"Prepare for a revelation! The sociologists have landed, lived among us, and emerged with this masterful portrait of paranormal believers and beliefs. They have surveyed thousands, attended UFO conventions, frequented New Age fairs, visited psychics, accompanied Bigfoot hunters, lodged in haunted houses, and much more. Whether you're scholar or student, seeker or skeptic, you're guaranteed to find this book as enlightening as, it is entertaining."-Laurence Iannaccone, Chapman University
"An authoritative but extremely readable analysis of an important but often ignored subculture. In these pages we Learn much not only about believers in ESP, Bigfoot, and astrology, but also about the general ways in which all human minds make sense of our perplexing position in the universe."-William Bainbridge, author of Across the Secular Abyss: From Faith to Wisdom
"An essential text for our ongoing consideration of the esoteric realm. This volume has created a foundation for all future inquiries."-J. Gordon Melton, author of Melton's Encyclopedia of American Religions
Paranormal America provides the definitive portrait of Americans who believe in or have experienced such phenomena as ghosts, Bigfoot, UFOs, psychic phenomena, astrology, and the power of mediums. Unlike many books on the paranormal, this volume does not focus on proving or disproving the paranormal, but rather on understanding the people who believe and how those beliefs shape their lives.
Drawing on the Baylor Religion Survey羅a multi-year national random sample of American religious values, practices, and behaviors羅as well as extensive fieldwork including joining hunts for Bigfoot and spending the night in a haunted house, authors Christopher C. Bader, F. Carson Mencken, and Joseph 0. Baker provide an entertaining yet authoritative look at a growing segment of American religious culture.
金石堂
