Is Paranormal Research Pseudoscience?

"I am appalled that pseudoscience such as this is occurring at UVA and also appalled that the Virginia Magazine would stoop so low as to promote this ‘research’ as a cover story."

This was one reader’s reaction to an article on Dr. Jim Tucker’s reincarnation research at the University of Virginia.

"What we won’t do is pretend that the work of lunatic charlatans is the equivalent of ‘true scientific discourse’."

This is how Wikipedia’s founder, Jimmy Wales, recently described members of the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP), a highly respected organization dedicated to holistic healing.

"What a load of hooey."

This was a reader’s assessment of an article written by a University of Lethbridge sociologist surveying Canadian attitudes on life after death.

"We know everything there is to know about life after death. It doesn’t exist," another reader commented.

Each of these critics is contemptuous of spiritual claims, whether they come from religion or from research that they label “pseudoscience.” Is their position rational? Are they being “scientific”?

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