Supernatural and Paranormal Phenomena

Paranormal Author and Investigator

By definition, a supernatural or paranormal phenomenon is an event that defies explanation in terms of the typical human experience. In other words, it is something that science can't explain; at least not yet. Examples of paranormal phenomena include ghosts, cryptids, telekinesis, and other forms of psychic powers or supernatural entities.

List of Paranormal Phenomena

There are myriad experiences that fall within the realm of the paranormal. Here are a few broad categories to give you an overview of just how much "supernatural" activity is reported around the globe.

Ghosts

Ghosts might be considered the grand-daddy of paranormal experiences. Everyone has some level of curiosity about what happens when they die. Is there really life after physical death? Are spirits still capable of communicating with the living? Some people believe so, and some desperately hope it's true. Wherever you stand on the topic, many people have reported seeing misty apparitions of human forms, some familiar and others unknown.

Although most people think of ghosts in human terms there are other types of spirits that fall in this category, including evil spirits sometimes referred to as demons, and elemental spirits simply referred to as an "it."

Hauntings

Hauntings are paranormal experiences that are typically attached to a location. They can involve ghosts, but this isn't always the case. According to The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS), hauntings can be classed accordingly:

Residual hauntings: This activity involves a scenario repeating itself over and over in a given location at a general time of day. Think of it as watching a supernatural re-run of a TV program.
Poltergeist activity: Poltergeists are a type of energy that attach to people, causing unusual mayhem and activity wherever an affected person goes. Objects moving by themselves, cupboard doors opening on their own and projectiles thrown by unseen forces all fall under the heading of poltergeist activity.
Intelligent hauntings: This is the classic type of haunting where a spirit attempts to interact with living beings at a particular location.

UFOs

Has Earth been visited by beings from another world? Does life exist beyond the earth's atmosphere? There's certainly a lot of anecdotal evidence to support the claims, as well as a large body of questionable physical evidence. Some people even claim the US government is keeping conclusive physical evidence under tight security since the infamous UFO crash decades ago in Roswell, New Mexico.

Cryptozoology

This fascinating branch of paranormal research is all about animals as yet unidentified and cataloged by conventional science.

They include the study of:

Bigfoot/Yeti/Skunk Ape creatures
The Loch Ness Monster
Chupacabra

Myths and Legends

This category includes famous legendary creatures such as:

Werewolves
Vampires
Zombies
Green Man
Mothman

Metaphysical Phenomena

Metaphysical phenomena include but are not limited to such concepts as:

Reincarnation: The cyclic return of a single soul to new physical bodies
Telepathy: The silent transmission of thoughts
Telekinesis: The ability to move objects with the power of the mind
Clairvoyance/ESP: The ability to perceive past and future events, as well as sense things beyond the scope of the general five senses
Astrology: The study of how the planets and other astral bodies affect the human experience
Chakras: Seven energy portals located at specific points of the body from the pelvis to the top of the head
Auras: Colorful energy fields that envelop a person at any given moment

Explore the Paranormal

This is only a small sampling of things that can be considered supernatural and paranormal phenomena. With the current level of paranormal research, science may find soon find answers to many unexplained phenomena. Until then, they represent how much we still have to learn about the world around us.