Paranormal courses being taught in schools
Dave Wood is behind the course Courses on the paranormal being taught in local schools? Sounds like a good idea. If they are taught correctly of course.
Personally I think it’s a double-edge sword. If the course is focused only on popular “ghost hunting” techniques, ie. using EVP recorders and EMF readers, then it’s a waste of time and money.
If the course is focused on theories, evidence and psychology then it’s worth subscribing to. Just my opinion….
PARANORMAL investigators are about to run a course at Swindon’s New College.
However, would-be students shouldn’t expect to be schooled in Hollywood-style ghostbusting with weird weapons.
That’s because the experts in charge are from Paranormal Site Investigators (PSI), an organisation devoted to promoting clear thought and preventing people from being scared witless by perfectly explainable natural phenomena.
In a world where many people accept ghosts as readily as if the theme song to Rentaghost were holy writ, PSI sounds a very strong note of scepticism.
To PSI, heavy footsteps in your attic may indeed indicate a “spectre telepathic”, but only after dodgy plumbing, mice, deathwatch beetle and every other rational possibility have been thoroughly ruled out.
In years of investigations, they have yet to encounter anything indisputably supernatural.
PSI co-founder Dave Wood said: “The course is called ‘Why Do People Experience Ghosts?’ “It focuses on the sorts of paranormal experiences people feel they have. We start from the assumption that people have these experiences and honestly believe them to be supernatural, and ask why they have these beliefs.
“We’re very much sceptics in the traditional sense of the word – we always look for rational explanations.”
The course is being run twice, once over three weekly Wednesday sessions beginning this evening, and again between 10am and 4pm on March 28.
Its subject matter is billed as: “The psychology of anomalous experience – an introduction to the psychological reasons why normal people experience what they think are ghosts.”
Dave Wood and partner Nicky Sewell founded PSI in 2004, having met when involved in paranormal investigation while studying psychology at university in Plymouth.
The couple are both 27, and Dave works as a trainer for a charity while Nicky is a civil servant.
The two will deliver the course, and are quite clear on what participants can expect.
As they say in the publicity material: “You can learn about unscientific ideas on cable TV and about spiritualist ideas at your local circle – but if you want rationality, this is for you.”
PSI has more than 1,300 online members and more than a dozen active investigators. The organisation has investigated many claims of supernatural phenomena in the Swindon.
Full source: Swindon Advertiser
Written by Javier Ortega - javier@ghosttheory.com
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Hehehe…I like their approach except their billing of ‘In years of investigations, they have yet to encounter anything indisputably supernatural’.
That sounds like the articles bellaboo and I were trading off with the skepticism. It almost seems their skepticism is so severe they are unwilling to keep an open mind to any other possiblity.
“It almost seems their skepticism is so severe they are unwilling to keep an open mind to any other possiblity.”
funny you should say that. i just read a comment from someone at JREF under the article about alison smith’s interview with “X”, and it expressed the way i feel about this paranormal stuff to a tee:
kingmerv:
“The ghost phenomenon is so widespread that it demands an explanation. ***I happen to think the explanation is not supernatural but I’d be willing to change my mind with enough evidence.***”
oh, i forgot to mention, i don’t think anyone should be TAUGHT ghost hunting in a school until they’ve shown a mastery of math, science and a wee bit of logic.
it’s good that they are at least focusing on rational explanations. so many people out there don’t even seem to have even a rudimentary knowledge of the many rational explanations of the perceived paranormal goings-on.
if these people are just doing this to make money for themselves, well i suppose i’m ok with it for the “rational explanation” stuff alone.
why not? everyone else is, right?
I agree a bit with the schooling process of people not being taught unless they are schooled in certain disciplines of science, psychology and philosophy. I agree with the rational explanations also, people don’t stop to think it through, they just jump from zero to sixty and say it’s paranormal.
As to what kingmerv said is arguable. It is so widespread that it demands explanations, but isn’t that almost sustainable proof in itself? We all agree that no matter what type of evidence is presented, it will be met with certain skepticism. Until the Albert Einstein or Stephen Hawking of the paranormal appears, we are left to whatever scientific or philisophical beliefs we have.