The Archaic Belief in Dream Visitations as it Relates to “Seeing Ghosts,” “Meeting the Lord,” as Well as “Encountering Extraterrestrials”

Abstract

The current study was designed to determine whether archaic belief in the external origins of dream visitations survives and whether it accounts for the paranormal experience of seeing ghosts, the fundamentalist religious experience of “meeting the Lord,” and the sci-fi experience of encountering extraterrestrials. Over half of the study's 163 subjects professed belief that the deceased can actually visit us in dreams; nearly half professed belief that God can actually visit us in dreams; and one-fifth professed belief that extraterrestrials can actually visit us in dreams. In addition, over one-fourth of the subjects affirmed that they “have seen a ghost or apparition“; almost one-fourth affirmed that they “have had the religious experience of meeting the Lord”; and nearly one-tenth affirmed that they “have experienced or met an extraterrestrial.” In the first of three step-wise multiple regressions, 14% of the variance in reportedly “seeing a ghost” was predicted by archaic belief in the external origins of dream visitations from the deceased. Two-thirds of the subjects who affirmed that they strongly believe the deceased can actually visit us in dreams, in addition, affirmed that they “have seen a ghost or apparition.” In the second step-wise multiple regression, 51% of the variance in reportedly “meeting the Lord” was predicted by three variables—36% by the extent to which any dream visitations from God influenced waking emotion or waking behavior, 10% by archaic belief in the external origins of dream visitations from God, and 5% by the frequency of attendance at religious services. Two-thirds of the subjects who affirmed that they strongly believe God can actually visit us in dreams, in addition, affirmed that they “have had the religious experience of ‘meeting the Lord’.” In the third multiple regression, 8% of the variance in reportedly “experiencing an extraterrestrial” was predicted by two variables—5% by the frequency of dream visitations from extraterrestrials, and 3% by the frequency of dream visitations from God.