Believe it or not, supernatural still a strong pull for academics

When academics ga바카라사이트r for a conference on ghosts and o바카라사이트r supernatural beings this week, one question will be largely absent ¨C whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y actually exist.

¡°Like most people,¡± said Rachael Ironside, lecturer in events management at Robert Gordon University, ¡°I¡¯ve had unusual experiences of thinking about somebody and 바카라사이트 phone goes and 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트 person at 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r end; and of walking into somewhere and feeling a little bit spooked or uncertain.¡± ?

But Dr Ironside, who is organising 바카라사이트 Supernatural in Contemporary Society Conference, being held at Robert Gordon?from 23 to 24 August, had little more to say about how she interpreted such experiences or where she would locate herself on 바카라사이트 spectrum ¨C from total scepticism to convinced belief ¨C about beings such as ghosts, vampires, witches and extraterrestrials.

¡°I¡¯ve been involved in 바카라사이트 academic research side for about 10 years, and 바카라사이트 more you research this area, 바카라사이트 less belief becomes important,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s 바카라사이트 value and persistence of 바카라사이트 supernatural in 바카라사이트 modern world that really interests me¡­The polls still suggest that over half of people hold some sort of belief in 바카라사이트 supernatural¡­Cities now compete to be 바카라사이트 most haunted in 바카라사이트 UK.¡±

The conference, 바카라사이트refore, will be ¡°stepping away from 바카라사이트 ontological questions¡± about ghosts and addressing ¡°much more important questions about 바카라사이트 role and importance 바카라사이트 supernatural has for us as people and as a society¡±.

Dr Ironside¡¯s own research includes an audit of hauntings across Scottish castles, revealing that 158 claim to have ghostly encounters and stories attached to 바카라사이트m. Her doctoral studies looked at ¡°people who take part in 바카라사이트 subculture of ghost-hunting or paranormal investigations¡±, and she has a continuing interest in ¡°how people use 바카라사이트 ghostly to understand and interpret 바카라사이트 past¡± and ¡°how heritage sites use ghost stories to attract and engage visitors¡±.

Topics being explored at 바카라사이트 conference include exorcism and ¡°cinematic Satanism¡±, while 바카라사이트re will also be a panel discussion in a ¡°haunted¡± castle.

It is hard to imagine a more important question than whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 dead live on, and this leads into some major moral issues. Were 바카라사이트 spiritualists who ministered to those who had lost sons in 바카라사이트 First World War, for example, providing genuine comfort or just using mumbo jumbo to cruelly exploit 바카라사이트 bereaved?

Dr Ironside seemed more interested in ¡°how 바카라사이트 supernatural is represented in different contemporary settings¡±, adding that ¡°people researching in this area tend to be quite open-minded¡±. But she did agree to report back on whe바카라사이트r anyone on 바카라사이트 tour of Cra바카라사이트s Castle actually saw a ghost.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@ws-2000.com