Paranormal Theories & Historical Context Flashcards

The 'Quantum Consciousness Theory' as applied to paranormal investigation primarily draws from:

Answer: Penrose and Hameroff's work on microtubules and quantum effects in consciousness

Penrose-Hameroff's Orchestrated Objective Reduction (Orch-OR) theory proposes quantum processes in brain microtubules underlie consciousness, which some paranormal theorists use to argue consciousness could persist beyond death.

Which historical period saw the greatest growth of Spiritualism as a formal religious and social movement in the United States?

Answer: Post-Civil War era (1865-1900)

Spiritualism flourished most significantly after the Civil War as millions sought to contact loved ones lost in the conflict, peaking in membership and cultural influence from 1865 to 1900.

The 'Time Slip Theory' of paranormal experience proposes that witnesses are:

Answer: Briefly perceiving or stepping into a different time period due to temporal anomalies

Time Slip Theory suggests that certain locations or conditions allow individuals to briefly perceive or even enter a different historical time period, explaining reports of seeing people in period clothing.

Andrew Jackson Davis, known as the 'Poughkeepsie Seer,' contributed to early American paranormal history primarily by:

Answer: Writing 'The Principles of Nature,' a foundational Spiritualist text while in trance

Andrew Jackson Davis dictated 'The Principles of Nature, Her Divine Revelations, and a Voice to Mankind' while in an alleged mesmeric trance in 1847, becoming a foundational text of American Spiritualism.

The 'Human Agency Theory' of haunting phenomena differs from spirit-based theories in that it attributes experiences to:

Answer: Psychological factors, perception errors, and environmental causes rather than actual entities

Human Agency Theory holds that paranormal experiences result from misperception, psychological states like grief or suggestion, environmental factors, and cognitive biases rather than actual spirits.

In the history of paranormal investigation, what was the primary purpose of 'crisis apparitions' documented by the SPR?

Answer: They were apparitions seen of a person at the moment of their death or serious crisis, often far away

Crisis apparitions, extensively documented by the SPR, involve witnesses seeing a vivid apparition of a person at the exact moment that person was dying or in serious danger, often hundreds of miles away.

Which term from paranormal theory describes the concept of locations retaining negative psychic energy from violent or traumatic events that affects subsequent occupants?

Answer: Psychic contamination

Psychic contamination refers to the theoretical accumulation of negative psychic energy at a location from traumatic events, which may influence the mental states or experiences of later occupants.