Paranormal Research Articles

“SOMEONE ELSE”: THE GENRE PARADIGM OF DETECTIVES BY GUILLAUME MUSSO

The article explores the genre paradigm of the novels by Guillaume Musso, the most popular author of unique detective novels in today’s France, which have already been translated into more than forty languages but have not yet been studied by literary criticism. The dissimilarity from the traditional genre content and canons of detective prose in its various modifications makes Guillaume Musso “someone else” (quelqu’un d’autre), results in his marginalization by literary scholars, whose name is included in the annals of canonical detective literature but is not represented in modern encyclopedias and dictionaries of detective stories. An analysis of the main trends and reasons for such a paradoxical situation is presented in the article. The purpose of the article is to reveal the features of the genre paradigm of the writer’s extraordinary detective novels, which is relevant both in the aspect of building new typologies of detective prose, and in the broader context of understanding French literature in the third millennium, and in the literary study of the original work of the most popular detective in France today, and in the theoretical analysis of the nature of mass culture and the mechanisms of its influence on the reader. The combination of intertextual, biographical, and typological research methods made it possible to identify features of the genre paradigm of Guillaume Musso’s works that differ from the traditional detective genre paradigm. The writer changes the plot-forming situation when the center of the intrigue is not the anatomy of a crime, but the anatomy of society, the analysis of the socio-psychological causes of the crime. Canonical for the system of detective prose characters, the figures of the investigator or detective, who act as representatives of state institutions that restore the just order of things, introduces doctors, writers, psychoanalysts, experts in the history of culture, whom the author imbues with “axiological neutrality”. The emphasis on paranormal phenomena transforms the artistic space of his works, in which an important place is given to a fantastic other space, where the souls of the dead and the living communicate. The combination of two antinomic genre constructions becomes programmatic for the writer: the novel as a love story, where the love intrigue is the plot-creating factor, and the detective story as a narrative of crime-solving. This genre innovation fundamentally distinguishes the genre paradigm of Musso’s novels from traditional detective stories. Importantly, unusual for various modifications of the detective story but characteristic of Musso’s works, is the demonstrative and striking intertextuality that incorporates literature, cinema, music, and the graphics of modern digital texts into the orbit of the writer’s genotext. Musso’s “cinematic writing” is characterized by one of the canonical techniques of montage, the constant shifting of the “camera” focus and the redirection of the reader’s attention from one episode to another, with episodes unfolding in parallel across different locations and time zones. This is underscored by the complex graphics in the novels’ texts, which aim to create a cinematic frame, as Musso’s works essentially function as ready-made scenario plans for both the director and the cameraman. A distinctive feature of Musso’s novelistic prose is indispensable epigraphs, which start the mechanism of a complex game with the reader, who is forced to constantly maneuver between different senses in order to find the right answer. The frame text, atypical for a detective story and typical for Musso as a component of the genre paradigm of his novels, has important functions in the interactive dialogue of the author with the reader, who through the unraveling of cultural pretexts, through “writing in pictures”, the visualization of electronic forms of modern digital discourse, feels the illusion of complicity in events. “Оther’s text” in Musso’s novels is often represented by archetypes of “soap operas” and classic plots, which have become the part of the stereotypical layer of the collective unconscious of humanity and allow the writer to combine the “expectation horizons” of both elite and mass readers. Intertextuality enables the writer to engage in a “four-handed” interaction with the reader. The principles proposed by the writer destroy the hermeticity of the detective genre construction as one of the most canonical and regular genres, making it impossible to clearly define the genre of Musso’s works. A multi-layered discourse, uncharacteristic of a detective in its various genre modifications, combines different registers and codes from cultural genotexts – literary, advertising, scientific, cinematographic, musical, mass media – maximally expands the reader’s perception, marking the original style of G. Musso’s novels, fantasized in the form of criminal-psychoanalytic suspense. These works reflect processes of intermediality, genre hybridization, and the blurring of boundaries between elite and mass artistic discourse, all hallmarks of postmodernism.

Re-evaluation of the relationship between paranormal belief and perceived stress using statistical modelling.

Recent research indicates that paranormal belief, in the absence of allied cognitive-perceptual and psychopathology-related factors, is not associated with negative wellbeing outcomes. However, investigators have historically reported relationships between specific facets of belief (e.g., superstition) and stress vulnerability. These typically derive from the Revised Paranormal Belief Scale (RPBS), which has questionable psychometric integrity. The main issue being that several RPBS items perform poorly. Noting this, the present paper re-examined the relationship between paranormal belief and stress using the Rasch purified version of the RPBS. This comprises two dimensions, called Traditional Paranormal Belief (TPB) and New Age Philosophy (NAP). These are operationalised in terms of function. Specifically, whether belief provides a sense of control at the social (TPB) or individual level (NAP). Accordingly, this study examined whether TPB and NAP were differentially predictive of levels of perceived stress. In this context, stress served as an indicator of well-being. A sample of 3084 participants (Mage = 50.31, SD = 15.20, range 18-91) completed the RPBS alongside the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling revealed that TPB was significantly predictive of higher Distress, and lower Coping. NAP was neither predictive of Distress nor Coping. These findings support the notion that TPB is attendant with external control, particularly the notion that unknown supernatural forces/powers influence existence.

A faith in science: Gardner Murphy and parapsychology

Historians have noted that many 19th-century founders and members of psychic societies were clergy, or had fathers who were clergy, seeking evidence for the survivalist hypothesis. One such member, psychologist Gardner Murphy, was influenced in childhood both by the Episcopalian faith of his father and the Transcendentalism of his mother's hometown, Concord, Massachusetts. We propose that these religious and philosophical influences, as well as his childhood experiences informed his life's work. They also prompted Gardner Murphy to focus on the survivalist hypothesis and commit to discovering a scientific approach that might yield evidence of paranormal phenomena. Murphy was highly respected for his biosocial theory of personality and his contributions to the discipline of psychology, even while he persisted in studying parapsychology, an area of contention in the relatively new science of psychology. He drew on the potential synergy of world religions and philosophical traditions as a means of understanding human behavior – in each case revealing him as the polymath and ethical humanist for which he is remembered. Like William James, he viewed reported psychic experiences as simply another human phenomenon to be examined using the scientific method. His ability to entwine these interests seems motivated by his religious upbringing and academic training in the sciences.

The Illusory Health Beliefs Scale: preliminary validation using exploratory factor and Rasch analysis.

Illusory health beliefs are ill-founded, erroneous notions about well-being. They are important as they can influence allied attitudes, actions, and behaviors to the detriment of personal and societal welfare. Noting this, and the prevalence of paranormal beliefs in contemporary Western society, researchers developed the Paranormal Health Beliefs Scale (PHBS). Modification of the PHBS for use with a United Kingdom-based sample resulted in the instrument broadening to incorporate illusory rather than merely paranormal health beliefs. The present study psychometrically assessed the emergent Illusory Health Beliefs Scale (IHBS). The principal objective was to validate the IHBS using a large, representative sample. Eight hundred and fifty participants (360 males, 482 females, eight non-binary) completed the IHBS alongside instruments assessing theoretically associated constructs (i.e., magical thinking, faith in scientifically unsubstantiated notions, and forms of self-referential, intuitive causation). Exploratory factor analysis revealed the existence of six meaningful IHBS dimensions: Religious/Spiritual, Superstition, Precognitive, Health Myths, Skepticism, and Health Pseudoscience. The IHBS demonstrated satisfactory reliability and convergent validity with theoretically aligned constructs. Rasch analysis at the subscale level revealed good item/person fit and item/person reliability, unidimensionality, and equivalency of items across subgroups (gender and religious affiliation). Analysis confirmed the IHBS was an effective measure of illusory health beliefs. However, researchers should undertake further work to refine the scale and evaluate its performance across different samples and time points.

Exploring the Mechanisms that Allow Incompatible Beliefs to Coexist in the Cognitive System.

Despite assumptions that people strive for consistency between their beliefs, endorsement of mutually incompatible ones is not rare - a tendency we have previously labelled doublethink, by borrowing from Orwell. In an attempt to understand the nature of doublethink and the underlying mechanism that enables incompatible beliefs to coexist, we conducted two preregistered studies (total N = 691). To do so, in Study 1, we first explored how doublethink relates to (1) thinking styles (rational/intuitive, actively open-minded thinking, and need for cognitive closure), (2) a set of irrational beliefs (magical health, conspiratorial, superstitious, and paranormal beliefs) and (3) its predictiveness for questionable health practices (non-adherence to medical recommendations and use of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine). We then additionally expanded the set of health behaviors in Study 2, and related doublethink to trust in two epistemic authorities - science and the wisdom of the common man. Finally, in both studies, we explored whether those prone to inconsistent beliefs are also more likely to simultaneously rely on conventional and alternative medicine, despite their apparent incompatibility. While doublethink was positively related to need for cognitive closure and different irrational beliefs that easily incorporate contradictions, as well as negatively to actively open-minded thinking, we did not find it to be predictive of the use of non-evidence-based medicine nor of its simultaneous use with official medicine. It seems that this novel construct can be best understood as a feature of the cognitive system that allows incompatible claims to enter it. However, once beliefs are within the system, they are compartmentalized, without any cross-referencing between them. This is further reflected in non-evidence-based beliefs persisting within the belief system, irrespective of their content.

Prevalence, patterns and predictors of paranormal beliefs in The Netherlands: a several-analysts approach

Paranormal beliefs encompass a wide variety of phenomena, including the existence of supernatural entities such as ghosts and witches, as well as extraordinary human abilities such as telepathy and clairvoyance. In the current study, we used a nationally representative sample ( N = 2534 ) to investigate the presence and correlates of paranormal beliefs among the secular Dutch population. The results indicated that most single paranormal phenomena (e.g. belief in clairvoyance) are endorsed by 10–20% of Dutch respondents; however, 55.6% of respondents qualify as paranormal believers based on the preregistered criterion that they believe in at least one phenomenon with considerable certainty. In addition, we invited four analysis teams with different methodological expertise to assess the structure of paranormal beliefs using traditional factor analysis, network analysis, Bayesian network analysis and latent class analysis (LCA). The teams’ analyses indicated adequate fit of a four-factor structure reported in a 1985 study, but also emphasized different conclusions across techniques; network analyses showed evidence against strong connectedness within most clusters, and suggested a five-cluster structure. The application of various analytic techniques painted a nuanced picture of paranormal beliefs and believers in The Netherlands and suggests that despite increased secularization, subgroups of the general population still believe in paranormal phenomena.

Comforting delusions? How to evaluate the plausibility of mystical-type insights in psychedelic experiences

ABSTRACT Psychedelics can facilitate mystical-type insights and beliefs, such as the belief that the fundamental nature of reality is loving consciousness. These belief changes could underlie the positive effects of psychedelics on wellbeing. However, mystical-type beliefs have been criticized of being delusional, as they contradict naturalism. Here I argue that naturalism is one metaphysical position among several competing ones. There is no definite way of choosing one metaphysical theory over others, as there are several metaphysical positions that are internally consistent and compatible with scientific knowledge. This calls for metaphysical agnosticism, which entails that psychedelic-facilitated metaphysical beliefs cannot be considered as delusional simply if they contradict naturalism. However, the challenge is to distinguish between beliefs that are strictly metaphysical and other mystical-type beliefs, which can include, for example, paranormal beliefs. Metaphysical agnosticism does not apply to the latter and they can be considered as problematic. I apply metaphysical agnosticism to evaluate mystical-type belief changes associated with the use of psychedelics, as indicated by empirical research. I consider the possibility that mystical-type beliefs are ineffable and non-conceptual, which entails that we should not take conceptualizations of them too seriously. I conclude by discussing the implications of metaphysical agnosticism for psychedelic-assisted therapy.

Life After Death and the Paranormal World

This research paper explores the question of whether life after death and the paranormal world exists or if it is just a string of false beliefs. Life after death and paranormal activities have a wide area of discussion in India wherein, we focus on the existence of different realms, the interaction between these realms, the process of channeling, and various perspectives regarding the idea of “ghosts”, “spirits” and “entities”. We aim to logically deconstruct the phenomenon of paranormal activities and delve deeper into the concepts of soul, spirits, good and bad energies, and how they travel through this dimension to the other after death. The role of human beings in these occurrences is also substantially discussed in the context of the energies we emit and attract. These energies and actions that we give out in the world and perform throughout our lives also pave the way to the kind of vibrational frequency we would turn out to be in another dimension and also focus on the deeds and unfulfilled wishes of this lifetime which entraps our spirits in this world refraining it from starting a new life. This paper takes us through the experience and encounters of people who have become mediums to bridge the gap between different worlds, how these abilities can be of use, and what effects it has on them. It attempts to give an insight into all the inexplicable phenomena and the ravenous beliefs that surround the topic. It aims at unraveling the mystery around the question of whether the paranormal world and life after death are concepts that can be logically accepted or are just a set of deep-seated fears that emerge in the form of beliefs and experiences.

Paranormal beliefs and core knowledge confusions: A meta-analysis

This meta-analysis examines the relationship between paranormal beliefs and Core Knowledge Confusions (CKC), a concept introduced by Lindeman and Aarnio (2007) to explore the link between ontological errors and belief in the paranormal. The CKC, which uses metaphor classification to assess ontological confusion, suggests that cognitive processes organize information into ontologies, and our interpretation of literal versus metaphorical expressions reflects these categorizations. Despite advancements in education, ontological confusion persists, manifesting in various forms like mentalization of matter, physicalization of the mental, and biologization of the mental. Our analysis, encompassing 25 effect sizes with 16,129 participants from 11 countries and publications over 14 years, found a significant average effect size (r = 0.40) in the relationship between paranormal beliefs and the CKC, indicating a robust and consistent association across various populations and contexts. The study observed that contextual factors specific to data from Finland enhance the estimated magnitude of the effect size. Despite considerable heterogeneity and potential influences of unexamined moderators, the results suggest a universal cognitive pattern linking paranormal beliefs with certain types of ontological confusion. This meta-analysis underscores the need for further exploration into contextual variations in understanding the complex relationship between paranormal beliefs and ontological errors.

Haunting Messages: Online Videos and Public Belief in Paranormal Phenomena.

Despite broad skepticism within the scientific community regarding paranormal phenomena such as ghosts and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), many members of the public believe in these phenomena. Previous studies have argued that viewing paranormal-themed television-including documentary, reality, and news programming-can cultivate such beliefs. In addition, recent research suggests that the online video-sharing platform YouTube may serve as an important source of messages about fringe phenomena. With that in mind, this study builds on theoretical accounts of genre-specific cultivation and social media affordances to examine how YouTube videos present paranormal topics and whether YouTube use predicts belief in the paranormal. A content analysis of 50 highly viewed YouTube videos about paranormal topics (25 about hauntings and 25 about UFOs) showed that a large majority of these videos featured paranormal claims and that a majority included purported footage of paranormal phenomena. Scientific sources appeared in only a quarter of UFO videos and almost no haunting videos, while government sources appeared in most UFO videos, but few haunting videos. An analysis of data from a survey of the U.S. public (n = 1,035), in turn, found that paranormal documentary or reality television viewing, paranormal news use, and YouTube use predicted belief in hauntings, controlling for a range of other media use variables and background factors. These results highlight the potential for video-sharing platforms such as YouTube to reinforce paranormal beliefs among the public.

Social Locations of Secularization and Worldview (Dis)Enchantment: Education, Income, and Belief in Religious and Paranormal Phenomena

Social Locations of Secularization and Worldview (Dis)Enchantment: Education, Income, and Belief in Religious and Paranormal Phenomena

“I am agnostic, not atheist”: The role of open-minded, prosocial, and believing dispositions

ABSTRACT Does agnosticism versus atheism reflect only epistemic or deeper personality and other individual differences? Following a previous study in Belgium, we investigated this question among 537 UK adults, self-identified as Christian, agnostic, or atheist. Agnostics were midway between religionists and atheists on prosocial dispositions (agreeableness, belief in world’s benevolence), outcomes of intuitive thinking (paranormal beliefs, religiosity), and non-theistic forms of spirituality; and showed greater openness to experience and weaker convictional self-identification than atheists. Personality uniquely, beyond religious socialization, predicted agnosticism versus atheism. Spirituality denoted, across all three groups, connectedness with the world, interest in the paranormal, and life satisfaction; among nonbelievers, personal belief in a just-world; and prosocial dispositions and openness to experience among agnostics and Christians but not atheists.

Толерантность к неопределенности и суеверность как личностные ресурсы решения социальных проблем учащейся молодежью

<p>The phenomena of tolerance/intolerance to uncertainty and belief in the paranormal as personal resources for solving social problems by students were examined. The relevance of the topic is due to an attempt to identify the necessary personal determinants that help to effectively cope with life difficulties in the face of the uncertainty and multitasking in the modern world. Hypotheses about the inverse correlation between tolerance to uncertainty and superstition, as well as the direct correlation between tolerance and a rational style and positive orientation, belief in the paranormal with a negative orientation, an avoidant and impulsive style of solving social problems have been put forward. The results of an empirical study conducted among university students studying at the social science, humanities and medical faculties are presented (N=252), aged 18 to 21 years. A set of diagnostic techniques was used: the questionnaire for solving social problems by M.M. Danina et al., the "Paranormal Belief Scale" by J. Tobacyk (adaptation by D.S. Grigoriev), the modified questionnaire of tolerance to uncertainty by S. Badner (adaptation by T.V. Kornilova, M.A. Chumakova). According to the results of the study, it was found that students have a low tendency towards superstition and more often use a rational style when solving social problems. They are also characterized by a predominantly positive problem orientation. The direct correlations of tolerance to uncertainty with a rational style and positive problem orientation, as well as negative connections with avoidant and impulsive styles, a negative problem orientation were found.</p>

Impact of the seductive allure effect and trappings of science on perceptions of paranormal and pseudoscientific research

ABSTRACT Despite concerns proponents of the paranormal misuse scientific concepts to justify their claims, few studies have assessed the influence of these misuses. Here we examined the role of the “seductive allure effect,” which often shows neuroscience-related content to exert greater influence than content from other scientific fields, by assessing whether it would impact how people respond to brief summaries of paranormal research. We also examined whether any trappings of science would elicit a similar effect. We found content depicting neuroscientific methods elicited greater perceptions of paranormal research as scientific and greater belief compared to content depicting traditional spiritualist practices. Summaries of psychological or pseudoscientific research procedures with the trappings of science, however, did not demonstrate any significant influence on paranormal belief or perceptions of paranormal research. These results show the seductive allure effect can impact how paranormal research is perceived and can influence belief.

The association of perceived stigma, religiosity, and paranormal beliefs in parents of children with epilepsy

ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between stigma perception, religiosity, and paranormal beliefs in parents of children with epilepsy. MethodsThe sample of this cross-sectional study consisted of 103 parents of children with epilepsy registered at a state hospital in a city with middle socio-economic status located in southeastern Türkiye. The data were collected using descriptive information forms for parents and children with epilepsy, the Parent Stigma Scale, the Religious Attitude Scale, and the Paranormal Belief Scale. The Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance, and Spearman’s correlation analysis were used to assess the data. ResultsThe results of the study revealed that while 78.6 % of the parents were female, 59.2 % of the children with epilepsy were boys. Total mean scores of the participants were 18.48 ± 4.84 in the Parent Stigma Scale, 51.73 ± 14.15 in the Classical (Non-Religious) Paranormal Beliefs Dimension, and 33.89 ± 6.55 in the Religious Attitude Scale. A weak positive correlation was found between total mean scores of the Parent Stigma Scale, the Paranormal Belief Scale and the Religious Attitude Scale (p < 0.05). However, there was no statistically significant correlation between the mean scores of the Paranormal Belief Scale and the Religiosity Attitude Scale (p > 0.05). All of the three scales were positively correlated with the age of the parents and the duration of the illness (p < 0.05). ConclusionIn this study, it was observed that while the parents had high levels of stigma perception and religious attitudes, they had moderate attitudes toward paranormal beliefs. While no direct correlation was found between religious attitudes and paranormal beliefs, cognitive inclinations toward religion were negatively correlated with paranormal beliefs. Additionally, the parents who perceived a higher level of stigma were more likely to hold stronger religious attitudes and beliefs related to various aspects of paranormal events. In the light of these findings, it is recommended to design educational programs and information campaigns aimed at reducing social stigma and raising awareness about epilepsy in such a way as to take individual belief systems into considerations.

Medicine, Money, and Media: A Case Study of How the Covid-19 Crisis Corrupts Disclosure and Publishing Ethics

The trickster concept has been proposed as a useful description of paranormal phenomena in response to nine decades of inconsistent experimental results and the inability to develop sustained practical applications of psi. However, the trickster of mythology is too diverse and ambiguous for scientific research. The term ‘psi-trickster’ is used here to refer to an active factor that makes psi effects inconsistent and unsustainable but can be investigated scientifically. My transition from optimism about psi experiments to reluctantly accepting the psi-trickster is described. The primary purpose of this essay is to describe strategies and options for research given the apparent psi-trickster. Strategies for dealing with the psi-trickster include: (a) hope that continued experimental research will overcome it; (b) accept the far-reaching implications of the usual assumptions for psi experiments and develop models of unconscious conflicting psi influences by many different people; (c) investigate the possibility that reliable psi effects occur in rare conditions, such as after many years of intense meditation practice; (d) propose physics-based models; and (e) consider that factors other than the motivations of living persons may be involved. Experimental psi research has the ultimate goal of converting psi to technology. Like other technologies, the most advanced development will be for military uses and for corporate profits. Spontaneous psi experiences tend to inspire a sense of meaning in life and a belief that the person’s life is watched over, similar to mystical and near-death experiences. The psi-trickster characteristics prevent psi from being converted to technology and preserve its mysterious, mystical aspects. An in-depth investigation is needed to understand how paranormal beliefs and experiences affect a person’s life and society as a whole. This is the first step in investigating the psi-trickster characteristics and should include the distribution of beliefs in the population for the full spectrum from skeptics to proponents.

Coming to Terms With the Psi-Trickster

The trickster concept has been proposed as a useful description of paranormal phenomena in response to nine decades of inconsistent experimental results and the inability to develop sustained practical applications of psi. However, the trickster of mythology is too diverse and ambiguous for scientific research. The term ‘psi-trickster’ is used here to refer to an active factor that makes psi effects inconsistent and unsustainable but can be investigated scientifically. My transition from optimism about psi experiments to reluctantly accepting the psi-trickster is described. The primary purpose of this essay is to describe strategies and options for research given the apparent psi-trickster. Strategies for dealing with the psi-trickster include: (a) hope that continued experimental research will overcome it; (b) accept the far-reaching implications of the usual assumptions for psi experiments and develop models of unconscious conflicting psi influences by many different people; (c) investigate the possibility that reliable psi effects occur in rare conditions, such as after many years of intense meditation practice; (d) propose physics-based models; and (e) consider that factors other than the motivations of living persons may be involved. Experimental psi research has the ultimate goal of converting psi to technology. Like other technologies, the most advanced development will be for military uses and for corporate profits. Spontaneous psi experiences tend to inspire a sense of meaning in life and a belief that the person’s life is watched over, similar to mystical and near-death experiences. The psi-trickster characteristics prevent psi from being converted to technology and preserve its mysterious, mystical aspects. An in-depth investigation is needed to understand how paranormal beliefs and experiences affect a person’s life and society as a whole. This is the first step in investigating the psi-trickster characteristics and should include the distribution of beliefs in the population for the full spectrum from skeptics to proponents.

The phenomenon of stigmatization in the real estate market

Motivation: The following article covers the entire path of stigmatization, from that which directly affects a person to special cases of real estate stigmatization. Market participants have created many types of stigmatization that discredit a property. These range from the more abstract ones (e.g., paranormal phenomena taking place on a property or superstition) to the more serious ones (e.g., a restricted use area). The following article focuses on properties located in restricted use areas and the impact of this factor on property values. It analyzes court rulings by Polish courts on compensation in connection with the decrease in the value of real estate due to the establishment of a restricted use area.Aim: The main goal of the article is to identify the phenomenon of stigmatization in the real estate market, while the specific goal is to identify the phenomenon of stigmatization of real estate in restricted use areas around airports.Results: One of the main reasons why stigmatization occurs in the real estate market is ignorance and people’s fear of what they don’t know. The most common objects of stigmatization are restricted use areas around airports. However, in the court rulings described in the article, there is no consensus on whether stigmatization of real estate in itself affects the value of real estate.

Paranormal belief, psychopathological symptoms, and well-being: Latent profile analysis and longitudinal assessment of relationships.

Within non-clinical samples the relationship between paranormal belief (PB) and well-being varies as a function of level of psychopathology. Accordingly, believers are best conceptualised as a heterogeneous set of sub-groups. The usefulness of previous findings has been restricted by conceptual methodological limitations. Specifically, overreliance on cross-sectional design, the assumption that believers constitute a homogeneous group, and consideration of direct effects. Acknowledging these limitations, the present study investigated whether profile membership derived from PB and psychopathology (schizotypy and manic-depressive experience) predicted well-being (i.e., stress, somatic complaints, life satisfaction and meaning in life) across time. Concurrently, analysis assessed the mediating effect of theoretically important variables (transliminality, happiness orientation, fearful and skeptical attitude). A sample of 1736 (Mage = 52, range = 18 to 88; 883 females, 845 males, eight non-binary) completed self-report measures indexing study constructs across time points. Latent profile analysis at baseline, identified three sub-groups varying in level of PB and psychopathology at baseline: Profile 1, moderate PB and high psychopathology; Profile 2, moderate PB and psychopathology; and Profile 3, moderate PB and low psychopathology. Path analysis demonstrated that Profile 1 (the highest psychopathology scoring profile) predicted higher negative and lower positive well-being over time in comparison with the other profiles. Moreover, Transliminality and Fearful Attitude positively mediated this relationship, whereas Skeptical Attitude produced negative mediation. These outcomes supported the presence of a sophisticated process underpinning the PB and well-being relationship. Overall, PB in the absence of psychopathology had no significant influence on well-being.

The role of dual mechanism control in paranormal beliefs: Evidence from behavioral and electrical stimulation studies

The role of dual mechanism control in paranormal beliefs: Evidence from behavioral and electrical stimulation studies