GETTY IMAGES, ALAMY ILLUSTRATION: KYLE SMART
Paranormal phenomena, including supernatural ‘hauntings’, have been the subject of serious scientific investigation since the emergence of spiritualism during Victorian times. Unfortunately, the vast majority of paranormal investigations have been of the pseudoscientific variety – based on incorrect, incomplete or misrepresented science, or invalid due to bias, manipulation, assumption or omission. In these cases, the presented ‘evidence’ doesn’t satisfy scientific rigour, or can also be interpreted in ways that don’t require the paranormal. Other cases can be shown to be fraudulent. So, the conclusions (and methods) of such studies can be safely ignored from a strictly scientific perspective.