunt: a science and parapsychology, in principle, it is, before the study of a fact can only pretend classified in two ways: as "normal" but "atypical" -that is, to accounts explicable within the framework of known physical laws or to be known, or as 'supernatural', that is inexplicable in light of physical laws-a miracle, for example. What, then, the paranormal?... Its use as an intermediate concept is unacceptable. The gravitational force, as yet unknown -not yet detected the graviton- should then also a paranormal phenomenon. Physicists do not qualify well, limited only to develop hypotheses and try to prove them. Maybe parapsychologists should do likewise, and finally banish the word "paranormal" by unscientific.

The very name "parapsychology" should be replaced. Especially in the case of psi-kappa phenomena of physical nature, is clearly inadequate: the explanation of the poltergeist phenomenon, for example, be of psychological nature no longer a vagary. And a vagary can not name a science, only the phenomenon that underlies this vagary. Only ideology, not science, speculations are named after. Otherwise, cosmology currently expandinguniversology should be called because the dominant cosmological hypothesis at present is that the universe is expanding unstoppable.

Shall conclude these remarks with a suggestion: embrace the study of psi phenomena-gamma, psi-kappa, ufology, the cryptozoology, etc., Under the label "imperfect but reasonable for xenology, from Greek Xenos that means strange, unusual, strange surprising (5), and so far has been used to refer to a hypothetical study of extraterrestrial life. Expanded the term, since the meaning attached to the alien is not too widespread yet, and we still have time for appropriating (6). Xenology: study of strange phenomena -would we always Xenophenomenology, but is a little long, don't you think?-. It's just a proposal, discuss and improve. Perhaps someone has thought it before this purpose, I don't know.

In any case, is a proposal that fits within a broader appeal: invoke the students of this subject, all those who have not only verified the existence of strange phenomena, but also yearn for greater rigor in their study, which spend a few minutes to rethink their use of certain terms and contribute in their writings, conferences and declarations, to clarify this stuff unintelligible misunderstandings and contradictions in the debate that the "land of the hidden".

If not, we will continue witnessing for a long time the regrettable show of these charlatans and frauds who appear on television bragging impunity "witch, parapsychologists and experts in quantum mechanics", all for the same tube. Let's put some order into this mess, which is a real danger and constant aggression against the dignity of those who hold a legitimate claim of knowledge.

APPENDIX: I propose the holding-even in the virtuality of an internet forum of speaking time in the field, in a meeting open to journalists and researchers of "hidden" parapsychological societies members and stakeholders in general which are discussed the pros and cons of old and new classifications, as the language, as we all know, serves to communicate, and therefore feeds on consensus between the parties.

Carlos Atanes

Barcelona, September 2003

Notes:

(1) Definition of that term "esoteric" proposes the thesaurus Julio Casares: "Hidden, enigmatic, incomprehensible. Refers to the doctrine that philosophers of antiquity did not communicate but small number of his disciples. "

(2) Definition of the term that "occultism" proposes the thesaurus Julio Casares: "Science that aims to investigate and use the hidden forces of nature, and especially those which are mysterious or supernatural."

(3) Review of Professor Hans Bender about EVP Parapsichology published in Review.

(4) The famed Dr. JB Rhine of Duke University, is a model example of science that justifies the massive collection of samples under strictly controlled conditions-in the early 30s of last century 85,000 made in the proof-test Statistical hypothesis: in his case it was, quite simply, to certify the existence of telepathic powers. Even as its coat of another color, the millionaire James Randi demonstrate a comparable rigor in their hunt for fraud. As far as I'm concerned the status of "skeptical" of the latter does not change anything to be a 'researcher of the strange "because I think the first goal, and the most pressing of all parapsychologist is to remove the possible farce hidden among the scenes of seemingly paranormal phenomena.

(5) And also, in all honesty: stranger, stranger, pilgrim ...

(6) Moreover, if re-baptized a study area based on an unproven hypothesis-extratarrestre-existence of life rather than a phenomenology observed, that is the subject of study. As part of the phenomena so far qualified as paranormal it up a corpus of study, are within their rights to pull the xenology race off.