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Anomalous phenomena are phenomena which are observed and for which there are no suitable explanations in the context of a specific body of scientific knowledge, e.g. astronomy or biology.
Many bodies of knowledge exhibit "anomaly gaps" where theory does not explain (or seem to explain) one or more observations. Common examples though are out-of-body experiences, near-death experiences, extrasensory perception, ghosts, UFO's and alien abductions.
These concepts are not widely accepted as real by mainstream scientists, some of whom go as far as calling the study of them pseudoscience. Other anomalous phenomena verge into the fringes of what is known as pathological science, such as cold fusion; while there are some serious, competent scientists researching the phenomenon, there are also many less competent, biased cranks, and even cultists.
As the body of knowledge available expands, some anomalies are incorporated into an explanatory framework and lose their standing as anomalies. For instance, while the idea of stones falling from the sky was long ridiculed, meteorites are now acknowledged and well understood.
Often used as a synonym, but actually a subclass are the paranormal phenomena, studied by parapsychology.
Paranormal phenomena can be divided into three main classes:
- Mental phenomena, unusual mental states or abilities, such as telepathyTelepathy from the Greek , tele "distant", and , patheia "feeling", is the supposed ability to communicate information from one mind to another, and is one form of extra-sensory perception or anomalous cognition. This information is generally reported as, clairvoyanceClairvoyance is defined as a form of extra-sensory perception that it is claimed allows a person to perceive distant objects, persons, or events, including "seeing" through opaque objects and the detection of types of energy not normally perceptible to hu and precognitionPrecognition is a form of extra-sensory perception which allows a "percipient" to perceive information about future places or events before they happen (as opposed to merely predicting them based on deductive reasoning and current knowledge). A related te
- Physical phenomena, unusual physical occurrences that may be controlled by a consciousness, such as psychokinesisPsychokinesis (literally "mind-movement") or PK is the more commonly used term today for what in the past was known as telekinesis (literally "distant-movement"). It refers to the psi ability to influence the behavior of matter by mental intention (or pos, poltergeistA poltergeist ( German for rumbling ghost is widely believed to be an invisible ghost that interacts with others by moving and influencing inanimate objects. Stories featuring poltergeists typically focus heavily on raps, thumps, knocks, footsteps, and bes, stigmataThis article is about stigmata in the religious sense. For other uses, see stigma. Stigmata (plural of stigma are wounds that were, according to the Bible, inflicted on Jesus Christ during his crucifixion. Wounds in hands or wrists, caused by nails Wounds or materializationA materialization is the creation or appearance of matter from nowhere and out of nothing. Some miracles involve materializations. The existence of the paranormal phenomenon of materializations is disputed and has never been observed under controlled circs
Written works
Classical civilization included unique signs and prodigies of nature in works of paradoxography such as The Phaenomena (240 BC) by Aratus of Soli.
William R. Corliss' Science Frontiers has covered reports in the scientific literature regarding anomalies for years. He, through his Sourcebook Project, has published a large body of reports collected in many of the scientific disciplines.
Charles Fort, in his four works on anomalies, lambasted and ridiculed the scientists of his day for their short-sightedness. Some of the anomalies listed in his work have been explained and incorporated into modern science, while others continue to be unexplained.
Leonard George, a psychologist who specializes in anomalous phenomena, compiled an authoritative encyclopedia of unusual experiences, activities, and beliefs in his 1995 book, Alternative Realities.
The Fortean Times, a British monthly magazine, continues in the spirit of Fort's work by publishing reports of anomalous phenomena and longer investigative articles.
The Anomalist, edited by Patrick Huyghe and Dennis Stacy, is another magazine/journal devoted to the study of anomalies (which may be called anomalistics).
Quotations
- If you see a two-headed pig, keep your mouth shut. --Irish proverb
- There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance -- that principle is contempt prior to investigation. -- Herbert Spencer
- Science commits suicide when it adopts a creed. -- Thomas Hardy
- The universe is not only queerer than we imagine; it is queerer than we can imagine. -- J. B. S. Haldane
See also
External links
Further reading
- Handbook of Unusual Natural Phenomena:Eyewitness Accounts of Nature's Greatest Mysteries, William R. Corliss, Anchor Press, Doubleday, 1983, trade paperback, 423 pages, BooksEnthsiast.com
- Remote Viewing Secrets, Joseph McMoneagle, Hampton Roads, 2000, paperback, 296 pages, BooksEnthsiast.com
- The Conscious Universe, Dean Radin PhD, Harper, 1997, hardback, 362 pages, BooksEnthsiast.com
- Channeling: Investigations on Receiving Information from Paranormal Sources. John Klimo, St. Martins Press, 1987. BooksEnthsiast.com
Occult
Paranormal phenomena
