Experiences with the Supernatural and Extrasensory Perception ESP

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Experiences with the Supernatural and
Extrasensory Perception (ESP)

• By Mary Randolph and Matt Lesko
• SLFK 213 Magic Acts

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Our hypothesis

• People from various backgrounds would have
  supernatural experiences and extrasensory
  perception

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To specifically test our hypothesis, we focused
on the following

• Ethnicity Whether people from Western countries
  were less inclined to report or believe in
  supernatural and ESP
• Education Whether science majors were less
  inclined to report or believe in supernatural and
  ESP
• Belief vs. disbelief supernatural traditions of
  belief vs. rational traditions of disbelief

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Project Design

• Interviewed 14 people about half were American
  others were of South American, Eastern European,
  Asian, Western European descent
• Majors/Areas of Study 9 science, 1 liberal arts,
  4 social science
• Gender representation 8 female, 6 male
• All respondents were in the middle-class

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Questionnaire

• Have you ever had a premonition about something
  that would happen in the future and that actually
  happened? If so, how did the experience change
  you? Do you believe in premonitions?
• Have you had premonitions about something that
  would happen in the future which did not actually
  happen?
• Have you ever dreamed of something and what you
  dreamed about came true? Have you seen deceased
  people in your dreams?

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Questionnaire continued

• Have you had an out-of-body experience? If so,
  how did the experience change you?
• If you have not had an out-of-body experience, do
  you know people who have?
• Have you ever had a near-death experience?
• Have you felt the presence of someone who was not
  physically in person with you, but you felt their
  presence?

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Table 1 Percentage Reporting One or More of the
Following Experiences
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Table 2 Percentage Reporting One or More of the
Following Experiences
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Table 3 Percentage Reporting One or More of the
Following Experiences
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Table 4 Percentage Reporting One or More of the
Following Experiences
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Sample Size 14 people
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• A related question asked Have you
• seen people who are deceased in your dreams? No
  11 Yes 3

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Data Analysis

• Premonitions, contact with the dead/feeling a
  presence, and déjà vu were common among the
  majority of respondents
• The majority of American respondents had
  premonitions, déjà vu, out-of-body experiences
  and contact with the dead/feeling a presence
• Science majors had premonitions that came true
  and déjà vu, and reported belief in premonitions
• High percentage of science majors had contact
  with dead or feeling a presence
• Near-death experiences were rare and not
  exclusive to a particular group of people

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Additional Observations

• Respondents were not embarrassed to reveal their
  experiences nor did they doubt what they
  experienced
• No use of linguistic terminology consistent with
  the rational traditions of disbelief
• Respondents were eager and willing to share what
  happened to them
• Based on their responses, participants seemed to
  fit with the supernatural traditions of belief

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Conclusion

• Findings supported the hypothesis
• People from various cultural and educational
  backgrounds had experiences
• Americans and science majors reported having
  several experiences and believing in premonitions