32nd Annual Student Research Conference
Religiosity and Belief in the Paranormal
Olivia A. Stuertz
Dr. Dereck Daschke, Faculty Mentor
Where is the line between belief in the supernatural and belief in the paranormal? The words “supernatural” and “paranormal” are often used interchangeably in research concerning belief in the paranormal and religiosity. In previous studies, results differ on measures of belief in the paranormal and the measures of religiosity of those participating. The author examined whether these contrasting results are due to the population being used in the studies, the varying categories used in defining what constitutes the paranormal, the murky division between what is being defined as paranormal and what is defined as a mystical religious experience, or a combination of all of the above. In addition, the author examined how these differing categorizations might affect the larger study of paranormal belief and religiosity, particularly what it means for phenomena to be categorized as “paranormal” and the connotation surrounding it.
Keywords: Religiosity, Paranormal, Supernatural, Belief
Topic(s):Philosophy & Religion
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 110-5
Location: MC 211
Time: 9:30