RESEARCH

Paranormal events are purported phenomena described in popular

culture, folk, and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose
existence within these contexts is described as beyond
normal experience or scientific explanation.[1][2][3][4]
Proposals regarding the paranormal are different from scientific
hypotheses or speculations extrapolated from scientific evidence
because scientific ideas are grounded in empirical observations and
experimental data gained through the scientific method. In contrast,
those who argue for the existence of the paranormal explicitly do not
base their arguments on empirical evidence but rather on anecdote,
testimony, and suspicion.[5] Notable paranormal beliefs include those
that pertain to extrasensory perception (for
example, telepathy), spiritualism and the pseudosciences of ghost
hunting, cryptozoology, and ufology.

Etymology[edit]
The term "paranormal" has existed in the English language since at
least 1920.[7][8] The word consists of two parts: para and normal. The
definition implies that the scientific explanation of the world around
us is 'normal' and anything that is above, beyond, or contrary to that is
'para'.
Paranormal subjects[edit]
On the classification of paranormal subjects, Terence Hines in his
book Pseudoscience and the Paranormal (2003) wrote:
“ The paranormal can best be thought of as a subset ”
of pseudoscience. What sets the paranormal apart from other
pseudosciences is a reliance on explanations for alleged
phenomena that are well outside the bounds of established
science. Thus, paranormal phenomena include extrasensory
perception (ESP), telekinesis, ghosts, poltergeists, life after
 death, reincarnation, faith healing, human auras, and so forth.
The explanations for these allied phenomena are phrased in
vague terms of "psychic forces", "human energy fields", and so
on. This is in contrast to many pseudoscientific explanations
for other nonparanormal phenomena, which, although very bad
science, are still couched in acceptable scientific terms.[9]
Ghost hunting[edit]
Main article: Ghost hunting
In traditional ghostlore and fiction featuring ghosts, a ghost is a
manifestation of the spirit or soul of a person.[10] Alternative theories
expand on that idea and include belief in the ghosts of deceased
animals. Sometimes the term "ghost" is used synonymously with any
spirit or demon,[11] however in popular usage the term typically refers
to a deceased person's spirit.
The belief in ghosts as souls of the departed is closely tied to the
concept of animism, an ancient belief which attributed souls to
everything in nature.[12] As the 19th-century anthropologist George
Frazer explained in his classic work, The Golden Bough (1890), souls
were seen as the creature within that animated the body.[13]
[page  needed]
 Although the human soul was sometimes symbolically or
literally depicted in ancient cultures as a bird or other animal, it was
widely held that the soul was an exact reproduction of the body in
every feature, even down to clothing the person wore. This is depicted
in artwork from various ancient cultures, including such works as
the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead (ca. (1550 BCE), which shows
deceased people in the afterlife appearing much as they did before
death, including the style of dress.
Ufology[edit]
Main article: Ufology
The possibility of extraterrestrial life is not, by itself, a paranormal
subject. Many scientists are actively engaged in the search for
unicellular life within the solar system, carrying out studies on the
surface of Mars and examining meteors that have fallen to Earth.
[14]
 Projects such as SETI are conducting an astronomical search
for radio activity that would show evidence of intelligent life outside
the solar system.[15] Scientific theories of how life developed on Earth
allow for the possibility that life developed on other planets as well.
The paranormal aspect of extraterrestrial life centers largely around
the belief in unidentified flying objects and the phenomena said to be
associated with them.
Early in the history of UFO culture, believers divided themselves into
two camps. The first held a rather conservative view of the
phenomena, interpreting them as unexplained occurrences that
merited serious study. They began calling themselves "ufologists" in
the 1950s and felt that logical analysis of sighting reports would
validate the notion of extraterrestrial visitation.[12][page  needed][16]
The second camp consisted of individuals who coupled ideas of
extraterrestrial visitation with beliefs from existing quasi-religious
movements. These individuals typically were enthusiasts
of occultism and the paranormal. Many had backgrounds as
active Theosophists, Spiritualists, or were followers of
other esoteric doctrines. In contemporary times, many of these beliefs
have coalesced into New Age spiritual movements.[12][page  needed][16]
Both secular and spiritual believers describe UFOs as having abilities
beyond what are considered possible according to
known aerodynamic constraints and physical laws. The transitory
events surrounding many UFO sightings also limits the opportunity
for repeat testing required by the scientific method. Acceptance of
UFO theories by the larger scientific community is further hindered
by the many possible hoaxes associated with UFO culture.[17]