ABSTRACT
The sensing of spirits is ultimately the outcome of interpretive interactions taking place in small groups that call themselves “paranormal investigation teams.” Paranormal investigation’s marginalized position affords practitioners an opportunity even as it creates challenges. While marginalization weakens investigators’ claims to scientific and religious forms of legitimacy, it also weakens the power of institutional science and religion to control who gets to make truth claims about ghosts or which kinds of claims may be perceived as credible. The paranormal investigation subculture is subdivided into two general investigative styles, the “scientific” and the “sensitive.” The legitimacy of the sensitive style of paranormal investigation cannot be rooted in the scientific discourse, as the very existence of extrasensory abilities goes against established scientific knowledge. Reality-style paranormal investigation shows establish a body of cultural representations that tell viewers why hauntings occur and how best to capture evidence of such phenomena. The chapter also presents an overview on the key concepts discussed in this book.
