George hansen Lecture
Wednesday, Aug 7, 2002

 

 
Those interested in studying the paranormal need a broad perspective that encompasses such fields as religion, cross-cultural studies, anthropology and psychology, according to a paranormal researcher and author.
 
George Hansen, author of "The Trickster and the Paranormal," encouraged novice paranormal researchers to read more widely on such topics and to develop a "scientific skepticism," which will prevent them from being too open to claims of paranormal phenomena. "You don't want to fool yourself," he said.
 
Hansen spoke at a lecture sponsored by the New Jersey Ghost Hunters Society (NJGHS) on Aug. 7 at the Westfield Community Center. The lecture was attended by NJGHS members, members of other ghost research groups and the general public.
 
Interest in paranormal phenomena such as ghosts has existed for thousands of years, according to Hansen. Paranormal occurrences "talk to profound questions" about human existence and abilities, he said.
 
Yet a paradoxical situation exists between the seriousness of these questions and the frivolous way paranormal events are portrayed in the media and popular entertainment, such as the movie "Ghostbusters" and the "Casper the Friendly Ghost" cartoons and comic books, he said. "Ghostbusters" grossed more than $200 million when it was released in the 1980s, said Hansen, but during that same period of time only $50,000 was allocated to paranormal research. The result is that these "profound questions" are almost "totally neglected," he added.
 
The concept of "binary oppositions" is crucial to paranormal research, according to Hansen. The mind breaks things down into oppositions such as God-human, heaven-earth, life-death, man-woman and human-beast, he said. There appears to be a clear demarcation between each of these oppositions. But in reality, the demarcation is not clear, and there are "boundary crossers" who inhabit the "middle realm," said Hansen. He gave the example of mystics, such as the late Italian friar Padre Pio, who inhabit the realm between God and human. Mystics try to merge with God and historically have exhibited some of the strongest paranormal powers, he said.
 
The "middle realm," also known as the "excluded middle" or the "liminal" area, has traditionally been considered "a little bit dangerous" and the source of paranormal phenomena, he added.
 
Binary oppositions also encompass rites of passage, such as from childhood to adulthood, said Hansen. In many cultures, this involves a period of initiation, which is a "dangerous time" when the initiates are similar to spirits and are allowed to violate taboos. Another example is the passage from life to death. Funerals feature rituals that mark the stages between each and are beneficial for both the living and the deceased, he said.
 
An ancient example of the concept of binary oppositions is the Christian belief in the Holy Trinity, said Hansen. In the Trinity, there exists the Father, the Son and between them, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. The "gifts" of the Holy Spirit include speaking in tongues, prophecy, healing and the knowing of hearts or telepathy, which all are recognized as paranormal phenomena, he said.
 
Hansen told the audience that there are various ways of studying paranormal phenomena. One is to research the historical work that has been done in the field. Although research into the paranormal goes back hundreds of years, the modern era of paranormal investigation dates back to 1882, with the founding of the Society for Psychical Research (SPR) in England. The society was founded by a group of eminent intellectuals, including several Nobel Prize winners, said Hansen. Among its members were such luminaries as Sigmund Freud, Madame Curie, Lewis Carroll and Robert Louis Stevenson.
 
One of the most important things the society did was establish a journal, which has been in continuous publication for 120 years. The journal preserves what was found and allows researchers to see patterns and evaluate evidence, said Hansen. Publications such as the SPR journal let researchers see what was done in the past and push forward with their own research, he said.
 
Hansen, a degreed engineer, told the audience of research he had conducted while employed at the Rhine Research Center in Durham, N.C., and the Psychophysical Research Laboratories in Princeton involving random number generators (RNGs). RNGs are electronic devices attached to computers with software controls. A light bulb was attached to the RNG and would randomly turn on and off based on the software program. Researchers would take the RNG to a location suspected of being haunted and see if there were any variations in the random light sequence. They would then evaluate the results statistically. Certain hauntings produced strong results, said Hansen.
 
Despite the emphasis on scientific research in the paranormal field, Hansen said groups such as the NJGHS have real potential to make contributions to the field. Scientists often have a narrow focus and their research isn't cross-disciplinary, he said. Field research, such as that done by NJGHS and other groups at scenes of paranormal phenomena, is crucial, he added.
 
Another contribution amateur researchers can make to the field is the compilation of libraries encompassing paranormal topics, said Hansen. He said there is often little information available on the paranormal at libraries, including those of colleges and universities. He encouraged club members to compile a database of magazine and newspaper articles, out of print books and back issues of paranormal journals and magazines such as Fate. Hansen also suggested tracking popular interest in the paranormal, such as in movies, television shows, books and periodicals.
 
The researcher urged the audience members to open their minds and "don't be intimidated by academics." However, he also said they should develop a "scientific skepticism" about paranormal phenomena. If they're too open to claims of the paranormal, they won't make progress in the field, he cautioned.
 
Hansen added it's important for budding paranormal researchers to write up their research. "You've got to get it out there," he said, "because if you don't, it will be lost."
 
Following his talk, Hansen answered questions from the audience on topics such as electronic voice phenomena (EVPs), the use of psychics in paranormal research and the prevalence of fraud in the field.
 
 
Steve Peter
NJGHS Member