Sensing Spirits: Paranormal Investigation and the Social Construction of Ghosts

Cover
Half Title
Series Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction
	The popularity and marginalization of “the paranormal”
	Sociological examinations of the paranormal
	The practice of paranormal investigation
	Historical and cultural context
	Investigation styles
	The investigators and the teams
	Sensing spirits
	Notes
	References
Chapter 1 Getting into the spirit
	Developing an interest in ghosts and hauntings
	Early-life sensory experiences
	Early-life extrasensory experiences
	Early-life enthusiasm
	Later-life interest
	Negotiating nomic contexts
	Affirming contexts
	Permissive contexts
	Suppressive contexts
	Mixed contexts
	Theoretical contributions
	References
Chapter 2 Learning the “right” ways to sense spirits
	Exploration and transition to a team
	Conforming to the knowledge regime
	Science-dominant teams
	Integrated teams
	Sensitive-dominant teams
	Learning the “right” investigative techniques
	Internalizing the feeling rules
	Legitimizing the “paranormal investigator” identity
	Theoretical contributions
	References
Chapter 3 Discerning evidence of spirits
	Interpretive work during paranormal investigations
	Somatic work
	Discernment work
	Techno-empiricist work
	The evidentiary value of debunking
	Theoretical contributions
	References
Chapter 4 Empersoning spirits
	Distinguishing features of personhood
	Mindedness
	Distinctiveness
	Co-presence
	Empersoning as situated action
	Modes of empersoning in paranormal investigation
	Typified empersoning
	Identified empersoning
	Individualized empersoning
	Intimate empersoning
	Theoretical contributions
	Note
	References
Chapter 5 Emplotting spirits
	Narrative development and the haunting of the Highwayman Inn
	Narrative priming
	Narrative emergence and contestation
	Narrative coalescence
	Narrative crystallization
	Theoretical contributions
	Notes
	References
Chapter 6 Making sense of sensing spirits
	Paranormal investigation as pioneering science
	Paranormal investigation as spiritual practice
	Paranormal investigation as human service profession
	Theoretical contributions
	Note
	References
The dead as social objects and actors
	References
Methodological appendix
	Gaining entrée and making connections
	Demographic characteristics of paranormal investigators
	Data collection and analysis
	Ethical considerations
	Notes
	References
Index