Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
London : Pan, 2012.
Description
"People are emotionally drawn to the supernatural. They actively want weird, spooky things to be true . . . Wiseman shows us a higher joy as he deftly skewers the paranormal charlatans, blows away the psychic fog and lets in the clear light of reason." Richard DawkinsProfessor Richard Wiseman is clear about one thing: paranormal phenomena don't exist. But in the same way that the science of space travel transforms our everyday lives, so research into telepathy, fortune-telling and out-of-body experiences produces remarkable insights into our brains, behaviour and beliefs. Paranormality embarks on a wild ghost chase into this new science of the supernatural and is packed with activities that allow you to experience the impossible. So throw away your crystals, ditch your lucky charms and cancel your subscription to Reincarnation Weekly. It is time to discover the real secrets of the paranormal.Learn how to control your dreams - and leave your body behindConvince complete strangers that you know all about themUnleash the power of your unconscious mind… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member paulrach
An excellent introduction to the world of the paranormal from the view point of a fair minded skeptic. The author describes different aspects of the paranormal including fortune telling, ghosts, a talking mongoose and dream interpretation. Clearly written with humour spread throughout this is
Treating all subjects fairly and with dignity, even the bizarre and cruel, he never mocks those of differing beliefs or ideologies to himself. Wiseman backs up all his conclusions with scientific fact, and even provides weblinks for further investigation.
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certainly a good read.Treating all subjects fairly and with dignity, even the bizarre and cruel, he never mocks those of differing beliefs or ideologies to himself. Wiseman backs up all his conclusions with scientific fact, and even provides weblinks for further investigation.
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LibraryThing member HeyYeah
Interesting and light-hearted look at the psychology of paranormal beliefs such as fortune-telling, out-of-body experiences, and brain-washing cults. Many of the chapters could be expanded but it was a good overview with many 'try it yourself ' examples.
LibraryThing member SwitchKnitter
I really like Richard Wiseman. However, I'm not the target audience for this book. I already know how cold reading and seances work. But it's still a great read. His prose is always fantastic and his science is always sound. I just wish it could get published in the U.S.!
LibraryThing member Lil_Shepherd
This is very much a 'pop' piece of science writing. It is very easy to read and occasionally funny, and its heart is very much in the right place. Give it to a teenager to prove that the supernatural doesn't exist.
LibraryThing member XOX
Great read. It talks about paranormal and how scientists have already did studies to prove there is no such thing.
The experiments are interesting and some are repeatable.
It is for those who already know or suspect that there is no supernatural stuff, and it is all in your minds or fake by some con
The greatest con are those fake miracle by religions. They are all fake. Another strong reason not to get involve in any religion that claim there is miracle. Christianity is one of the biggest con and you have to be a fool to believe in that stuff.
The experiments are interesting and some are repeatable.
It is for those who already know or suspect that there is no supernatural stuff, and it is all in your minds or fake by some con
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men.The greatest con are those fake miracle by religions. They are all fake. Another strong reason not to get involve in any religion that claim there is miracle. Christianity is one of the biggest con and you have to be a fool to believe in that stuff.
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LibraryThing member Devil_llama
An easy to read look at cricial thinking and how we investigate the paranormal phenomena that are constantly cropping up around us. The author does a good job of explaining how the brain works, and also the tricks, both natural and contrived, that cause it to malfunction, making us see things that
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aren't there. He also has some interspersed tips for how to experience these phenomena if you've never experienced them, such as how to have an out-of-body experience. His writing is light and witty, and he puts in stories that are amusing and droll, such as the story of the talking mongoose (which has never actually been solved, so you can have the additional fun of trying to imagine possible solutions, though the evidence doesn't fit very well with an actual talking mongoose). While not as in depth or thorough as some of these books, this could be a very good introduction to the topic for anyone interested in how magicians trick us into believing the impossible. Show Less
LibraryThing member PDCRead
Completely debunks all paranormal 'activity' and very funny with it
LibraryThing member bragan
An exploration of supposedly supernatural phenomena from mind-reading to prophetic dreams to ghosts, by someone who is way more fascinated by the psychology of why we seemingly experience these phenomena than in postulating otherworldly explanations for them. Most of what's in here wasn't
Wiseman does, along the way, talk about some rather dark things, such as the brief history of Jonestown in a section on cults, but overall it's a nice demonstration of the fact that skepticism and science can be just as fun and full of wonder and fascination as any tale of the supernatural, and it teaches readers some interesting stuff about human psychology along the way. You could do a lot worse as an introduction to to this sort of deeper thinking about the paranormal.
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particularly new to me, but some of the examples and specific details were, and overall I found it an interesting, entertaining read, anyway. Wiseman's writing is breezy, friendly, and laced with humor. It's also a pleasantly interactive experience, as he includes some little tests and exercises and such for the reader and offers light-hearted but genuine advice for things like how to make a table move at a seance or how to induce an out of body experience. (The book is, sadly, slightly less interactive now than it was ten years ago when it was published, though, as it includes a bunch of links and QR codes intended to take you to videos containing supplemental material like interviews and demonstrations of psychic readings, which no longer work. Well, I didn't try the QR codes, but the links provided with them just take you to the front page of Wiseman's Wordpress site now, not to the relevant material. One of the hazards of tying an ephemeral medium to a more permanent one. Fortunately, none of them seem remotely essential, anyway.)Wiseman does, along the way, talk about some rather dark things, such as the brief history of Jonestown in a section on cults, but overall it's a nice demonstration of the fact that skepticism and science can be just as fun and full of wonder and fascination as any tale of the supernatural, and it teaches readers some interesting stuff about human psychology along the way. You could do a lot worse as an introduction to to this sort of deeper thinking about the paranormal.
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Subjects
Language
Original publication date
2011-03-04
Physical description
340 p.; 20 cm
ISBN
9781447208167