Paranormal Beliefs
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The Psychology of Paranormal Belief
Author: Harvey J. Irwin
language: en
Publisher: Univ of Hertfordshire Press
Release Date: 2009-09
With a thorough and systematic review of investigations into the bases of belief in paranormal phenomena, this discussion explores the four main theoretical approaches relating to the nature of such beliefs. Objective and well-researched, this account addresses different points of view on the topic--while some commentators depict paranormal believers as foolish, others propose that paranormal beliefs must be understood as necessities that serve certain psychodynamic needs. The foundations and shortcomings of each approach are also documented, and a new comprehensive theory attempts to explain the development of scientifically unsubstantiated beliefs.
Paranormal Beliefs
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.
The Psychology of Public Belief in Unexplained Phenomena
This groundbreaking book explores the fascinating psychology behind public beliefs in extraterrestrial visitors and UFOs (unidentified flying objects, now often termed Unidentified Aerial Phenomena). Drawing on extensive opinion polls and academic research data from around the world, Barrie Gunter delves into the complex psychological processes that shape our interpretations of ambiguous experiences. The analysis reveals how psychological factors profoundly influence our beliefs about extraterrestrial life. The book explores how an individual's religious and paranormal beliefs, internalised cultural narratives, personality characteristics and cognitive biases create frameworks through which they process and recall unexplained phenomena. The book also investigates how these psychological predispositions affect responses to government secrecy, potentially fuelling conspiracy theories about extraterrestrial activity. Neither dismissing unexplainable occurrences as bogus nor accepting them at face value, this nuanced exploration illuminates the crucial role of social and cognitive psychology in understanding why certain beliefs take hold. It fills a significant gap in current literature, offering valuable insights for students and scholars of cognitive, social and para-psychology interested in the psychological underpinnings of extraterrestrial beliefs.