Full Description
In the 21st century, reality television and the Internet have fed public interest in ghosts, UFOs, cryptozoology and other unusual phenomena. By 2010, roughly 2000 amateur research and investigation groups formed in the U.S.--ghost hunters, Bigfoot chasers and UFO researchers, using an array of (supposedly) scientific equipment and methods to prove the existence of the paranormal.
American culture's honorific regard for science, coupled with the public's unfamiliarity with scientific methods, created a niche for self-styled paranormal experts to achieve national renown without scientific training or credentials. The author provides a comprehensive examination of the ideas, missions and methods promoted by these passionate amateurs.
Contents
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction: Popular Paranormality vs. Skepticism
1. Amateur Research and Investigation Groups (ARIGs)
2. The Paranormal in Popular Culture
3. Ghost Hunters and Paranormal Investigators
4. Seeking Monsters: Bigfoot and Other Cryptids
5. UFO Spotters
6. Twenty-first Century ARIGs
7. Science and the Public
8. Science and the Paranormal
9. ARIG Portrayal of Science to the Public
10. Methods and Evidence
11. Inquiry and Investigation
12. Pseudoscience
Conclusion: Beyond the Veil
Appendix: Ghost Hunting Guidebooks
Chapter Notes
References
Index
