Paranormal Beliefs: A Sociological IntroductionDespite the continued and growing popularity of such phenom- ena as angels, witches, extra-sensory perception, psychics, astrology, foretelling the future, living past lives, ghosts, and communicating with the dead, such beliefs have received little scrutiny from sociologists. Who believes in them? Why? And with what consequences? A paranormal belief system is generated as a result of cultural, social, and social-psychological forces; it is linked with social institutions in identifiable ways and has identifiable consequences. According to the author, the explication of how paranormal beliefs are accepted or rejected yields richer understanding of social structures and dynamics. Accepting one or more of the beliefs--or accepting a cosmology that rules them out of the realm of the possible--tells us a great deal about the believers and disbelievers as well as the society in which they live. This compelling, well-documented work presents a much-needed sociological examination of the role paranormal beliefs play in our society. |
From inside the book
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Page 48
... fact that the nonscientists are wrong from a strictly scientific point of view is not the only or even the main point ( just as the fact that the scientific approach is wrong according to the rules followed by the nonscientists is also ...
... fact that the nonscientists are wrong from a strictly scientific point of view is not the only or even the main point ( just as the fact that the scientific approach is wrong according to the rules followed by the nonscientists is also ...
Page 77
... fact is , all new ideas are controversial , and have to compete with tradition in all spheres . ( And again , keep in mind the fact that most new ideas turn out to be wrong . ) As we saw , in science , there is a core or foundation of ...
... fact is , all new ideas are controversial , and have to compete with tradition in all spheres . ( And again , keep in mind the fact that most new ideas turn out to be wrong . ) As we saw , in science , there is a core or foundation of ...
Page 158
... fact that different observers have different ways of knowing an assertion to be true . There are several issues that force scientists to be skeptical about contactee reports . The fact that contactees can almost never point to wit ...
... fact that different observers have different ways of knowing an assertion to be true . There are several issues that force scientists to be skeptical about contactee reports . The fact that contactees can almost never point to wit ...
Common terms and phrases
accept aliens angels asked assertions astrology Christian conspiracy theories contactees conventional crank creationism creationists Dean Radin debunker devil dimension dream earth empirical ence entists epistemology evidence evolution evolutionists exist experience explanation extraterrestrial craft extraterrestrial hypothesis fact faith false falsifiability feel forces Gallup poll ghosts heaven Hence human influence instance issue lives look mainstream major material means million mind observed occult paranormal belief systems paranormal beliefs paranormal claims paranormal phenomena paranormal thinking paranormalists parapsychology percent person perspective physical planets powers predictions principle pseudoscience psychic psychokinesis question Radin reality reason reject religion religious remote viewing reports respondents Roswell Roswell incident scientific scientists believe secular secular humanism sense Skeptical Inquirer social society sociological sociologists someone specific spiritual story supermarket tabloids tabloids teleology telepathy things tion traditional true truth ufologists UFOs universe validity versus violate wrong X-Files