Je paranormální normální?
| Title in English | Is Paranormal Normal? |
|---|---|
| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2013 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | Kvalitativní přístup a metody ve vědách o člověku XII. Hranice normality |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Philosophy and religion |
| Keywords | paranormal; normality; anomaly; parapsychology |
| Description | Introduction: Experiences relating to paranormal phenomena are often perceived as subjectively very important and meaningful, but research on them is frequently considered to be suspicious or controversial.Aim: The first aim of this paper is to offer some possibilities, how the distinction between normal and paranormal could be drawn, and assess their plausibility. The second aim is to show that paranormal experiences can be legitimately studied by common scientific methods. Methods: Conceptual analysis of key notions - paranormal, normal, anomalous, abnormal - is carried out and arguments from parapsychology debate and from general theory of science are considered. Results: The analysis shows that no approach to the problem of paranormal definition (relation to current state of science, strangeness or peculiarity, definiton by enumeration) is fully acceptable and that there is a natural overlap between the paranormal and common and normal areas of scientific study. Conclusion: Seperation of the paranormal from other scientific hypothesis and theories is artificial and useless. |
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