Pseudoscience and Extraordinary Claims of the Paranormal : A Critical Thinker's Toolkit

by Smith, Jonathan C.

• ISBN13: 9781405181228
• ISBN10: 1405181222
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-09-15
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

Pseudoscience and Extraordinary Claims of the Paranormal: A Critical Thinker's Toolkit provides readers with a variety of "reality-checking" tools to analyze extraordinary claims and to determine their validity. Integrates simple yet powerful evaluative tools used by both paranormal believers and skeptics alike Introduces innovations such as a continuum for ranking paranormal claims and evaluating their implications Includes an innovative "Critical Thinker's Toolkit," a systematic approach for performing reality checks on paranormal claims related to astrology, psychics, spiritualism, parapsychology, dream telepathy, mind-over-matter, prayer, life after death, creationism, and more Explores the five alternative hypotheses to consider when confronting a paranormal claim Reality Check boxes, integrated into the text, invite students to engage in further discussion and examination of claims Written in a lively, engaging style for students and general readers alike

Author Biography

Jonathan C. Smith, Ph.D., is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Professor of Psychology at Roosevelt University, and Founding Director of the Roosevelt University Stress Institute. +é-á Dr. Smith has published 17 books and has written numerous articles on stress, relaxation, meditation, mindfulness as well as spirituality and skepticism.+é-áIn 1984 he founded the Roosevelt University Stress Institute primarily to combat pseudoscience in the field.+é-áHe has created classroom and online classes specifically designed to teach critical thinking skills and evaluate extraordinary claims of the paranormal.

Table of Contents

About the Author	p. ix
Preface	p. xi
Acknowledgments	p. xix
Introduction	p. 1
The Continuum Mysteriosum	p. 3
Making Sense out of Mysteries: The Continuum Mysteriosum	p. 4
Extraordinary, Nonparanormal Mysteries	p. 12
An Invitation	p. 15
Why Study These Things?	p. 21
The Dangers of Unexamined Paranormal Claims	p. 27
The Risk of Paranormal Passion and the Critical Thinker's Toolkit	p. 37
Eight Reality Checks: The Critical Thinker's Toolkit	p. 39
The Critical Thinker's Toolkit	p. 47
Evaluate Support for a Claim	p. 49
Reality Check: Are the Sources Credible?	p. 51
Astrology	p. 51
Questionable Sources	p. 55
The Question of Authority	p. 58
When Experts Get It Wrong	p. 60
An Invitation to Question	p. 61
Reality Check: Is the Logic Valid and Sound?	p. 71
Basic Logic	p. 71
Informal Logical Fallacies	p. 75
Premises, Logic, and Hypothesis Testing	p. 92
Reality Check: Are Claims Based on Observation (Scientific Tests and Theories)?	p. 101
Observations	p. 102
Tests	p. 103
Theories	p. 107
Sagan's Balance and the FEDS Standard	p. 112
Science and Alternative Hypotheses	p. 113
Consider Alternative Explanations	p. 119
Reality Checking for Oddities of Nature and the World of Numbers	p. 121
Probability Estimates and Bias	p. 122
Math Ignorance	p. 123
Coincidences	p. 125
The Clumpiness of Randomness	p. 127
The Law of Very Large Numbers	p. 128
Science and Chance	p. 133
Summary: Psychic Bias	p. 135
Reality Checking for Perceptual Error and Trickery	p. 141
Top-Down Processes and Perception	p. 142
Manipulations of Magicians and Psychics: The Cold Reading Toolkit	p. 148
Hypnotic Suggestion Enhancers	p. 157
Perceptual Bias in the Mental Health Professions	p. 159
Reality Checking for Memory Errors	p. 167
Memory Myths	p. 167
What Is Memory?	p. 168
Memory Errors	p. 170
Deja vu	p. 176
The Deja vu Reality Check	p. 179
Reality Checking for the Placebo Effect	p. 183
What are Placebos?	p. 184
Weak and Strong Placebos	p. 186
How Placebos Work	p. 187
Placebos and Superstitious Beliefs	p. 195
Placebo Controversies	p. 196
Placebos and Performance	p. 200
Reality Checking for Sensory Anomalies and Hallucinations	p. 203
Sensory Phenomena	p. 203
Migraines	p. 205
Tunnel Experiences	p. 206
Hallucinations	p. 208
Hallucinations and the Critical Thinker's Toolkit	p. 219
Dissociation and the Paranormal	p. 224
The Paranormal Files	p. 225
Spiritualism and the Survival Hypothesis	p. 227
Spiritualism	p. 227
Research on Life after Death	p. 233
Research on Channeling and Mediums	p. 238
Conclusion	p. 241
Parapsychology	p. 245
The Language of Parapsychology	p. 245
Research on Psi	p. 247
Conclusion: The State of Psi Research	p. 261
Energy Treatments and Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)	p. 269
Contemporary Views of Energy: The Scientific Perspective	p. 269
Concepts of Energy in Children and Western History: Vitalism	p. 271
Chinese History and Energy: The Yin-Yang School	p. 271
Chinese Energy Treatments	p. 273
Western Energy Treatments	p. 276
Conclusion	p. 282
Supernatural Cures and Faith Healing	p. 285
The Varieties of Healing Experience	p. 285
The Evidence	p. 292
Conclusion	p. 299
Creationism, Intelligent Design, and God	p. 303
The Great Debate	p. 303
Things Great and Small	p. 309
The Reality Checkup: Using Your Toolkit	p. 319
The Reality Checkup	p. 320
How to Carry on a Civilized Discussion about the Paranormal	p. 329
Parting Words: Pandora's Challenge	p. 330
Complementary and Alternative Medicine	p. 341
Critical Thinking and Paranormal Resources	p. 345
Susan Blackmore on Paranormal Research	p. 353
Notes	p. 357
References	p. 365
Name Index	p. 395
Subject Index	p. 403
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