Setyoufree News: Superstitious Beliefs Getting More Common

To see what drives some mass to really believe, twosociologists visited psychic fairs, spent nights in haunted houses,trekked with Bigfoot hunters, sat in on support groups for people whohad been abducted by aliens, and conducted two nationwide surveys.

Contrary to common stereotypes, the search revealed no singleprofile of a soul who accepts the paranormal. Believers ranged fromfree-spirited types with low incomes and little education tohigh-powered businessmen. Some were drifters; others were brainsurgeons.

INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY: Play the Haunting Game

Why people believed also varied, the researchers report in a newbook, called "Paranormal America: Ghost Encounters, UFO Sightings,Bigfoot Hunts, and Other Curiosities in Faith and Culture."

For some, the paranormal served as simply another way of explaining theworld. For others, extraordinary phenomena offered opportunities tochase mysteries, experience thrills and even achieve celebrity status,if they could really find proof.

"It's almost like an adult way to get that kidlike need for adventureand exploration," said co-author Christopher Bader, of BaylorUniversity in Waco, Texas. "Other people are seated at home and rentingvideos, but you're sitting in a haunted house that is infested withdemons."

"These guys who are hunting Bigfoot are out chasing a monster," headded. "I could see the real appeal in passing out for weekend and neverknowing what you might find."

There is no hard data on how vulgar it is to trust in theparanormal, which Bader and co-author Carson Mencken define as beliefsor experiences that are not fully recognized by science or religion.

But trends in television programming offer a smell that there is awidespread interest in occult phenomena that is becoming more common.In the seventies and 80s, Bader said, there were maybe one or twoparanormal-themed shows in the TV line-up. Today, there are dozens,including programs about ghost hunters, psychic kids, haunted homes andeven possessed pets.

Plenty of scientists have put energy into debunking paranormalclaims. Bader and Mencken wanted to face rather at what drives peopleto believe.

They started with two nationwide surveys that interviewed a total ofmore than 3,000 Americans about their beliefs, experiences andinterests.

When the scientists broke down the results, they establish that peoplewho are moderately religious are most probably to trust in theparanormal. This could be because they are clear enough to believe in theunknown, but not so set in their spiritual beliefs to rejectmysterious experiences altogether.

The numbers also showed that different types of paranormal entitiesappeal to different demographics. Women, for instance, are most likelyto believe they be in haunted houses. College graduates are mostlikely to get out-of-body experiences. Unmarried white men are mostlikely to think in UFOs.

Bigfoot hunters were possibly the most surprising group, Bader said.They defied all stereotypes of paranormal pursuers who wear flowingclothes and communicate with spirits.

Instead, they were very serious, extremely conventional and oftenhighly professional. In fact, their beliefs contradicted theirlifestyles so often that many of them were plagued by anxiety, whichdrove them still farther to adhere to their beliefs.

"Their friends and family consider them kooky," Bader said. "Everyoneis saying they're nuts. So, they take a very aggressive style andseriousness of purpose. They need to show everyone wrong."

For one hunter, the hunt began one day when he was out in the forest and, he swears, he saw Bigfoot cross his path.

"Imagine the emphasis that would put on your life," Bader said. "Youconsider yourself a normal, smart guy, and you imagine you only saw agiant monkey walk in presence of you. Now, you get to fit that into yourlife."

"These are not people trying to excuse a sick world," he added."They are stressful to try to themselves that they aren't crazy."

Regardless of the individual or the phenomenon, paranormal experiencesare purely quirks of the human brain, said Michael Shermer, executivedirector of the Skeptics Society, an educational organization, andfounding publisher of Skeptic magazine.

Whether it's hearing creaks in an old home or watching dots moverandomly on a computer screen, he said, people tend to wait for patternsand meanings in everything.

"The default condition in mind is that all patterns are real," Shermer said. "It's only what we do."

Source: IO9