Difference between revisions of "Paranormal" - New World Encyclopedia

From New World Encyclopedia
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'''Paranormal''' is an [[umbrella term]] used to describe a wide variety of reported [[anomalous phenomena]]. According to the [[Journal of Parapsychology]], the term paranormal describes "any phenomenon that in one or more respects exceeds the limits of what is deemed physically possible according to current scientific assumptions."<ref name=glossary>[http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2320/is_1_68/ai_n13699208/pg_4 Glossary, The Journal of Parapsychology], [[Parapsychological Association]], accessed August 05, 2006</ref> For this reason, the [[scientific community]] often avoids research on the paranormal, believing that it may not conform to the standards required by the [[scientific method]].
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'''Paranormal''', meaning "outside the norm", is an [[umbrella term]] used to describe a wide variety of reported [[anomalous phenomena]] that cannot be explained by current scientific knowledge. The term 'paranormal' is used to describe most subjects studied in [[parapsychology]], which deals with [[psychic]] phenomena like [[telepathy]], [[extra-sensory perception]], [[psychokinesis]], and post-mortem survival studies like [[reincarnation]], [[ghosts]], and [[hauntings]]. Additionally, the term is used to describe subjects outside the scope of parapsychology, including [[UFOs]], creatures like [[Bigfoot]], purported phenomena surrounding the [[Bermuda Triangle]], and many other non-psychical subjects.<ref>Varvoglis, Mario. [http://www.parapsych.org/what_is_psi_varvoglis.htm What is PSI? What Isn't?] Parapsychological Association. retrieved April 27, 2007</ref>
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Paranormal describes subjects studied under [[parapsychology]], which deals with [[psychic]] phenomena like [[telepathy]], [[extra-sensory perception]], [[psychokinesis]], and post-mortem survival studies like [[reincarnation]], [[ghosts]], and [[hauntings]]. However, as a broader category, the paranormal sometimes describes subjects outside the scope of parapsychology, including anomalous aspects of [[UFOs]], some creatures that fall under the scope of [[cryptozoology]], purported phenomena surrounding the [[Bermuda Triangle]], and many other non-psychical subjects.<ref name=psi>[http://www.parapsych.org/what_is_psi_varvoglis.htm What is PSI? What Isn't?], [[Parapsychological Association]], accessed August 01, 2006</ref>
 
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==Etymology==
 
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The word paranormal consists of two parts: [[para]] and [[normal]]. In most definitions of the word paranormal, it is described as anything that is beyond or contrary to what is deemed scientifically possible.<ref name=glossary>[http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2320/is_1_68/ai_n13699208/pg_4 Glossary, The Journal of Parapsychology], [[Parapsychological Association]], accessed August 05, 2006</ref> The definition implies that the scientific explanation of the world around us is the 'normal' part of the word and 'para' makes up the beyond, contrary, or against part of the meaning.
 
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''Para'' has an [[Greek language|Greek]] and [[Latin language|Latin]] origin. Its most common meaning (the Greek usage) is 'similar to' or 'near to', as in [[paragraph]]. In Latin, ''para'' means 'against,' 'counter,' 'outside,' or 'beyond'. For example, ''parapluie'' in [[French language|French]] means 'counter-rain' &ndash; an [[umbrella]]. It can be construed, then, that the term paranormal is derived from the Latin use of the prefix '[[para]]', meaning 'against, counter, outside or beyond the norm.'
 
  
 
==Paranormal research==
 
==Paranormal research==
  
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Approaching paranormal phenomena from a research perspective is often difficult because even when the phenomena are seen as [[real]] they may be difficult to explain using existing rules or theory. By definition, paranormal phenomena exist outside of conventional norms, if they exist at all. [[Skeptics]] contend that they don't. Despite this challenge, studies on the paranormal are periodically conducted by researchers from various disciplines. Some researchers study just the [[beliefs]] in paranormal phenomena regardless of whether the phenomena actually exist.
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Approaching paranormal phenomena from a research perspective is often problematic because, by definition, such phenomena are difficult to explain using existing rules or theory. If they exist at all, paranormal phenomena exist outside of conventional norms. Despite this challenge, studies on the paranormal are periodically conducted by researchers from various disciplines, and psychic phenomena like telepathy and psychokinesis are routinely researched by parapsychologists. Some researchers devote study to just the [[beliefs]] in paranormal phenomena, regardless of whether the phenomena actually exist or not.
  
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This section deals with various approaches to the paranormal including those [[scientific]], [[Pseudoscience|pseudoscientific]], and [[unscientific]]. [[Skeptics]] feel that supposed scientific approaches are actually pseudoscientific for several reasons which are explored below.
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There are several main approaches to investigation of the paranormal, ranging from the [[unscientific]] to the [[scientific]]. Many [[skeptics]] feel that most scientific approaches are actually [[pseudoscience]], and have little to no scientific merit.
  
 
===Anecdotal approach===
 
===Anecdotal approach===
 
[[Image:Fort_charles_1920.jpg|frame|right|[[Charles Fort]], 1920. Fort is perhaps the most widely known collector of paranormal stories.]]
 
[[Image:Fort_charles_1920.jpg|frame|right|[[Charles Fort]], 1920. Fort is perhaps the most widely known collector of paranormal stories.]]
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An anecdotal approach to the paranormal involves the collection of [[anecdotal evidence]], which is an informal account of something that presumably happened. [[Anecdotes]] are often in contrast to [[Empirical|empirical evidence]], which are types of formal accounts that can be investigated using the [[scientific method]]. The anecdotal approach is not a scientific approach to the paranormal because it leaves verification dependent on the credibility of the party presenting the evidence. It is also subject to such [[Fallacy|logical fallacies]] as [[cognitive bias]], [[inductive reasoning]], lack of [[falsifiability]], and other [[fallacies]] that may prevent the [[anecdote]] from having meaningful information to impart. Nevertheless, it is a common approach to paranormal phenomena.
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An anecdotal approach to the paranormal involves the collection of [[anecdotal evidence]], or informal accounts of experiences. In contrast to [[Empirical|empirical evidence]], anecdotal evidence cannot be investigated using the [[scientific method]]. The anecdotal approach is by no means a scientific approach to the paranormal, as verification of a phenomena is totally dependent on the credibility of the party presenting the evidence. Even if such a person is reliable and truthful, the account may be subject to [[cognitive bias]], [[inductive reasoning]], and lack of [[falsifiability]], all of which can make the account useless from a research perspective. Nevertheless, the collection of such evidence is a common approach to paranormal phenomena.
  
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[[Charles Fort]] (1874 – 1932) is perhaps the best known collector of paranormal [[anecdotes]]. Fort is said to have compiled as many as 40,000 notes on unexplained phenomena, though there were no doubt many more than these. These notes came from what he called "the orthodox conventionality of Science," which were odd events originally printed in respected mainstream [[scientific journal]]s or newspapers such as ''[[Scientific American]]'', ''[[The Times]]'', ''[[Nature (journal)| Nature]]'' and ''[[Science (journal)|Science]]''. From these researches Fort wrote seven books, though only four survive. These are: ''[[The Book of the Damned]]'' (1919), ''[[New Lands]]'' (1923), ''[[Lo!]]'' (1931) and ''[[Wild Talents]]'' (1932); one book was written between ''New Lands'' and ''Lo!'' but it was abandoned and absorbed into ''Lo!.''
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[[Charles Fort]] (1874 - 1932) is perhaps the best known collector of paranormal [[anecdotes]]. A self-declared "intermediatist", Fort thought of himself as a true skeptic who opposed [[dogmatism]], and remained open to all possibilities.<Carroll, Robert. [http://skepdic.com/fortean.html "Charles Fort"] The Skeptic's Dictionary. Retrieved April 27, 2007.</ref> Fort is said to have compiled as many as 40,000 accounts of unexplained phenomena, though there were no doubt many more than these. These notes came from what he called "the orthodox conventionality of Science," which were odd events originally printed in respected mainstream [[scientific journal]]s or newspapers such as ''[[Scientific American]]'', ''[[The Times]]'', ''[[Nature (journal)| Nature]]'' and ''[[Science (journal)|Science]]''. From these researches Fort wrote ''[[The Book of the Damned]]'' (1919), ''[[New Lands]]'' (1923), ''[[Lo!]]'' (1931) and ''[[Wild Talents]]'' (1932), in which he discussed such anecdotal evidence and put forth his idea of continuity, where everything exists in an intermediate state between extremes.<ref>[http://www.forteantimes.com/mag_info/about.shtml "About Fortean Times"] Fortean Times. Retrieved April 27, 2007.</ref>
  
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Reported events that he collected include [[teleportation]] (a term Fort is generally credited with coining); [[poltergeist]] events, falls of frogs, fishes, inorganic materials of an amazing range; [[crop circles]]; unaccountable noises and explosions; [[spontaneous combustion|spontaneous fires]]; [[levitation]]; [[ball lightning]] (a term explicitly used by Fort); [[unidentified flying object]]s; [[mysterious appearances and disappearances]]; giant wheels of light in the oceans; and animals found outside their normal ranges (see [[phantom cat]]). He offered many reports of [[OOPArt]]s, abbreviation for "out of place" artifacts: strange items found in unlikely locations. He also is perhaps the first person to explain strange human appearances and disappearances by the hypothesis of [[alien abduction]], and was an early proponent of the [[extraterrestrial hypothesis]].
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Reported events that Fort collected include [[poltergeist]] activity, falls of frogs, fishes, and an amazing range of other materials, [[crop circles]]; unaccountable noises and explosions, [[spontaneous combustion|spontaneous fires]], [[levitation]], [[ball lightning]] (a term explicitly used by Fort), and [[unidentified flying object]]s, among many other things. He is generally credited with coining the term [[teleportation]], and is perhaps the first person to explain strange human appearances and disappearances by the hypothesis of [[alien abduction]], and was an early proponent of the [[extraterrestrial hypothesis]].
  
 
Fort is considered by many as the father of modern paranormalism, which is the belief in paranormal phenomena.
 
Fort is considered by many as the father of modern paranormalism, which is the belief in paranormal phenomena.
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[[Image:Ganzfeld.jpg|frame|right|Participant of a [[Ganzfeld|Ganzfeld Experiment]] which proponents say may show evidence of [[telepathy]].]]
 
[[Image:Ganzfeld.jpg|frame|right|Participant of a [[Ganzfeld|Ganzfeld Experiment]] which proponents say may show evidence of [[telepathy]].]]
 
{{main|parapsychology}}
 
{{main|parapsychology}}
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Experimental investigation of the paranormal is largely conducted in the multidisciplinary field of [[parapsychology]]. Although parapsychology has its roots in earlier research, it began using the experimental approach in the 1930s under the direction of [[J. B. Rhine]] (1895 – 1980).<ref name="EncyOccult">Encyclopedia of Occultism & Parapsychology edited by J. Gordon Melton Gale Research, ISBN 0-8103-5487-X</ref> Rhine popularized the now famous methodology of using card-guessing and dice-rolling experiments in a laboratory to find a statistical validation of [[extra-sensory perception]].<ref name="EncyOccult">Encyclopedia of Occultism & Parapsychology edited by J. Gordon Melton Gale Research, ISBN 0-8103-5487-X</ref>
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Experimental investigation of the paranormal is largely conducted within the field of [[parapsychology]]. Although parapsychology has its roots in earlier research, it is largely credited as having begun with the research of [[J. B. Rhine]] in the 1930's. Rhine popularized the now famous methodology of using card-guessing and dice-rolling experiments in a laboratory to find a statistical validation of [[extra-sensory perception]]. Another well-known technique for testing ESP is found in [[ganzfeld]] experiments, where a subject (receiver) is asked to access through [[psychic]] means a telepathically target. The target is typically a picture or video clip selected randomly, which is viewed in a remote location by another subject (sender). Ganzfeld experiments attempt to create a type of audio and visual [[sensory deprivation]] to remove any kind of external stimulus that may interfere with the testing or corrupt the test by providing cues to correct targets. The expected hit (correctly identified target) ratio of such a trial is 1 in 4, or 25%. Deviations from this expected ratio might be seen as evidence for [[Psi (parapsychology)|psi]], although such conclusions are often disputed.<ref>Carroll, Robert. [http://skepdic.com/psiassumption.html "Psi Assumption"] The Skeptic's Dictionary. Retrieved April 30, 2007</ref>
  
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In 1957, the [[Parapsychological Association]] was formed as the preeminent society for [[parapsychologists]]. In 1969, they became affiliated with the [[American Association for the Advancement of Science]]. That affiliation, along with a general openness to psychic and occult phenomena in the 1970s, led to a decade of increased parapsychological research.<ref name="EncyOccult">Encyclopedia of Occultism & Parapsychology edited by J. Gordon Melton Gale Research, ISBN 0-8103-5487-X</ref> During this time, other notable organizations were also formed, including the Academy of Parapsychology and Medicine (1970), the Institute of Parascience (1971), the Academy of Religion and Psychical Research, the Institute for Noetic Sciences (1973), and the International Kirlian Research Association (1975). Each of these groups performed experiments on paranormal subjects to varying degrees. Parapsychological work was also conducted at the [[Stanford Research Institute]] during this time.<ref name="EncyOccult">Encyclopedia of Occultism & Parapsychology edited by J. Gordon Melton Gale Research, ISBN 0-8103-5487-X</ref>
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In the 1950's, organizations such as the [[Parapsychology Association]] and [[Parapsychological Association]] began to be formed, giving researchers a forum to discuss and compare the results of their research. In 1969, the Parapsychological Association became affiliated with the [[American Association for the Advancement of Science]]. That affiliation, along with a general openness to psychic and occult phenomena in the 1970s, led to a decade of increased parapsychological research. During this time, other notable organizations were also formed, including the Academy of Parapsychology and Medicine (1970), the Institute of Parascience (1971), the Academy of Religion and Psychical Research (1972), the Institute for Noetic Sciences (1973), and the International Kirlian Research Association (1975). Each of these groups performed experiments on paranormal subjects to varying degrees. Parapsychological work was also conducted at the [[Stanford Research Institute]] during this time.
  
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With the increase in parapsychological investigation, there came an increase in opposition to both the findings of parapsychologists and the granting of any formal recognition of the field. Criticisms of the field were focused in the founding of the [[CSICOP|Committee for the Scientific Investigation of  Claims of the Paranormal]] (1976), now called the [[Committee for Skeptical Inquiry]], and its periodical, ''Skeptical Inquirer''.<ref name="EncyOccult">Encyclopedia of Occultism & Parapsychology edited by J. Gordon Melton Gale Research, ISBN 0-8103-5487-X</ref>
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With the increase in parapsychological investigation, there came an increase in opposition to both the findings of parapsychologists and the granting of any formal recognition of the field. The techniques as well as the potential gullibility of researchers was often questioned. Skeptics founded the [[CSICOP|Committee for the Scientific Investigation of  Claims of the Paranormal]] (1976), now called the [[Committee for Skeptical Inquiry]], and its periodical, ''Skeptical Inquirer". The goal of the committee was not to reject claims of the paranormal, but rather to "carefully examine such claims" and to "commission research by objective and impartial inquirers".<ref>[http://www.answers.com/topic/committee-for-the-scientific-investigation-of-claims-of-the-paranormal "Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal"] Answers.com. Retrieved April 30, 2007.</ref>
  
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As astronomer [[Carl Sagan]] put it, 'extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence', and experimental research into the paranormal continues today. One such experiment is called the [[Ganzfeld|Ganzfeld Experiment]]. The purpose of the Ganzfeld Experiment, like other parapsychological experiments, is to test for statistical anomalies that might suggest the existence of [[Psi (parapsychology)|psi]], a process indicating psychic phenomena.<ref name=psybulletin>Psychological Bulletin
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As astronomer [[Carl Sagan]] put it, 'extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence'<ref>[http://quotes4all.net/quotations/carl%20sagan/quote_989.html "Carl Sagan Quotes"] Quotes4all.net. Retrieved April 30, 2007.</ref>, and parapsychologists continue to try to find enough evidence to convince the skeptics.
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1994, Vol. 115, No. 1, 4-18.  ''Does Psi Exist?  Replicable Evidence for an Anomalous Process of Information Transfer'' By Daryl J. Bem and Charles Honorton</ref> In the Ganzfeld Experiment, a subject (receiver) is asked to access through [[psychic]] means some target.  The target is typically a picture or video clip selected randomly from a large pool, which is then viewed in a remote location by another subject (sender). Ganzfeld experiments use audio and visual [[sensory deprivation]] to remove any kind of external stimulus that may interfere with the testing or corrupt the test by providing cues to correct targets. A 'hit' refers to a correctly identified target. The expected hit ratio of such a trial is 1 in 4, or 25%. Deviations from this expected ratio might be seen as evidence for [[Psi (parapsychology)|psi]], although such conclusions are often disputed.<ref>[http://skepdic.com/psiassumption.html The Skeptic's Dictionary: Psi Assumption], Robert Todd Carroll, accessed January 3, 2006 </ref>
 
  
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===Participant-observer approach===
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===Participant/observer approach===
 
[[Image:Nightshot2.png|thumb|right|216px|Ghost hunters taking an [[Electromagnetic field|EMF]] reading which proponents say may show evidence of [[ghosts]].]]
 
[[Image:Nightshot2.png|thumb|right|216px|Ghost hunters taking an [[Electromagnetic field|EMF]] reading which proponents say may show evidence of [[ghosts]].]]
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While parapsychologists look for [[quantitative research|quantitative]] evidence of the paranormal in laboratories, a great number of people immerse themselves in [[qualitative research]] through [[participant observer|participant-observer]] approaches to the paranormal. Participant-observer methodologies have overlaps with other essentially qualitative approaches as well, including [[phenomenological]] research that seeks largely to describe subjects ''as they are experienced'', rather than to explain them.<ref name="Husserl">Logical Investigations Husserl, E. 1970 Humanities Press</ref>
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While parapsychologists look for [[quantitative research|quantitative]] evidence of the paranormal in laboratories, other researchers immerse themselves in [[qualitative research]] through [[participant observer|participant-observer]] approaches to the paranormal. [[Ghost hunting]] is a familiar type of participant/observer research. By immersing oneself in the subject being studied, a researcher seeks to gain understanding of the subject. A study might consist of a researcher visiting a place where alleged paranormal activity is said to occur and recording observations while there. Participation levels may vary; researchers may just observe, or they may conduct a [[séance]] or participate in other activities said to cause paranormal activity.
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[[Participant observer|Participant-observation]] is a straightforward technique. It suggest that by immersing onself in the subject being studied, a researcher is presumed to gain understanding of the subject. In paranormal research, a participant-observer study might consist of a researcher visiting a place where alleged paranormal activity is said to occur and recording observations while there. Participation levels may vary. In studying a supposedly [[List of allegedly haunted locations|haunted location]], for example, the researcher may conduct a [[séance]] or participate in other activities said to cause paranormal activity.
 
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Criticisms of participant-observation as a data-gathering technique are similar to criticisms of other approaches to the paranormal, but also include an increased threat to the [[Objectivity (science)|objectivity]] of the researcher, unsystematic gathering of data, reliance on [[subjective]] measurement, and possible observer effects (observation may distort the observed behavior).<ref name="Becker">Problem of inference and proof in participant observation : Problem of inference and proof in participant-observation, Reprint edition. Becker, Howard S. 1993 Irvington Pub</ref> Specific data gathering methods, such as recording [[Electromagnetic field|EMF]] readings at [[List of allegedly haunted locations|haunted locations]] have their own criticisms beyond those attributed to the participant-observation approach itself.
 
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The participant-observer approach to the paranormal has gained increased visibility and popularity through [[reality television|reality-based television]] shows like ''[[Ghost Hunters]]'', and the formation of independent [[Ghost hunting|ghost hunting groups]] which advocate immersive research at alleged [[List of allegedly haunted locations|paranormal locations]]. One popular website for ghost hunting enthusiasts lists over 300 of these organizations throughout the [[United States]] and the [[United Kingdom]].<ref name=ghostgroups>[http://www.ghostvillage.com/links/links_groups.shtml Paranormal Groups], GhostVillage.com, accessed December 14, 2006</ref>
 
  
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===Survey approach===
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Criticisms of participant-observation as a data-gathering technique include an increased chance of non-[[Objectivity (science)|objectivity]], unsystematic gathering of data, reliance on [[subjective]] measurement, and possible observer effects (where the observation may distort the observed behavior).<ref>Becker, Howard S. 1993 "Problem of inference and proof in participant observation" Irvington Pub ISBN:0829034935</ref> Ghost hunters in particular are said to often suffer from [[bias]], as well as [[psychosomatic response]] and [[hysteria]], where emotions, expectations, and stress manifest as physical symptoms often attributed to the supernatural.<ref>Carter, Bob and Cody Polston. 2006. [http://www.sgha.net/articles/ghosthunter_pysch.html "Psychological factors in Ghost Hunting"] Southwest Ghost Hunters Association. Retrieved April 30, 2007.</ref> Specific data gathering methods, such as using [[Electromagnetic field|EMF]] readings to indicate the presence of a ghost, have their own criticisms beyond those attributed to the participant-observation approach itself.
  
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While the [[validity]] of the existence of paranormal phenomena is controversial and debated passionately by both proponents of the paranormal and by [[skeptics]], surveys are useful in determining the ''beliefs'' of people in regards to paranormal phenomena.
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The participant-observer approach to the paranormal has gained increased visibility and popularity through [[reality television|reality-based television]] shows like ''[[Ghost Hunters]]'', and the formation of independent [[Ghost hunting|ghost hunting groups]].
  
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One such survey of the beliefs of the general [[United States]] population regarding paranormal topics was conducted by the [[Gallup Organization]] in 2005.<ref name=gallup>[http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2843/is_5_29/ai_n15400020 Gallup poll shows that Americans' belief in the paranormal persists], Skeptical Inquirer, accessed October 28, 2006</ref> The survey found that 73 percent of those polled believed in at least one of the ten paranormal items presented in the survey.
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==Belief in the Paranormal==
  
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Items included in the survey were as follows (the percentage of respondents who indicated that they believed in the phenomenon is in parenthesis): [[Extrasensory perception]] (41%), [[Haunted house|haunted houses]] (37%), [[ghosts]] (32%), [[telepathy]] (31%), [[clairvoyance]] (26%), [[astrology]] (25%), communication with the dead (21%), [[witches]] (21%), [[reincarnation]] (20%), and [[channeling]] spiritual entities (9%).
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While the [[validity]] of the existence of paranormal phenomena is controversial and debated passionately by both proponents of the paranormal and by [[skeptics]], surveys are useful in determining the ''beliefs'' of people in regards to paranormal phenomena. One such survey of the beliefs of the general [[United States]] population regarding paranormal topics was conducted by the [[Gallup Organization]] in 2005. This survey polled about one thousand people, and found that nearly three quarters of them believed in at least one of ten listed paranormal phenomena. Items included in the survey were as follows (the percentage of respondents who indicated that they believed in the phenomenon is in parenthesis): [[Extrasensory perception]] (41%), [[Haunted house|haunted houses]] (37%), [[ghosts]] (32%), [[telepathy]] (31%), [[clairvoyance]] (26%), [[astrology]] (25%), communication with the dead (21%), [[witches]] (21%), [[reincarnation]] (20%), and [[channeling]] spiritual entities (9%). Only one percent of those surveyed believed in all ten items, and twenty seven percent did not believe in any.<ref>Musella, David. Sept-Oct 2005. [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2843/is_5_29/ai_n15400020 "Gallup poll shows that Americans' belief in the paranormal persists"], Skeptical Inquirer. Retrieved April 30, 2007</ref>
  
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Only one percent of those surveyed believed in all ten items.
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Another survey conducted in 2006 by researchers from [[Australia]]'s [[Monash University]] sought to determine what types of phenomena people claim to have experienced and the effects these experiences have had on their lives. The study was conducted as an online survey with over 2,000 respondents from around the world participating. Seventy percent of respondents believed an unexplained event changed their life, mostly in a positive way, eighty percent reported having had a premonition, and almost fifty percent recalled a previous life.<ref>November 17, 2007. [http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/2006/1791144.htm "'Spooky survey' gets big response"] ABC Science Online. Retrieved April 30, 2007.</ref>
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The items selected for the survey were chosen because they "require the belief that humans have more than the 'normal' five senses."
 
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Another survey conducted in 2006 by researchers from [[Australia]]'s [[Monash University]]<ref name=monash>[http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061116/od_afp/australiaresearchparanormaloffbeat_061116120404 Out-of-this-world response to online Australian ghost hunt], AFP, accessed November 21, 2006</ref> sought to determine what ''types'' of phenomena people claim to have experienced and the effects these experiences have had on their lives. The study was conducted as an online survey with over 2,000 respondents from around the world participating. Interim results revealed that around 70% of the respondents believe to have had an unexplained paranormal event that changed their life, mostly in a positive way. About 70% also claimed to have seen, heard, or been touched by an animal or person that they knew was not there; 80% have reported having a [[premonition]], and almost 50% stated they recalled a previous life.<ref name=monashresults>[http://www.paranormalmagazine.com/2006/11/results-of-monash-university-paranormal.html Results of Monash University Paranormal Survey], Paranormal Magazine, accessed January 3, 2006</ref>
 
  
 
==Paranormal and ''perinormal''==
 
==Paranormal and ''perinormal''==
  
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Paranormal phenomena, by definition, lacks a complete scientific explanation. If at some point the phenomena is explainable by science, it becomes ''perinormal''. Perinormal phenomena is a term that has been suggested to describe previously unknown forces which at first appeared to be paranormal and were later verified scientifically. The name is derived from the [[Greek language|Greek]] "peri," meaning "in the vicinity of." While ''paranormal phenomena'' remains scientifically questionable ("beyond the range of normal experience or scientific explanation"), ''perinormal phenomena'' can eventually be shown to be "skeptic-approved".<ref name=perinormal>[http://sociologyesoscience.com/perinormal.html Richard Dawkins this Week in Las Vegas Said he Believes in the Perinormal], eSocialScienceNews, accessed August 29, 2006</ref>
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Paranormal phenomena, by definition, lacks scientific explanation. The word "perinormal" ("in the vicinity of" normal) was coined to describe phenomena that were once thought to be paranormal, but have since been explained by science. One example of such a phenomenon is [[electromagnetic fields]] (EMF).  At one time EMF's existence was debatable from a scientific perspective but was later proven real and is currently accepted by scientific and medical communitities.<ref>[http://sociologyesoscience.com/perinormal.html] sociologyesoscience.com. Retrieved April 30, 2007</ref>
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One significant modern example of a perinormal phenomenon is [[electromagnetic fields]] (EMF).  At one time EMF was debatable from a scientific perspective but later was proven to be real and is currently accepted by scientific and medical communitities.<ref name=perinormal>[http://sociologyesoscience.com/perinormal.html Richard Dawkins this Week in Las Vegas Said he Believes in the Perinormal], eSocialScienceNews, accessed August 29, 2006</ref>
 
  
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Smaller examples of perinormal phenomena include [[medical oddity|medical oddities]] which at first may baffle medical professionals, and later turn out to have a mundane cause. An excellent example of a perinormal medical oddity would be the "Pregnant Man" from [[Nagpur]], [[India]]. When doctors went to remove what they thought was a tumor causing the man to look pregnant, they instead found a human being inside the man's abdominal region. What could have been misconstrued as the paranormal case of a pregnant man, was actually the perinormal case of [[fetus in fetu]] &mdash; the man's twin brother had been growing inside his abdomen for 36 years.<ref name=pregnant>[http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=2346476&page=1 A Pregnant Man?], [[ABC News]], accessed October 17, 2006</ref>
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Smaller examples of perinormal phenomena include [[medical oddity|medical oddities]] or medical conditions which at first may baffle medical professionals, and later turn out to have a mundane cause. An excellent example of a perinormal-type medical oddity would be the "Pregnant Man" from [[Nagpur]], [[India]]. When doctors went to remove what they thought was a tumor causing the man to look pregnant, they instead found a human being inside the man's abdominal region. What could have been misconstrued as the paranormal case of a pregnant man, was actually the perinormal case of [[fetus in fetu]]; the man's twin brother had been growing inside his abdomen for 36 years.<ref>[http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=2346476&page=1 "Man With Twin Living Inside Him — A Medical Mystery Classic"] [[ABC News]]. Retrieved April 29, 2007</ref>
  
 
==Paranormal subjects==
 
==Paranormal subjects==
  
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Although this is not intended to be a complete list, the following subjects are widely considered to be paranormal:
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Although this is not intended to be a complete list, the following subjects are often considered to be paranormal:
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{{col-begin}}
 
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{{col-4}}
 
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*[[Applied kinesiology]]
 
 
*[[Astrology]]
 
*[[Astrology]]
 
*[[Aura (paranormal)|Aura]]
 
*[[Aura (paranormal)|Aura]]
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*[[Chiropractic]] healing (beyond back/joint problems)
 
 
*[[Clairvoyance]]
 
*[[Clairvoyance]]
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*Communicating with the dead and/or "[[Channelling (mediumistic)|channeling]]"
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*Communicating with the dead and/or "[[Channeling (mediumistic)|channeling]]"
 
*[[Crop_circle |Crop circles]]
 
*[[Crop_circle |Crop circles]]
 
*[[Dowsing]]
 
*[[Dowsing]]
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{{col-4}}
 
 
*[[Electronic voice phenomenon]] (EVP)
 
*[[Electronic voice phenomenon]] (EVP)
 
*[[Extra-sensory perception]] (ESP)
 
*[[Extra-sensory perception]] (ESP)
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*[[Faith healing]]
 
 
*[[Ghosts]]
 
*[[Ghosts]]
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*[[Graphology]]
 
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*[[Homeopathy]]
 
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*[[Levitation]]
 
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*[[Numerology]]
 
 
*[[Palmistry]]
 
*[[Palmistry]]
−
{{col-4}}
 
−
*[[Phrenology]]
 
−
*[[Physiognomy]]
 
 
*[[Precognition]]
 
*[[Precognition]]
 
*[[Prophecy]]
 
*[[Prophecy]]
Line 107: Line 73:
 
*[[Psychometry]]
 
*[[Psychometry]]
 
*[[Pyramid power]]
 
*[[Pyramid power]]
−
*[[Qigong]]
 
−
{{col-4}}
 
−
*[[Reality shift]]
 
 
*[[Reflexology]]
 
*[[Reflexology]]
 
*[[Remote viewing]]
 
*[[Remote viewing]]
 
*[[Spontaneous human combustion]]
 
*[[Spontaneous human combustion]]
−
*[[Therapeutic touch]]
+
*[[Unidentified Flying Objects]](UFO's)
−
*Violations of [[Newton's laws of motion]] ([[perpetual motion]] devices)
 
−
{{col-end}}
 
−
 
 
−
==Paranormal fiction==
 
−
 
 
−
This section deals with books, television, and movies that are predominantly paranormal-based.
 
−
 
 
−
===Television===
 
−
 
 
−
*''[[The X-Files]]'', a fictional [[television show]] dealing with many varieties of the paranormal.
 
−
*''[[Supernatural (TV series)]]'', a fictional [[television show]] dealing with many varieties of the paranormal.
 
−
*''Secrets of the Occult'', Documentary. Examines such topics as tarot, numerology, divinationation, esotericism, spirituality, metaphysics in comparison with scientific findings.
 
−
 
 
−
===Movies===
 
  
−
*''[[Ghostbusters]]'', a fictional [[movie]] about three unemployed parapsychology professors who set up shop as a unique ghost removal service.
+
==The Paranormal in Popular Culture==
  
 +
Humanity is often fascinated by that which it doesn't understand, and the paranormal is often the subject of television, film, and literature. From [[Washington Irving]]'s short story 'Legend of Sleepy Hollow' to [[Stephen King]]'s 'Pet Semetary', the paranormal has fascinated fiction writers throughout the ages. Ghosts in particular have been the subject of campfire stories, films, and television programs. Parapsychologists have been characters in movies like [[Ghostbusters]], and television series like the "X-Files" feature regular investigation of a wide range of paranormal phenomena.
  
 
==References==
 
==References==

Revision as of 19:30, 30 April 2007



Paranormal, meaning "outside the norm", is an umbrella term used to describe a wide variety of reported anomalous phenomena that cannot be explained by current scientific knowledge. The term 'paranormal' is used to describe most subjects studied in parapsychology, which deals with psychic phenomena like telepathy, extra-sensory perception, psychokinesis, and post-mortem survival studies like reincarnation, ghosts, and hauntings. Additionally, the term is used to describe subjects outside the scope of parapsychology, including UFOs, creatures like Bigfoot, purported phenomena surrounding the Bermuda Triangle, and many other non-psychical subjects.[1]

Paranormal research

Approaching paranormal phenomena from a research perspective is often problematic because, by definition, such phenomena are difficult to explain using existing rules or theory. If they exist at all, paranormal phenomena exist outside of conventional norms. Despite this challenge, studies on the paranormal are periodically conducted by researchers from various disciplines, and psychic phenomena like telepathy and psychokinesis are routinely researched by parapsychologists. Some researchers devote study to just the beliefs in paranormal phenomena, regardless of whether the phenomena actually exist or not.

There are several main approaches to investigation of the paranormal, ranging from the unscientific to the scientific. Many skeptics feel that most scientific approaches are actually pseudoscience, and have little to no scientific merit.

Anecdotal approach

Charles Fort, 1920. Fort is perhaps the most widely known collector of paranormal stories.

An anecdotal approach to the paranormal involves the collection of anecdotal evidence, or informal accounts of experiences. In contrast to empirical evidence, anecdotal evidence cannot be investigated using the scientific method. The anecdotal approach is by no means a scientific approach to the paranormal, as verification of a phenomena is totally dependent on the credibility of the party presenting the evidence. Even if such a person is reliable and truthful, the account may be subject to cognitive bias, inductive reasoning, and lack of falsifiability, all of which can make the account useless from a research perspective. Nevertheless, the collection of such evidence is a common approach to paranormal phenomena.

Charles Fort (1874 - 1932) is perhaps the best known collector of paranormal anecdotes. A self-declared "intermediatist", Fort thought of himself as a true skeptic who opposed dogmatism, and remained open to all possibilities.<Carroll, Robert. "Charles Fort" The Skeptic's Dictionary. Retrieved April 27, 2007.</ref> Fort is said to have compiled as many as 40,000 accounts of unexplained phenomena, though there were no doubt many more than these. These notes came from what he called "the orthodox conventionality of Science," which were odd events originally printed in respected mainstream scientific journals or newspapers such as Scientific American, The Times, Nature and Science. From these researches Fort wrote The Book of the Damned (1919), New Lands (1923), Lo! (1931) and Wild Talents (1932), in which he discussed such anecdotal evidence and put forth his idea of continuity, where everything exists in an intermediate state between extremes.[2]

Reported events that Fort collected include poltergeist activity, falls of frogs, fishes, and an amazing range of other materials, crop circles; unaccountable noises and explosions, spontaneous fires, levitation, ball lightning (a term explicitly used by Fort), and unidentified flying objects, among many other things. He is generally credited with coining the term teleportation, and is perhaps the first person to explain strange human appearances and disappearances by the hypothesis of alien abduction, and was an early proponent of the extraterrestrial hypothesis.

Fort is considered by many as the father of modern paranormalism, which is the belief in paranormal phenomena.

Experimental approach

Participant of a Ganzfeld Experiment which proponents say may show evidence of telepathy.
Main article: parapsychology

Experimental investigation of the paranormal is largely conducted within the field of parapsychology. Although parapsychology has its roots in earlier research, it is largely credited as having begun with the research of J. B. Rhine in the 1930's. Rhine popularized the now famous methodology of using card-guessing and dice-rolling experiments in a laboratory to find a statistical validation of extra-sensory perception. Another well-known technique for testing ESP is found in ganzfeld experiments, where a subject (receiver) is asked to access through psychic means a telepathically target. The target is typically a picture or video clip selected randomly, which is viewed in a remote location by another subject (sender). Ganzfeld experiments attempt to create a type of audio and visual sensory deprivation to remove any kind of external stimulus that may interfere with the testing or corrupt the test by providing cues to correct targets. The expected hit (correctly identified target) ratio of such a trial is 1 in 4, or 25%. Deviations from this expected ratio might be seen as evidence for psi, although such conclusions are often disputed.[3]

In the 1950's, organizations such as the Parapsychology Association and Parapsychological Association began to be formed, giving researchers a forum to discuss and compare the results of their research. In 1969, the Parapsychological Association became affiliated with the American Association for the Advancement of Science. That affiliation, along with a general openness to psychic and occult phenomena in the 1970s, led to a decade of increased parapsychological research. During this time, other notable organizations were also formed, including the Academy of Parapsychology and Medicine (1970), the Institute of Parascience (1971), the Academy of Religion and Psychical Research (1972), the Institute for Noetic Sciences (1973), and the International Kirlian Research Association (1975). Each of these groups performed experiments on paranormal subjects to varying degrees. Parapsychological work was also conducted at the Stanford Research Institute during this time.

With the increase in parapsychological investigation, there came an increase in opposition to both the findings of parapsychologists and the granting of any formal recognition of the field. The techniques as well as the potential gullibility of researchers was often questioned. Skeptics founded the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (1976), now called the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, and its periodical, Skeptical Inquirer". The goal of the committee was not to reject claims of the paranormal, but rather to "carefully examine such claims" and to "commission research by objective and impartial inquirers".[4]

As astronomer Carl Sagan put it, 'extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence'[5], and parapsychologists continue to try to find enough evidence to convince the skeptics.

Participant/observer approach

Ghost hunters taking an EMF reading which proponents say may show evidence of ghosts.

While parapsychologists look for quantitative evidence of the paranormal in laboratories, other researchers immerse themselves in qualitative research through participant-observer approaches to the paranormal. Ghost hunting is a familiar type of participant/observer research. By immersing oneself in the subject being studied, a researcher seeks to gain understanding of the subject. A study might consist of a researcher visiting a place where alleged paranormal activity is said to occur and recording observations while there. Participation levels may vary; researchers may just observe, or they may conduct a séance or participate in other activities said to cause paranormal activity.

Criticisms of participant-observation as a data-gathering technique include an increased chance of non-objectivity, unsystematic gathering of data, reliance on subjective measurement, and possible observer effects (where the observation may distort the observed behavior).[6] Ghost hunters in particular are said to often suffer from bias, as well as psychosomatic response and hysteria, where emotions, expectations, and stress manifest as physical symptoms often attributed to the supernatural.[7] Specific data gathering methods, such as using EMF readings to indicate the presence of a ghost, have their own criticisms beyond those attributed to the participant-observation approach itself.

The participant-observer approach to the paranormal has gained increased visibility and popularity through reality-based television shows like Ghost Hunters, and the formation of independent ghost hunting groups.

Belief in the Paranormal

While the validity of the existence of paranormal phenomena is controversial and debated passionately by both proponents of the paranormal and by skeptics, surveys are useful in determining the beliefs of people in regards to paranormal phenomena. One such survey of the beliefs of the general United States population regarding paranormal topics was conducted by the Gallup Organization in 2005. This survey polled about one thousand people, and found that nearly three quarters of them believed in at least one of ten listed paranormal phenomena. Items included in the survey were as follows (the percentage of respondents who indicated that they believed in the phenomenon is in parenthesis): Extrasensory perception (41%), haunted houses (37%), ghosts (32%), telepathy (31%), clairvoyance (26%), astrology (25%), communication with the dead (21%), witches (21%), reincarnation (20%), and channeling spiritual entities (9%). Only one percent of those surveyed believed in all ten items, and twenty seven percent did not believe in any.[8]

Another survey conducted in 2006 by researchers from Australia's Monash University sought to determine what types of phenomena people claim to have experienced and the effects these experiences have had on their lives. The study was conducted as an online survey with over 2,000 respondents from around the world participating. Seventy percent of respondents believed an unexplained event changed their life, mostly in a positive way, eighty percent reported having had a premonition, and almost fifty percent recalled a previous life.[9]

Paranormal and perinormal

Paranormal phenomena, by definition, lacks scientific explanation. The word "perinormal" ("in the vicinity of" normal) was coined to describe phenomena that were once thought to be paranormal, but have since been explained by science. One example of such a phenomenon is electromagnetic fields (EMF). At one time EMF's existence was debatable from a scientific perspective but was later proven real and is currently accepted by scientific and medical communitities.[10]

Smaller examples of perinormal phenomena include medical oddities or medical conditions which at first may baffle medical professionals, and later turn out to have a mundane cause. An excellent example of a perinormal-type medical oddity would be the "Pregnant Man" from Nagpur, India. When doctors went to remove what they thought was a tumor causing the man to look pregnant, they instead found a human being inside the man's abdominal region. What could have been misconstrued as the paranormal case of a pregnant man, was actually the perinormal case of fetus in fetu; the man's twin brother had been growing inside his abdomen for 36 years.[11]

Paranormal subjects

Although this is not intended to be a complete list, the following subjects are often considered to be paranormal:

The Paranormal in Popular Culture

Humanity is often fascinated by that which it doesn't understand, and the paranormal is often the subject of television, film, and literature. From Washington Irving's short story 'Legend of Sleepy Hollow' to Stephen King's 'Pet Semetary', the paranormal has fascinated fiction writers throughout the ages. Ghosts in particular have been the subject of campfire stories, films, and television programs. Parapsychologists have been characters in movies like Ghostbusters, and television series like the "X-Files" feature regular investigation of a wide range of paranormal phenomena.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  1. ↑ Varvoglis, Mario. What is PSI? What Isn't? Parapsychological Association. retrieved April 27, 2007
  2. ↑ "About Fortean Times" Fortean Times. Retrieved April 27, 2007.
  3. ↑ Carroll, Robert. "Psi Assumption" The Skeptic's Dictionary. Retrieved April 30, 2007
  4. ↑ "Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal" Answers.com. Retrieved April 30, 2007.
  5. ↑ "Carl Sagan Quotes" Quotes4all.net. Retrieved April 30, 2007.
  6. ↑ Becker, Howard S. 1993 "Problem of inference and proof in participant observation" Irvington Pub ISBN:0829034935
  7. ↑ Carter, Bob and Cody Polston. 2006. "Psychological factors in Ghost Hunting" Southwest Ghost Hunters Association. Retrieved April 30, 2007.
  8. ↑ Musella, David. Sept-Oct 2005. "Gallup poll shows that Americans' belief in the paranormal persists", Skeptical Inquirer. Retrieved April 30, 2007
  9. ↑ November 17, 2007. "'Spooky survey' gets big response" ABC Science Online. Retrieved April 30, 2007.
  10. ↑ [1] sociologyesoscience.com. Retrieved April 30, 2007
  11. ↑ "Man With Twin Living Inside Him — A Medical Mystery Classic" ABC News. Retrieved April 29, 2007


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