Paranormality: Why We See What Isn't There

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Paranormality: Why We See What Isn't There

4.06 of 5 stars 4.06 · rating details · 1,016 ratings · 114 reviews

Professor Richard Wiseman is clear about one thing: paranormal phenomena don't exist. But in the same way that the science of space travel transforms our everyday lives, so research into telepathy, fortune-telling and out-of-body experiences produces remarkable insights into our brains, behaviour and beliefs. Paranormality embarks on a wild ghost chase into this new scienc...more

Paperback, 341 pages

Published July 1st 2011 by Macmillan (first published January 1st 2010)

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Jan 25, 2012 Chad Kettner rated it 5 of 5 stars

Richard Wiseman's book, Paranormality, skillfully unravels the superstitious mind and explains how and why we tend all sorts of weird things. He focuses on fortune telling, out of body experiences, psychic power, talking with the dead, ghost hunting, mind control, and prophecy. Wiseman uses real cases and experiments as well as tests and recorded investigations to explain the claims of supernatural experiences - in a way that doesn't make somebody feel stupid for believing something strange in t...more

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Oct 04, 2011 Nicci rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is brilliant! Its explains how some psychic's fool you into believing their 'readings' and explains how the people experience out of body experiences, why you dream about certain things, how people really move objects with their 'mind, explains the reality of communicating with non existent spirits, psychology of suggestion, how people 'mind control', and gives great tips on how to pretend to be psychic too. Although, due to my own experiences that with some people that can't be explai...more

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May 13, 2013 Leon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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Mar 02, 2013 Johanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

An excellent book and a must read for anyone interested in psychic phenomena or human psychology. Its a relatively quick read which looks at various aspects of the paranormal such as fortune telling, ghosts etc. Each area is backed up with video links (via Q codes) & instructions for how to recreate the experience for yourself or to demonstrate them to friends and family. I've long been fascinated by the rubber hand experiment (I had it demonstrated to me years ago) and what it reveals about...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Brian Clegg rated it 4 of 5 stars

The subtitle here is ‘Why we believe the impossible’ or ‘Why we see what isn’t there’ (depending on your edition) emphasising that this a book not so much on parapsychology – the study of paranormal capabilities of the mind – but what you might call metaparapsychology – the study of why human beings incorrectly think that they have paranormal capabilities of the mind.

This is a very entertaining, lightly written book that takes a storytelling approach to introducing some of the strange and wonder...more The subtitle here is ‘Why we believe the impossible’ or ‘Why we see what isn’t there’ (depending on your edition) emphasising that this a book not so much on parapsychology – the study of paranormal capabilities of the mind – but what you might call metaparapsychology – the study of why human beings incorrectly think that they have paranormal capabilities of the mind.

This is a very entertaining, lightly written book that takes a storytelling approach to introducing some of the strange and wonderful claims that people have made for supernatural mental abilities, only to pull them apart.

We begin with that most dubious of paranormal topics, psychics, with a UK psychic roundly failing in controlled tests and another psychic admitting exactly how he used cold reading tricks to fool his clients. Many books have debunked cold reading, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen before such a clear list of the six key techniques with a demonstration of how they were used in a specific reading. It’s superb.

Next under the microscope are out of body experiences (and for some reason the spurious idea of a body losing weight on death), which prove rather dull, and then moving things with the mind. There is interesting material on a specific case, though I found the ‘five psychological principles’ that make people believe this kind of act a touch heavy handed after we’d already been through the six for cold reading, especially as by the time we get to the fifth there is not one, but two asides in the middle of explaining it.

Next up is the table shifting/rapping/Ouija board style of spirit medium. There’s some nice historical introduction with the Fox sisters (who made ‘raps’ by clicking their toes) and some practical guidance on the do-it-yourself use of involuntary movement effects to jiggle tables or spell out Ouija messages (with perhaps a bit of cheating thrown in). We then move swiftly on to some entertaining ghost hunting tales (and thoughts on why we imagine ghosts exist), mind control and future gazing. All very readable, entertaining and often enlightening.

Although as a whole I liked the book, there was something about it that put me off a little (otherwise it might have made 5 stars). It was a touch gimmicky – I’m not sure, for instance, I particularly liked the used of QR codes to direct the reader to find out more online. In principle this should be a good thing, but these 3D barcodes were so large and obtrusive that they ruined the look of the page every time they were introduced.

The gimmickry also extends to some extent to the way the book is written, with chapters jumping around their subject and introducing little ‘tests’ that are supposed to show the reader the effect being discussed. (I’m pleased to say I avoided choosing the shape combination most people come up with when asked to think of one geometric shape inside another*.)

However, that’s just a personal thing – I think many people would like this kind of messing about in format, so it shouldn’t count against what I think is a really interesting book on a topic that isn’t really called metaparapsychology, but ought to be. If psychics, ESP and the world of the paranormal interest you, this book is an essential balance to your library – and if you are a sceptic, it will give you plenty of chances to raise an eyebrow and have a chuckle at the gullibility of the rest of the world.

* The usual choice is apparently a circle in a triangle or a triangle in a circle. I went for a triangle in a square.

Review first published on www.popularscience.co.uk and reproduced with permission(less)

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Jun 11, 2012 Angie rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: didn-t-finish

My June Amazon Prime Free Lending Library selection.
Recommended to me by the president of the National Capital Area Skeptics Society.
Very disappointed. I do not understand the high scores for this book.
I confess I aborted the read about a quarter of the way through.
It started off well, with an entertaining style and some built-in features that could only be put into an eBook, such as links to websites interviews and pictures that move. However,there were odd typographical peculiarities in the bo...more

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Sep 30, 2011 Jorge rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: science

Paranormality: Why we see what isn't there by Professor Richard Wiseman

"Paranormality" is an interesting book about supernatural science. Professor Wiseman in an entertaining and engaging manner takes us on a fun journey of debunking popular paranormal phenomena. This 342-page book is composed of the following seven chapters: 1. Fortune-telling, 2. Out-of-body experiences, Mind over matter, 4. Talking with the dead, Intermission, 5. Ghost Hunting, 6. Mind control, and 7. Prophesy.

Positives:
1....more

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Sep 27, 2011 Bookseller Cate rated it 4 of 5 stars

I still remember a very entertaining evening in college when a group of about six of us broke out a Ouija board and ended up chatting with who/what we for weeks after referred to as "the dancing spirit" -- we even asked it if the joyful movements of the planchette were dance, it said yes.

Of course, there are myriad simpler explanations for what happened before we must conclude that it was actually a spirit, but that evening is definitely part of my lingering fascination with the supernatural --...more

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Aug 24, 2011 Kirsty rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-and-scepticism

Before reading this book I'd seen a fair few reviews of it on Amazon claiming it was an arrogant, biased view of the unexplained. I'm happy to say that such accounts couldn't be further from the truth!

Of course, Richard Wiseman is well-known for his sceptical views amongst those interested in the supernatural, so the sceptical slant of the book shouldn't surprise anyone. However, I found the book's content to be deeply interesting and very well researched and justified. The book also has a refr...more Before reading this book I'd seen a fair few reviews of it on Amazon claiming it was an arrogant, biased view of the unexplained. I'm happy to say that such accounts couldn't be further from the truth!

Of course, Richard Wiseman is well-known for his sceptical views amongst those interested in the supernatural, so the sceptical slant of the book shouldn't surprise anyone. However, I found the book's content to be deeply interesting and very well researched and justified. The book also has a refreshing, witty tone. At no point did I sense any arrogance from Prof. Wiseman - in fact, he seemed very sympathetic towards those who believe in the supernatural. At several points in the book he talks about how we, as humans, are hard-wired to believe in the unknown, as this belief may have provided an evolutionary advantage. This is far from the snobbery that I was expecting judging by some other reviews! The book is subtitled "Why We See What Isn't There", and this pretty much sums up the real focus of the book - not just to debunk everything, but instead to try and understand WHY we are so prone to believing in things without needing evidence. I also found Wiseman's explanations of why certain conclusions were drawn to be very fair (e.g. the Jaytee research or research into the alleged psychic Patricia Putt). At times Wiseman many seem a little matter-of-fact, but at no point did I notice him say that the results of the research categorically proved that someone didn't have psychic abilities; he simply states that the studies did not show any evidence of psychic abilities, which would appear to still allow enough scope for someone to have abilities that simply weren't demonstrated effectively on the day - not the behaviour of someone who's arrogant or thinks he knows everything!

There's a long bibliography at the end of the book for anyone who wants to research more about the individual points covered. I particularly liked the QR tags (newfangled barcodes!) throughout the book that link to videos and audio clips that complement the book's content (URLs are also provided for anyone who doesn't have a smartphone).

This book probably won't convince any believers, and the content is probably very familiar to anyone who's already well-read on the topics covered in the book, but I would highly recommend it as a starting point to anyone who's curious about the world and interested in finding out about the unexplained.(less)

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Apr 06, 2011 Sue rated it 4 of 5 stars

What's great about this book is that although Wiseman absolutely does not believe in the paranormal, he isn't preachy about it. He simply describes how various truth seekers have debunked palm readers, ghost hunters, fortune tellers and spoon benders. He gives us the secrets that magicians and charlatans use. It all makes sense and I'm prepared to totally disbelieve paranormality, until I realized that you can look at the evidence he presents just as skeptically as he looks at the evidence for p...more What's great about this book is that although Wiseman absolutely does not believe in the paranormal, he isn't preachy about it. He simply describes how various truth seekers have debunked palm readers, ghost hunters, fortune tellers and spoon benders. He gives us the secrets that magicians and charlatans use. It all makes sense and I'm prepared to totally disbelieve paranormality, until I realized that you can look at the evidence he presents just as skeptically as he looks at the evidence for paranormal activity. Take table turning. Sure I can believe the Ouiga Board works on the ideomotor principles, but can a table pin a person against the wall so violently with this method? I find it hard to believe. Information seems to be missing. I need more proof or a better explanation.

If you are already a skeptic, everything here makes sense and you nod easily. But if you are a true believer, you may find some holes in the theories. You'll demand more rigorous evidence.

That's all fine. For me the best thing about the book is his fascinating anecdotes, the stories of the people that witnessed paranormal activity or were in some way psychic. It's great reading. Wiseman draws us in to the truth behind the fiction the same way ghost stories draw us in by their strangeness. And the truth is stranger than the fiction here. The psychological analysis behind the willingness to believe may or may not be accurate, but it, too, is interesting as all get out.

For those who believe the loss of superstition leads to a boring world, Wiseman says "To believe that the findings of supernatural science remove wonder from the world is to fail to see the remarkable events that surround us every day of our lives. And, unlike those who appear to talk with the dead or move objects with the power of their minds, these amazing phenomena are genuine."

There's so much in the world and we know very little about most of it, why do we need the supernatural? Wiseman has theories about that and it's fun to read them.(less)

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Jan 30, 2012 Feistytiger rated it 5 of 5 stars

In this well written book Wiseman explains ideas of the Paranormal in a scientific and psychological way. He sets about to express the thoughts of the supernatural in another light/another side to the story. Wiseman's explanations are thought provoking, interesting and accessible. With each chapter he explains one area of the paranormal, and using well chosen examples explains how this could also be perceived. All chapters are well written and the examples and explanations are well chosen and ea...more

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Jul 22, 2011 Ally Atherton rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thought I knew a lot about the paranormal but this book made me realise how little I actually did know. It is a fascinating look at the paranormal from a sceptical scientific point of view and looks at the psychology of the paranormal. From table tipping to cold reading, from ghosts to prophetic dreams, it is an eye opener and it is very accessible and nothing like reading a textbook.

Professsor Wiseman's book is fascinating and entertaining, filled with interesting facts and humorous tales. I...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Oscar rated it 5 of 5 stars

Richard Wiseman seeks not to answer whether or not there is such a thing as paranormal activity, but the reasons for why people believe such things. Is it simple wish fulfillment? Biological and neurological factors? Victims of smooth talk? Finding patterns in coincidence? Well, Wiseman argues, a bit of everything. In his book, Wiseman looks at different types of paranormal activities that include everything from psychics, ghosts, premonition, to mind control. With each phenomenon, Wiseman provi...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Mark Maguire rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, popular-culture, psychology

This is an exceptional book!

From start to finish, the book held me in a vice-like grip, and cliched though it is, I couldn't put the book down. The Author has completely revolutionalised my understanding about what constitutes "the paranormal", and what constitues mere chicanery, without being verbose or overly offensive.

The narrative was imformative and concise. It was also written from the perspective of someone whom was once engaged in "magic"; illusions, and cabaret, which lent the text cre...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Kevin Cecil rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: male-author, science, skepticism

I was surprised to espy a stack of Richard Wiseman's book PARANORMALITY in the Religion section at HALF PRICE BOOKS a few weeks ago. It doesn't entertain the notion that supernatural events are real for a moment, so its place alongside new age drivel is delightfully ironic. But the reason I yelped in disbelief is because the book didn't find a publisher in the United States. While Wiseman's previous books - including 59 SECONDS, an evidence based entry in the self help genre, and QUIRKOLOGY, his...more I was surprised to espy a stack of Richard Wiseman's book PARANORMALITY in the Religion section at HALF PRICE BOOKS a few weeks ago. It doesn't entertain the notion that supernatural events are real for a moment, so its place alongside new age drivel is delightfully ironic. But the reason I yelped in disbelief is because the book didn't find a publisher in the United States. While Wiseman's previous books - including 59 SECONDS, an evidence based entry in the self help genre, and QUIRKOLOGY, his exploration into weird science - found a home in the US, PARANORMALITY was denied an entry visa.

While Americans devour the rambling rants of countless Chopraesque gurus, they are not so keen on books that call bullshit on flim flam. Though PARANORMALITY was a best seller abroad, publishers felt Mary Roach's 2005 SPOOK was all the skepticism towards the un~~real~~dead we need in the U.S. of A. thank you very much, and good day sir.

This is a shame because PARANORMALITY is a fantastic read. Wiseman offers short anecdotes of ghost stories, mind readers, fortune tellers, etc; succinctly and humorously explains why they are bunk; then uses the experiences as a springboard to delve into the latest scientific theories and hypothesis on our faulty cognition. The section on the Jonestown Massacre was one of the most interesting I've read. Especially refreshing was that, unlike many skeptical authors, Wiseman encourages using his lessons to frighten, fool, and fuck with friends*. He also provides links to short videos of experiments, tricks and interviews throughout the text via QR tags. The book ends (spoiler alert) with a nice thought on the beauty of disbelief, "To believe that the findings of supernatural science remove wonder from the world is to fail to see the remarkable events that surround us every day of our lives. And, unlike those who appear to talk with the dead or move objects with the power of their minds, these amazing phenomena are genuine."

Despite the lack of a major release, Wiseman self-published and you can find the Kindle version here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00572B4BK. And, last I checked, there were still copies of the British version at the Half Price Bookstore on Lane (still hiding out in the display section of the Religion section).

*I'm concentrating on your right ring finger. Place your hand palm down on your desk, and spread out your fingers. I'm now going to hold your right ring finger down with my mind.
Hmmm.
Not working is it?
I think I'm getting bad psychic vibrations from your middle finger. It seems to be flipping me the bird in my mind, disturbing my chi. Please hide it by bending just that finger under your hand at the second joint. There. That's better. Now, with the rest of your fingers spread out as before, I'm using all of my mental force to hold down that ring finger. I'mmmmm puuuusssshhhinnnnggggg doooowwwnnnn onnnn ittt nnnnooooww... TRY TO LIFT IT AND BEHOLD MY POWERS!!!

(don't worry, the other experiments are better, this was just the easiest to do from afar.)(less)

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Feb 03, 2013 Birgit rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

We experience the impossible, or so we believe. Oddly enough things don't seem all that impossible anymore when someone explains the mechanics behind them which is exactly what Professor Richard Wiseman does in his book Paranormality.
Broaching a variety of topics commonly attributed as being paranormal, be it fortune telling or out-of-body experiences, talking to the dead or prophecy, this turned out to be a thoroughly enjoyable and engaging read that allows a close-up look into how and why we t...more

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Jan 05, 2012 Troy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Richard Wiseman's latest book, Paranormality, was a surprise for me - for years I had supposed, rather wrongly, that paranormal research was fruitless or nearly so; it does discover things, but what it discovers isn't paranormal! This book details different areas of the paranormal, and what we've learned from studying each regarding the cool stuff that really goes on in our heads when things go bump in the night. Learn to avoid being brainwashed, convince people you know all about them, bend met...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Jemma rated it 4 of 5 stars

Simply excellent. Prof Wiseman clearly, concisely and fully, deconstructs various phenomena from mind reading to ghosts to seances. So far so good, there are other good works out there that do the same. For instance, I'm thinking that if you liked Derren Brown's "Trick of the Mind" you are going to love this. However, where Derren offered tantalising glimpses of how these things are done - explaining ideomotor movements for one - Prof W goes ahead and reveals the details. He literally shows you...more

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Dec 02, 2012 James rated it 3 of 5 stars

I try really hard to remain diplomatic when it comes to my skepticism of both religion and new age mysticism. This is mostly because those who believe are allowed to announce and discuss their belief systems ad nauseam (even when they may themselves be unaware they are even doing it); however, the second an atheist calls bullshit, we are accused of being “militant” and “just as dogmatic as anyone else.”

I will save my thoughts on organized religion for another day. This book in particular actuall...more I try really hard to remain diplomatic when it comes to my skepticism of both religion and new age mysticism. This is mostly because those who believe are allowed to announce and discuss their belief systems ad nauseam (even when they may themselves be unaware they are even doing it); however, the second an atheist calls bullshit, we are accused of being “militant” and “just as dogmatic as anyone else.”

I will save my thoughts on organized religion for another day. This book in particular actually focuses on the world of psychic phenomena. Whether you are a dyed-in-the wool skeptic like me, someone who rides the fence, or a believer in psychic phenomena with an ounce of curiosity about actual scientific explanations, this book will not disappoint.

The author, Richard Wiseman, tackles several popular topics in the realm of things mystical. There are sections on out of body experiences, fortune telling, talking to the dead, ghosts, and more. In each section, he discusses real world examples of each of the phenomena. Rather than preach at or disparage the reader, he simply employs rational logic to explain what the reader may believe is “creepy” or unexplainable.

The real achievement of the book is its accessibility to lay readers. Wiseman manages to keep the book fairly engaging even when discussing science experiments and psychology. His method of introducing a certain phenomena or “magic trick” and then coming back to it later with an explanation–rather than explaining it immediately–builds curiosity and anticipation, and the pay-offs are usually worth it.

I would have liked to see a bit more detail given to the psychology underlying these phenomena; the author is clearly going for a broad approach to lay readers, but does an adequate enough job of keeping the book engaging that he could have delved more deeply without abandoning anyone. The anecdotes break up any possibly monotony (especially the story of the talking mongoose), so the science would not have seemed intrusive at all. A heavier discussion of the science would have given even more weight to the book’s overall vision, which is to dispel the myth that these phenomena are supernatural, or even unexplainable.

Overall, the book is an enjoyable read. It will give non-believers a bit more ammunition in their bullshit-dispelling arsenal; it will give believers enough insight to do some additional searching on their own, perhaps strengthening their own faith.
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Jun 08, 2012 Bert rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fun, non-fiction

I found this book to be very well written - humorous, interesting and, in all, a good overview of the subject.
Anyone wanting to know more in depth information about a particular part of the book will find a handy reference section at the back for further reading, and the book is peppered with URLs which provide you with the opportunity to take a break from reading and watch relevant videos pertaining to the research Wiseman (and others) have conducted.
I would recommend this book to both skeptics...more

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Feb 09, 2013 Naomi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: skeptics as well as the gullible

Recommended to Naomi by: group read on Goodreads

Shelves: 2013, kindle, non-fiction, science

'Why We See What Isn't There' is the subtitle of this book and the author, Richard Wiseman, delivers. He is a psychologist that studies paranormal phenomena. Specifically, he studies why we believe in paranormal phenomena.

Interspersed in the stories of fakery and scientific evidence are fun activities and tests. You can measure your level of gullibility as well that of your friends and family.

i really enjoyed the QR tags that link the reader to interviews, video, audio clips, and other informat...more

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Apr 01, 2013 MG Mason rated it 5 of 5 stars

There are many books on the paranormal, horoscopes, mediums, NDEs, OBEs, haunted houses and other such areas that make us think that there is something going on in the world that science cannot explain. On the other side there are many citing scientific evidence that it is, really, just a load of old rubbish (which most of my readers will know is my view).

Most of us, though fairly rational most of the time, will have some element of the metaphysical to which we cling. It might be religion or bel...more There are many books on the paranormal, horoscopes, mediums, NDEs, OBEs, haunted houses and other such areas that make us think that there is something going on in the world that science cannot explain. On the other side there are many citing scientific evidence that it is, really, just a load of old rubbish (which most of my readers will know is my view).

Most of us, though fairly rational most of the time, will have some element of the metaphysical to which we cling. It might be religion or belief in ghosts or overpriced apparent magic water that we use instead of conventional medicine. For most, it is the idea that the alignment of balls of rock and gas hundreds of light years away from this tiny planet somehow dictates our character or what sort of day we are going to have.

But how many of those books look at these phenomena as manifestations of human psychology, pointing to a desperate need to believe in these things that detract our mundane lives? Very few outside of psychology text books and this one is the most well known. Another, How Mumbo Jumbo Conquered the World is on my shelf too.

The introduction gives us the example of Jaytee the 'psychic' dog who appeared in Paul McKenna's TV show, and the experiment to determine whether he was able to determine when his owner was coming home from work, the pub, the supermarket etc. As expected, the test proved the truth was nothing of the sort. There is a brief biography of James Randi and how he became the world's most famous sceptic, starting at an early age and established JREF, including that prize fund of $1m. So far despite many claimants, none has stood up to scrutiny.

The first chapter looks at mediums and some of the characters that Randi and others have exposed over the years. Sobering was the test that took a control sample of photographs and showed them to a group of people who claimed to have psychic powers and a group that made no such claim. Each were asked to make assumptions about the person in the photograph. The hit rate was no different between each group and neither group had results of particular note. It then goes on to demonstrate the psychology and tricks employed by such people and how easy it is to pull the wool over our eyes. It explains how such people play on natural egocentrism and selective memory in spreading word of their success. There are even practical exercises you might try yourself.

The following chapters cover OBE's (out of body experiences), NDEs, (near death experiences), Mind Over Matter, ghosts and prophesy. All of them are given a full examination and dismissal as Wiseman painstakingly highlights the common tricks such people employ, failed scientific experiments and even anecdotes that are repeated over and over again in paranormal books - Wiseman gives us another side of the story and they are often vastly different from those presented in the mystical writers tales. The exercises add an element of fun and the references to open-source papers means that you can really investigate these things for yourself. Want to know how to experience your own Out of Body Experience? This books shows you how and it also explains how the phenomenon works and dismisses any suggestion that it is paranormal.

I found the section om ghosts to be the most interesting; specifically how the overwhelming majority can be put down to hypnogogia and the associated mysteries of what happens to our bodies and in our brains when we are sleeping. Very fascinating in that this process is still not fully understood even if the effect are.

The most compelling theme for me in this book is the shockingly awful reliability of 'eyewitness testimony' so frequently cited in tales of the paranormal, and particularly in religious experiences where we already have a large group of willing believers. This is incredibly eye-opening from the standpoint of how the ideas examined in this book rely so heavily on anecdote and the problems of human memory.

If you are fans of Derren Brown or James Randi, this book is for you.

See more book reviews at my blog (less)

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Jan 09, 2013 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, psychology, paranormal-supernatural, science, social-science

3.5 stars. Pop psychology at its most palatable. See my full review: http://bit.ly/YpkTVS

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Aug 28, 2011 Jan Strnad rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wiseman provides a light, witty inroad into how the brain works and why it leads us to some pretty incredulous beliefs. Superstition busters can easily come across as smug know-it-alls. Wiseman avoids this pitfall by remaining continually upbeat about the marvelous workings of the human brain and how the effects we see today may be essential adaptations from our evolutionary history.

If you have an iPad or color Nook or similar tablet, you'll find links a'plenty to related videos and interviews....more

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Mar 10, 2013 Remo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, escepticismo, divulgacion-cientifica, leyendas-urbanas

La biblia de los fenómenos paranormales. El primer capítulo, en el que el autor te enseña a hacerle una "lectura en frío" a una víctima desprevenida, debería enseñarse en todos los colegios del mundo. El autor hace un repaso a multitud de fenómenos presuntamente paranormales (apariciones de fantasmas, levitaciones...) y nos cuenta las últimas investigaciones científicas relacionadas con el tema. Muy revelador y muy didáctico. Un grandísimo libro para los que quieren ver qué tiene la ciencia que...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Maggi Summerhill rated it 4 of 5 stars

"Prof Richard Wiseman always puts a smile on my face, I even follow him on twitter! Truth be told he's got my dream job. His background in magic, his tough humor and down to earth language makes reading about scientific research interesting and informative and entertaining. This particular book focus on our amazing ability to filter information to the degree of seeing what is not there and blinding us to what is there. A great mix of scientific experiments, stories, exercises and of-course Prof...more

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Nov 30, 2011 Catherine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, nonfiction

Yay, this book is fun! Ghosts are real, of course, and ouija boards definitely work and you shouldn't mess with them; but I forgive Richard Wiseman for not knowing this, because he also knows all the fascinating reasons why the brain seems to experience some things as paranormal, and he finds human beings much more interesting and complicated than ghosts. I applaud this! Some of it is a bit 'well, duh' (unless, I suppose, you really are a diehard believer in the paranormal), but there are genuin...more

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Dec 27, 2011 Sophie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Ahh, love this. I’m really interested in the brain and why people believe things that they do.

He looks at, and takes apart the psychology, of psychics, cold reading, magic, ghosts and ‘psychic powers’.

What’s brilliant isn’t that these things aren’t true, it how the human brain makes stuff true, by selective memory and how despite the human brain being fantastic, evolutionarily speaking, it’s still remarkably easy to fool.

I like to think of myself as being difficult to fool, but I suspect, given...more

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Jan 06, 2012 Lindsay Stares rated it 5 of 5 stars

Premise: In this delightful volume, professor and skeptic Wiseman walks us through the science behind many seemingly paranormal experiences, and even explains how you can fake the paranormal yourself!

I don't buy many books for my Kindle for more than three dollars, but I happily made an exception for this one. The big US publishers passed on Wiseman's enjoyable work, reportedly “some suggesting that I re-write it to suggest that ghosts were real and psychic powers actually existed!” So Wiseman,...more Premise: In this delightful volume, professor and skeptic Wiseman walks us through the science behind many seemingly paranormal experiences, and even explains how you can fake the paranormal yourself!

I don't buy many books for my Kindle for more than three dollars, but I happily made an exception for this one. The big US publishers passed on Wiseman's enjoyable work, reportedly “some suggesting that I re-write it to suggest that ghosts were real and psychic powers actually existed!” So Wiseman, in conjunction with his UK publisher, released it himself.

This is a fantastic book, which I devoured in pretty much one sitting. It's fun to read, it's funny, and it's educational. What more could you ask?

Wiseman examines seven main subjects: Fortune-telling, Out-of-body experiences, Mind over Matter (Telekinesis), Communication with the dead, Ghosts, Mind Control (hypnosis/brainwashing), and Prophesy (Dreams/Premonitions). For each, he gives an easy to follow history of the study of the phenomenon, followed by any current scientific findings.

A lot of the book delves into the specific ways that our brain tricks us into thinking or feeling certain things. It touches on everything from studies showing how likely people are to misremember details or only remember correct information (useful for card-readers to exploit, or for people to claim they dreamed about an event beforehand) to recent developments in easily provoking a disassociation between mind and body in the lab, and how that explains out-of-body experiences. I'd heard of many of these experiments before, but still loved reading this.

The book is also full of simple experiments you can try on yourself or your friends, whether it's how to give a cold reading like a professional “psychic”, how to appear to bend spoons, or how to protect yourself from brainwashing. Also: how to hypnotize a chicken. No, really.

This is a great book for a beginning skeptic: it's accessible and fun, and it showcases some fabulous history about people trying to get to the truth, whatever it might be. Bravo!(less)

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Feb 26, 2013 Sam Grove rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: real-life-loves

Amazing read!
Sociologically and psychologically fascinating look at why people believe in paranormal phenomena and why they try to convince others of extraordinary powers. Written in a non-judgemental way that doesn't criticise people's beliefs, it's of those books that opens your eyes and convinces you that what your seeing or hearing isn't real whilst not criticising people for being convinced otherwise. Interesting case studies from the world's biggest con artists from the world of psychics,...more

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About Richard Wiseman

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Professor Richard Wiseman started his working life as a professional magician, and was one of the youngest members of The Magic Circle. He then obtained a degree in psychology from University College London and a doctorate from the University of Edinburgh.

Richard currently holds Britain’s only Professorship in...more

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Books by Richard Wiseman

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“Our beliefs do not sit passively in our brains waiting to be confirmed or contradicted by incoming information. Instead, they play a key role in shaping how we see the world.” — 7 people liked it

“As we continue toward the fifth secret technique of psychics, I have a gut feeling that you are the sort of person that lets your heart rule your head, can sometimes be too impulsive for your own good, and have recently come into contact with a goat. Rest assured you are not the only one.” — 1 person liked it

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