How did these believers come to rationalise that they had a paranormal experience in the first place? Interestingly, their survey showed that some people who watched paranormal-themed shows did regularly report a small increase in their paranormal belief - but only in respondents who had already claimed to have a brush with the paranormal, not those who were uncertain or non-believing. Sparks and Miller investigated this, too. Perhaps this is due to the prevalence of paranormal TV shows like The X-Files? After all, the influence of TV on our behaviour has been a hot topic for decades. It seems we are inclined to have an open mind about the paranormal we may not all believe in ghosts, but we’re not ready to totally discount the idea either.
Sparks and Will Miller in 2000 showed that more US citizens were uncertain about the paranormal than those who reported outright disbelief. A 2009 Australian survey in the same vein showed that 49% of us believe in extra-sensory perception or other psychic powers, 35% in UFOs, and 53% in a life after death. A 2013 Harris Poll surveying 2,250 Americans about spiritual belief found that 42% believe in ghosts. This may be too simple an explanation, however studies have shown that paranormal belief is not only widespread, but quite diverse. The 'unconscious yearnings' Scully speaks of are revealed throughout the course of the episode to be the basic human desire for companionship - lonely people claim paranormal sightings as a cry for attention. it doesn’t take an advanced degree in psychology to understand the unconscious yearnings that these imaginings satisfy." They are ingrained clichés from a thousand different horror films," says Scully. "When we hear a sound, we get a chill… we see a shadow and we allow ourselves to imagine something that an otherwise rational person would discount out of hand… that a spirit would materialise or return for no other purpose than to show itself, is silly and ridiculous…. Although the characters try to be rational, they can’t help but feel something strange is at work.Īs is the show’s usual formula, in the "How the Ghosts Stole Christmas" episode agent Fox Mulder believes a paranormal occurrence is in motion, and agent Dana Scully attempts to rationalise it all with a scientific explanation. The X-Files was one of many popular supernatural TV shows in the 90s. You don’t believe in ghost stories, but how can science explain what you saw? You try to find a rational explanation for your encounter, but you definitely saw something weird and now you’re freaking out. Maybe you just finished an all-night Netflix binge of The X-Files and, just as you’re closing the laptop, something strange catches your eye. Most of us will recall having an experience that we can’t quite explain.
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