Scientifical Americans

by Sharon A. Hill

  4. Standardized image shared between websites.

  5. See the 2015 “The Ouchita Project Report,” March, NAWAC. media.texasbigfoot.com/OP_paper_media/OuachitaProjectMonograph_Version1.1_03112015.pdf.

  6. See “The Haunted Bed” study at www.assap.ac.uk/newsite/htmlfiles/MADS haunted bed.html.

  7. www.scientificamerican.com/article/ghost-lusters-if-you-want/.

  8. Wiseman, et al., 2002, “An investigation into the alleged haunting of Hampton Court Palace: Psychological variables and magnetic fields,” Journal of Parapsychology 66(4), 387–408.

  9. The movement of the planchette has been demonstrated to be due to the ideomotor effect whereby people unwittingly move the device via small muscular movements.

  10. Searching Out and Uncovering Lost Spirits (SOULS).

  11. 6 Cents Investigations.

  12. “Exorcisms On the Rise,” www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/exorcisms-on-the-rise.html.

  13. See the review of this program at variety.com/2015/tv/reviews/exorcism-live-review-destination-america-the-exorcist-house-1201629070.

  14. See information on “Xenu” (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenu), dictator of the Galactic Federation.

  15. See the list of UFO religions on Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UFO_religions.

  16. Spirit Light Network.

  17. After Midnight Paranormal Investigation Team.

  Chapter 11

  1. In 2008, leading researchers in parapsychology Robert G. Jahn and Brenda J. Dunne of the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research (PEAR) wrote a paper called “Change the Rules” advocating just this.

  2. This idea that one should not attempt to explain something until you are sure there is something to be explained has been referred to as a “skepticalism” and credited to psychologist Ray Hyman and sometimes called “Hyman’s Categorical Imperative” or “Hyman’s Maxim.” www.skeptic.com/insight/history-and-hymans-maxim-part-one

  3. Triangle Paranormal Investigations (TPI).

  4. REAL Paranormal Investigators.

  5. City Lights Paranormal Society.

  6. The Prodigy Paranormal Group.

  7. Southeast Idaho Paranormal Organization.

  Chapter 12

  1. See the 2014 results here: www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind14/index.cfm/chapter-7/c7s2.htm.

  2. NSF survey regarding teaching of evolution: https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind14/index.cfm/chapter-7/c7s4.htm#s7.

  3. johnemackinstitute.org.

  4. www.nytimes.com/1995/05/04/us/harvard-investigates-a-professor-who-wrote-of-space-aliens.html.

  5. See www.csicop.org/specialarticles/show/supernatural_creep_the_slippery_slope_to_unfalsifiability.

  6. This idea was promoted in response to the Ketchum DNA results and Bigfoot researcher Ron Morehead. ronmorehead.com/the-nephilim-theory.

  7. Paranormal Analysis and Research Association (PARA).

  Conclusion

  1. This section on Bobby and Jason was originally published as “Giving up the Ghosts: Formerly Known as ‘Ghost Hunters’” at csicop.org/specialarticles/show/givinguptheghostsformerlyknownasghosthunters in April 2014 in my online column called “Sounds Sciencey.”

  2. The article “Two Men’s Quest for Florida’s Mysterious Skunk Ape” can be found at www.browardpalmbeach.com/news/two-mens-quest-for-floridas-mysterious-skunk-ape-7966175.

  3. It remains confusing to me why someone would think I would undertake such a dangerous venture (alligators, mosquitos, and all) in pursuit of a creature that does not plausibly exist. I leave zoology to the professionals whose job it is to catalog the diversity of life.

  4. I highly recommend Not Your Typical Bigfoot Movie (2008), www.imdb.com/title/tt1185384/, which expresses the same undertones of friendship, hope, and escapism in another pair of amateur Bigfooters.

  5. See the 1990 article “Why We Need to Understand Science,” Skeptical Inquirer 14.3, Spring. Available at www.csicop.org/si/show/why_we_need_to_understand_science.

  6. Benjamin Radford, 2002, “Bigfoot at 50 Evaluating a Half-Century of Bigfoot Evidence,” Skeptical Inquirer 26.2, March/April. Available at www.csicop.org/si/show/bigfoot_at_50_evaluating_a_half-century_of_bigfoot_evidence.

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