Why do people believe in the paranormal?

Why do people believe in the paranormal?

Chris French (Anomalistic Psychologist) gives expert video advice on: Why do people believe in the paranormal?; Do most people believe in the paranormal?; How important are people's paranormal beliefs to them? and more...

People believe in the paranormal for lots of different reasons. But one of the most common reasons is because they themselves have had an experience that they cannot explain in any other terms. Another reason is that there may be someone that they know and trust and respect who tells them about an experience second-hand that they accept can't be explained in any other terms. But in addition to that, you've also got, what I would say, is a very pro paranormal bias in the media and in society generally so most programs on the paranormal are actually pushing the side of it that there are these things we can't explain in scientific terms and that make the universe a more interesting and mysterious place. So there's a whole host of different reasons people might believe but I think on a very fundamental level, one of the reasons that we want to believe in the paranormal so strongly is that is does address some of our most fundamental fears and in particular, the fear of our own mortality. The idea that we eventually will cease to exist, is one that most people find quite anxiety provoking. So, anything that actually says "No, that is not the case. You know we are more than just complicated machines and there is something about us that will survive a bodily death," and of course that is one of the fundamentals of belief in the paranormal.