The Science of Weird Shit: Why Our Minds Conjure the Paranormal

Author:   Chris French ,  Richard Wiseman
Publisher:   MIT Press Ltd
ISBN:  

9780262048361


Pages:   424
Publication Date:   19 March 2024
Format:   Hardback
Availability:   To order   Availability explained
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.

Our Price $75.00 Quantity:  
Add to Cart

Share |

The Science of Weird Shit: Why Our Minds Conjure the Paranormal


Add your own review!

Overview

"An accessible and gratifying introduction to the world of paranormal beliefs and bizarre experiences. An accessible and gratifying introduction to the world of paranormal beliefs and bizarre experiences. Ghostly encounters, alien abduction, reincarnation, talking to the dead, UFO sightings, inexplicable coincidences, out-of-body and near-death experiences. Are these legitimate phenomena? If not, then how should we go about understanding them? In this fascinating book, Chris French investigates paranormal claims to discover what lurks behind this ""weird shit."" French provides authoritative evidence-based explanations for a wide range of superficially mysterious phenomena, and then goes further to draw out lessons with wider applications to many other aspects of modern society where critical thinking is urgently needed. Using academic, comprehensive, logical, and, at times, mathematical approaches, The Science of Weird Shit convincingly debunks ESP, communicating with the dead, and alien abduction claims, among other phenomena. All the while, however, French maintains that our belief in such phenomena is neither ridiculous nor trivial; if anything, such claims can tell us a great deal about the human mind if we pay them the attention they are due. Filled with light-bulb moments and a healthy dose of levity, The Science of Weird Shit is a clever, memorable, and gratifying read you won't soon forget."

Full Product Details

Author:   Chris French ,  Richard Wiseman
Publisher:   MIT Press Ltd
Imprint:   MIT Press
Weight:   0.567kg
ISBN:  

9780262048361


ISBN 10:   0262048361
Pages:   424
Publication Date:   19 March 2024
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order   Availability explained
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.

Table of Contents

Contents Foreword by Richard Wiseman ix Preface xiii 1 WEIRD SCIENCE 1 2 WAKING NIGHTMARES 33 3 HIGH SPIRITS, PART 1: GHOSTLY ENCOUNTERS 69 4 HIGH SPIRITS, PART 2: COMMUNICATING WITH THE DEAD 111 5 FANTASTIC MEMORIES OF ALIEN ENCOUNTERS 133 6 MANY HAPPY RETURNS? 171 7 DYING TO KNOW THE TRUTH 191 8 NO SUCH THING AS COINCIDENCE? 215 9 TRICKS OF THE MIND 235 10 SKEPTICAL INQUIRIES 247 11 DREAMS OF THE FUTURE 267 12 LESSONS FOR (THE) LIVING 283 EPILOGUE: THE LIMITS OF SKEPTICISM 301 Author’s Note and Acknowledgments 317 Notes 321 Index 365

Reviews

“This fascinating inquiry . . . provides scientific explanations for such otherworldly phenomena as alien encounters, déjà vu, and ghosts . . . The science intrigues . . .Skeptics will feel vindicated.” —Publishers Weekly


Author Information

Chris French is Emeritus Professor and Head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit in the Psychology Department at Goldsmiths, University of London. He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society and of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and a Patron of Humanists UK. He is the coauthor of Anomalistic Psychology- Exploring Paranormal Belief and Experience.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

No review item found!

Add your own review!

Countries Available

All regions
Latest Reading Guide

MRG2025CC

 

Shopping Cart
Your cart is empty
Shopping cart
Mailing List