Paranormal or mental?

Question

How do you know when a particular experience is paranormal in nature or due to the fact that the individual is having mental problems or delusions?

Answer 1

Usually its hard to tell. Sometimes more than one person experiences something so then it's more likely it's not mental, but it still could be. The more witnesses there are the less likely its mental.

Answer 2

The actual instances where a particular experience cannot be explained in a totally natural way by scientific research are very, very miniscule.

But that does not mean that an individual is having mental problems either, it just means that for the given set of circumstances a proper explanation has not become obvious to that person yet.

Often people are far to quick to dismiss an experience as ghostly before they consider any other possibilities.

Answer 3

you can;t really tell since both of those are impossible to tell the difference in .

A person that expieriences paranormal illusions could possibly be mental , and vice versa.

Answer 4

Were there any witnesses?

Answer 5

These terms need to be defined better.  So many of the previous answers dismiss any activity science can't currently explain(even though no activity here is stated) as delusions, but that is ridiculous.  To say that such things don't exist would mean an end to science, that science had discovered and explained everything, which is also ridiculous.  However, chances that what any random individual experienced is an actual paranormal event are miniscule.  The vast, vast majority of the time there is a reasonable, logical explaination(of which mental illness is one possibiltiy) that is being overlooked or ignored.

Answer 6

I would try to go abck the place and have a recorder on.. Ask yourself about the details of what it did, what all you said and how you felt..

Unless you have people with you or know the signs you are looking for it's hard to make a call..

Answer 7

This is a very good question.  However, due to the sensitivity of the subject it's something which is often overlooked.  I would extend your question a bit to ask if certain types of people who have what is sometimes referred to as fantasy-prone personalities are not as in touch with reality as the rest of us.

So, is perceiving something paranormal an indication that you are out of touch with reality, if only temporary?  Does embracing an experience as paranormal rather than natural indicate you have faulty wiring?

Answer 8

Our organization has been investigating the paranormal for 11 years and we have seen our share of both. Unfortunately, we have probably come across more delusional than true paranormal. It is a very hard thing at times to differeniate. We perform a careful screening process which involves not only a request, but a phone interview and a video interview before even considering an investigation. Even with two types of interviews, we have investigated people's delusions.

One thing that makes is difficult is a mentally disturbed individual never questions their own sanity. A rational individual will see an apparition and not jump to the fact it is a ghost. They will ask themselves questions like are they under too much stress, was it a trick of light, etc. Thus, it is very important to ask detailed questions. One case we went on, a woman was very serious in telling us how she saw an apparition regularly in her kitchen. Only when asked where did she see it formed example, did she go on to admit that the apparition was always one of three little ghosts that lived in her furnace duct. We left shortly afterwards. In that case, it was funny. In others, it has been dangerous.

We have had mentally disturbed individuals repeatedly call us, long after we closed their case. In one case, a person passed away because they had an untreated illness that they refused to believe doctor's on, because they felt the symptoms were paranormal in nature.

Let me say this.. It is easy to go into a home and say it is haunted. Many times the home owners are not happy of it, but accepting. You go on a case and figure out they are delusional. Try telling them that. It is by far much much easier to say a place is haunted.

Answer 9

you should know if your that crazy...come on now?!

Do you hear things and see things others dont?

is it only when your alone?

have you had learning or mental disabilities?

are you on medication?

Answer 10

The best way to do this is set up a video camera or tape recorder to catch anything paranormal.

Answer 11

When something occurs that 'shouldn't', I quickly do a mental checklist: My mood, state of mind, what I've eaten, am I rested, alert, time of day, weather, etc. If the answer is "all systems O.K." then my observational skills jump into high gear and I observe as best I can to report as honestly as I can for answers!

I don't try to speculate or imagine; fear doesn't even enter in. Observe and Report. If know one else knows, I want to remember every detail for my own knowledge. If I doubt my own integrity, nothing gets reported. What I report has passed introspection. It is placed on the table for scrutiny.

Answer 12

Since you're asking here on Y/A.My answer is based on the paranormal experiences related here.From what I read here the answer is neither.Most of what I read here are obvious made up tales.From encounters with ghosts and demons to Boasts of psychic powers.Once in awhile someone is obviously delusional but I rarely see it here..Lets face it if anyone were truthful about there paranormal activities.They'd go through h**l or high water to demonstrate it.Bottom line it's not mental or paranormal it's Bull Doody.

Answer 13

If your thinking your mental that just might be the case!

I've had numerous paranormal experiences and not once have I ever felt mental.

Answer 14

Considering the fact that one of the two choices does not exist...i think the answer is simple.

That's like asking how do you know when Santa Claus brings your presents or when your parents do.

Answer 15

Delussional happens only once in awhile. Paranormal is questionable and is usually the affect of stress. Ity is realted to a child seeing ghosts in his bedroom at night. Imagination that disappears when mom turns on the light.

Answer 16

This could easily get into a philosophical conversation on what is real and what is not, but I'd say you'd need two mentally stable people to experience the event. One to see it and one to verify it. Otherwise it's probably in their head.

Answer 17

Well if the event in question can be proved (say, it happens again and again or it can be caught on camera) then you can say for sure it is paranormal. If the individual expirencing paranormal events is the only one expirencing them even if other people are around, there is the possibility of it being delusional.

Answer 18

i've kinda been thinking the same thing at times, and it has happened to me before, in my dreams i sometimes see things, then later that day, week , month what ever i have like a deja vu thing but i don't know what it is 'til i see it the 2nd time and when i do see it the first time in my dreams then i never see it again so i think thats a mental type deal

Answer 19

That is one of the reasons we do a first contact interview in a public place with any potiential client.  We have a group of questions that we do ask that are designed to weed out those who might be mentally unstable.  We also meet in a public place for the interview so that everyone involved is comfortable as opposed to meeting in a park or somewhere that is isolated from others.

You can't be sure, even after the first interview that what is being experienced is not paranormal in nature and you should never assume that it is.  But you can get a good idea about the person(s) you have interviewed whether or not you are dealing with a mental condition.

Answer 20

I challenge myself on that frequently enough.

Here's the queue:

If the information received cannot have an explanation other than paranormal it is paranormal.  In other words if I (or someone else) have knowledge about nonlocal reality that could not be obtained in any other fashion, it is paranormal. If something occurs that gives me reason to believe I am delusional quite possibly I am.

That answer is not the end-all it may seem. Often we catch glimpses of things out of the corner of our eyes that may or may not be there, like what happens sometimes when car headlight glare gets in our eyes. The mind see something and tries to make reason out of it. Sometimes it is dismissed other time it is not.

If I see someones aura without any light behind them I'd say hey it's paranormal but if they are standing behind a spotlight and I see the same thing, ah heck it's just an illusion.

Case in point, I decided one time to try to Remote View what they were having for breakfast that morning at a Bed and Breakfast I once stayed at years previous. Cherries over pancakes & waffles. I looked it up on the internet, sure enough pancakes and waffles. The only reason it even occurred to me was the woman I stayed there with was able to do it in the morning before we went down to breakfast. That is paranormal.

Answer 21

The guy arguing with the tree --- mental.

The guy with a meter in his hand talking to nothing --- paranormal.

The guy with an aluminum foil hat hiding from aliens --- mental.

The guy with a camera and lights on head looking for ghosts --- paranormal.

My doctor says  I'm not mental --- just really weird.  But she believes in ghosts too!  Others might disagree!

Answer 22

Well, first of all if you're mental you would get heaaches right after what you see. If you're a medium you would see little blurry visions like somebody is really in the room.

You wpould also feel the coldness and also you would see , usually this occurs with alots of mediums, you would see the death of the person over and over again.

The reason i know this is cause my myspace friend is a medium.

Answer 23

if someone else encounters it with u u know it couldn't have been a delusion...

Answer 24

For me to call it paranormal there would need to be other witnesses or some sort of evidence.

Answer 25

Simple - it's always the latter.  It's always delusions, never paranormal.

Answer 26

well if you are seeing things there and hearing you should see a doctor and make sure with him, dont let any one tell you are crazy if they dont know whats going on. good luck. betty.

Answer 27

I don't believe in the paranormal, but it's a bit harsh to say that someone who thinks they experience it is mental.

A lot seem to be kids/teens who are still trying to sort out how they relate to the world and puberty.

Also there are people who confuse their dreaming/sleeping/waking states - this is very common, a lot of people who post on here start "I was lying in bed when I saw Godzilla, I knew it  was real because....."

But yeah obviously a percentage of people are delusional, may I suggest that you ask in the Metal Health or Psychology sections because in the paranormal section you will be accused of being a troll if you don't believe in magical cats or whatever the current craziness is.