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

The Science of Weird Shit: Why Our Minds Conjure the Paranormal Cover Image
By Chris French, Richard Wiseman (Foreword by)
$32.95
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Description


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.

About the Author


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.

Praise For…


“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

Product Details
ISBN: 9780262048361
ISBN-10: 0262048361
Publisher: The MIT Press
Publication Date: March 19th, 2024
Pages: 416
Language: English

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