Theories on the Physical Basis of PSI (i.e.: ESP and PK).

1. Prehistory up to about 1850 is referred to as the pre-scientific era of PSI (i.e.: the early scientific era lasted from about 1850 to 1930 and was dominated by the modern spiritualism movement).
2. 1930 through the present PSI research has been dominated by more scientific inquiries including lab experimentation and theoretical development. In respect to the role of physics in such research, the scientific era is further divided into two distinct periods:
   • The first is the mental or psychological aspects of PSI dominated research and/or theoretical work (i.e.: this period lasted until about 1970).
   • The second was after 1970 when physics became more than lesser partners of parapsychology or PSI research.
     
     

In the pre-science era, PSI research was based on Newtonian mechanics and made deep inroads into superstitious beliefs. A separation developed at that time between religion and science with each declaring its own realm of influence. It became difficult for many individuals to believe the universe and everything in it were nothing more than mechanisms described by Newton's laws of motion. Many believed life was more than mechanics and that a 'life force' existed that wasn't subject to Newtonian law. This 'life force' was a precursor to psi.

Physical theories of PSI have been in effect for as long as physics has existed and psychic phenomena have been known to run simultaneously to physics, but no complete physical theory of PSI has ever been proposed. Physics and physical concepts relative to psychic phenomena don't constitute the development of PSI theory. Physics managed to stay at the forefront of science and whether advantageous or not, other sciences followed the lead of physics. After Newtonian physics other science disciplines were modeled after physics; therefore, early attempts to physically psychic phenomena were influenced directly through the physics of the era in history. Physics moves rapidly and covers new areas through application that have previously offered speculative applications in regard to physical principles being applied to newly discovered phenomena?known as "phenomena" that had been thought to occur outside the normal scope of physics. In the physical explanations of psychic phenomena, theories at the advanced edges of physics more often than not have been used to explain the paranormal than the normal physics of any give period would have.

Paranormal phenomena dates to an earlier era when John Webster associated 'corporeal beams' as influencing external objects (i.e.: telekinesis). Henry More theorized that a fourth spatial dimension of

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