There seems to be a lot of confusion between the terms ‘Paranormal’, ‘Parapsychology’, and ‘Metaphysical’. I have included very loose definitions; for convenience, I am including Wikipedia links within the paragraphs that follow. (Please remember, Wikipedia can be altered by the public).
I also added a section on what appears to be the common usage of the terms (at least in the US).
Loosely Defined
Metaphysics – (meta = beyond, after, with, etc.) – often defined as a philosophy of the realm, or realms, beyond the physical; and/or the connectedness we all share. Metaphysics can have many sub-categories or branches, such as: religion, perception, cosmology, ontology, etc. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaphysics
Metaphysical – pertaining to that which is beyond the physical.
Paranormal – (para = beyond, above, below, near, etc.) – generally speaking, defined along the lines of: that which is beyond the normal that is possibly lacking scientific explanation, to include ESP, telepathy, precognition, ‘ghosts’, etc.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paranormal
Parapsychology – generally defined as the scientific study of ESP, psychic, precognitive, etc. abilities or experiences.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parapsychology
More Common Usage
Metaphysical – pertaining to that which is beyond the physical ‘norm’ and can include (but is not limited to): ESP, psychic abilities, telepathy; communication with ‘ghosts’, other world beings (UFO’s), etc.
Paranormal – possibly due to the increase of ghost hunting TV shows, ‘paranormal’ is most commonly used in reference to ghosts, poltergeists, demons, etc. and proving or disproving their existence through a more technological approach, such as: cameras (various types); EMF (electromagnetic field) detectors; and EVP (electronic voice phenomenon), etc.
Parapsychology – Institutes, establishments, researchers that apply controlled scientific tests to prove or disprove that which is beyond the physical – such as psychic abilities, ‘ghosts’, etc.
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