Paranormal

An anomalous phenomenon is an observed phenomenon for which there is no suitable explanation in the context of a specific body of scientific knowledge (for example, astronomy or biology).

Introduction

Out-of-body experiences, near-death experiences, extrasensory perception, ghosts, demonic encounters, poltergeists, as well as sightings of UFOs and reports of alien abductions are phenomena, most of which are not widely accepted as real by mainstream scientists, some of whom go as far as calling the study of them pseudoscience. Sometimes the phenomenon is acknowledged as being real, and is the way it should be interpreted that makes the controversy.

As the body of knowledge available expands, some anomalies are incorporated into an explanatory framework and lose their standing as unexplained phenomena. For instance, while the idea of stones falling from the sky was long ridiculed, meteorites are now acknowledged and well understood.

Often used as a synonym, but actually a subclass, are the paranormal phenomena studied by parapsychology.

Paranormal phenomena can be divided into three main classes:

• Mental phenomena: unusual mental states or abilities, such as telepathy, clairvoyance and precognition

• Physical phenomena: unusual physical occurrences that may be controlled by a consciousness, such as psychokinesis, poltergeists, stigmata or materializations
• Out-of-body experiences (OBEs) and near-death experiences (NDEs)

Written works

• Classical civilization included unique signs and prodigies of nature in works of paradoxography such as The Phaenomena (240 BC) by Aratus of Soli.
• Inoue Enryo, a Japanese educator and philosopher, authored the six-volume The Study of Yōkai (妖怪学). As a result, he was best known as Dr. Ghost (お化け博士) or Dr. Yōkai (妖怪博士).
• Charles Fort, in his four works on anomalies, lambasted and ridiculed the scientists of his day for their shortsightedness. Some of the anomalies listed in his work have been explained and incorporated into modern science (e.g. meteors), while others continue to be unexplained.
• William R. Corliss' Science Frontiers has covered reports in the scientific literature regarding anomalies for years. He, through his Sourcebook Project, has published a large body of reports collected in many of the scientific disciplines.
• Leonard George, a psychologist who specializes in anomalous phenomena, compiled an authoritative encyclopedia of unusual experiences, activities, and beliefs in his 1995 book Alternative Realities.
• Fortean Times, a British monthly magazine, continues in the spirit of Fort's work by publishing reports of anomalous phenomena and longer investigative articles.
• The Anomalist, edited by Patrick Huyghe and Dennis Stacy, is another magazine/journal devoted to the study of anomalies (which may be called anomalistics).
• The Paranormal Magazine, an online magazine exploring paranormal phenomena and the unexplained, including ghosts, psychic phenomena, UFOs, earth mysteries, and many more bizarre occurrences.
• Strange Magazine is another magazine devoted to the study of anomalies in the spirit of Fort's work.
• Adventures Unlimited, edited by The World Explorer's Club, is another magazine dedicated to exotic travel, lost cities, ancient mysteries and other anomalous phenomena.

Further reading

• Handbook of Unusual Natural Phenomena: Eyewitness Accounts of Nature's Greatest Mysteries, William R. Corliss, Anchor Press, Doubleday, 1983, trade paperback, 423 pages, ISBN 0-385-14754-6
• Remote Viewing Secrets, Joseph McMoneagle, Hampton Roads, 2000, paperback, 296 pages, ISBN 1-57174-159-3
• The Conscious Universe, Dean Radin PhD, Harper, 1997, hardback, 362 pages, ISBN 0-06-251502-0
• Channeling: Investigations on Receiving Information from Paranormal Sources. John Klimo, St. Martins Press, 1987. ISBN 0874774314
• Mr. Wilson's Cabinet Of Wonder: Pronged Ants, Horned Humans, Mice on Toast, and Other Marvels of Jurassic Technology, Lawrence Weschler, 1996, trade paperback, 192 pages, ISBN 0679764895 (see web site link above)

Reporting / Investigation of Paranormal Phenomena

Those that have encountered paranormal phenomena should click on Mysteries Megasite Homepage and/or other websites,data sites that best fit the nature of the paranormal incident. Some paranormal organizations will send field investigators to investigate the incident, should the person(people) concerned report the incident to these organizations.

See also

• Alien Abduction
• Abominable Snowman
• Agartha
• Ball Lightning
• Bermuda Triangle
• Bigfoot
• Conspiracy theory
• Cryptids (category)
• Cryptozoology
• Delusion
• Hessdalen light
• Hollow Earth
• Legendary creatures (category)
• Levitation
• List of magazines of anomalous phenomena
• Loch Ness Monster
• The Mad Gasser of Mattoon
• Marfa light
• Medical oddities
• Men in Black
• Min Min light
• Mind Control
• Mystery Spot
• Occultism (category)
• Orbs
• Oregon vortex
• Out-of-body experience
• Paradoxography
• Parapsychology
• Patapsychology
• Perinormal phenomenon
• Skunk Ape
• Society for Psychical Research
• Spiritual Possession
• Spiritualism
• Spontaneous Human Combustion
• Spooklight
• Invisible Master
• Spring Heeled Jack
• Synchronicity
• Teleportation
• Time Travel
• Unidentified flying object

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations by or about:

Paranormal

• www.GhostFinders.co.uk
• San Diego Paranormal Research Project
• Science Frontiers Digest of Scientific Anomalies
• The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal
• About.com: Paranormal Phenomena
• The Randi paranormal challenge
• INFO International Fortean Organization
• Paranormal Explorer.com
• Exploring Weird New York
• A taxonomy of paranormality
• Peet's Paranormal Notebook
• UFO Magazine
• Nexus Magazine
• Skeptical Inquirer
• Paranormal Australia
• Psychic students in pursuit of guidance (psipog)