Editing Paranormal (section)

==Paranormal subjects==
On the classification of paranormal subjects, psychologist [[Terence Hines]] said in his book ''Pseudoscience and the Paranormal'' (2003):

{{Cquote
| quote = The paranormal can best be thought of as a subset of [[pseudoscience]]. What sets the paranormal apart from other pseudosciences is a reliance on explanations for alleged phenomena that are well outside the bounds of established science. Thus, paranormal phenomena include extrasensory perception (ESP), telekinesis, ghosts, poltergeists, life after death, reincarnation, faith healing, human auras, and so forth. The explanations for these allied phenomena are phrased in vague terms of "psychic forces", "human energy fields", and so on. This is in contrast to many pseudoscientific explanations for other nonparanormal phenomena, which, although very bad science, are still couched in acceptable scientific terms.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hines|first=Terence|author-link=Terence Hines|year=2003|title=Pseudoscience and the Paranormal|publisher=Prometheus Books|page=20|isbn=978-1-57392-979-0}}</ref>
}}

===Ghost hunting===
{{main|Ghost hunting}}
Ghost hunting is the investigation of [[List of reportedly haunted locations|locations that are reportedly haunted]] by [[ghost]]s. Typically, a ghost-hunting team will attempt to collect evidence supporting the existence of paranormal activity.

In traditional [[ghostlore]], and fiction featuring ghosts, a ghost is a manifestation of the [[Spirit (animating force)|spirit]] or [[soul]] of a person.<ref name="parasych">{{cite news|url=http://www.parapsych.org/glossary_e_k.html#g|author=Parapsychological Association|title=Paranormal|work=Glossary of key words frequently used in parapsychology|access-date=December 13, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110111023207/http://parapsych.org/glossary_e_k.html#g|archive-date=11 January 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> Alternative theories expand on that idea and include belief in the ghosts of deceased animals. Sometimes the term "ghost" is used synonymously with any spirit or [[demon]];<ref name="thefreedictionary">{{cite web|url=http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ghost |access-date=December 13, 2006|title=Ghost|website=The Free Dictionary}}</ref> however, in popular usage the term typically refers to the spirit of a deceased person.

The belief in ghosts as souls of the departed is closely tied to the concept of [[animism]], an ancient belief that attributed souls to everything in nature.<ref name="EncyOccult">{{cite book|entry=Animism|title=Encyclopedia of Occultism & Parapsychology|editor1-first=Leslie A. |editor1-last=Shepard |editor1-link=Leslie Shepard|editor2-last=Melton|editor2-first=J. Gordon|editor2-link=J. Gordon Melton|date=1996|edition=4th|publisher=Gale Research & Cengage Learning|isbn=978-0-8103-5487-6}}</ref> As the 19th-century [[anthropologist]] [[James George Frazer|George Frazer]] explained in his classic work, ''[[The Golden Bough]]'' (1890), souls were seen as the 'creature within' which animated the body.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion |last=Frazer |first=James George |author-link=James George Frazer |location=Herts |publisher=Wordsworth Editions Ltd |year=1993 |page=178 |isbn=978-1-85326-310-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FWLRXbPTC6oC&q=%22animal+inside%22}}</ref> Although the human soul was sometimes symbolically or literally depicted in ancient cultures as a bird or other animal, it was widely held that the soul was an exact reproduction of the body in every feature, even down to the clothing worn by the person. This is depicted in artwork from various ancient cultures, including such works as the [[ancient Egypt]]ian ''[[Book of the Dead]]'' ({{Circa|1550 BCE}}), which shows deceased people in the afterlife appearing much as they did before death, including the style of dress.

===Ufology===
{{Main|Ufology}}
The possibility of [[extraterrestrial life]] is not, in itself, a paranormal subject. Many scientists are actively engaged in the search for unicellular life within the [[Solar System]], carrying out studies on the surface of [[Mars]] and examining [[meteors]] that have fallen to [[Earth]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spacedaily.com/news/life-03zzt.html |title=NASA Scientists To Discuss Search For Extraterrestrial Life |website=SpaceDaily.com |date=2003-12-11 |access-date=2014-06-15}}</ref> Projects such as [[SETI]] are conducting an astronomical search for [[radio]] activity that would show evidence of intelligent life outside the Solar System.<ref>{{cite web|last=Freudenrich |first=Craig |url=http://www.howstuffworks.com/seti.htm |title=How SETI Works |website=[[HowStuffWorks]] |date=2001-05-08 |access-date=2014-06-15}}</ref> [[Evolution|Scientific theories]] of how life developed on Earth allow for the possibility that life also developed on other [[planet]]s. The paranormal aspect of extraterrestrial life centers largely around the belief in [[unidentified flying object]]s (UFOs) and the phenomena said to be associated with them.

Early in the history of UFO culture, believers divided themselves into two camps. The first held a rather conservative view of the phenomena, interpreting them as unexplained occurrences that merited serious study. They began calling themselves "[[Ufology|ufologists]]" in the 1950s and felt that logical analysis of sighting reports would validate the notion of extraterrestrial visitation.<ref name="EncyOccult"/><ref name="Denzler2001">{{cite book|first=Brenda|last=Denzler|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LnUkDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA67|title=The Lure of the Edge: Scientific Passions, Religious Beliefs, and the Pursuit of UFOs|publisher=University of California Press|year=2001|isbn=978-0-520-22432-2|pages=67–}}</ref>

The second camp held a view that coupled ideas of extraterrestrial visitation with beliefs from existing quasi-religious movements. Typically, these individuals were enthusiasts of [[occultism]] and the paranormal. Many had backgrounds as active [[Theosophists]] or [[Spiritualism (movement)|spiritualists]], or were followers of other [[Western esotericism|esoteric]] doctrines. In contemporary times, many of these beliefs have coalesced into [[New Age]] spiritual movements.<ref name="EncyOccult"/><ref name="Denzler2001" />

Both [[Secularity|secular]] and spiritual believers describe UFOs as having abilities beyond what are considered possible according to known [[Aerodynamics|aerodynamic]] constraints and [[Scientific law|physical laws]]. The transitory events surrounding many UFO sightings preclude any opportunity for the repeat testing required by the [[scientific method]]. Acceptance of UFO theories by the larger [[scientific community]] is further hindered by the many possible [[hoax]]es associated with UFO culture.<ref name="Priest2010">{{cite book|first=Susanna H.|last=Priest|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F62I2b4G73UC&pg=PA918|title=Encyclopedia of Science and Technology Communication|publisher=Sage Publications|year=2010|isbn=978-1-4129-5920-9|pages=918–}}</ref>

===Cryptozoology===
{{Main|Cryptozoology}}
Cryptozoology is a pseudoscience and subculture that aims to prove the existence of entities from the [[folklore]] record, such as [[Bigfoot]], [[chupacabra]]s, or [[Mokele-mbembe]]. Cryptozoologists refer to these entities as ''cryptids'', a term coined by the subculture.