Psychic abilities such as postcognition, psychometry, telepathy and physical/mental mediumship are all branches of a broader subject known as Parapsychology. People with psychic abilities are claimed to affect or retrieve information through a channel that does not belong within the scope of conventional or mainstream science. The credibility of such claims has been vehemently questioned by many, due to lack of evidence but its existence, however absurd it may seem, cannot be simply discarded because of the deep roots Parapsychology has in history and culture.

Anomalous Cognition:

These are the two types of psychic abilities or Parapsychology - Anomalous Cognition and Anomalous Operation. Anomalous Cognition may also be known as Extra Sensory Perception (ESP) and includes:

Telepathy: is the ability to communicate information mentally from one person to another, without using any physical signs and other aids.

Precognition: is the ability to perceive information and predict future events before they actually happen. This information is achieved by a special mental ability and not deductive reasoning.

Postcognition or Retrocognition: is the ability to achieve information about events that has already occurred which are usually unknown by others. For example, "psychic detectives" claim to use this method to detect possible murderers.

Psychometry: is another form of postcognition which enables a person to achieve information about events that had already occurred by being in close contact with the area or object where the event took place.

Clairvoyance: is the ability to perceive distant objects, persons, or events. Sometimes clairvoyants may claim to have the ability to see through opaque structures like brick walls, and perceive unseen energy such as radio waves. Subtypes include clairaudience, clairalience, clairgustance, and clairsentience.

Anomalous Operation:

Anomalous Operation, simply put, is communication by paranormal means. The different types of Anomalous Operation are closely related which include:

Psychokinesis: or telekinesis or remote influencing is the ability to move physical objects and influence the behavior of matter mentally without the aid of any other devices.

Out-of-body experience (OBE): is the ability to separate one's physical body from the soul, spirit or mind. OBE is a common phenomenon and often linked to Near-death experiences, dreams, alcohol and drugs.

Astral Projection: is closely linked with Out-of-body experience. The astral body is a "double" of the real physical body but separated from it, moving freely on its own in the astral plane. Astral projection is also often linked with drugs, dreams and NDE's.

Near-death experience (NDE): is one of the most common Out-of-body experiences. When some people who are proclaimed to be clinically dead are revived again, they relate experiences in which they travel out of their physical bodies and see their own dead bodies.

Mediumship: in which private séances are performed to link spirits with the living world by way of physical manifestations such as raps, audible voices, body movements, and materializing figures of the dead.

Faith Healing: or spiritual healing is the ability to heal sickness by spiritual means such as praying, pilgrimage, and other religious rituals. Faith healing is also considered a form of alternative medicine.