Jim Sturgill
Assignment 6-1
R.Fernandez
05/07/2013
Introduction
Dictionary.com defines paranormal as: of or pertaining to the claimed occurrence of an event or perception without scientific explanation. Some examples are ghosts, UFOs, and Bigfoot. Some people in science choose not to believe in it, some want to study it, but most just want to see what happens next. With the sudden outbreak of TV shows and movies on the subject, it is no wonder there has been an increase in interest on the subject. Through stories in history, the current media blitz, and the proposed future of the paranormal sciences, I hope to show that this new science isn’t just a flash in the pan.
Body
According to ghoststory.com, many ancient religions are based on paranormal occurrences, while the metaphysics of many ancient cultures include pantheons of ghosts, demons, fairies, gods and other supernatural phenomenon. The Bible has some of the earliest references to the paranormal in the form of ghost. The Old Testament makes reference to this in The Book of Samuel (28:7) when King Saul consults the ghost of the dead priest and prophet, Samuel. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ himself was considered to be a “Holy Ghost” when he rose from the grave and appeared to his 12 loyal followers. Other cultures also have paranormal phenomenon in their history. Homer’s works in ancient Greece, the ancient Egyptians wrote “The Book of the Dead” to explain their religious rituals, Buddhist Monks wrote the “Bardo Thodol” as a way of helping the human soul in reaching Nirvana after death, and finally, during the mid-1400’s, in Medieval Europe, Heinrich Kramer wrote the “Malleus Maleficarum”, which offers insights, on how to detect and eliminate witches. So, as you can see the paranormal isn’t a new concept at all. Now we push forward to today, the 21st century where, according to Llewellyn.com, paranormal is the new science for
Bibliography: Dictionary.com. (2012, November 25). Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/paranormal. Admin. (2012, November 25). ghostsstory.com. Retrieved from http:ghostsstory.com/blog/456/understanding-paranormal-activity-the-interesting-history-of-paranormal-inv/. Imbrogno, P. J. (2012, November 25). Llwellyn. Retrieved from llewellyn.com.