Topics for Consideration

    The topic that I am considering right now is ghosts. To be more specific, I would like to explore some well-known or documented cases of human contact with spirits and then examine some of the methods that people use to communicate with the dead. For example, I'd like to further research the history or (pseudo)science behind spirit boxes, oujia boards, and séances. How do these methods work, and why do we place our faith in them? 


    I've always been intrigued by ghost stories. I love horror movies and think that stories of encounters with paranormal entities are absolutely fascinating. However, as a skeptic, I always tend to question the things I hear regarding the supernatural. Still, there are some pretty exciting stories about ghost sightings or hauntings that I would love to look into, even if I don't necessarily believe in ghosts. I'd also like to find out more about why "scientific" evidence of ghosts is deemed "scientific"--what makes people so certain that EMF and cold spots indicate ghosts? 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Scouting the Territory

    I'd like to mostly keep my original topic but focus more on the history of séances and the occult (possibly just in America, but I'm not entirely certain for now). I'd also like to talk about why people seem to be so fascinated with the idea of ghosts and contacting the dead. I still think it would be interesting to further explore more "modern" and "scientific" ways of contacting spirits today as well; however, after looking into the topic some more, I think I will end up discussing actual scientific explanations for why people think they see ghosts as well as the reasons for why different technologies used to detect or contact ghosts actually prove nothing. Originally, I wanted to touch on both sides of the "Are ghosts real?" argument, but after doing some further research, it would be far easier for me to explain why ghosts do not exist, as I am now thoroughly a skeptic. Thinking ahead, I think I'd like to open my paper with the hist...
Read more

Research Blog #10: Abstract and Works Cited

 Abstract The rise in popularity of paranormal media has been followed by a growth of paranormal belief throughout the twenty-first century. The gadgets used in paranormal media results in a scientific presentation of ghosts and paranormal existence. This paper explores how the technology-heavy representation of ghost-hunting tools in paranormal media misleads viewers into believing that ghosts can currently be scientifically proven with evidence like EMF and EVP. This paper also examines the factors behind viewers’ tendency to paranormal belief, such as the naturalizing effect, the public’s lack of scientific understanding, and social influence.  Works Cited (Note: Formatting may be odd on Blogger despite my attempts at reformatting) Axtell, Cassie C., "Assessing Electronic Voice Phenomena through Speech Science"  (2017).   Honors Theses . 415. https://encompass.eku.edu/honors_theses/415 Buckner V, John E., and Rebecca Anders Buckner. “Talking to the Dead, Listening...
Read more

Research Proposal

Working Title: The Effect of Cognitive Ability and Scientific Misrepresentation on Paranormal Belief Topic :       I will examine the possible reasons behind people’s continued belief in the paranormal. This paper will link people’s cognitive ability to scientific misrepresentation, particularly in media, and explore the unreliability of ghost-hunting techniques, such as EVP.  Research Question:       What sparked people’s interest in contacting spirits? How have our methods of reaching the undead evolved, and are these methods reliable? Despite the mounting evidence against the existence of spirits, why do people continue to believe in the paranormal? Theoretical Frame: In the study by Gordon Pennycook et al. “Analytic Cognitive Style Predicts Religious and Paranormal Belief,” and the study “Probability Misjudgment, Cognitive Ability, and Belief in the Paranormal” by Jochen Musch et al., researchers looked into the link between people’s c...
Read more