‘Supernatural’ Archives
Channeling
Channeling Channeling refers to an activity in which a person seems to be possessed by another consciousness, spirit, force, or entity that uses the person to communicate or interact with the physical world. Popularized in the early 1970s, the word comes from the notion that, under the right conditions, some people can act as a channel, or [...]
Helena Petrovna Blavatsky
Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831–1891) Mystic, occultist, and self-professed psychic Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, commonly referred to as Madame Blavatsky, was the founder of Theosophy, a system of beliefs that is considered to be the source of many later ideas related to alien contact. Blavatsky established this group in 1875, along with [...]
Near Death Experiences
Near Death Experiences The near death experience has been recorded in art and literature throughout history but has only recently been a topic of systematic scientific investigation, where it is commonly referred to as NDE. While there is no precise definition of the near death experience, the term refers to a cluster of phenomena reported by [...]
Occam’s Razor
Occam’s Razor Also called the principle of simplicity, Occam’s razor is often referred to by skeptics commenting on investigations of the paranormal. This principle essentially states that when several explanations for a phenomenon are possible, it is always best to choose the simplest one. For example, if a person sees a shiny metal object [...]
Paranormal Research Organizations
Paranormal Research Organizations There are numerous organizations devoted to researching paranormal phenomena. The majority of them take their work seriously, approach their studies scientifically, and avoid any activities or people that might cast doubt on their professionalism or commitment to discovering the truth behind various paranormal [...]
Occultism
Occultism The word occultism refers to a wide variety of beliefs, rituals, and practices that collectively are based on the theory that spirits and other unknown forces exist and can interact with the known world. Practices most commonly associated with occultism include magic and witchcraft, alchemy (which involves attempts to magically turn [...]
Past-life Memories
Past-life Memories Believers in reincarnation say that after people die, they are reborn in a new body. This occurs, believers say, whether or not someone remembers having lived a previous life, and indeed, most people do not have such memories. Sometimes, however, a child spontaneously remembers details from a past life, and accounts from [...]
Men in Black
Men in Black The phrase Men in Black refers to mysterious men wearing black suits and sunglasses. Witnesses of UFOs and other seemingly unexplainable events say these men show up after a reported UFO incident, demanding to be given any physical evidence that these events took place and threateningly advising witnesses to keep quiet about what [...]
William McDougall
William McDougall (1871–1938) William McDougall was a professor at Harvard from 1920 to 1927 and at Duke University from 1927 until his death in 1938, psychologist William McDougall is credited with bringing the German term parapsychology to the United States to describe what was once called psychical research. He had received his degree in [...]
Mediums
Mediums Mediums are people who can supposedly communicate with spirits, and they are generally divided into two types: physical mediums and mental mediums. When physical mediums are engaged in spirit communications, they exhibit physical signs of this contact; for example, they might levitate in the air, exude a strange substance called [...]
