Abstract continued……..
The survey gathered information on ten categories of paranormal experience, namely deja vu, apparitions, near-death experiences, out-of-body experiences, psychokinesis , premonitions, auras, mediumship, reincarnation, and telepathy. The survey gathered statistical data on the type, frequency, and age at onset of each type of experience. Respondents were also invited to reflect on the possible causes and the personal impact of their own parapsychological experiences.
Several significant themes were identified in the data. These included: variations in the levels of incidence of the different types of phenomena; gender differences; national variations; and the trend for paranormal experiences to have a marked impact on the experients, their values, and the way they lived their lives. The research outcomes also supported the notions that spontaneous parapsychological experiences are universal, and not limited to adulthood. The majority of first encounters, of eight of the ten types of paranormal phenomenon, occurred in childhood – under 18 years of age, including a small number of pre birth experiences. In addition, the narratives offered numerous references to the perceived significance that race, genetics, and the female bloodline play in the paranormal experience.
The current findings both support the existing literature and suggest new research directions. At the personal level, for those charged with the mental, spiritual, and educational welfare of the individual, particularly the young, this exploratory study highlights the need to take spontaneous parapsychological experiences, and their experients, seriously. At the broader level, the findings confirm the ubiquitous nature of the paranormal and suggest both unifying and independent themes in the nature, incidence, impact and integration of parapsychological phenomena. Additional research is indicated and a catalogue of eleven recommendations for future study is proffered.
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