Paranormal Phenomena Over the past decade the belief in paranormal phenomena and the shows that capture these experiences have grown dramatically in popularity. Even with the growth in belief in paranormal activity, there is still a significant amount of criticism surrounding the notion. Some supporters of paranormal phenomena suggest they endured unusual experiences that almost appeared to happen for no reason. In many instances such as those, these believers claim that these unexplainable events must be attributed to a paranormal power. The numerous shows airing on television about paranormal activity also greatly contributes to the growth in popularity of the paranormal notion. On the other hand, critics claim that belief in the paranormal …show more content…
In other words, they are things that cannot be proven using the scientific methods. Stories of paranormal phenomena have been around for thousands of years, and have existed in the legends and folklore of nearly every culture around the world since the beginning of human history. Most modern and ancient religions have traces of the paranormal because things such as magic, possession and so forth cannot be scientifically verified. As civilization got more advanced and built towns and permanent structures began the folktales of haunted houses. In the mid-1800s a quasi-religion called Spiritualism which was a mix of Christianity and the belief that the living could communicate with the dead. The quasi-religion attracted many followers in the U.S. and in Europe. In the article Paranormal Phenomena, “Spiritualist mediums would hold séances, or meetings of believers, during which they would claim to enter a trance and contact the spirit of the dead, usually a family member or associate of someone present at the meeting” . Britt says, “Some people view science as a weapon against paranormal beliefs, since the scientific method requires proof beyond one person’s own experiences to prove the existence of something.” Others have used scientific method in an attempt to prove the existence of ghost. James Randi a former magician and one of the most outspoken skeptics of the paranormal, has dedicated his life to exposing bad science, deception, and fraud. Since 1968, Randi has offered a cash prize to anyone who can prove, in a scientific setting, any type of paranormal phenomena. Over the years more than one thousand people have tried to collect the prize but no one has passed the