PSI POWERS

   A name given to the full spectrum of mental powers studied by the PSEUDO-SCIENCE of parapsychology, and a common item of sf TERMINOLOGY. In his book From Anecdote to Experiment in Psychical Research (1972), Robert Thouless claims that he and Dr B.P. Wiesner invented the term, prior toits use in sf circles, as being less liable to suggest a pre-existing theory than the term "Extra Sensory Perception" (or ESP). The term was adopted into sf during the "psi boom" which John W. CAMPBELL Jr promoted in ASTOUNDING SCIENCE-FICTION during the early 1950s. Campbell also popularized in the mid-1950s the related term "psionics", which he once defined as "psychic electronics"; one of its earliest uses was in Murray LEINSTER's "The Psionic Mousetrap" (1955). Although many notable psistories deal with the entire spectrum of such powers, telepathy, clairvoyance and precognition - the "perceptual" paranormal powers - are in this encyclopedia covered in the section on ESP (where many stories featuring the full range of psi powers are also cited). The principal psi powers which remain for specific consideration here are: psychokinesis or telekinesis (moving objects by the power of the mind); teleportation (moving oneself likewise, although the term is sometimes extended to covertechnologies of MATTER TRANSMISSION); pyrolysis (psychic fire-raising); and the ability to take control of the minds of others (which, for some unknown reason, has never been dressed up with a fancy jargon term - although it is, of course, often thought to be possible by means of hypnosis or mesmerism).Campbell's psi-boom was inspired by ideas borrowed from J.B. Rhine (1895-1980) and Charles FORT to the effect that many individuals with latent psi powers were already among us; Campbell took them as representing the "next step" in human EVOLUTION. His own "Forgetfulness" (1937 ASF as by Don A. Stuart) offers a significant earlyimage of a human race which has outgrown its dependence on TECHNOLOGY because the mind can do everything that once required tools. This idea is widely featured in the works of A.E. VAN VOGT and Theodore STURGEON, and received a new lease of life after 1945 when the advent of the Bomb inspired many stories in which the world before or after the HOLOCAUST might be redeemed by psi-powered MUTANTS, as in Poul ANDERSON's Twilight World (1947-61 ASF; fixup 1961), John WYNDHAM's Re-Birth (1955 US; vt TheChrysalids UK) and Phyllis GOTLIEB's Sunburst (1964). Later versions of the theme can be found in David PALMER's Emergence (1984) and the more ambivalent Taji's Syndrome (1988) by Chelsea Quinn YARBRO.All the psi powers, of course, used to be in the repertoire of powerful magicians (MAGIC), and most are featured in occult romances. Mind control(possession) has always been a popular theme in horror stories, and there is a considerable grey area between sf and supernatural fiction of this kind. Notable works featuring such powers include Trilby (1894) by George DU MAURIER, The Parasite (1895) by Arthur Conan DOYLE, Congratulate theDevil (1939) by Andrew MARVELL, "But without Horns" (1940) by Norvell W. PAGE, The Midwich Cuckoos (1957; vt Village of the Damned US) by John Wyndham and Children of the Thunder (1989) by John BRUNNER. Considered historically, teleportation may be seen as an extrapolation of levitation, which is usually given rather ironic treatment in modern literary works, as in Neil BELL's "The Facts About Benjamin Crede" (1935), Michael HARRISON's Higher Things (1945) and John SHIRLEY's Three-Ring Psychus(1980). In logical terms, however, teleportation may be considered simply as a special case of telekinesis, and levitation therefore crops up in a lot of stories which deal with a broader range of telekinetic powers, including James H. SCHMITZ's The Witches of Karres (1966), Tom REAMY's Blind Voices (1978) and Timothy ZAHN's A Coming of Age (1985). In thepsi-boom years teleportation featured most prominently in Alfred BESTER's Tiger! Tiger! (1956 UK; rev vt The Stars My Destination 1957 US), whichshows NEAR FUTURE society adapting to the development of "jaunting" (teleportation), and also in such works as Gordon R. DICKSON's Time toTeleport (1955 Science Fiction Stories as "Perfectly Adjusted"; 1960). Teleportation by alien creatures is a significant plot element in Anne MCCAFFREY's Pern series, and comes into sharper focus in Vernor VINGE's The Witling (1976) and Walter Jon WILLIAMS's Knight Moves (1985). A recent story in which human teleportation comes in for specific examination is Jumper (1992) by Steven Gould. Fire-raising rarely receives separatetreatment in sf stories, a notable exception being Stephen KING's Firestarter (1980).In order to be dramatically effective, abilities likemind control and telekinesis usually have to be moderated in some way, unless the point of the story is sarcastically to demonstrate the appalling tyranny which would surely result from the human possession of godlike powers, as in Jerome BIXBY's classic "It's a Good Life" (1953), Frederik POHL's "Pythias" (1955) and Henry SLESAR's "A God Named Smith"(1957). On the other hand, the unthinkingly casual use of extravagant powers for trivial purposes is ironically featured in Henry KUTTNER's comedies about the hillbilly Hogbens. Humans made godlike by psi powers are given less cynical treatment in Frank HERBERT's "The Priests of Psi" (1959) and The God Makers (1972), and in several novels by Roger ZELAZNY.One might perhaps wish that L. Ron HUBBARD had retained the amiable cynicism he exhibited in his early psi story "The Tramp" (1938), but instead he went on to build SCIENTOLOGY around a mythology of human evolution towards psionic godhood. Several stories of gradually unfolding psi power reach climaxes which may be regarded as apotheoses - Arthur C. CLARKE's CHILDHOOD'S END (1953) is the most notable example; others areKeith LAUMER's The Infinite Cage (1972) and Oscar ROSSITER's Tetrasomy Two (1974). Carole Nelson DOUGLAS's Probe (1985) and Counterprobe (1988) offer a more moderate account of psi powers, not initially under conscious control, being gradually revealed.Despite the widespread publicity given to the phenomenon of "spoon-bending" in the 1970s there is no convincing evidence that real-world psychics can accomplish more than moderate conjurers by way of telekinesis. It is a little recognized fact that the evidence for ESP, seemingly a more plausible talent, is even worse. That stories of ESP far outnumber stories devoted to the other psi powers has far more to do with intrinsic narrative interest than with questions of likelihood. Some critics feel that, in spite of the elaborate pseudo-scientific jargon developed by believers in the "paranormal", stories of psi powers really belong to the realm of magical FANTASY rather than sf. The rapid growth of genre fantasy in the past two decades has, in fact, allowed many such stories to be appropriately relocated.

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