WIRED FOR WEIRD

“ Belief in the paranormal arises from the same brain mechanisms that shape most human thought”

By: Richard Wiseman

Published: Scientific American Mind, the January – February 2012 issue
To access the article copy paste the following:
http://www.readcube.com/articles/10.1038/scientificamericanmind0112-52
Level of Difficulty: ****

BEFORE YOU READ

1.       Do you believe in ghosts? If so have you seen any?

2.       Have you ever had a paranormal experience?

3.       Do you experience telepathy?

4.       What are your views on all the above?

QUESTIONS

1.       What has led psychologists to actually study belief in the paranormal?

2.       What surprising fact have scientists discovered concerning belief in the paranormal?

3.       What does the phrase “this pattern” refer to? Explain in your own words.

4.       Read paragraphs 6 and 7 which describe dream precognition carefully. What conclusion did scientists reach as a result of their study?

5.       The reason why the patients with rheumatoid arthritis connect increased pain with the weather is the fact that …………………………………………………………………………………………………

The reason for the above is the fact that ………………………………………………………………………All the above means that the idea of a connection between dreams and real life is …………………………..

6.       Psychologist Fritz Heider and Mary Ann Simmel stated that “almost anyone has the capacity to perceive intentions and purpose where none exist”. On what do they base this opinion use your own words.

7.       Read paragraphs 13 and 14 of the text carefully. The reason why the 1000 people who sent in photos of ghosts claimed to have actually photographed them was down to a process called ……………………………………. ; a normal process with evolutionary value which ………………………….

8.       It is stated in the text that there may be a possible unifying theory for belief in ghosts, precognition, telepathy and the like. What is this theory? Be very precise and to the point.

9.       According to Brugger, those who don’t undergo seemingly supernatural happenings might have a more dominant ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

10.   Three tests are described in paragraph 18. Now try them yourself. Read the conclusion of the experiment. Are you right or left dominant? What does this tell you about the kind of person you are?

11.   Now read the little section “How to See a Ghost”. Try the experiment and describe what happens to your friends.

12.   Do the writer's views correspond with  Brugger’s findings? How do you know?

WIRED FOR WEIRD KEY AND TEACHER’S NOTES

 This is one of those science texts that are simply impossible to resist: the scientific reasons behind ghosts, telepathy and the paranormal? Come on you must be dying to try it. The beauty is that there are experiments in the text that you can try in class. I couldn’t think of a writing task; let me know if you come up with one. You can hardly write a reaction essay to scientific fact.

1.       The sheer ubiquity of these experiences.

2.       We are all wired for weird.

3.       Possible answer: Thinking that they had discovered one way to test paranormal activity to discover it didn’t work and seeking another.

4.       We generally remember the dreams that come true better than those that don’t.

5.       The subjects had focused on the times when high levels of pain were associated with…; we sometimes see patterns where non exist which is largely a side effect of our normal reasoning; a false positive result.

6.       Open ended but must adhere to the content of the text.

7.       Pareidolia; can spiral out of control or can become hyper active

8.       People differ in the extent to which they rely on the two hemispheres of their brain thus making them…

9.       The left hemisphere.

10.    Open ended but enjoy the discussionJ

11.   Open ended. Have them describe what happens.

12.   Yes. The last paragraph.