May 2026
In a preliminary study, researchers have found associations between certain genetic variants and psychic abilities, notably genes linked to processes for communication between brain cells.
Psychic phenomena are reported across cultures. Their biological underpinnings are poorly understood. Wherever psychic abilities are taken seriously, it is generally recognized as something that runs in certain families. Could there be a genetic component to these faculties? Possibly, according to a study published in Explore, a journal of science and healing.
“Although the heritability of physical and intellectual traits has been extensively studied, research on the inheritance of psychic abilities remains far less developed,” the authors write.
The study was conducted by a team of researchers from the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS), including Director of Research Helané Wahbeh and Chief Scientist Dean Radin.
The final sample comprised 102 participants, primarily women, with at least one self-reported psychic experience (there was a minimum of three among the final participants) that they believed transcended the normal boundaries of time and space, high paranormal beliefs, and access to genetic data from sites like 23andMe, and Ancestry.com.
The five most commonly reported types of experience were claircognizance, clairempathy, precognition, clairvoyance, and lucid dreaming. More than 80 percent also reported that family members had similar experiences.
When analyzing information about specific locations in the genome where people differ, the researchers found that certain genetic variants and neurobiological features appear to be associated with psychic abilities.
The most statistically significant variant the team identified is linked to genes that influence how neurons regulate calcium signaling, “a key process for communication between brain cells,” per the paper.
Another gene cluster that was identified indicates dynamics in a cell structure called microtubules, which is associated with consciousness in one prominent scientific theory.
The team describes their findings as an “exploratory analysis”, intended as a guide for future testing of the hypothesis.
“More diverse cohorts and refined analytic methods will be essential to clarifying the genetic and neurobiological underpinnings of psychic phenomena,” the paper reads.
Anders Bolling
