An Introduction to the Psychology of Paranormal Belief and Experience

An Introduction to the Psychology of Paranormal Belief and Experience
ISBN-10
0786489162
ISBN-13
9780786489169
Category
Body, Mind & Spirit
Pages
273
Language
English
Published
2011-11-08
Publisher
McFarland
Author
Tony Jinks

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.

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