The History of Paranormal Research

How many people who believe in the paranormal have you met? Probably a few, right? A good majority of the population believes in the paranormal, whether the reason for it is religion or actual experience, or otherwise. A lot of people, though, actually believe in the paranormal as a result of it being popularized by the media (CSICOP 3). Whenever the public finds a case even mildly out of the ordinary, like accounts of hidden realms or sightings of a ghost, it leads up to a sudden boom of believers (CSICOP 3). Among these are the few that dare to adventure this world of information we know nothing about; this world is the paranormal (SV;SV). Some of these could be psychic mediums, or fortunetellers, who are usually written off as crazy. There are also those called paranormal researchers. They investigate the paranormal to try to find a reasonable explanation for sightings or hauntings. It is a pseudoscience; the paranormal is seen as this because there hasn’t been any “valid” proof of its existence (GS;SS). Many of these people only aim to make paranormal researching a valid science. The fact is that it’s heavily influenced by colorful and flamboyant believers, reducing its credibility, so to speak, but as technology and attitudes in America have changed, so too has paranormal research.

The idea of otherworldly beings and realms has been well accepted deep into history, as far back as the time of the bible’s first writings. In the bible, there is a scripture in the book of Samuel, 28:7, where King Saul goes to the dead priest and prophet Samuel. He simply has him summoned without any qualms at all. Anyone who practices a Judaism-based religion that relates to the New Testament as well will know that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, i...

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...the future, there will still be believers and perhaps the paranormal will truly be considered a science. However, humankind will simply have to work until then to discover the unknown, just as they always have.

Works Cited

Admin. “Understanding Paranormal Activity – The Interesting History of Paranormal Investigation.” ghoststory. Np. 29 July 2012. Web. 28 Feb 2014.

Kurtz, Paul. “CSICOP At Twenty.” Skeptical Inquirer. July-Aug. 1996: 5t. Expanded Academic ASAP. Web. 27 Feb 2014.

Murphy, Ian. The Evolution of Paranormal Research. “Evolution.” praofb. Paranormal Research Association of Boston. Web. 28 Feb 2014.

PENNPRA. “History of Paranromal Research. ghostly cast. Pennsylvania Paranormal Research Team. 4 July 2009. Web. 28 Feb 2014.

Rattle, Alison, and Allison Vale. Hell House: & Other True Hauntings from around the World. S.l.: Gusto, 2005. Print.