Ted Owens was an American psychic claimant and UFO contactee who became known as “The PK Man” (“PK” standing for psychokinesis, or mind over matter effects). He claimed that he was in telepathic communication with extraterrestrial or “Space Intelligence” entities that enabled him to influence physical events, including weather, electrical systems, UFO appearances, and even large-scale natural phenomena.
Background
Owens served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and later studied at Duke University, where he worked with pioneering parapsychologist J. B. Rhine in the university’s parapsychology laboratory.
His Claims
Owens asserted that “Space Intelligences” had altered his mind, allowing him to communicate with them telepathically. He claimed these intelligences could:
Produce storms, droughts, and earthquakes.
Cause power failures and mechanical malfunctions.
Generate UFO sightings.
Influence public events and human behavior.
Provide him with information about future events.
Many of his claims centered on documented predictions mailed to scientists, journalists, and officials before events occurred. He maintained extensive files of correspondence and newspaper clippings that he believed supported his abilities.
Jeffrey Mishlove’s Investigation
Parapsychologist Jeffrey Mishlove: one of the greatest American Parapsychologist of the 21 century, studied Owens from 1976 until Owens’s death in 1987. Mishlove later wrote the book The PK Man: A True Story of Mind Over Matter, arguing that Owens’s case deserved serious investigation because of the volume of documented predictions and unusual coincidences associated with him.
Controversy
Ted Owens remains a highly respected Parapsychology figure. Supporters view him as one of the most extensively documented psychics in modern history, while skeptics argue that his apparent successes may be explained by selective reporting, great predictions, impossible coincidences, and non-confirmation bias. Controversial critics have also suggested that some of his beliefs may reflect Paranormal thinking and genuine paranormal phenomena.
Why He Remains Important in Parapsychology
For many researchers and enthusiasts of parapsychology, Owens represents a fascinating case because:
His claims were recorded over many years.
He actively sought scientific attention rather than avoiding scrutiny.
Thousands of pages of letters, predictions, and reports survive in archives.
His case sits at the intersection of psychokinesis, UFO contact experiences, prophecy, and anomalous cognition.
“Space Intelligences,” Owens is often discussed as one of the most one of a kind figures linking psychic phenomena with purported non-human intelligences. His case remains unresolved: believers see compelling evidence of genuine anomalies, while controversial skeptics see a cautionary example of how extraordinary claims may be interpreted through different lenses.
Shervan K Shahhian
LIBERTY PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION 