In America, it's difficult to imagine a camping trip or sleep over without someone telling a ghost story or two. In fact, from Ouija boards to mediums to haunted houses, Americans have long a held an interest in the paranormal. And if the plethora of current paranormal reality shows or films are any indication, that interest has not waned. In fact, according to a 2013 poll, 18% of Americans actually claim they've seen a ghost. What are your feelings about the paranormal? Are you surprised by the large number of believers in America? Are ghosts genuine evidence of an afterlife or more likely the products of overactive imaginations? Finally, have you ever had a paranormal experience?
Include at least two of the following in your discussion:
- "When I Started to Believe in Ghosts" (Salon)
- "Americans' Beliefs in Paranormal Phenomena: Infographic" (LiveScience)
- "Experts Say Belief in Paranormal Common in US" (Voice of America)
- "How Does a Skeptic Understand the 'Paranormal'?" (Washington Post)
- "The Complicated Connection Between Religion and the Paranormal" (Huffington Post)
- "Boo! Americans and the Occult" (The Berkeley Blog)
Required:
- MLA Style
- Works cited
- Two full pages in length
Due: We 02.05
