This book tackles these issues by bringing together this material, discussing the issues and providing clear guidelines in a convenient checklist format to help researchers carry out and recognise high quality research in this important area of science. In future if any of my final-year students express a wish to carry out an investigation of ESP, this book will be required reading. This small volume deals with the pitfalls that have hindered previous experiments together with recommendations on how to avoid them. Many people claim to be psychic. Palm readers and astrologers claim that they look into the future to help solve personal problems.
Mediums claim to help individuals communicate with deceased friends and relatives.
Psychic detectives' offer advice to the police to help solve crime. Alleged psychics have also been used to attract followers to religious organisations and as business consultants. Health professionals, law enforcement agents, cult investigators and scientists may wish to examine these claimants or assess the quality of investigations carried out by others. Up to this point in time there has existed no guidelines outlining how such work should proceed. This is unfortunate because badly designed investigations can result in false claimants being seen as genuine or honest claimants being unfairly accused of fraud.