Carrie: Telekinesis, Mind Power

Carrie was my favorite movie and book when I was younger. The book is still one of my favorite ones - Stephen King is my favorite author - but this new version of the movie is not as good as the original version. The plot, though, remains wonderful and well told. It talks about telekinesis and this scene illustrates it effectively.

Taken and edited from the awesome site

http://learn-telekinesis-training.com/

Telekinesis denotes the paranormal ability of the mind to influence matter, time, space, or energy without the use of any currently known type of physical means.


 Divide the class into two groups - half the class reads text 1 and the other half reads text 2.


TEXT 1 - TELEKINESIS - FACTS


Telekinesis is generally considered limited to the movement of matter which would include causing an object to move, shake, vibrate, spin, break and to create heat or cold in an object via the speeding up or slowing down of the atoms an object is made of. A controversial metaphysical ability in which an individual can physically manipulate an object remotely using only the mind and without exerting any direct physical force. Telekinesis or 'psychokinesis' has been a staple of magic acts and illusionists for centuries but there are those who claim to be able to perform the feat through no tricks or illusionary means. There have been a growing number of claims in recent years in particular from young adults who claim to be able to perform telekinesis and other psychic feats. Numerous videos have appeared on-line purported to show individuals moving objects or manipulating a psi-wheel under a glass bowl.  Many people believe that there is physiological or psychological evidence for the human brain's capacity to do far more than we imagine: after all, they say, we only use 10 percent of our brains. They claim that psychic powers, including telekinesis, are merely the result of psychics being able to use more of their brains than others. After all, they ask, what wonders could we accomplish by tapping the other 90 percent of our brains?



TEXT 2 - TELEKINESIS - FICTION


The history of telekinesis is a history of frauds and fakery, both proven and suspected. Even many researchers studying psychokinesis admit that the data fall far short of scientific standards of proof. But they face an even bigger problem: there is no known mechanism by which the human mind could move or bend material objects. Even if our brain waves could somehow influence objects, the laws of physics demonstrate that the waves don't extend beyond a few millimeters from the skull. People who claim to have telekinesis are mostly a thing of the past. Of course, if people really did have the ability to move objects with their minds, they would likely not waste their time being tested in laboratories but instead becoming rich in Las Vegas altering dice rolls at craps, or as top sports stars fixing golf shots. In spite of results of various studies in Russia, the United States, and elsewhere that seem to indicate telekinesis is a real phenomenon, the mainstream scientific community feels that there is not enough quantifiable evidence to prove the existence of telekinesis or other psychic phenomenon. Researchers continue to work to prove or disprove psychic phenomenon. Recent theories have attempted to relate psychic phenomenon to quantum theory. Until definitive evidence is discovered, however, telekinesis will remain unproven. James Randi's psychic challenge offered to pay a large cash sum to anyone who could prove the existence of psychokinetic phenomena. No one has ever been granted the prize money, which sums up to more than 1 million dollars.

Edited from these great informative sites. Wonderful optional reading.

http://www.life123.com/hobbies/magic-illusion/mind-reading/telekinesis-facts.shtml
http://www.livescience.com/28119-telekinesis.html

Pair up the one student from each group and have them share the information they read.

Watch the movie segment and discuss the questions that follow.

1) Describe the scene.

2) What are some of Carrie's telekinesthetic powers?

3) What did she do to find out about her powers?

4) What's your opinion about telekinesis? Is it a fact or mere fiction?

5) Would you like to have such a skill? Why (not)?

6) What advantages/disadvantages would this kind of power bring to one's every day life?

7) How different would our society be if everyone could do telekinesis? Would life be better or worse?


MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - CARRIE