''Postmodernism'' is a term often applied to cultural developments tha
t react against the perceived excesses of ''modernism,'' such as scien
tific dogmatism and spiritual demoralization. When ''psychical researc
h'' became ''parapsychology,'' it adopted the strategies of modernism,
although many of its spokespeople display commonalities with such pos
tmodern trends as the tolerance of diversity in worldviews, the acknow
ledgment of the social construction of reality, and its emphasis on th
e complexities of human consciousness. According to postmodern theoris
ts, the dismissal of parapsychological data by mainstream science is m
ore a matter of power than of knowledge, hence it would be prudent for
parapsychologists to forge alliances with organizations and movements
that share an awareness of the dominant paradigm's shortcomings and i
nequities.