Koestler Parapsychology Unit, University of Edinburgh

The Koestler Parapsychology Unit is the University of Edinburgh's research group for parapsychology, established in 1985 from the Koestler bequest that funded a Chair of Parapsychology at a British university. Based in the Psychology department, it is the UK's only endowed academic unit dedicated to the field and the European anchor for the subject's academic study.

The unit's stated work examines the possible existence of psychic ability, anomalous experiences and belief in the paranormal, deception and self-deception, and historical and conceptual issues in parapsychology, with experimental programs covering telepathy, clairvoyance and ESP testing in the Ganzfeld tradition. It also runs a registry for parapsychological studies, giving the field a formal register of ongoing research.

The unit's history runs from John Beloff's appointment in 1962 through Robert Morris's two decades as Koestler Professor, during which he supervised more than thirty postgraduate students who went on to found research units and teach parapsychology at other institutions. The unit continues to supervise PhD research and publish in mainstream journals, keeping parapsychology inside academic psychology. The institution's stated mission: Promoting excellence in parapsychology.