Ghosted!: Exploring the Haunting Reality of Paranormal Encounters

by Brian Laythe, James Houran, Neil Dagnall

Overview

Reports of paranormal experiences vary tremendously, but are often associated with ghosts, haunted houses, and otherwise eerie circumstances. There exist both classic and modern texts on ghosts and haunted or possessed people, places and spaces; many discuss traditional ideas regarding such phenomena or utilize now-outdated research in highly academic and technical ways.

This book offers a very different approach in reviews provided by a leading-edge research program devoted to who has ghostly experiences and why. With new insights both global in scale and multidisciplinary in scope, this collaboration by five researchers uncovers consistent evidence that anomalous experiences represent a very real "Haunted People Syndrome"--a term describing anomalous experiences that manifest recurrently to the same percipients and are interpreted as "ghostly"--with implications for future research across academia. The participation of new citizen scientists (the field investigators and researchers among us) is invited in furthering the exploration of paranormal mysteries. Photos and figures illustrating concepts and models are included, as is a glossary.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476685779
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Publication date:	07/19/2022
Pages:	268
Sales rank:	806,504
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.54(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Brian Laythe, Ph.D., is the owner of Iudicium psychological consultancy, and the director of the Institute for the Study of Religious and Anomalous Experience (I.S.R.A.E.). He lives in Charlestown, Indiana. James Houran, Ph.D., is a research professor at the Laboratory for Statistics and Computation, ISLA—Instituto Politécnico de Gestão e Tecnologia (Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal) and research director at Integrated Knowledge Systems, Inc. (Dallas Texas). He lives in Dallas. Neil Dagnall, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Manchester Metropolitan University (UK). He has been involved with the teaching and researching of the anomalous for 20+ years and is an advocate of public engagement and education in science. Kenneth Drinkwater, Ph.D., is a senior lecturer and researcher in the Department of Psychology at Manchester Metropolitan University (UK). His primary research interests concern the formation and maintenance of scientifically unsubstantiated cognitions, such as paranormal beliefs, conspiracy theories, and urban legends. Ciarán O’Keeffe, Ph.D., is an associate professor of research and education at Buckinghamshire New University (UK), where he is also associate head of the School of Human and Social Sciences. He is a co-author of a number of popular paranormal books.

Table of Contents

"Dead"ications v

Acknowledgments vi

Ghost Gang ix

Foreword Chris French 1

Introduction 5

Before you begin… 9

1 Spectral Signs … or Symptoms? 11

2 Who Experiences Ghosts and Why It Matters 30

3 Beware, Social Media and Greater Society Are Possessed 50

4 Spooky Settings and Structures 70

5 The Theory of "Haunted People Syndrome" 95

6 What About the Paranormal? 117

7 Citizen Science to the Rescue: Critical Concepts 136

8 Citizen Science in Action: Sample Investigative Tactics 156

9 Wanted! Research on the Syndrome Model and Beyond 181

10 Recommendations for Ongoing Education and Pursuits 207

Afterword Loyd Auerbach 232

Glossary 239

Index 249

Editorial Reviews

Providing a framework for examining the metaphysical world, Ghosted! offers both intriguing research and quality entertainment while probing the supernatural, whether the reader is a believer or a skeptic.”—Booklist

From the Publisher