According to the Institute of Noetic Sciences noetic science studies "how beliefs, thoughts, and intentions affect the physical world." The noetic scientists believe that while traditional science focuses on external observation and is grounded in objective evaluation, measurement, and experimentation, there is another way of obtaining knowledge — the subjective or internal, including gut feelings, intuition, and hunches. This includes experiences that cannot be explained or proven "rationally" but are felt to be absolutely real. Noetic science attempts to apply a scientific lens to the study of subjective experience and to ways that consciousness may influence the physical world.
Noetic (from the Greek word meaning "mental") science has been equated with parapsychology, metaphysical philosophy, and New Age thought. It is an attempt to establish a connection between the human mind and the physical universe. It attempts to discover the power and source of human intelligence, including how thoughts cause physical effects.
Noetic science delves into the areas of telepathy, telekinesis, precognition, and self-healing. In spite of the exhaustive studies into these areas, where they have been found to be unscientific at best and outright fiction at worst, people continue to seek knowledge through them. This is little more than the ancient practice of Gnosticism, which is seeking a higher knowledge, not from the Bible, but acquired on some mystical higher plane of existence.
Mankind has always attempted to gain knowledge outside that which God has provided through His Word. The Apostle Paul warned that the preaching of the Word would not be sufficient for those who seek to gain knowledge through superstition. "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths" (2 Timothy 4:3–4). Teachers of extra-biblical revelations will always be with us. Noetic "scientists" prove that to be true.
The Christian worldview is one based on the truths of the Word of God, "the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:15). In His Word, God has given us all we need so that we "may be complete, equipped for every good work " (2 Timothy 3:17). As such, there is no need for Christians to involve themselves, or give credibility to, any metaphysical pseudoscience, including noetics.
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