True Ghost Stories: Real Accounts of Death and Dying, Grief and Bereavement, Soulmates and Heaven, Near Death Experiences, and Other Paranormal Mysteries (The Supernatural Book Series: Volume 3) by Rosemary Breen Page B
Authors: Rosemary Breen
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into woods then follow a path about 2 miles. On this particular day, I did just that, only as I came to edge of wood to walk thru the cemetery (I didn't hear no inner voice or even a voice in my head) I just knew to duck behind the last few trees.
I didn't know why but I did it. Anyway, as I looked around the trees while I was hiding (I guess you'd call it that), I saw identical twin, African-American boys dressed in cut offs shirts and suspenders.
They seemed to be having the time of their lives, pardon the pun, but that's the aura they put out.
They were playing get this, and leapfrogging over the tombs and graves.
This went on about five minutes and they just leapfrogged till the graveyard met the wood at furthest end; then they were gone.
That was it! That was the greatest thing that had ever happened to me anyway, so I walked rest way home smiling.
Thesis Extract
Chapter 3 Literature Review
3.1 Introduction
In Chapter 2 the body of literature on using the WWW to collect data was reviewed. In this chapter the relevant literature pertaining to parapsychological experiences is examined under three broad headings:
‘nature’ which deals with the issues of definition and terminology, and research difficulties that arise as a result of the multidisciplinary nature of paranormal experiences;
‘incidence’ which examines the current evidence on spontaneous paranormal and spiritual experiences; and
‘impact and integration’ which reviews what is currently known about the effects of paranormal experiences on the experients.
In the final part of Chapter 3 the findings of past surveys on parapsychological experiences, including those that form the basis of the current study, are introduced.
The issue of whether the paranormal is proven or not is outside the scope of the current study but as Feldman and Goldsmith (1991) assert, “one should not necessarily dismiss a phenomenon as untrue simply because it cannot easily be explained” (p.191).
Indeed, three decades ago, the frequency with which these experiences were being reported provoked Greeley (1975) to suggest that “any phenomena with incidence as widespread as the paranormal deserves much more careful and intensive research than it has received up to now” (p.7). The current study and this researcher are inspired by the small number of specialists in the field of parapsychology, including Radin who asserts, “scientific evidence for some forms of psi is indeed persuasive. By the same standards used to establish proof in other areas of science, we can say with confidence that psi does exist” (Radin, 2007b, ¶4).
3.2 The Nature of Parapsychological Phenomena
The most extensively researched aspect of psi is paranormal beliefs and repeatedly, academic surveys conclude that people believe in parapsychological phenomena. The list of studies that explore the correlations between the paranormal and personal qualities is extensive and includes: personality traits, proneness to mental illness, political convictions, child abuse, religious beliefs, income level, education levels, and the demographics of age and gender. While no enduring link or causation between these correlates and parapsychological beliefs is known, given the volume of research involved it seems reasonable to conclude firstly, that people do believe in the paranormal and secondly, that researching paranormal beliefs is academically acceptable (Allen, 1994; Banzinger, 1983; Emmons, 1981; Grimmer 1990, 1992; Karr, 2001; Linderman, 2007; Lyons, 2005; Newport, 2001; Rice, 2003).
Central to the research on the nature of parapsychological phenomena is the issue of consciousness, and while this is not the main theme of the current study, the findings of this investigation will ideally make a contribution to this underdeveloped field of study.
As Radin (1997) notes, “after a hundred years, psychology has not produced even the crudest model of how
I didn't know why but I did it. Anyway, as I looked around the trees while I was hiding (I guess you'd call it that), I saw identical twin, African-American boys dressed in cut offs shirts and suspenders.
They seemed to be having the time of their lives, pardon the pun, but that's the aura they put out.
They were playing get this, and leapfrogging over the tombs and graves.
This went on about five minutes and they just leapfrogged till the graveyard met the wood at furthest end; then they were gone.
That was it! That was the greatest thing that had ever happened to me anyway, so I walked rest way home smiling.
Thesis Extract
Chapter 3 Literature Review
3.1 Introduction
In Chapter 2 the body of literature on using the WWW to collect data was reviewed. In this chapter the relevant literature pertaining to parapsychological experiences is examined under three broad headings:
‘nature’ which deals with the issues of definition and terminology, and research difficulties that arise as a result of the multidisciplinary nature of paranormal experiences;
‘incidence’ which examines the current evidence on spontaneous paranormal and spiritual experiences; and
‘impact and integration’ which reviews what is currently known about the effects of paranormal experiences on the experients.
In the final part of Chapter 3 the findings of past surveys on parapsychological experiences, including those that form the basis of the current study, are introduced.
The issue of whether the paranormal is proven or not is outside the scope of the current study but as Feldman and Goldsmith (1991) assert, “one should not necessarily dismiss a phenomenon as untrue simply because it cannot easily be explained” (p.191).
Indeed, three decades ago, the frequency with which these experiences were being reported provoked Greeley (1975) to suggest that “any phenomena with incidence as widespread as the paranormal deserves much more careful and intensive research than it has received up to now” (p.7). The current study and this researcher are inspired by the small number of specialists in the field of parapsychology, including Radin who asserts, “scientific evidence for some forms of psi is indeed persuasive. By the same standards used to establish proof in other areas of science, we can say with confidence that psi does exist” (Radin, 2007b, ¶4).
3.2 The Nature of Parapsychological Phenomena
The most extensively researched aspect of psi is paranormal beliefs and repeatedly, academic surveys conclude that people believe in parapsychological phenomena. The list of studies that explore the correlations between the paranormal and personal qualities is extensive and includes: personality traits, proneness to mental illness, political convictions, child abuse, religious beliefs, income level, education levels, and the demographics of age and gender. While no enduring link or causation between these correlates and parapsychological beliefs is known, given the volume of research involved it seems reasonable to conclude firstly, that people do believe in the paranormal and secondly, that researching paranormal beliefs is academically acceptable (Allen, 1994; Banzinger, 1983; Emmons, 1981; Grimmer 1990, 1992; Karr, 2001; Linderman, 2007; Lyons, 2005; Newport, 2001; Rice, 2003).
Central to the research on the nature of parapsychological phenomena is the issue of consciousness, and while this is not the main theme of the current study, the findings of this investigation will ideally make a contribution to this underdeveloped field of study.
As Radin (1997) notes, “after a hundred years, psychology has not produced even the crudest model of how
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