ASSIGNMENT:

Paranormal activity
Submitted To:
Miss Saima
By:

15-ME-34

15-ME-36 15-ME-04
15-ME-17

15-ME-14 15-ME-46

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Paranormal Definition:
Paranormal events are phenomena described in popular culture, folklore and other non-
scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described to lie beyond
normal experience or scientific explanation.

A paranormal phenomenon is different from hypothetical concepts such as dark matter and dark
energy. Unlike paranormal phenomena, these hypothetical concepts are based on empirical
observations and experimental data gained through the scientific method.

The most notable paranormal beliefs include those that pertain to ghosts, extraterrestrial life,
unidentified flying objects, psychic abilities or extrasensory perception, and cryptids.

Etymology:

The term "paranormal" has existed in the English language since at least 1920. The word consists
of two parts: para and normal. The definition implies that the scientific explanation of the world
around us is 'normal' and anything that is above, beyond, or contrary to that is 'para'.

Paranormal subjects:

On the classification of paranormal subjects, Terence Hines in his book Pseudoscience and the
Paranormal (2003) wrote:

The paranormal can best be thought of as a subset of pseudoscience. What sets the paranormal
apart from other pseudo sciences 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 non-paranormal phenomena, which, although
very bad science, are still couched in acceptable scientific terms.

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Ghosts and other spiritual entities:

In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is a manifestation of the spirit or soul of a person.
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, however in popular
usage the term typically refers to a deceased person's spirit.

The belief in ghosts as souls of the departed is closely tied to the concept of animism, an ancient
belief which attributed souls to everything in nature. As the 19th-century anthropologist George
Frazer explained in his classic work, The Golden Bough, souls were seen as the creature within
that animated the body. 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 clothing the person wore. This is
depicted in artwork from various ancient cultures, including such works as the Egyptian Book of
the Dead, which shows deceased people in the afterlife appearing much as they did before death,
including the style of dress.

Although the evidence for ghosts is largely anecdotal, the belief in ghosts throughout history has
remained widespread and persistent.

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Cryptids:
A cryptid is an animal whose existence is not confirmed by science or is an animal that is typically
considered to be extinct. The study of these creatures is known as cryptozoology. Those that study the
existence of cryptids are called cryptozoologists. Claims of cryptid sightings have occurred and been
documented for centuries, and there are hundreds of distinct cryptids thought to be in existence today.
Some of the more popular cryptids include Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, chupacabra, living non-avian
dinosaurs, Mothman, the Jersey Devil, dragons, unicorns and werewolves.

Ware wolf Lockness monster:

Big foot: Dragons:

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Paranormal research:

Approaching the paranormal from a research perspective is often difficult because of the lack of
acceptable physical evidence from most of the purported phenomena. By definition, the
paranormal does not conform to conventional expectations of nature. Therefore, a phenomenon
cannot be confirmed as paranormal using the scientific method because, if it could be, it would
no longer fit the definition. (However, confirmation would result in the phenomenon being
reclassified as part of science.) Despite this problem, studies on the paranormal are periodically
conducted by researchers from various disciplines. Some researchers simply study the beliefs in
the paranormal regardless of whether the phenomena are considered to objectively exist. This
section deals with various approaches to the paranormal: anecdotal, experimental, and
participant-observer approaches and the skeptical investigation approach.

Psychology:
In anomalistic psychology, paranormal phenomena have naturalistic explanations resulting from
psychological and physical factors which have sometimes given the impression of paranormal activity to
some people, in fact, where there have been none. The psychologist David Marks wrote that paranormal
phenomena can be explained by magical thinking, mental imagery, subjective validation, coincidence,
hidden causes, and fraud. According to studies some people tend to hold paranormal beliefs because
they possess psychology attributes that make them more likely to misattribute paranormal causation to
normal experiences. Research has also discovered that cognitive bias is a factor underlying paranormal
belief.

“REASONS”

Bainbridge (1978) and Wuthnow (1976) found that the most susceptible people to paranormal
belief are those who are poorly educated, unemployed or have roles that rank low among social
values. The alienation of these people due to their status in society is said to encourage them to
appeal to paranormal or magical beliefs.

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Research has associated paranormal belief with low cognitive ability, low IQ and a lack of
science education. Intelligent and highly educated participants involved in surveys have proven
to have less paranormal belief. Tobacyk (1984) and Messer and Griggs (1989) discovered that
college students with better grades have less belief in the paranormal.

Criticism:

Some scientists have criticized the media for promoting paranormal claims. In a report (Singer
and Benassi, 1981) wrote that the media may account for much of the near universality of
paranormal belief as the public are constantly exposed to films, newspapers, documentaries and
books endorsing paranormal claims while critical coverage is largely absent. According to Paul
Kurtz "In regard to the many talk shows that constantly deal with paranormal topics, the
skeptical viewpoint is rarely heard; and when it is permitted to be expressed, it is usually
sandbagged by the host or other guests." Kurtz described the popularity of public belief in the
paranormal as a "quasi-religious phenomenon", a manifestation of a transcendental temptation, a
tendency for people to seek a transcendental reality that cannot be known by using the methods
of science. Kurtz compared this to a primitive form of magical thinking.

Terence Hines has written that on a personal level, paranormal claims could be considered a
form of consumer fraud as people are "being induced through false claims to spend their
money—often large sums—on paranormal claims that do not deliver what they promise" and
uncritical acceptance of paranormal belief systems can be damaging to society.

SUPERSTITIONS:
Superstition is the belief in supernatural causality—that one event causes another without any natural
process linking the two events—such as astrology and certain aspects linked to religion, like omens,
witchcraft and prophecies, that contradict natural science

The word superstition is generally used to refer to the religion not practiced by the majority of a given
society – such as Christianity in Western culture – regardless of whether the prevailing religion contains
superstitions. It is also commonly applied to beliefs and practices surrounding luck, prophecy, and

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certain spiritual beings, particularly the belief that future events can be foretold by specific (apparently)
unrelated prior events.

Clay hamsa on a wall, believed to protect the inhabitants of the house

from harm.

Black cats crossing your path:

As companion animals for humans for thousands of years, cats play all sorts of mythological roles. In
ancient Egypt, cats were revered; today, Americans collectively keep more than 81 million cats as pets.

So why keep a black cat out of your path? Most likely, this superstition arises from old beliefs in witches
and their animal familiars, which were often said to take the form of domestic animals like cats.

BLACK CAT

A rabbit's foot will bring you luck

Talismans and amulets are a time-honored way of fending off evil; consider the crosses and garlic that are
supposed to keep vampires at bay. Rabbit feet as talismans may hark back to early Celtic tribes in Britain.
They may also arise from hoodoo, a form of African-American folk magic and superstition that blends
Native American, European and African tradition.

Careful with that mirror

According to folklore, breaking a mirror is a surefire way to doom yourself to seven years of bad luck.
The superstition seems to arise from the belief that mirrors don't just reflect your image; they hold bits of

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your soul. That belief led people in the old days of the American South to cover mirrors in a house when
someone died, lest their soul be trapped inside.

Friday the 13th

If you're not scared of Friday the 13th, you should be scared of the word used to describe those
who are: friggatriskaidekaphobics. (An alternative, though just as tongue-twisty, word for the
fear is "paraskevidekatriaphobia.")

For a superstition, the fear of Friday the 13th seems fairly new, dating back to the late 1800s.
Friday has long been considered an unlucky day (according to Christian tradition, Jesus died on a
Friday), and 13 has a long history as an unlucky number.

According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in North Carolina, about 17
million people fear Friday the 13th. Many may fall prey to the human mind's desire to associate
thoughts and symbols with events.

IN SHORT

THESE ARE BELIEFS OF VARIOUS PEOPLE AND HAVE NO SOUND AND SCIENTIFIC BASIS.