The Paranormal

Who believes, why they believe, and why it matters

by Erich Goode, Ph.D.

Roswell Revisited

How can such contradictory beliefs be held by two opposing sides? Will evidence ever convince one or the other side that it is wrong and the other, right? Read More

What about Alien Abductions?

Thousands of people claim to have been abducted by aliens. Is this testimony that extraterrestrials are here, on Earth? Read More

Mysteries abound concerning what happened in the desert near Roswell, N.M. in 1947. Although controversy still swirls about whether a crash of an extraterrestrial craft took place, the story that is accepted by a substantial proportion of the public corresponds to what anthropologists and folklorists refer to as a myth. Read More

Is It Paranormal to Believe That UFOs Are Real?

Most conventional scientists argue that the belief that extraterrestrials have landed on or are circling Earth is paranormal, since it violates laws of nature to travel the necessary distance beyond our solar system to arrive on our planet within any conceivable life span. Is this true? Read More

Why Is Creationism a Paranormal Belief?

"I believe in the literal interpretation of the Bible," said Amanda, a student taking my course on paranormal beliefs. "In my opinion, everything that is described in the Bible happened just as it says." Christian fundamentalism and Jewish orthodoxy maintain that every word of the Genesis account is literally true; this belief represents faith in the inerrancy of the Bible. Read More

Why Paranormalism?

Think paranormal beliefs and religious beliefs don't mix? Think again! Read More

Erich Goode, Ph.D., received his Ph.D. in sociology from Columbia and has taught at New York University, SUNY Stony Brook, The Hebrew University at Jerusalem, and the University of Maryland.

more...