Historical Panorama
Several are the divisions of the history of the Parapsicologia. But with the didactic purpose, we will use the classification of Charles Richet (fisiologista Frenchman, researcher of the Parapsicologia of the beginning of sc. XX): ) Mythical period (of the beginning of the times up to 1778); b) Magnetic period (of 1778 the 1847); c) Period Espiritista (of 1847 the 1872) and d) Scientific Period (of 1872 to the current days). ) Mythical period (of the beginning of the times up to 1778): This is the difficult period amplest and of being studied in the history of the Parapsicologia, therefore everything what we make use is evidences. To the parapsiclogo it fits to clip the possible paranormais phenomena of the stories, teachings and descriptions gotten in old documents or existing legends and beliefs then. The religions and the ocultismo are rich sources of information.
Here an important comment fits: the Parapsicologia approaches the phenomena paranormais of scientific form, differently of the religions and the ocultismo. However it can have confusions in regards to the interpretations of these boardings. Many use the Parapsicologia as instrument of defense and/or spreading of one determined religion or belief, what it is inadmissible To a parapsiclogo it fits to study any religions or beliefs, but if the parapsiclogo does not involve with doctrines nor promotes the faith wants to know phenomena that can interest the Parapsicologia, study them and catalogue them How much to the interpretation that each belief or religion possue nothing fits to the scientist to comment. On this subject, Alfred Still it remembers in them that the religion admits forces extra-human beings and they always ask for concessions (former.: the conjunct); Already the magic, the ocultismo, although to admit the existence of these forces it intends to dominate them, to use them in direct command, domain this gotten by the trainings.