New claims of the paranormal?

[Admin]

Is there anything new in paranormal research? ???

Has there been any phenomenon that has been reported that is not old hat or a simple variation on anything old?

I would say that the biggest turn off with parapsychology, for me, is the fact that it seems to be the same old claims of ESP (including mediumship) and Psychokinesis (including distant healing) that are looked at constantly. There may be new experiments done but they're all on the same, never proven, hypotheses.

Does anyone follow the parapsychology literature closely and if so, is there anything new in the field that would be of interest to skeptics (i.e. something that hasn't been sufficiently investigated to at least offer some hope of being true)?

[Mulder]

There are orbs, of course, which some people think are spirits or ghosts. Orbs are, of course, a photographic artefact that became widespread when digital cameras came along (because their physically small sensors forced a huge increase in depth of field).

Orbs are interesting because they are the result of new technology. Most new paranormal, or anomalous, phenomena seem to be related to new technology. The believers say the new technology reveals things we couldn't see before! However, any widespread new technology inevitably leads to people misinterpreting mundane phenomena as paranormal. For instance, a related phenomenon, though not strictly paranormal, is the flying rod. This, too, is a photographic artefact caused by an insect flying close in front of a camera which is using a slow shutter speed.

EVP only became possible when electronic recorders were widely used. The 'spirits' do love to play with new toys! I predict most 'new' phenomena in future will be related to new technologies.

[FarSideOfTheMoon]

But aren't these things you mention 'old' too in the sense that they have been around a few years and so thoroughly debunked that only complete fools still believe in them. Surely no one is even researching the effects?

[Mulder]

But aren't these things you mention 'old' too ...

What is new? Last 20 years ... 10 ... 5 ... last week?

Orbs are still taken seriously by some people. EVP was quite big in the 1970s and 80s but then fell out of favour until the film White Noise came along. Now it is widely believed by many ghost hunters, even ones who scoff at orbs. Instead of using white noise, it is now commonplace to record ambient sound, particularly in haunted locations. Such sound can, sometimes, have a similar frequency structure to the human voice. The mechanism in our brain that allows us to 'hear' voices when there is too much noise around also puts words and phrases directly into our minds where none were uttered. There has been surprisingly little serious research into the specific causes of EVP, unlike orbs, which is probably why belief in it is so widespread.

[Cuddles]

There are orbs, of course, which some people think are spirits or ghosts. Orbs are, of course, a photographic artefact that became widespread when digital cameras came along (because their physically small sensors forced a huge increase in depth of field).

Orbs certainly became more popular with the advent of digital photography, but they have existed for much longer. I'm also not convinced they fall under the heading of paranormal research. As far as I'm aware, orbs are generally posted on nutty websites near statements saying "Oh my god! Look! An orb! Clearly this is the work of multidimensional dead aliens!", but they are never the subject of actual research. Similarly for EVP. People make random recordings and post them on the internet, but no-one even pretends to do any research on them, they just state that it's obviously paranormal and leave it at that.

[FarSideOfTheMoon]

Agree with Cuddles, these things are not being researched. The only people believing in them are loonies.

The people going out to hunted houses and the like and then using EVP or photographing orbs are not doing research. They are arsing about.

[Mulder]

Perhaps John would like to clarify what he's asking, before I waste any more of my time.

When he said 'claims', I understood it to mean stuff that ordinary people are reporting as paranormal. People are undeniably reporting orbs, EVP etc as paranormal, no matter what other people might think about such phenomena. Papers about EVP have even appeared in the SPR Journal.

As far as I'm aware, orbs are generally posted on nutty websites near statements saying "Oh my god! Look! An orb! Clearly this is the work of multidimensional dead aliens!", ...

Hardly anyone associates orbs with aliens, except when people mistake them for UFOs. The vast majority of people who believe orbs are anomalous think they are manifestations of spirits or ghosts. Photographs of orbs are mainly found on ghost hunting websites. Dark rooms provide good conditions for producing orbs.

Orbs certainly became more popular with the advent of digital photography, but they have existed for much longer.

Yes, you can get orbs with 35mm film cameras but far more rarely. I have been actively researching ghosts since before digital photography and wasn't aware of orbs until the 1990s. The International Ghost Hunter's Society claim to have invented the term orb in 1994 and I have no reason to dispute that (http://www.ghostweb.com/orb_theory.html). Many orb 'believers' now accept that there are mundane causes for most. However, they maintain that certain orbs are 'genuine', usually because they look unusual or are associated with an event like a medium 'feeling a spirit near'.

[Dr B]

I think Mulder has it right regarding Orbs - they are viewed as paranormal by some. As are peaks on a basic EMF meter

Both Mulder and myself have been surrounded by these people for over twenty years and you dont have to look to far to see paranormal interpretations.

[dalriada]

I think Mulder made a good point about new claims of the paranomal being linked to new technology. Human beings have been fascinated by the paranormal/supernatural for millennia. It's part of our make-up, but there's only so many story-lines you can have, and there are fascinating recurring themes between paranormal claims across societies and across time. The same stories of vengeful ghosts, supernatural rescues, big bad bogeys etc keep repeating, because those are the sort of things that tend to be important to humans and human nature is fairly consistent. The advent of mass media has taken on the role of "high priest" in some ways, in presenting and directing what particular form our paranormal preoccupations should take from victorian table tilting, to ufos, to the more recent flurry of orbs. The sacred and profane potentials of new technologies tend to be exploited pretty quickly too. Sex and the supernatural are universal human fascinations and quickly colonise new technological realms- plus there's always money to be made in providing them.

As far as explanations for paranormal claims go, these are restricted only by the unlimited power of the human imagination. My favourite is still the wonderfully wacky Parsons' Theory of Apparitional Aspiration outlined on the Parascience website. It claims to supercede the stone tape theory by proposing that haunting experiences may be caused by inhaling water droplets imprinted with memories which then copy themselves "across the Cerebral Spinal Fluid and thus the brain sees the event as a playback of the encoded events." As a plotline for a Steven King novel that would rock, but as a serious biological, psychological or even parapsychological possibility, it's nothing short of hilarious..

Amusingly, stone-tape theory, was itself not an actual scientific theory but a work of fiction. I'll stress that again. Somebody just made it up for entertainment purposes and it's filtered into paranormal subculture. It may have became accepted as scientific fact with some of the quirkier quarters of the paranormal investigations crowd, but it's still a modern myth. However, there will always be those who think that if it's been on TV, it must be true* and so the ghostie-group can be kept busy (in the dark) for years on end..!

"serious study, research and investigation into all types of paranormal phenomena." ?

Er... No.

[Cuddles]

Hardly anyone associates orbs with aliens, except when people mistake them for UFOs. The vast majority of people who believe orbs are anomalous think they are manifestations of spirits or ghosts. Photographs of orbs are mainly found on ghost hunting websites. Dark rooms provide good conditions for producing orbs.

What people claim they are is irrelevant. My point was simply that there is no research done on the subject. People look at photos and declare them paranormal, with no attempt to actually study, replicate or come up with a theory. Even the best cases are little more than people collecting lots of pictures. That would be the first step into scientific research if they tried to analyse them, but it always seems to stop with just the collection. Data by itself is useless, it's only science if you do something with it.

[Mulder]

What people claim they are is irrelevant. My point was simply that there is no research done on the subject.

ASSAP has done research into orbs - see http://www.assap.org/newsite/PDF%20p...ne%20test.html

[Dr B]

What people claim they are is irrelevant.

I think I would disagree with this - the claim is relevant as it is embedded in the culture / history of that time. As mulder pointed out - technology will be one source of error in the future and this is, of course, part of the modern culture.

Succubus / Incubus / Aliens / UFOs - same experience re-dressed up in historical and cultural influences.

I think I know what you mean - in that is is less relevant in some sense and depending on the argument you want to make - but in terms of Mulder's original point - i think it is relevant.

My point was simply that there is no research done on the subject.

I dont think I agree with this either. Camera manufacturers have done some of their own research and MT has done a great deal through ASSAP. Or are you not classing any of that as research (I know its not published in the best journals or indeed of the highest quality - but it seems some research has been doen that is useful)? You are right in the sense no research has been done which supports a paranormal explanation and which stands up to scrutiny.

People look at photos and declare them paranormal, with no attempt to actually study, replicate or come up with a theory. Even the best cases are little more than people collecting lots of pictures.

I totally agree with you there - but I think this is the point Mulder is making as well.....

[tolman]

Such sound can, sometimes, have a similar frequency structure to the human voice. The mechanism in our brain that allows us to 'hear' voices when there is too much noise around also puts words and phrases directly into our minds where none were uttered. There has been surprisingly little serious research into the specific causes of EVP, unlike orbs, which is probably why belief in it is so widespread.

I think I've probably already mentioned the serious ease of imagining muffled voices when sitting in cave-darkness while waiting for people to arrive at a rendezvous, if given some running water to provide a source of noise, and some passageway to do some basic audio filtering.
While it's sometimes even easy to imagine hearing the timbre of specific expected voices, I'm not aware of anyone actually hearing distinct words, as opposed to intermittent indistinct distant conversations, but I suppose much comes down to what is expected.
Someone really trying to hear distinct words on a noisy tape may well be able to do so, particularly if they have an idea what they expect to hear, and they're more suggestible than average.

I can certainly understand why miners developed the idea that there were some creatures hiding in the shadows.

[Mulder]

I think I've probably already mentioned the serious ease of imagining muffled voices when sitting in cave-darkness while waiting for people to arrive at a rendezvous, if given some running water to provide a source of noise...

I've been on a haunting case where whispering was supposedly heard sometimes in a particular room. When I heard it myself I realised it was noisy plumbing!

[median]

I've been on a haunting case where whispering was supposedly heard sometimes in a particular room. When I heard it myself I realised it was noisy plumbing!

Wahey! Plumbers are the New Ghostbusters. I can see a potential market on the horizon....