An Introduction to the Psychology of Paranormal Belief and Experience PDF Download

Author: Tony Jinks
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786489162
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 275

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Book Description
When someone admits to a strange experience, such as witnessing an unidentified flying object, having telepathic hunches, or seeing angels or ghosts, listeners usually explain it away as mistaken perception, intoxication, ignorance, or even mental illness. Though these unsympathetic psychology-based explanations remain the most popular responses to claims of the supernatural, those who use them often have little understanding of what such dismissive "solutions" actually entail. This study offers a balanced and accessible analysis of various explanations for the paranormal. By providing insight into how these theories are applied, or misapplied, to inquiry into the paranormal, it clarifies the relationship between the field of psychology and the supernatural. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

Author: Christopher C. French
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1137368063
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 346

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Book Description
The science behind claims of alien encounters and visions of ghosts can be even more fascinating than the sensationalist headlines. What leads some people to believe in the paranormal? Why might someone think they have been abducted by aliens? And is there any room for superstition in the modern world of science? Anomalistic Psychology - Provides a lively and thought-provoking introduction to the psychology underlying paranormal belief and experience. - Covers the latest psychological theories and experiments, and examines the science at the heart of the subject. - Uses a unique approach to apply different psychological perspectives – including clinical, developmental and cognitive approaches – to shed new light on the key debates. Whether you are a psychology student or simply curious about the paranormal, Anomalistic Psychology is the essential introduction to this contested and controversial field. Belief in the paranormal has been reported in every known society since the dawn of time – find out why.

Author: Harvey J. Irwin
Publisher: Univ of Hertfordshire Press
ISBN: 9781902806938
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 228

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Book Description
"This book, written by an internationally renowned researcher in the field, provides a thorough and systematic review of empirical investigations into the bases of belief in paranormal phenomena. Opening with a foreword by the highly respected researchers into paranormal belief Dr Caroline Watt and Professor Richard Wiseman, this book will be of particular interest to professional researchers and serious students of the subject, as well as to clinical psychologists and counsellors." --Book Jacket.

Author: David Groome
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351391119
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 112

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Book Description
Can mediums communicate with the dead? Do people really believe they’ve been abducted by aliens? Why do some people make life decisions based on their horoscope? The Psychology of the Paranormal explores some commonly held beliefs regarding experiences so strange they can defy an obvious scientific explanation. The book explains how psychologists have conducted experiments to provide insight into phenomena such as clairvoyance, astrology, and alien abduction, as well as teaching us fundamental truths about human belief systems. From debunking myths about Extra Sensory Perception, to considering whether our lives can truly be fated by the stars, The Psychology of the Paranormal shows us that however unlikely, belief in the paranormal will continue to be widespread.

Author: George K. Zollschan
Publisher: Avery Publishing Group
ISBN: 9781853270260
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 388

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Book Description
This important anthology brings together the work of leading authorities on paranormal belief and experience. Includes chapters on mind-expanding drugs, near-death experiences, mysticism and meditation.

Author: Chris French
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262048361
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 412

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Book Description
An accessible and gratifying introduction to the world of paranormal beliefs and bizarre experiences. Ghostly encounters, alien abduction, reincarnation, talking to the dead, UFO sightings, inexplicable coincidences, out-of-body and near-death experiences. Are these legitimate phenomena? If not, then how should we go about understanding them? In this fascinating book, Chris French investigates paranormal claims to discover what lurks behind this “weird shit.” French provides authoritative evidence-based explanations for a wide range of superficially mysterious phenomena, and then goes further to draw out lessons with wider applications to many other aspects of modern society where critical thinking is urgently needed. Using academic, comprehensive, logical, and, at times, mathematical approaches, The Science of Weird Shit convincingly debunks ESP, communicating with the dead, and alien abduction claims, among other phenomena. All the while, however, French maintains that our belief in such phenomena is neither ridiculous nor trivial; if anything, such claims can tell us a great deal about the human mind if we pay them the attention they are due. Filled with light-bulb moments and a healthy dose of levity, The Science of Weird Shit is a clever, memorable, and gratifying read you won’t soon forget.

Author: Erich Goode
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 324

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Book Description
Despite the continued and growing popularity of such phenom- ena as angels, witches, extra-sensory perception, psychics, astrology, foretelling the future, living past lives, ghosts, and communicating with the dead, such beliefs have received little scrutiny from sociologists. Who believes in them? Why? And with what consequences? A paranormal belief system is generated as a result of cultural, social, and social-psychological forces; it is linked with social institutions in identifiable ways and has identifiable consequences. According to the author, the explication of how paranormal beliefs are accepted or rejected yields richer understanding of social structures and dynamics. Accepting one or more of the beliefs--or accepting a cosmology that rules them out of the realm of the possible--tells us a great deal about the believers and disbelievers as well as the society in which they live. This compelling, well-documented work presents a much-needed sociological examination of the role paranormal beliefs play in our society.

Author: Sergio Rijo
Publisher: SERGIO RIJO
ISBN:
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 91

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Book Description
If you have ever been curious about ghosts and hauntings, or if you have experienced something paranormal yourself, you need to read "Beyond Belief: Unraveling the Psychology of Ghosts and Hauntings." As someone who has spent years studying and researching the psychology behind these phenomena, I have uncovered some fascinating insights into what causes people to believe in ghosts and what might actually be happening when people report paranormal experiences. In this book, I delve deep into the science of the paranormal and explain how our brains can be tricked into seeing and hearing things that aren't really there. I explore the role of suggestion and belief in shaping our perceptions of the supernatural and offer a comprehensive analysis of the most common types of paranormal experiences, including apparitions, poltergeists, and haunted places. Whether you are a skeptic or a believer, "Beyond Belief: Unraveling the Psychology of Ghosts and Hauntings" offers a fascinating and thought-provoking look at one of the most enduring mysteries of the human experience.

Author: David F. Marks
Publisher: SAGE
ISBN: 1529729726
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 504

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Book Description
The field of research on the paranormal has changed enormously in the last 20 years. Examining experiences of ESP, psychokinesis, precognition, ganzfeld, dissociative states, out-of-the-body experiences, alien abductions and near-death experiences, David Marks appraises the best available evidence to date on scientific claims of the paranormal. Each chapter also provides a description of the psychological processes that are likely to contribute to these experiences, and to the high prevalence of paranormal beliefs. Importantly, this book does not take a fixed sceptical or ‘disbelieving’ view of the phenomena but, as far as possible, offers a neutral gaze which will equip readers to make up their own minds, as well as providing them with the critical skills to defend their conclusions.

Author: Nicola Holt
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0230364098
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 258

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Book Description
How can psychologists explain strange experiences such as hallucinations or unusual beliefs in ghosts and angels? This compelling introduction aims to uncover how and why such beliefs occur, exploring explanations based on different psychological models, and evaluating the scientific basis of parapsychology and the challenges that researchers face.