What is “paranormal” and how does one investigate?
A standard definition of “paranormal”, under presently accepted standards, is any unexplained phenomena which is not subject to the presently accepted laws of nature. Paranormal does not conform to the conventional expectations of nature. It is other than a natural experience or rather it is beyond nature and the natural laws as well as the normal and scientific experience. Its existence cannot be confirmed by the scientific method because it is beyond acceptable physical evidence conforming to the scientific approach to investigations. What is commonly referred to as “paranormal” is the existence of: ghosts; extraterrestrial life; unidentified flying objects (UFO’s); Extrasensory perception (ESP) and individual psychic abilities. Given this definition, how does one go about investigating these experiences?
There are several ways to explore these experiences and determine their existence. One way is the Anecdotal approach. This method relies on the recitation of individual experiences. This approach depends entirely on the credibility of the narrator of the experience. There is no empirical data to either confirm or deny the experience. Further, the experiences cannot be reproduced and are, therefore not amenable to scientific investigation. No two experiences are the same or similar. Another approach is the approach taken in the 1970’s and 1980’s to prove the existence of extrasensory perception. Experiments were conducted where an isolated individual would attempt to identify a card being concentrated on by another isolated individual. The responses were compared to the order of the cards being concentrated on by the viewer by a “parapsychologist”. The experiments were inconclusive and resulted in a finding that these experiments were considered pseudoscience.
Finally, and in this writer’s view, a more scientific approach is known as the Skeptical Scientific Investigation. This method rests on Occam’s Razor which states that the simplest solution is usually the correct one, i.e. the banging on the steam pipes in the winter is air in the line. Once all natural explanations are eliminated only one explanation remains. This method uses objective methods to prove or disprove the presence of a phenomenon beyond the laws of nature. It does not rest with the belief or disbelief of the investigator. The results are independently and dispassionately arrived at. Clearly, the debate goes on and as science and scientific equipment advances, so will the methods of investigation. Perhaps one day a definitive answer will be reached and paranormal will be no more. Rather, it will all be normal. One note on the existence or non-existence of ghosts, remember the scientific principle that energy is neither created nor destroyed. And of course, life forms are energy.
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