Michael Grosso reviews George Hansen's book, The Trickster and the Paranormal

[Mike D.]

Here is the link:

http://www.parapsi.com/trickster_book_review.htm

[Mike D.]

A quote from the review:

"George Hansen’s focus is on the sociophilosophical dimensions of the paranormal. As I interpret it, one of the most interesting implications of his analysis is that the dream of parapsychology that it one day join the respectable ranks of the great normal sciences is most likely doomed to disappointment. If Hansen is right, the fate of parapsychology is to remain forever a marginal enterprise."

[Ed]

Originally posted by Mike D.
A quote from the review:

"George Hansen’s focus is on the sociophilosophical dimensions of the paranormal. As I interpret it, one of the most interesting implications of his analysis is that the dream of parapsychology that it one day join the respectable ranks of the great normal sciences is most likely doomed to disappointment. If Hansen is right, the fate of parapsychology is to remain forever a marginal enterprise."

Loons crying out in the wilderness.

Just on example, that's all they need.

Nutters.

[Loki]

I think this Hansen may be on to something...

Psi is thus implicated with such ideas as marginality, clowns, fools, hoaxing, sexual disinhibition, paradox, contradiction, ambiguity, alienation, transition, instability, danger, and elusiveness.
...
Hansen argues that an element of fraud and disinformation is not incidental but virtually essential to psi,

[Interesting Ian]

Originally posted by Mike D.
Here is the link:

http://www.parapsi.com/trickster_book_review.htm

WOW!! Trust you to come out with the excellent links! :)

[Paul C. Anagnostopoulos]

You know, the idea of a trickster facet to the paranormal is interesting, but couldn't you come up with the same facet for just about any human endeavor?

The Trickster and Politics
The Trickster and Haute Couture
The Trickster and Kar Kulture

Take all the funky, funny, odd, twisted, unexplainable bits about any particular endeavor and you've got the Trickster.

~~ Paul