I have an additional theoretical problem with PSI, and natural human superpowers in general.
If our human ancestors had a natural capacity for any element of PSI, it would convey a substantial evolutionary advantage:
- Remote viewing would allow people to find food sources, stalk prey, avoid predators, and find mates from tens of kilometers away.
- Telepathy would enable silent, invisible, long-distance communication. A tribe with that ability would co-operate better while hunting, and also enable wider circles of trade, etc.
- Involuntary mind reading would let you preempt another tribe's attack, and successfully negotiate any deal.
- Predicting the future has obvious, massive, benefits. You could avoid most threats (except ones you don't understand, like disease) and be prepared for every opportunity.
Therefore, anyone who had this ability would be very likely to pass on their genes, both for reasons of natural selection, and sexual selection. Imagine how much the opposite sex would be attracted to anyone who could demonstrate PSI powers.
That's really the problem with all superpowers that are supposed to be inherited. If something novel and useful ever evolved, like human intelligence or language, pretty soon the whole population would have it and it wouldn't be considered a superpower anymore (at least not by humans; maybe dogs think we're gods).
On the other hand, if some fakir, priest, medium or psychic claims to be using a power that is "natural", or that they were "born with" or that "everybody has", then everybody would be using it. If they offer some excuse as to why other people don't use their titanic superpowers, like that they're distracted, or that they haven't taken the time to clear their minds, then the human mind isn't very well tuned for taking advantage of PSI. You could have an autistic level of obsession over your PSI powers, and still probably come out on top. Since we don't, that's a pretty strong argument that PSI doesn't exist.
