Empirical Research and Paranormal Beliefs
Going beyond the Epistemological Debate in Favour of the Individual
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13824433 |
|---|---|
| Authors | François P Mathijsen (UCLouvain, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2009 |
| Volume | 31 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 319-333 |
| Publication date | 2009-09-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Archive for the Psychology of Religion (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0084-6724 • E-ISSN: 1573-6121 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1163/008467209x12499946199524 |
| OpenAlex | W1972799103 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 6 |
| References cited | 52 |
A brief look at the empirical literature of the past ten years reveals the clear debate raging over the pertinence of paranormal study to the field of psychology. Each of the arguments put forward by sceptics and believers is the product of the epistemological context in which they find themselves. Each addresses a different issue, using different terminology and different scientific approaches. However, these studies do reveal certain personality traits among paranormal believers who use their paranormal beliefs to exercise mental control and organisation, to cope with and manage anxiety, while moderating this with a certain emotional intelligence. Anxiety could well be a common factor underlying all aspects of the personalities of paranormal believers. It seems necessary therefore to leave psychology out of any epistemological debate, in order to enable the study of how being a paranormal believer helps or hinders the individual and their relationships. Refocusing on the experiences of the individual may provide a consensus for future research in this field
Context (archaeology · Epistemology · Field (mathematics · Paranormal · Personality · Personality psychology · Skepticism · Terminology · Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion · Paranormal Experiences and Beliefs · Philosophy · Psychology · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology · Social Psychology
Paranormal beliefs, education, and thinking styles
Belief in Supernatural Agents in the Face of Death
The Revised Transliminality Scale
The Religious, the Paranormal, and Church Attendance
It Isn't That Strange
Rasch Scaling Paranormal Belief and Experience
Beliefs in the Paranormal
Paranormal Beliefs of High School Students
The Rasch Scaling of Mystical Experiences
Potential Psychological Predictors of Religiosity
Personality and Paranormal Belief
Belief in paranormal phenomena
Spiritual Development in Childhood and Adolescence
Critical thinking and belief in the paranormal
Probability misjudgment, cognitive ability, and belief in the paranormal
Believe It Or Not
Religion and Paranormal Belief
Seeking Security in the New Age
| Citations per year | 0.38 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2010 - 2023 (14) |
| Highly cited | No |