Personality and Motivations to Believe, Misbelieve, and Disbelieve in Paranormal Phenomena

J.E. Kennedy

Originally published in the Journal of Parapsychology, 2005, Volume 69, Pages 263-292.

The full paper is available online at http://jeksite.org/psi/jp05.pdf

Abstract: Paranormal beliefs and experiences are associated with certain personality factors, including absorption, fantasy proneness, and the Myers-Briggs intuition and feeling personality dimensions. Skepticism appears to be associated with low levels of these factors and more materialistic, rational, pragmatic personality dispositions. Attitude toward psi may also be influenced by motivations to have control and efficacy, to have a sense of meaning and purpose in life, to be connected with others, to have transcendent experiences, to have self-worth, to feel superior to others, and to be healed. The efforts to obtain reliable control of psi in experimental parapsychology have not been successful. Given the lack of control and associated lack of practical application of psi, it is not surprising that those who are by disposition materialistic and pragmatic find the evidence for psi to be unconvincing. When psi experiences have been examined without a bias for control, the primary effect has been found to be enhanced meaning in life and spirituality, similar to mystical experiences. Tensions among those with mystical, authoritarian, and scientific dispositions have been common in the history of paranormal and religious beliefs. Scientific research can do much to create better understanding among people with different dispositions. Understanding the motivations related to paranormal beliefs is a prerequisite for addressing questions about when and if psi actually occurs.

The full paper is available online at http://jeksite.org/psi/jp05.pdf