Parapsychology (from the Greek: παρά para, "alongsie" + psychology) is the study of ostensibly paranormal events including extrasensory perception, psychokinesis, and survival of consciousness after death. Parapsychologists call these processes psi, a term intended to be descriptive without implying a mechanism. Parapsychology is a fringe science because it involves research that does not fit within standard theoretical models accepted by mainstream science.