Keeping it scary, one haunted house at a time
I clearly remember my first haunted house ride – it was on the local fairgrounds, only in a brief carnival truck, more of a facade than a ride. I should have been about seven or eight years old and insisted
The three best scientific explanations for ghost sightings
From ghosts to ghouls, from witches to wizards, Halloween is the one time of yr when people come together to have fun all things supernatural. But beyond fancy dress and trick-or-treating, belief in ghosts is definitely relatively common – with
the German book of ghost stories that inspired Frankenstein
The story of Frankenstein's birth is well-known and is basically based on Mary Shelley's account in her preface to 1831 edition to her novel. She and her (soon to be) husband, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, spent summers on the
Supernatural beliefs have appeared in every society throughout history. Recent research helps explain why
Religion is the universality of man. For 1000’s of years, people have held religious beliefs and took part in religious rituals. Every human society throughout history has been highlighted some form of supernatural or religious belief. Why is religion so
What’s déjà vu? Psychologists study this terrifying feeling of getting been through something before
Curious Kids is a series for kids of all ages. If you’ve got a matter you'd like answered by an authority, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com. Why do people experience déjà vu? – Atharva P., 10, Bengaluru, India Have you ever
Why we wish to be afraid
Fear could also be as old as life on Earth. It is a basic, deeply ingrained response that has evolved throughout the history of biology to guard organisms from a perceived threat to their integrity or existence. The fear could
How the god you worship influences the spirits you see
If you will have ever seen a ghost, you will have something in common with it 18 percent of Americans. But since there may be evidence for it our brains are programmed to see ghoststhe apparitions we see are often
Neverending Stories – why we still love Unsolved Mysteries
Since the mid-Eighties Unsolved mysteries the TV show explored hundreds of strange stories. The show's popularity over nearly 35 years, over 600 episodes and five revivals attests to a powerful interest in narratives that don't have a neat resolution. The
What happens when the Virgin Mary appears and the statues cry? The answers don't just involve science or the supernatural
Claims of appearances of the Virgin Mary and weeping statues were common in Catholicism. And now they’ll take a more in-depth look – but on a worldwide scale. Pontifical International Marian Academyor PAMI, recently announced “observatory” Down investigate claims concerning