ABSTRACT
Unexpected events and coincidences happen from time to time, and when they do, it is a matter of personal judgement whether we attribute them to chance or to some other factor such as paranormal influences. Consider the following three examples, and try to decide whether they offer support for the occurrence of paranormal phenomena, or whether they can be dismissed as merely chance events. 1. In an experiment on extra-sensory perception (ESP), the experimenter
turns over playing cards one at a time and tries to convey to a partner whether she is looking at a red card or a black one. Although the partner cannot see the cards, he begins the experiment by guessing the correct colour three times in a row. Is this just luck or was it due to ESP?
