Most would associate the term paranormal with ghost hunting television shows and Hollywood horror films, but in reality, paranormal refers to unexplainable occurrences such as hauntings, metaphysical abilities, and other myths like Bigfoot. While paranormal phenomena has created a home for itself in entertainment, the world of science is not so friendly towards the subject. Some scientists argue that paranormal studies are unscientifically in the way they are conducted and reasoned, while others defend the idea of the studies as mainstream science using the example of parapsychology. Parapsychology refers to a sub-section of psychology that aims to investigate unknown mental phenomena such as telepathy and a sixth sense known as extrasensory …show more content…
The author starts of by defining what makes a scientific study legitimate and explains that a good study must be objectively conducted while also not “dependent upon an observer’s limited perception. They then address that since paranormal investigation follow these standards, there is no possibility that the evidence collected in studies is invalid. Rather than accredit occurrences such as temperature change to psychic phenomena, the author explains that true paranormal researchers try to find natural reasons for the change before considering it as paranormal. They then compare how natural disasters such as earthquakes were once considered an act God but now have been scientifically proven as natural to the fact that paranormal phenomena is very well something scientists have yet to understand. The author’s first major point is that despite there being uneducated thrill-seeking ghost hunters, the field of parapsychology is full of trained professionals who seek to explain the unknown parts of the mind and world. These parapsychologists are searching for evidence of a sixth sense called extrasensory perception. The author adds in that the field of parapsychology has made significant contribution to mainstream science by developing the idea of the subconscious mind and dissociation. In addition to that, parapsychologists even spend time shooting down fraudulent studies. The author goes on to talk about how laboratory paranormal investigations have not yet proven anything, but have developed legitimate theories. The author remind the audience that theories such as the Big Bang Theory are not proven but still accepted as scientific. One of these theories is called the magnet theory, which is explained that every organism has its own