Positive psychology in the clinical parapsychology setting

This presentation expands on the guest lecture given at the Bucks New University 2nd Positive Psychology Symposium (Cooper, 2016), regarding the union between positive psychology and areas of parapsychology (from the laboratory to the field). A recap will be given, on links between positive psychology and parapsychology, and how the two areas have been seen to complement each other. Focus will then be given to two of the previous areas mentioned at the 2nd symposium, these being instances of spontaneous and sought experiences. For example, there has been much research into the benefits of counselling for anomalous experiences, now seen within the domain of clinical parapsychology, bridging anomalous experiences with an understanding of the therapeutic benefits and transformative features within these experiences. Looking to the typical studies within clinical parapsychology, again, much research has focused on the overlaps between anomalous experiences following a bereavement. Focus will therefore also be given the lead author's own research specifically exploring mediumship as a form of counselling - where people seek out an experience which appears to aid symptoms of grief and loss. It will be argued that mediumship can be seen as a form of holistic intervention, in enhancing positive psychological attributes within the bereaved to help with coping, post-traumatic growth, and other positive psychological attributes.