ASSIGNMENT 1-4 DATE: 1/30/08

To find a popular culture topic to talk about is a very easy subject, there are so many to chose from. I chose to discuss the paranormal. "Paranormal is described as anything that is beyond or contrary to what is deemed scientifically possible," (wikipedia.com). The term paranormal covers a wide variety of phenomena including psychic abilities, ghosts, hauntings, UFOs, the Bermuda Triangle and many others. Paranormal interest seems to be picking up in recent years. It is becoming a common term and more mainstream. Some examples of the paranormal becoming more popular would be the shows Ghost Whisperer, Ghost Hunters, and Sylvia Browne an renowned psychic appears regularly on the Montel Williams show.

Many people are very skeptical when confronted with the existence of paranormal activity. Paranormal researchers have a hard time explaining what they see or hear because existing rules or theories are hard to apply to those situations.

There are several ways that paranormal activity are researched, they include participant-observer approach, debunking and others. The research method of "ghost hunting" is called the participant-observer approach. An example of this would be taking an EMF (electro-magnetic field) reading which shows if ghosts are present. The theory is that ghosts (spirits) draw energy from sources around them to manifest themselves. The EMF reading will show this change in the electro-magnetic field. Another method of research is debunking which basically is finding a normal explanation for the purported paranormal phenomena.

In conclusion, paranormal activity is a broad range of activities, to discuss every one of them would take forever. I just highlighted the paranormal activity that I find the most interesting, ghost hunting. It seems that you either believe or do not believe in ghosts. I have met many a skeptic when asking if they believe in ghosts, my boyfriend included, he is a serious skeptic. To believe or not to believe is a choice that each individual can make themselves, but isn't it fun to believe in stuff that you cannot prove?


www.wikipedia.com