In a groundbreaking study published in the American Journal of Criminal Justice, Amanda Heitkamp and colleagues at Bowling Green University (Ohio, USA) delved into a novel aspect of college life: the intersection of substance use and paranormal beliefs. College students exhibit higher rates of substance use—ranging from alcohol and tobacco to marijuana and amphetamines—compared to their peers outside the college environment. Despite various efforts to curb this trend, the issue persists, prompting researchers to look beyond traditional factors. Heitkamp’s study introduced an intriguing premise ..read more

How might stories about supernatural experiences be a tool for resisting the effects of colonialism? In the article “It’s more like it doesn’t even exist: stories of hauntings as a way of resisting colonial elimination of Sámi presence,” published in the journal AlterNative, Astri Dankertsen, associate professor in sociology at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Nord University discusses how storytelling around haunting experiences is important to Sámi cultural identity, connecting them to their ancestors and the land. As they share their haunting experiences, the Sámi also relate their history o ..read more

Have you ever wondered what happens to your pets after they die? Do they go to heaven or some other kind of afterlife? These questions, often asked by pet owners who are grieving the loss of their beloved animals, are explored by Andrew Dean of the University of Sunderland in the article “The Rainbow Bridge: Imagining ‘Animal Heaven’” published in the Journal of Religious Experience. It is common to imagine the afterlife, but there is little understanding about how our imagination functions as an otherworldly sense, or as a means to potentially experience supernatural realities. This ethn ..read more

Many African societies practice divination to enhance decision-making, foster healthier relationships and manage stress. Divination is a process through which one is purported to gain health, honor, prosperity, or other benefits via supernatural or unseen abilities. It may employ occult techniques, a methodical procedure, or a ritual to attempt to gain insight into a situation or a topic. A recent research study published in the Open Journal of Social Sciences explored the common types of divination practices undertaken within traditional Dagbon communities in Ghana, identified disease-causati ..read more

In a series of volunteer-run events that took place between December 2021 and January 2022, the Public Parapsychology Community (PPC) provided a virtual space for academics and members of the public to explore the application of consciousness-based practices as change agents to help combat the global climate crisis. The Workshop featured presentations by Alex A. Álvarez (Unidad Parapsicológica de Investigación, Difusión y Enseñanza -UPIDE ), Mark Boccuzzi (The Windbridge Institute), Michael Daw (University of Northampton), Ramsés D’León (UPIDE), Jack Hunter (University of Wales Trinity Saint D ..read more

The Exploring Consciousness-Based Applications for Climate Action Workshop & Ideathon has closed. Three teams were formed: one team exploring “subtle activism” as a psi application, one carbon removal Xprize team, and a team working on a mobile app for collectively focusing intent. At this point, most of us are resting for the holidays, but looking forward to completing this series with a Collaborative Sprint on January 8th. In the meantime, the excellent quality of the Workshop presentations surprised even us, and they are freely available at Public Parapsychology’s (new) YouTube channel ..read more

As psychedelic research makes headlines in premier medical journals and mainstream media across the globe, it is clear that a psychedelic renaissance is in full swing. This rapidly reemerging field of research brings with it countless unanswered questions, not only surrounding the psychedelic compounds themselves but also regarding previously unexplained and extraordinary human experiences. One research study seeking to answer these questions was published in Frontiers in Psychology titled “An Encounter with the Other: A Thematic and Content Analysis of DMT Experiences from a Naturalistic Fiel ..read more

Between one-third and one-half of the global population report having anomalous/exceptional experiences. Approximately half of them find the experiences distressing. This presents a clear need for mental health practitioners with specific training in listening constructively to these experiences. However, few have this training, leaving those will distressing paranormal experiences underserved. Earlier this month, an article published in Frontiers in Psychology, articulated the problem with “When the Truth Is Out There: Counseling People Who Report Anomalous Experiences” by clinical psychologi ..read more