Haunted Places of Kolkata, West Bengal

Like every other densely populated old cities of the country, Kolkata has its own share of haunted places. Old buildings and heritage sites that has been in this city for a while and has haunted past, are scattered all over. Some people say its all made up, some believe them from the core of their hearts while some try to find rationality among the widely spread stories.

The National Library – Alipur

This one is probably the most famous of all the haunted spots in the city. There are a few stories around this complex probably due to the mammoth size of the building or the huge piece of land this building acquires. Out of these stories, two are the most famous versions that are listed here. In early nineties, the British Government had ordered a renovation of the old block and construction of a new complex. It was during this renovation that as many as twelve labours lost their lives in an accident at the site. It is said that even to this day, the spirits of those workers lurks inside the new complex during the darker hours. In another version of the story, it is believed that during the same period there was an English grad student of a reputed college of the city who visited the Library in search of study material. He met with an accident and died at the gates of the library after one such visit of his to this great building. During his last days at the library, he was studying some letters of the Victorian era which was stacked in an obscure corner of the main library building. It is believed that the spirit of this young Bengali student visits the library during odd hours to complete his research paper. Some of the people who have noticed such paranormal existence would testify with the details of how they have seen letters all scattered on the desks when the library gates open at 10am in the morning or even how construction issues arise inside the complex and how they are miraculously solved in some moments. There are eyewitnesses who say that they have heard footsteps of former Lieutenant Governor of Bengal, who used to reside in the same building.

The Royal Calcutta Turf Club – The Race Course

This is a story of mid 1930s of a race maniac called George Williams who loved his horses more than his family and his job at the secretariat. He had as many as 5 horses, out of which his most famous and dearest was a pearl white horse called Pride. Pride was rightly named as she won a few tough races, fame and money for her master. Williams used to spend most of his time in his stable at the race course complex and mostly with his piece of pride. With age, came some complications in the health of Pride and she no longer was the queen of the tracks. Her last race was the Annual Calcutta Derby where she lost the race and Williams lost a lot of fortune. She was found dead the next morning on the tracks with bullet injuries. Though the sources close to Williams and the RCTC had reportedly admitted that she was killed as per the traditions of killing a horse when she is aged and not well, there is another version which states that Williams, in a drunken state, had killed the horse out of sheer frustration. Even as the entire Turf racing fraternity mourned the loss of such a beauty on the tracks, the spirit of Pride is still believed to be seen on the green patch during late nights of Saturdays. Some witnesses have said that they have seen a patch of white fog gushing past the tracks giving an impression of Pride. Mystery or myth, Pride remains alive in the stories of her existence, even as today’s Kolkata remembers her as the “William shaheb er shada Ghoda”

South Park Street Cemetery – Park Street

Perhaps every Kolkata guy has experienced the night life of Park Street. A few, however, has experienced the late night life there. The primitive name of this famous residential cum office area is Burial Road, primarily because of the existence of South Park Street Cemetery. Many of us

confuse this old address with the Mullick Bazaar Cemetery. But still this old burial place, built in 1767, remains in the shadows of the new age High rise buildings and flashy lights. The entry to this place gives you an eerie experience right from the big iron gates to the marble stone studded lanes that take you through the rows of graves bearing British names. Stories of other-worldly figures lingering inside the campus, has been doing rounds for many years. No specific person could be identified as the spirit. Sources and eyewitnesses confirm white fog of humanly figure has been spotted regularly at the grounds, in the early mornings and late evenings. People residing in the adjacent buildings prefer to keep their cemetery-faced windows closed most of the time.

Rabindra Sarovar Metro Station – Mudiali

The other name in which The Kolkata Metro is famous is “Paradise of Suicide”. It is a commonly known death trap with 4000 Volts of current running in the famed third line (a third rail that runs parallel to the tracks and is a little elevated on de-conductors and is usually covered with a wooden plank). Shockingly, around 70% of all people who have lost their lives in the tracks of Metro have committed suicide at Rabindra Sarovar Metro Station. There are stories of how people, travelling to the station in the last metro which reaches the station at around 10:30pm, found some eerie images of figures vanishing in a fraction of second. There are even rumours of shadows moving on the platform on late evenings.

The Writers Building - BBD Bag

The present Writers' Building in Calcutta was first started as early as 1690. Within the periphery of the old fort, the junior writers or clerks of the East India Company used to stay in mud hovels. So it came to be known as the 'Writers' Building'. On 25th June, 1695, these hovels were destroyed by a tempest. Then, the second Writers' Building was constructed inside the old fort. In 1706, the new one-storeyed brick-built building was built. The other Writers' Building stood at the place where the G.P.O. or Fairly Place stand today.

This building has a haunted past too. It is believed that the spirit of Captain Simpson of British East India Company, who was killed by the famous revolutionaries Binay, Badal & Dinesh, still resides in the building facades. The most notorious part of the mammoth building is probably the fifth block where he was shot. Roadside vendors outside the building have often reported of listening to footsteps and voices from within the building well after the earthly hours. Even the busiest blocks of the power house gets deserted after 7pm.

The Hastings House - Hastings

The old residence of the Governor-General at 20B, Judges Court road has another interesting story to tell.

Stories are that Warren Hastings visits the campus in search of some old papers he had lost. His footsteps could be heard. Also doing the rounds are the story of his infamous wife and children, all of whom had unnatural death within this place, comes often to visit their old residence in horse drawn chariot. Shadowy figures are a common thing that many students of The Women’s College of Calcutta University, which now owns the property, have seen. There are stories about how an young students suffered terrible injuries while playing football. Playing any sorts of sport within the campus has become an unwritten rule for all students now.

The Kolkata Dock – Khidderpur

This place was originally owned by Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Awadh. After his kingdom was snatched from him by the East Inda Company in 1856, The Nawab took refuge in the area which now holds the Kolkata docks. There are a few eerie stories about the complex. It is believed that the spirit of the Nawab resides here to take revenge on the British Empire. Since Nawab was a fond follower of music, hair rising stories of how classical music being heard also do the rounds.

The National Museum – Chowranghee

The museum was transferred to it’s current location in 1878 with two galleries. Now the gigantic building holds close to sixty galleries of art inside its premises. The place is a well known haunted location of the city. People have heard a lot of sounds made by the traditional anklets worn by women during dance performances. It is believed that the owner of the properties which lies at the residence guards them from thieves. Directors or the organization, past and present, have refuted all these claims.

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Top 10 India’s Most Haunted Places

Ghosts, spirits, djinns and other paranormal entities while some believe in them others rubbishes them as something that science hasn’t proven yet. But there are places which offers an eerie experience that definitely reinstate our belief in such things. Listed below are some of the haunted places in India.

10) Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi

 

Tucked away beyond the fandom and bustle of the famous cricket ground are the ruins of Feroz Shah Kotla, which once was the glory of Firuz Shah Tughlaq’s beloved city, Firozabad.  However it’s just the Djinns now, who dwell in these ruins. The moment you enter the compound an air of mystery envelops you. On either sides, dilapidated stone staircase leads to two identical rooms with slit for windows and a low roof, apparently these were the room where the evil Djinns tortured their victims. The vicinity is filled with letters and waft of incense sticks. Numerous rooms and dark hallways are scattered over the place giving it a hauntingly beautiful look. Apart from the mosque and the Ashokan Pillar the Baoli is another significant attraction, it’s inaccessible to general public. The legend has it that fairies descend every night around the baoliand who so ever witnesses the specter will go blind. The guard rubbishes the stories and owes it to bad lighting and accidental death but we couldn’t help notice that most of the building faced away from the monument.

9) Tunnel no 33, Shimla

This famous town of Himachal Pradesh has been the favorite background of numerous horror stories and there seems to be a good reason for that. Tunnel no.33 is one such place; allegedly the current owner of this damp, dingy tunnel is the ghost of British Railway Engineer, Colonel Barog, which merrily chats away with anyone who walks in with a question.

How he died is yet another sad story. Barog was overseeing the construction of tunnel no. 33 and to complete it in time he dug the tunnel from both ends of the hill. As a result of gross miscalculation the tunnel could never meet. He was fined Re. 1 by the British Army which was a pretty big amount at that time, disappointed and humiliated Colonel Barog shot himself. The vicinity of Pine Wood Hotel now marks the location of this site. Though colonel Barog riding his horse is a happy spirit but there are two other ghosts which make people avoid this area, one that of a lady who screams and another man who can be seen asking for a lighter.

8) Malcha Mahal, Delhi

I don’t think it’s wise to include this place in this list but a when the forest part and the iron grill of this place appear like a ghost you can’t help yourself.  After a long fight with the Government of India over her regal rights Princess Wilayat Mahal great granddaughter of Nawab of Oudh was given this place along with her children Prince Riaz and Princess Sakina, embittered by her fate Wilayat Mahal committed suicide and her children have lived here ever since with their ferocious hounds, with no connection to the outside world.  Terrified of constant robberies and intruder they were given the right to shoot in self-protection. Ever since countless number of people including reporters have tried going in but no one really returns. Even the forest guards avoid this area. The mystery shrouds this place and time seems to have forgotten it as well.

7) Lohaghat, Uttrakhand

   

This town is tucked away in the folds of Himalayan foothills. It’s an ordinary town save for a bungalow named ‘Abbey’. It’s on Abott Hill and belonged to the founder of this place. In his fond memory and love for the people of Lohaghat, it was converted into a hospital. Things were fine until in the mid 1900 a doctor joined the staff but what marked him from the rest was his ability to predict deaths, the manner was very eerie. During his morning routine checks he would scribble the names down along with precise timings on a pad and then ask the patient to move to a different room where they’d die the following day. This room was renamed ‘Mukti Kothri’. Did he murder his patients or was he a really good doctor? The true story is buried in the abyss of time and mystery but the spirits of those who died still haunt this place especially the ones called ‘Bhoot ki Daang’ they are recurring spirits who walk down the roads of Lohaghat after dark. Local claim that it’s due to these spirits, the place never flourishes.

6) Lothian Cemetery, Delhi

Spirits and unnatural powers seem to have taken a liking to this city. There goes a saying about Delhi that who so ever tries to rule this city will only see it devastated ( surprisingly enough this curse was resonated when the British had to leave India, after they moved their capital from Kolkata to Delhi).

Lothian cemetery is the perhaps the oldest cemetery in Delhi built in the year 1808 this cemetery has seen more than 200 years of unusual happenings. The paranormal expert says that it might be due to the many unnamed victims of 1857 uprising that were buried here. But the most intriguing is the headless ghost. No not the headless Sir Nicholas, but a soldier who fell in love with a sweeping lady. He shot himself near Delhi gate, when she married someone else. The story is that every night people see him walking near Delhi gate before disappearing in Lothian Cemetery right before the break of dawn.

5) Agrasen ki Baoli

On Hailey Road near C.P Agrasen ki Baoli is just a short walk from Jantar Mantar. The hustle of city smothers when you walk down this step well’s steps. This Baoli was constructed on the orders of Maharja Agrasen. On the left side is the water reservoir and around 105 stairs lead to it. Built in 14th century although the well has dried up but that just adds more to the haunt as you go deeper the sounds completely die down and all you can hear is the echo of your own footsteps.

But what marks this place as haunted is the story that we heard from locals. Before the place lost its sheen, the Baoli was filled with black water which would call out to people mysteriously and ask them to scarify their lives. One really old feller recounted to us the horror of watching someone jump to his death, “He was fine and then we saw him standing there. He wasn’t himself it seemed as he was hypnotized, taken over by an unseen force, before we could reach him, he was gone.”

4) Dow Hill, Kurseong, West Bengal

For everyone who is unaware of its horror tales, Kurseong or Kharsang (the land of white orchids) may appear as a pleasant hill station. But things change here in the long winter lull of December to March. Mostly famous for schools and tourist spots one can’t avoid over hearing the mystery of Victoria Boys Hostel. Locals are dead sure that spirits dwell there as they have heard distinct footsteps. Although no foot-marks are ever found, this place has seen numerous mysterious murders.  On the stretch that links the Kurseong Dow hill and Forest office, woodcutters and labourers have reported the sighting of a headless boy walking and disappearing in the forest. The milieu around this area is very spooky, even those oblivious of this story have claimed to feel something near this area

3) Jamali-Kamali Masjid

The Jamali Kamali mosque and tomb are located in the famous Mehrauli Archaeological Complex. Jamali and Kamali were Sufi saints who preached here and were buried in the tomb when they died, around 1528 (source: R.V Smith ‘A Delhi that no one knows’). Though now the place is said to be haunted with banished djinns who try to converse with the passer by in animal voices. Many have claimed hearing growls and anguished cries in strange languages. One account was in particular, very scary. “My son wouldn’t stop crying, then I noticed a small hand imprint on his face. I thought he must have gotten into a fight but, he kept saying that a spirit had slapped him”. People also complain of prolong nightmares and strange experiences post a visit to Jamali- Kamali.

2) The Lambi Dehar mines, Mussoorie

On the outskirts of Mussoorie these abandoned quarry mines have haunted the surrounding area from the early 1990s when an unfortunate event led to the death of around 50,000 workers.  Ever since the area has been deserted and natural forces have taken over the vacant houses. Far from civilization this place gives off a post-apocalyptic feel.

1) Bhangarh, Rajasthan

You knew this was coming, didn’t you?  A lecherous priest, a beautiful princess and a curse marks the story of Bhangarh. At the edge of Sariska it is India’s most famous ghost town. The extent of the mystery can be estimated from a Google search for India’s most haunted places, every second link will take you to Bhangarh and hundreds of horror accounts that follows. By dusk no one dares to venture around this area and the guards listen to Sundar Kand at full volume.

source:-http://listdose.com/top-10-indias-most-haunted-places/

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Paranormal Means....!!!

Let at first understand what is paranormal..???

Paranormal is a general term (coined c. 1915–1920) that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure.Paranormal phenomena are distinct from certain hypothetical entities, such as dark matter and dark energy, only insofar as paranormal phenomena are inconsistent with the world as already understood through empirical observation coupled with scientific methodology.

Waverly Hills Sanatorium

Louisville, Kentucky

Thousands of stories relating to paranormal phenomena are found in popular culture, folklore, and the recollections of individualsubjects. In contrast, the scientific community, as referenced in statements made by organizations such as the United StatesNational Science Foundation, maintains that scientific evidence does not support a variety of beliefs that have been characterized as paranormal.

Contents

  

• 1 Etymology
• 2 Paranormal subjects
  • 2.1 Ghosts and other spiritual entities
  • 2.2 Extraterrestrial life and UFOs
  • 2.3 Cryptids
• 3 Paranormal research
  • 3.1 Anecdotal approach
  • 3.2 Parapsychology
  • 3.3 Participant-observer approach
• 4 Skeptical scientific investigation
  • 4.1 Psychology
  • 4.2 Anomalistics
  • 4.3 Neuroscience
  • 4.4 Criticism
• 5 Belief polls
• 6 Paranormal challenges
• 7 See also
• 8 Notes
• 9 References
• 10 Further reading
• 11 External links

Etymology[edit]

“Paranormal” has been in the English language since at least 1920.^[8][9] It consists of two parts: para and normal. In most definitions of the word paranormal, it is described as anything that is beyond or contrary to what is deemed scientifically possible.^[10] The definition implies that the scientific explanation of the world around us is the 'normal' part of the word and 'para' makes up the above, beyond, beside, contrary, or against part of the meaning.

Paranormal subjects[edit]

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 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.^[11]

The most notable paranormal beliefs include those that pertain to ghosts, extraterrestrial life, unidentified flying objects and cryptids.^[12]

Ghosts and other spiritual entities[edit]

A ghost is a manifestation of the spirit or soul of a person.^[13] 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,^[14] 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.^[15] 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.^[16] 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.

A widespread belief concerning ghosts is that they are composed of a misty, airy, or subtle material. Anthropologists speculate that this may also stem from early beliefs that ghosts were the person within the person, most noticeable in ancient cultures as a person's breath, which upon exhaling in colder climates appears visibly as a white mist.^[15] This belief may have also fostered the metaphorical meaning of "breath" in certain languages, such as the Latin spiritus and the Greek pneuma, which by analogy became extended to mean the soul. In the Bible, God is depicted as animating Adam with a breath.

Numerous theories have been proposed by scientists to provide normal explanations for ghost sightings.^[15] Although the evidence for ghosts is largely anecdotal, the belief in ghosts throughout history has remained widespread and persistent.

Extraterrestrial life and UFOs[edit]

Main articles: extraterrestrial hypothesis and unidentified flying object

The possibility of extraterrestrial life is not, by 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.^[17]Projects such as SETI are conducting an astronomical search for radio activity that would show evidence of intelligent life outside the solar system.^[18] Scientific theories of how life developed on Earth allow for the possibility that life developed on other planets as well. The paranormal aspect of extraterrestrial life centers largely around the belief in unidentified flying objects 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 "ufologists" in the 1950s and felt that logical analysis of sighting reports would validate the notion of extraterrestrial visitation.^[15]

The second camp consisted of individuals who coupled ideas of extraterrestrial visitation with beliefs from existing quasi-religious movements. These individuals typically were enthusiasts of occultism and the paranormal. Many had backgrounds as activeTheosophists, Spiritualists, or were followers of other esoteric doctrines. In contemporary times, many of these beliefs have coalesced into New Age spiritual movements.^[15]

Both secular and spiritual believers describe UFOs as having abilities beyond what are considered possible according to knownaerodynamic constraints and physical laws. The transitory events surrounding many UFO sightings also limits the opportunity for repeat testing required by the scientific method. Acceptance of UFO theories by the larger scientific community is further hindered by the many possible hoaxes associated with UFO culture.

Cryptids[edit]

Main articles: cryptid and cryptozoology

A cryptid is an animal whose existence is not confirmed by science or an animal that is considered 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, Yeti, living non-bird dinosaurs, Mothman, rods orskyfish, the Jersey Devil, dragons, unicorns and werewolves.

Paranormal research[edit]

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.

Anecdotal approach[edit]

Charles Fort, 1920. Fort is perhaps the most widely known collector of paranormal stories.

An anecdotal approach to the paranormal involves the collection of stories told about the paranormal.

Charles Fort (1874–1932) is perhaps the best known collector of paranormal anecdotes. Fort is said to have compiled as many as 40,000 notes on unexplained paranormal experiences, though there were no doubt many more. These notes came from what he called "the orthodox conventionality of Science", which were odd events originally reported in magazines and newspapers such as The Times and scientific journals such as Scientific American,Nature and Science. From this research Fort wrote seven books, though only four survive:The Book of the Damned (1919), New Lands (1923), Lo! (1931) and Wild Talents (1932); one book was written between New Lands and Lo!, but it was abandoned and absorbed into Lo!.

Reported events that he collected include teleportation (a term Fort is generally credited with coining); poltergeist events, falls of frogs, fishes, inorganic materials of an amazing range;crop circles; unaccountable noises and explosions; spontaneous fires; levitation; ball lightning (a term explicitly used by Fort); unidentified flying objects; mysterious appearances and disappearances; giant wheels of light in the oceans; and animals found outside their normal ranges (see phantom cat). He offered many reports of OOPArts, abbreviation for "out of place" artifacts: strange items found in unlikely locations. He is perhaps the first person to explain strange human appearances and disappearances by the hypothesis of alien abduction and was an early proponent of the extraterrestrial hypothesis.

Fort is considered by many as the father of modern paranormalism, which is the study of the paranormal.

The magazine Fortean Times continues Charles Fort's approach, regularly reporting anecdotal accounts of the paranormal.

Such anecdotal collections, lacking the reproducibility of empirical evidence, are not amenable to scientific investigation. The anecdotal approach is not a scientific approach to the paranormal because it leaves verification dependent on the credibility of the party presenting the evidence. Nevertheless, it is a common approach to paranormal phenomena.

Parapsychology[edit]

Main article: Parapsychology

Participant of a Ganzfeld experimentwhich proponents say may show evidence of telepathy.

Experimental investigation of the paranormal has been conducted by parapsychologists. Although parapsychology has its roots in earlier research, it began using the experimental approach in the 1930s under the direction of J. B. Rhine (1895–1980).^[15] Rhine popularized the now famous methodology of using card-guessing and dice-rolling experiments in a laboratory in the hopes of finding a statistical validation of extra-sensory perception.^[15]

In 1957, the Parapsychological Association was formed as the preeminent society forparapsychologists. In 1969, they became affiliated with the American Association for the Advancement of Science. That affiliation, along with a general openness to psychic and occult phenomena in the 1970s, led to a decade of increased parapsychological research.^[15]During this time, other notable organizations were also formed, including the Academy of Parapsychology and Medicine (1970), the Institute of Parascience (1971), the Academy of Religion and Psychical Research, the Institute for Noetic Sciences (1973), and the International Kirlian Research Association (1975). Each of these groups performed experiments on paranormal subjects to varying degrees. Parapsychological work was also conducted at the Stanford Research Institute during this time.^[15]

With the increase in parapsychological investigation, there came an increase in opposition to both the findings of parapsychologists and the granting of any formal recognition of the field. Criticisms of the field were focused in the founding of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (1976), now called the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, and its periodical, Skeptical Inquirer.^[15] Eventually, more mainstream scientists became critical of parapsychology as an endeavor, and statements by the National Academies of Science and the National Science Foundation cast a pall on the claims of evidence for parapsychology. Today, many cite parapsychology as an example of a pseudoscience.^[19]

By the 2000s, the status of paranormal research in the United States had greatly declined from its height in the 1970s, with the majority of work being privately funded and only a small amount of research being carried out in university laboratories. In 2007, Britain had a number of privately funded laboratories in university psychology departments.^[20] Publication remained limited to a small number of niche journals,^[20] and to date there have been no experimental results that have gained wide acceptance in the scientific community as valid evidence of the paranormal.^[20]

Participant-observer approach[edit]

A ghost hunter taking an EMF reading(Electro Magnetic Field), which proponents claim may be connected to paranormal activity.

While parapsychologists look for quantitative evidence of the paranormal in laboratories, a great number of people immerse themselves in qualitative research through participant-observer approaches to the paranormal. Participant-observer methodologies have overlaps with other essentially qualitative approaches as well, including phenomenological research that seeks largely to describe subjects as they are experienced, rather than to explain them.^[21]

Participant-observation suggests that by immersing oneself in the subject being studied, a researcher is presumed to gain understanding of the subject. Criticisms of participant-observation as a data-gathering technique are similar to criticisms of other approaches to the paranormal, but also include an increased threat to the objectivity of the researcher, unsystematic gathering of data, reliance on subjective measurement, and possible observer effects (observation may distort the observed behavior).^[22] Specific data gathering methods, such as recording EMF readings at haunted locations have their own criticisms beyond those attributed to the participant-observation approach itself.

The participant-observer approach to the paranormal has gained increased visibility and popularity through reality television programs like Ghost Hunters, and the formation of independent ghost hunting groups that advocate immersive research at alleged paranormallocations. One popular website for ghost hunting enthusiasts lists over 300 of these organizations throughout the United States and theUnited Kingdom.^[23]

Skeptical scientific investigation[edit]

James Randi is a well-known investigator of paranormal claims.

Scientific skeptics advocate critical investigation of claims of paranormal phenomena: applying the scientific method to reach a rational, scientific explanation of the phenomena to account for the paranormal claims, taking into account that alleged paranormal abilities and occurrences are sometimes hoaxes or misinterpretations of natural phenomena. A way of summarizing this method is by the application of Occam's razor, which suggests that the simpler solution is usually the correct one.^[24] The standard scientific models give the explanation that what appears to be paranormal phenomena is usually a misinterpretation, misunderstanding, or anomalous variation of natural phenomena, rather than an actual paranormal phenomenon.

The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, formerly the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP), is an organization that aims to publicise the scientific, skeptical approach. It carries out investigations aimed at understanding paranormal reports in terms of scientific understanding, and publishes its results in its journal, the Skeptical Inquirer.

Richard Wiseman, of The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, draws attention to possible alternative explanations for perceived paranormal activity in his article, The Haunted Brain. While he recognizes that approximately 15% of people believe they have experienced an encounter with a ghost, he reports that only 1% report seeing a full-fledged ghost while the rest report strange sensory stimuli, such as seeing fleeting shadows or wisps of smoke, or the sensation of hearing footsteps or feeling a presence. Wiseman makes the claim that, rather than experiencing paranormal activity, it is activity within our own brains that creates these strange sensations. Although it was initially proposed by Michael Persinger that ghostly experiences could be replicated by stimulating the brain with weak magnetic fields, this theory was later thrown out by research led by Swedish psychologist, Pehr Granqvist. Upon attempting to replicate the research by Persinger, Granqvist and his team determined that the paranormal sensations experienced by Persinger's subjects were merely the result of suggestion, and that brain stimulation with magnetic fields did not result in ghostly experiences. However, Oxford University psychologist Justin Barrett has proposed a theory to explain sensations of paranormal activity. Barrett claims that ‘agency’—being able to figure out why people do what they do—is so important in everyday life, that it is natural for our brains to work too hard at it, thereby detecting human or ghost-like behaviour in everyday meaningless stimuli. This article in the Skeptical Inquirer suggests that paranormal sensations are not the result of spirits visiting the Earth. Instead, it is the workings inside our brains causing us to attribute meaningless stimuli to ghostly activity.

Former stage magician James Randi is a well-known investigator of paranormal claims.^[25] As an investigator with a background inillusion, Randi feels that the simplest explanation for those claiming paranormal abilities is often trickery, illustrated by demonstrating that the spoon bending abilities of psychic Uri Geller can easily be duplicated by trained stage magicians.^[26] He is also the founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation and its million dollar challenge offering a prize of US $1,000,000 to anyone who can demonstrate evidence of any paranormal, supernatural or occult power or event, under test conditions agreed to by both parties.^[27]Despite many declarations of supernatural ability, this prize remains unclaimed.

Psychology[edit]

Main article: Anomalistic 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.^[28] The psychologist David Marks wrote that paranormal phenomena can be explained by magical thinking, mental imagery, subjective validation, coincidence, hidden causes, and fraud.^[29] 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.^[30] Research has also suggested that cognitive bias may be a factor underlying paranormal belief.^[31]

Chris French founder of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit.

Many studies have found a link between personality and psychopathology variables correlating with paranormal belief.^[32][33][34] Some studies have also shown that fantasy proneness correlates positively with paranormal belief.^[35]

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 amongst 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.^[36][37]

Research has associated paranormal belief with low cognitive ability, low IQ and a lack ofscience education.^[38][39] Intelligent and highly educated participants involved in surveys have proven to have less paranormal belief.^[40][41][42] Tobacyk (1984) and Messer and Griggs (1989) discovered that college students with better grades have less belief in the paranormal.^[43][44]

In a case study (Gow, 2004) involving 167 participants the findings revealed that psychological absorption and dissociation were higher for believers in the paranormal.^[45] Another study involving 100 students had revealed a positive correlation between paranormal belief and proneness to dissociation.^[46] A study (Williams et al. 2007) discovered that "neuroticism is fundamental to individual differences in paranormal belief, while paranormal belief is independent of extraversion and psychoticism".^[47] A correlation has been found between paranormal belief and irrational thinking.^[48][49]

In an experiment Wierzbicki (1985) reported a significant correlation between paranormal belief and the number of errors made on asyllogistic reasoning task, suggesting that believers in the paranormal have lower cognitive ability.^[50] A relationship betweennarcissistic personality and paranormal belief was discovered in a study involving the Australian Sheep-Goat Scale.^[51]

De Boer and Bierman wrote:

“

In his article ‘Creative or Defective’ Radin (2005) asserts that many academics explain the belief in the paranormal by using one the three following hypotheses: Ignorance, deprivation or deficiency. ‘The ignorance hypothesis asserts that people believe in the paranormal because they’re uneducated or stupid. The deprivation hypothesis proposes that these beliefs exist to provide a way to cope in the face of psychological uncertainties and physical stressors. The deficiency hypothesis asserts that such beliefs arise because people are mentally defective in some way, ranging from low intelligence or poor critical thinking ability to a full-blown psychosis’ (Radin). The deficiency hypothesis gets some support from the fact that the belief in the paranormal is an aspect of a schizotypical personality (Pizzagalli, Lehman and Brugger, 2001).[52]

”

A psychological study involving 174 members of the Society for Psychical Research completed a delusional ideation questionnaire and a deductive reasoning task. As predicted, the study showed that "individuals who reported a strong belief in the paranormal made more errors and displayed more delusional ideation than skeptical individuals". There was also a reasoning bias which was limited to people who reported a belief in, rather than experience of, paranormal phenomena. The results suggested that reasoning abnormalities may have a causal role in the formation of paranormal belief.^[53]

Research has shown that people reporting contact with aliens have higher levels of absorption, dissociativity, fantasy proneness and tendency to hallucinate.^[54]

Findings have shown in specific cases that paranormal belief acts as a psychodynamic coping function and serves as a mechanism for coping with stress.^[55] Survivors from childhood sexual abuse, violent and unsettled home environments have reported to have higher levels of paranormal belief.^[56][57] A study of a random sample of 502 adults revealed paranormal experiences were common in the population which were linked to a history of childhood trauma and dissociative symptoms.^[58] Research has also suggested that people who perceive themselves as having little control over their lives may develop paranormal beliefs to help provide an enhanced sense of control.^[59][60]

Gender differences in surveys on paranormal belief have reported women scoring higher than men overall and men having greater belief in UFOs and extraterrestrials.^[61][62] Surveys have also investigated the relationship between ethnicity and paranormal belief. In a sample of American university students (Tobacyk et al. 1988) it was found that blacks have a higher level of belief in superstitions andwitchcraft whilst belief in extraterrestrial life forms was stronger amongst whites.^[63] Otis and Kuo (1984) surveyed Singapore university students and found Chinese, Indian and Malay students to differ in their paranormal beliefs, with the Chinese students showing greater skepticism.^[64]

According to American surveys analysed by (Bader et al. 2011) African Americans have the highest belief in the paranormal and whilst the findings are not uniform the "general trend is for whites to show lesser belief in most paranormal subjects".^[65]

Polls show that about fifty percent of the United States population believe in the paranormal. Dr. Robert L. Park says a lot of people believe in it because they "want it to be so".^[66]

Anomalistics[edit]

Main article: Anomalistics

Anomalistics works on the premise that paranormal phenomena may be hoaxes, understood within current scientific models, or else be rationalized using an as yet unexplored avenue of science.^[67][68][69]

Neuroscience[edit]

Some scientists have investigated possible neurocognitive processes underlying the formation of paranormal beliefs. In a study (Pizzagalli et al. 2000) data demonstrated that "subjects differing in their declared belief in and experience with paranormal phenomena as well as in their schizotypal ideation, as determined by a standardized instrument, displayed differential brain electric activity during resting periods."^[70] Another study (Schulter and Papousek, 2008) wrote that paranormal belief can be explained by patterns of functional hemispheric asymmetry that may be related to perturbations during fetal development.^[71]

It was also found that people with higher dopamine levels have the ability to find patterns and meanings when in reality there isn't. This is why scientists have connected high dopamine levels with paranormal belief.^[72]

Criticism[edit]

Some scientists have criticised 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 whilst critical coverage is largely absent.^[73] 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.^[74]

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.^[75]

Belief polls[edit]

While the validity of the existence of paranormal phenomena is controversial and debated passionately by both proponents of the paranormal and by skeptics, surveys are useful in determining the beliefs of people in regards to paranormal phenomena. These opinions, while not constituting scientific evidence for or against, may give an indication of the mindset of a certain portion of the population (at least among those who answered the polls).

Percentage of U.S. citizens polled

	belief	not sure	belief	not sure	belief	not sure
	Farha-Steward (2006)		Gallup (2001)		Gallup (2005)[76]
psychic, spiritual healing	56	26	54	19	55 [a]	17
ESP	28	39	50	20	41	25
haunted houses	40	25	42	16	37	16
demonic possession	40	28	41	16	42[b]	13
ghosts/spirits of the dead	39	27	38	17	32	19
telepathy	24	34	36	26	31	27
extraterrestrials visited Earth in the past	17	34	33	27	24	24
clairvoyance and prophecy	24	33	32	23	26	24
communication with the dead	16	29	28	26	21	23
astrology	17	26	28	18	25	19
witches	26	19	26	15	21	12
reincarnation	15	28	25	20	20	20
channeling	10	29	15	21	9	20

Another survey conducted in 2006 by researchers from Australia's Monash University^[77] sought to determine what types of phenomena that people claim to have experienced and the effects these experiences have had on their lives. The study was conducted as an online survey with over 2,000 respondents from around the world participating. The results revealed that around 70% of the respondents believe to have had an unexplained paranormal event that changed their life, mostly in a positive way. About 70% also claimed to have seen, heard, or been touched by an animal or person that they knew was not there; 80% have reported having a premonition, and almost 50% stated they recalled a previous life.^[77]

Polls were conducted by Bryan Farha at Oklahoma City University and Gary Steward of the University of Central Oklahoma in 2006. They found fairly consistent results compared to the results of a Gallup poll in 2001.^[78]

A survey by Jeffrey S. Levin, associate professor at Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk found that over 2/3 of the U.S. population reported having at least one mystical experience.^[78][79]

A 1996 Gallup poll estimated that 71% of the people in the United States believed that the government was covering up information about UFOs. A 2002 Roper poll conducted for the Sci Fi channel reported that 56% thought UFOs were real craft and 48% that alienshad visited the Earth.^[78]

A 2001 National Science Foundation survey found that 9 percent of people polled thought astrology was very scientific, and 31 percent thought it was somewhat scientific. About 32% of Americans surveyed stated that some numbers were lucky, while 46% of Europeansagreed with that claim. About 60% of all people polled believed in some form of Extra-sensory perception and 30% thought that "some of the unidentified flying objects that have been reported are really space vehicles from other civilizations."^[80]

Paranormal challenges[edit]

Main article: List of prizes for evidence of the paranormal

In 1922, Scientific American offered two US $2,500 offers: (1) for the first authentic spirit photograph made under test conditions, and (2) for the first psychic to produce a "visible psychic manifestation." Harry Houdini was a member of the investigating committee. The first medium to be tested was George Valiantine, who claimed that in his presence spirits would speak through a trumpet that floated around a darkened room. For the test, Valiantine was placed in a room, the lights were extinguished, but unbeknownst to him his chair had been rigged to light a signal in an adjoining room if he ever left his seat. Because the light signals were tripped during his performance, Valiantine did not collect the award.^[81] The last to be examined by Scientific American was Mina Crandon in 1924.

Since then, many individuals and groups have offered similar monetary awards for proof of the paranormal in an observed setting. These prizes have a combined value of over $2.4 million.^[82]

The James Randi Educational Foundation offers a prize of a million dollars to a person who can prove that they have supernatural or paranormal abilities under appropriate test conditions.Several other skeptic groups also offer a monied prize for proof of the paranormal, including the largest group of paranormal investigators, the Independent Investigations Group, which has chapters in Hollywood, Atlanta, Denver, Washington D.C., Alberta, B.C. and San Francisco. The IIG offers a $50,000 prize and a $5,000 finders fee if a claimant can prove a paranormal claim under 2 scientifically controlled tests. Founded in 2000 no claimant has passed the first (and lower odds) of the test.^[83]

source:-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paranormal

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