- Feb 5, 2002
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These days, there are numerous ghost hunting and paranormal TV shows. A few examples include Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures, Kindred Spirits, Paranormal Lockdown, and Help! My House Is Haunted.
Frankly, these shows are silly. Shows like this are not taken seriously by competent paranormal investigators.
However, what is a Catholic to make of the subject of paranormal investigations itself?
What Does Paranormal Mean?
The term paranormal is a new one. It was coined around 1905, and it indicates something that is beyond the normal. In Greek, para means things like “beyond,” “beside,” and “alongside,” so paranormal experiences are those that go beyond or are beside normal experiences.
This only raises another question: What counts as “normal”? The answer—for purposes of this term—is those experiences our modern, Western culture considers normal.
In many other cultures, experiences that we would consider paranormal (e.g., having a ghost show up) would be considered entirely normal. Indeed, in our own culture’s history, ghost appearances were considered quite normal, even if they weren’t as common as other experiences.
But today, Western culture has decided that a whole bunch of experiences aren’t normal—e.g., experiences of visions, apparitions, ghosts, angels, demons, psychic abilities, UFOs, Bigfoot, and so on—so they all get lumped together as “paranormal.”
Catholics & the Paranormal
Continued below.
Frankly, these shows are silly. Shows like this are not taken seriously by competent paranormal investigators.
However, what is a Catholic to make of the subject of paranormal investigations itself?
What Does Paranormal Mean?
The term paranormal is a new one. It was coined around 1905, and it indicates something that is beyond the normal. In Greek, para means things like “beyond,” “beside,” and “alongside,” so paranormal experiences are those that go beyond or are beside normal experiences.
This only raises another question: What counts as “normal”? The answer—for purposes of this term—is those experiences our modern, Western culture considers normal.
In many other cultures, experiences that we would consider paranormal (e.g., having a ghost show up) would be considered entirely normal. Indeed, in our own culture’s history, ghost appearances were considered quite normal, even if they weren’t as common as other experiences.
But today, Western culture has decided that a whole bunch of experiences aren’t normal—e.g., experiences of visions, apparitions, ghosts, angels, demons, psychic abilities, UFOs, Bigfoot, and so on—so they all get lumped together as “paranormal.”
Catholics & the Paranormal
Continued below.
Catholic Paranormal Investigations – Jimmy Akin
jimmyakin.com
