Why the sudden fascination with the paranormal?

Question

It seems like just a few years ago no one was interested and now every where you turn someone is claiming to be an expert on the subject.

Answer 1

nothing sudden about it.  I think that more attention has been focused that way because it has come to main stream tv in the form of reality shows.  There have always been people who investigated claims of the paranormal.  Now, it is just a bit easier for people to ask for help.  Unfortunately, private cases are just that, private.  But they are now discussed openly.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

The paranormal has always been around. And your statement "It seems like just a few years ago no one was interested " is not entirely true. Spiritualist churches have always been around and many families were raised with an acute sense of the after life. A lot of superstitions also featured prominently in family culture.

With the internet and the popularity of such TV shows as Charmed, Angel etc young and old people are now becoming more knowlegeable with the paranormal.

Certainly "Charmed" covering topics of telekinnesis, empaths, intutition,spells, demons, entities,  divining, tarrot cards etc has caused a revival in these topics.

And the internet has 1000s of sites on these topics so its no wander people are far more knowledgeable on the subject.

TV and Paid TV feature more programs on hauntings, after life, pagan traditions, superstitions, demons etc. In fact relaity TV also has found that believers and non believers all tune into these shows for entertainment value.

Book shops and ghost tours are becoming more popular and more and more people are able to take up "courses" even online courses on the subject.

The paranormal has always been around - card readers, gypsys "cross my palm with silver", snake charmers, walking on fire, voodoo charms, , hoodoo,aliens, spiritualist churches. In fact society has always held  a fascination with the unexplained. Its jsut now more and more peopel can get more information on it and access to tarot cards, pagan traditions and wicca etc.

Spiritulist shops sell smudge sticks, incense, tarot cards,book of shadow books,  divinging sticks etc. The paranormal is BIG bucks.

Answer 4

I totally agree with you. A few years ago it was really neat to hear the stories & see stuff on tv, but now its hard to tell whats real & whats fake. I guess the sudden fascination is b/c people are realizing thats what the public responds to & thats what the public likes to hear about.

Answer 5

Sudden? It's been around for a WHILE, man, and it ain't goin' nowhere. At least I hope not. ^_^

Answer 6

Maybe because scientists are finally studying the unexplained, finding the paranormal a legitimate area of inquiry

Answer 7

It's all over tv these days.  Personally, I've always been fascinated, but was disillusioned by the lack of evidence, despite claims to the contrary.  I'm still looking for that evidence, but no luck yet.

Answer 8

I find the people that believe in the paranormal much more fascinating than the 'paranormal'.

Interest in it has been around for ages but thirty years ago you would have gone to the library and got a book out about it rather than chatting about it on the 'net.

Answer 9

people have believed in strange stuff for a as long a we could think, what do you mean by recent

Answer 10

I am going with one of your other answers the Internet is responsible for that.

Answer 11

We are entering the Age of Aquarius so the closer we get the more people are becoming spiritually attuned...

Answer 12

Because we have technology now. In the 80s, there wasn't EVP (electronic Voice phenomena) to record spirits, an there weren't those little heat sensor things that pick up ghosts, etc. Plus, it's the 2000s, and back in the 1900s if you said you were a psychic, you were an old fraud, but now, the breeding of the few real ones has led to thousands of psychics, and now that people started believing them, people believe it. Plus, Internet has started clubs and groups for ghostly stuff. And those discovery channel shows and travel channel shows are giving people information on it.  and new photography options have led to people with wedding photos etc with black claws in em, etc. its just technology and more gullible people. i believe in paranormal, i think i may be a little psychic myself, but the thing is, people these days believe the frauds who wear those maroon turbans and douse themselves in bling and say "oooowwwoooooohhhhh i can see your fuuuture by contacting the paranormal with my psychic abilitiesssss...." and that's what cause some of the obsession with the paranormal is for.

hope this helps!

Answer 13

Maybe the name "paranormal" wasn't in use till lately. I think people have ALWAYS been seeking the paranormal...esp. those who go to church.  A lot of paranormal things happened to the ones they call the saints. That was supposed to be one of the signs that they were saints. And if they appeared or did  healings  after they died...that was another sign. These are considered paranormal things.  I would think that scientists would be the first to seek the paranormal...but guess that's not so.

Answer 14

Fascination with the paranormal has been around almost as long as humans have been communicating with each other. It isn't a recent thing.

Answer 15

The Internet is responsible for the modern popularity of the paranormal. However, people have always been intrigued by it but not until the Internet was the shame taken away. Before if you mentioned the paranormal or ghosts, people treated you like you were crazy.

The Internet created the ghost clubs and societies we see today. People started ghost clubs and others joined.

It is a fad now and the so called professionals are only weekend enthusiasts. They have day jobs.

BB