Paranormal Thinking: Getting to Know the Unknown

Paranormal Thinking: Getting to Know the Unknown

Straddling belief and science, the paranormal brings to the fore the way in which we humans try to distinguish real from unreal, the unique from the day-to-day. This course does NOT try to prove or disprove the existence of ghosts, demons, UFOs, Bigfoot, or the Loch Ness Monster. Instead, by exploring the history of the paranormal, its literature, science, and pseudo-science, we focus on its structure and extraordinary appeal.

In over four hours of lectures, we'll explore everything from character archetypes (the victim, the witness, the hunter, the authority, etc.) to the rules of evidence and reason, the accuracy of eyewitness accounts, what distinguishes trustworthy from untrustworthy sources, circular reporting, circular reasoning, the glut of contradictory information out there, as well as take a detailed look at some famous cases, including the inspiration for The Exorcist, the Enfield Poltergeist, the Betty and Barney Hill Abduction, the recent Pentagon UFO Videos, and many more.

Instructor Stefan Petrucha has written about the paranormal for over two decades, in his work on the award-winning X-Files graphic novels, as coauthor of Paranormal State with investigator Ryan Buell, star of the A&E series and by appearing on several episodes of the show as a researcher.

A comprehensive guide to the history of how we deal with the unknown, as a reaction to science and a genre all its own.

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What you will learn

• Rules of evidence and reason as they apply to the unknown.
• The history of the paranormal as a reaction to science.
• How the paranormal functions as a genre.

Rating: 4.8

Level: Beginner Level

Duration: 5 hours

Instructor: Stefan Petrucha