THE PARANORMAL PHENOMENA AND PARAPSYCHOLOGY
Abstracts
WHAT´S WRONG WITH THE PARANORMAL?
RICHARD DAWKINS, Oxford University
The paranormal phenomenon would be a miracle but this does not exist. It would be so true like professional magicians´ tricks. So «paranormalists» are a fake and tricksters.
It tries to explain certain people’s activities who visited Peru in the last years such as psychic healers, hypnotists and telepaths) and also several supposed miraculous or extraordinary events (for example, images crying, alien visits, the future in the stars, cards, palm of the hand, etc.) By the other side, author makes some reflections on their success and consequences in the Peruvian people.
WORLDS IN COLLISION APPLYING REALITY TO THE PARANORMAL
BENJAMIN RADFORD, Skeptical Inquirer
Paranormal claims are a double-edged sword, and many believers would likely be unhappy with the logical implications of their beliefs. Our world would be a very different place if paranormal abilities truly existed. Psychic powers, if they were real, would raise serious ethical and philosophical questions regarding individuality, privacy, freedom, and free will.
PARAPSYCHOLOGY: A CRITICAL EVALUATION
MASSIMO POLIDORO, Italian Committee for Investigation of Paranormal Claims
Psychic phenomena have puzzled men for centuries. However, this is a field in which after 120 years of scientific research meaningful results are still missing. This paper aims to provide an overview of the best work conducted in parapsychology along with the relative critical evaluation. Besides from the fact that parapsychology will be able or not to demonstrate the reality of psychic phenomena, it is suggested that conventional psychology devote more of its time to so-called «anomalistic experiences»; meaning with this term those anomalous psychological and neurological phenomena for which there exists a rational explanation but for which the majority of the population usually gives a paranormal interpretation (deja-vu, paramnesia, apparitions, hypnosis, out-of-body experiences, near-death experiences and so on).
PARANORMAL: ESP & PARAPSYCHOLOGY
PAUL KURTZ, Committee for Investigation of Paranormal Claims.
It is about what the paranormal phenomena are and part of the history of parapsychological inquiries and results.
PARAPSICOLOGY: SCIENCE OR PSEUDOSCIENCE?
MARIO BUNGE, McGill University
Among several questionable practices only parapsychology is oriented to research but its field of knowledge does not satisfy requirements to be considered scientific.
PSI THEORY AND BELIEF
TERENCE HYNES, Pace University
It is about several parapsychological theories trying to explain the psi phenomenon and in spite of a poor evidence people believe in it because a personal experience and the great propaganda from media.
To Neo-Skepsis # 4
To Neo-Skepsis # 2
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