Science In The New Age: The Paranormal, Its Defenders & Debunkers, (Science & Literature) [Paperback]

David J. Hess (Author)

Book Description

Series: Science & Literature | Publication Date: June 15, 1993

Explores ideologies of the paranormal in the USA, from views put forward by parapsychologists and crystal healers, to skeptical debunkers. Adopting a cultural perspective, Hess studies how each group constructs its own boundaries of true and false knowledge.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press (June 15, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0299138240
• ISBN-13: 978-0299138240
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,470,373 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars interesting comparisons, somewhat dry, December 28, 2004

By 

James J. Lippard "skeptic" (Phoenix, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Science In The New Age: The Paranormal, Its Defenders & Debunkers, (Science & Literature) (Paperback)

An exposition of "the varieties of skeptical experience" as seen from the perspectives of skeptics, parapsychologists, and New Agers. The author presents an analysis of "the three cultures" with reference to the emergent "paraculture" as illustrated in the portrayals of the three types in current literature and especially in cinematic efforts to deal with the darker side of the paranormal, as in such movies as "Poltergeist", "Exorcist", etc. wherein the skeptic is usually the first to be killed off, resulting in some resolution between newage credulity and parapsychological wisdom. While the author's sentiments seem to lie with the parapsychological view, he does make a credible presentation of similar methodologies that are used by each camp to debunk/discredit the other, whether it be the "antagonistic" approaches of CSICOP or the "kinder gentler" methods of the parapsychologists. "... I see the New Age movement not as a new irrationalism but instead as a new expression of skepticism within a framework of religious or spiritual assumptions: a spiritual self-help movement or even a kind of religioscientific consumerism."