Paranormal Publications
Themes emerged from the self reports that I collected for my paranormal thesis.
Given my sense of knowing from my earliest moment, I was keen to see if those who had experienced the paranormal would report experiences that dated back to their early childhood. I wasn’t disappointed. People confided intimate details about experiences that happened very, very early in their lives – before the second year of life. So, Im not alone in my early knowing!
I was curious to know whether more males or females report paranormal experiences – and statistically my research confirmed that there is a gender bias. In the past, it was shown that men tended to answer online surveys more frequently than women, but more recently this balance has swung the other way and my study confirmed this too. More women than men responded to the call to participate in my anonymous survey and the difference in the level of paranormal experience reports was statistically significant in favour of women.
All good stuff really and every bit of formal research helps, especially in an area like academic paranormal research where so little work is being done. Partly, there is a shortage because it’s a matter of funding; partly it’s a matter of career suicide for members of the paid academic fraternity (of which Im not a member, so I have nothing to lose).
During the course of my study I read a lot of books and articles and journals. Some of these are readily available online; many are only available through university libraries and the international network that binds them. Of course, over the years while waiting for the world to turn far enough for the paranormal to come out of the shadows, I read a lot of paranormal books, searching for confirmation that I wasn’t alone in all this.
I’d like to share some of my references – from both of these sources. Some you may be familiar with, others are more obscure. I’ll also start to place links to websites and blogs that I recommend.
One of the first serious books I read was Parapsychology by Richard Broughton. I’ll review it soon.
Hi Rosemary,
Your readers might like to know about your comments policy. It might be helpful if you would make a brief post on that subject. Do you want to recieve comments from readers? Are there certain types of comments you wont allow? etc…
Thanks,
I’m sorry to be addressing you as ‘anonymous’ but unfortunately that’s how your comment has come through to the site.
Regarding the issue of privacy I have taken the opportunity that you’ve created to refer to some of the blogs that I regard as being professionally conducted. I note that they too have not documented a privacy and posting policy and so, at this time, I’ll maintain the status quo.
Further to your other questions, Paranormal Psychic welcomes sincere and informed discussion, information sharing, and personal anecdotes.
Hi Rosemary,
Congratulations for your blog.
I’d like to ask you if you have read Chris Carter’s book “parapsychology and the skeptics“. It’s an excellent book. Maybe you could write a review of it.
Keep the good work.
Jime
Hi Jime
Thanks for dropping by and leaving a note. Thanks also for the recommended book. At this stage Im not intending to review books but I’m sure other followers will be interested in your recommendation.
Have you have reviewed it on your blog?
Rosemary
Hi Rosemary, sorry for the long delay of my reply. I forgot to reply.
I haven't review Carter's book, maybe I'll do in the future.
I'll try to review other books on psi and afterlife too.
Jime
Jime Its nice to hear from you. I wonder how you have the time to do all you do anyway. Apology not needed but accepted. Cheers R
Hello Rosemary
A couple of months ago, I submitted a report of a psychic experience that happened to me to Psychic revolution and since then have just received your periodic newsletters telling me that the Psychic revolution is ongoing, but does not give me any pointers as to where I might find out more about it. For instance, I would love some feedback on my particular kind of psychic experience, which was a voice in my head warning me of an imminent accident. How many other people have had this? What conclusion has it led to – ie is it one’s own brain or some benevolent entity?
regards
Martine
Hi Martine
The first round of the survey was completed some time back and Im just in the process of collating the responses of that round to put some of them up on the website.
And Im amazed at the number of qualitative descriptions of premonitions and these support the quantitative data too! Often they are in conjunction with dreams – but not always.
As far as I know no one in academia has proven what is behind these presentiments and from my reading of the survey anecdotes it seems that people are more inclined to just accept them (and usually they are grateful for them) without questioning their origins.
In addition to the options youve suggested for their origin there is the idea that this type of info is freely available in the ‘ether’ and it is just a matter of tapping into it. There is no one answer, only hypotheses I believe.
Rosemary