James A. Conrad

Religion and Its Implications for Telekinesis & Psychokinesis

Is the use of psychic powers allowed in Christianity, Islam, and Judiam?
Online Resource Center by James A Conrad. Listed alphabetically; no endorsement implied.
The Bible
Question: Is Psychokinesis allowed in Christianity?
James A. Conrad comments: The verses below are from the New Testament of the Bible. The founders of Christianity who authored them seem to be clear in their intent that they support the position that Jesus approved the use of what we now call psychokinesis and telekinesis by ordinary humans who possess great faith.

Whether that "faith" and accompanying telekinetic power is supposed to be sourced directly through the Christian God, a divine gift with free will attached, or one's own evolved human mental capability as a Christian is a topic open to further debate within modern Christianity, if you are a member of that religion.


Matthew 21:18-21 (New King James Version):
(See also Mark 11:23)
18. Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry.
19. And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, "Let no fruit grow on you ever again." Immediately the fig tree withered away.
20. And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither away so soon?"
21. So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done."

Matthew 17:18-20 (New King James Version):
18. And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.
19. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?"
20. So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you."

Luke 17:5-6 (New King James Version):
5. And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."
6. So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."

The Quran also spelled Koran
Question: Is Psychokinesis permissible in Islam or not?
"A: Our opinion on practicing arts like Telekinesis and Psychokinesis, etc, if they really exist, is that as long as it does not involve any haraam; e.g., Subjuing jins, shaitaani actions, witchcraft, etc., this in principle it could not be classified as haraam. However due of it being a huge waste of time and effort, one would not be advised to destroy his priceless time in this avenue, solely for the "kick". Yes, if it is possible for it to have social benefits (possible helping people by moving objects for them) or maybe for jihad by attacking the enemy through it, then it would be completely permissible."
      — Fatwa issued by Mufti Ebrahim Desai, June 19, 2004, Askimam.org - Islamic Q & A Online

Source 1: http://askimam.org/public/question_detail/11118.html | Internet Archive.  Identity of questioner unknown.
Source 2: Original URL: http://www.islam.tc/cgi-bin/askimam/ask.pl?q=11118&act=view (no longer valid) | Internet Archive.
Source 3: Do a Google search for "Is Psychokinesis permissible in Islam or not?"
Source 4: It may also be online in languages other than English.

James A. Conrad comments: (see paragraph at the end of the next section on Judaism).

The Tanakh also called the Hebrew Bible
Question: Is Psychokinesis allowed in Judaism?

Full question: Is Psychokinesis allowed in Judaism? As long as it is sourced not from evil, but from God, either naturally or a divine gift, is there anything in the Jewish religion that would forbid a Jew from possessing and using psychokinesis, such as to move rubble after an earthquake or to defend Israel? — James A. Conrad, March 6, 2012


"A: I am not aware of the phenomenon as a scientific reality, but if in theory a person had this ability and did not do anything forbidden (witchcraft?) to acquire this ability, then I would say it is a gift from God and the person should use his 'super-power' wisely."

      — Rabbi Moshe Newman, Israel, March 7, 2012, AskTheRabbi.org - Judaism Q & A Online

Source: Email on file.


"A: Use of psychokinesis is generally disallowed. There are exceptions such as the cases that you mentioned, whereby human lives can be saved."

      — Rabbi P. Waldman, Israel, March 9, 2012, Ask the Rabbi, Aish.com

Source: Email on file.


"A: These abilities you speak of are manipulations of the natural order, which according to Kabbalah are really miraculous and a constant feat of creation by G-d. Just that it happens so consistently we take it for granted. However, the righteous who labor for years to attain holiness and total attachment to G-d, His will and wisdom, and total observance of Judaism are granted abilities to influence the natural order. But this is not public or known or publicized. Technically it's possible, yet the world doesn't exist to play games, rather to reveal G-d, and that's why such abilities are entrusted only to the righteous."

      — Rabbi Zalman Nelson, Israel, March 12, 2012, Ask the Rabbi, Chabad.org

Source: Email on file.


Other published research:

"Commenting on the law of the mekhashef in the Mishnah, Abbaye (278-338) remarks (Sanhedrin 6713) that with regard to magical practices there are three separate categories:

  1. The actual performance of the magical act, for which, as the Mishnah states, there is full culpability.
  2. Deceiving the eyes, for which there is no full culpability but which is nonetheless forbidden, according to Abbaye.
  3. White magic, performed by a perusal of the Sefer Yetzirah (Book of Creation) i.e. to bring something into being by means of certain divine names.
It is permitted to use these supernatural means even in the first instance. Thus, resort to white magic is permitted; to deceive the eyes is forbidden but there is no culpability, and to perform by sorcery a magical act is to be culpable. ... When we turn to the Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh De'Ah 179:15) we find the ruling that ochez et haenyim is forbidden but that it is permitted to perform 'white magic' by means of the Sefer Yetzirah."

      — Rabbi Louis Jacobs (1920-2006), United Kingdom, Masorti Journal, 1993.

Source 1: Masorti Journal, 1993, "When Magicians Get in a Pickle Over Cucumbers" by Rabbi Dr Louis Jacobs.

James A. Conrad comments:

Judaism. My analysis is that, for an observant Jew, PK openly claimed to be sourced from God and used for righteous acts and the defense of Judaism would be permitted; PK sourced from evil is "sorcery," deception, and forbidden; and PK done as entertainment is generally allowed as long as the magician or illusionist does not claim it to be real. Thus, in my opinion, the government of Israel, or any individual Jew or group of Jews worldwide, could, if they were so inclined, pursue psychokinesis research with the intended goal of using it to defend Judaism and Israel one day if needed and only if it were done in the name of the Jewish God and, as such, it would not be a violation of Jewish religious law.

Islam. Note that the same conditional uses appear to apply to Muslims and the Islamic faith, though more controversially and dangerously in many extremist Muslim-majority countries where an accusation of witchcraft or sorcery can result in a death sentence, as opposed to a Muslim or group of Muslims, say, living in a free and open country with a Muslim population researching and attempting to acquire psychokinetic abilities.

Christianity, Islam, Judaism. Note also that for all three religions, the knowledge and practice of making and using knives, swords, arrows, spears, guns, mines, bombs, tanks, missiles, and nuclear weapons have long been interpreted and judged not to violate religious laws and that defensive weapons are routinely used around the world to protect Holy sites and religious leaders in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.

Web Page Photo Credits

Except where noted, entire contents © copyright 2012 James A. Conrad.

Bible photo: public domain (publicdomainpictures.net, "Open Bible" by Petr Kratochvil).

Tanakh / Hebrew Bible photo: public domain (Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons).

How to cite this page:
Conrad, James A. 2012. Religion and Its Implications for Telekinesis & Psychokinesis. https://jamesaconrad.com/TK/religion-and-telekinesis-psychokinesis.html
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