How Do You KNow You’ve Had a Paranormal Experience?

This question may be obvious to some and tricky for others. A list below compiles the most common paranormal experiences to help you figure it out.

Don’t see your experience? Don’t worry!

These are just some of the more common ones.

What’s important is what you experienced. You’re the one who will ultimately determine if your experience was truly paranormal or not.

I am here to help you, because what you think and feel matters and impacts your well-being.

I am here to support you on this unknown journey.

Types Of Paranormal Experiences

  • Ghost/apparition/spirit/spectral entity sighting

  • Wisps/orbs/shadow sightings

  • Poltergeists and hauntings

  • Demon/angel/religious icon sightings

  • Possession and/or exorcisms

  • Unexplained movement or displacement of objects

  • Unexplained flickering of lights

  • Unexplained sources or beams of light

  • Unexplained behavior or temporary malfunction of electronics or appliances

  • Unexplained behavior or temporary malfunction of vehicles

  • Unexplained prints or images that manifest on surfaces or photos

  • Unexplained bites, scratches, burns, or marks on the body

  • Unexplained sounds, voices, names being called

  • Unexplained temperature shifts, especially toward colder temperatures

  • Unexplained odors or tastes

  • Photos, video and/or audio recordings of paranormal evidence (EVP, sounds/noises, and sightings)

  • Cryptid sightings: Bigfoot, Dogman, Motham, Jersey Devil, Dover Demon, nightcrawlers, wendigos, werewolves, etc

  • Sightings of mystical creatures such as fairies, trolls, elves, mermaids, unicorns, leprechauns, etc

  • Sighting of religious figures, such as Jesus, Mother Mary, saints, prophets, etc

  • Unexplained footsteps, markings, broken branches, and structures in the woods

  • Unexplained chills, sensations, hairs raised, feeling of being watched

  • UFO/UAP sightings and/or alien encounters

  • Abductions

  • Psychic abilities/visions/promptings/intuitive knowings

  • Unexplained/miraculous healing or ability to heal others

  • Medium abilities

  • Precognition

  • Telepathic abilities

  • Psychokinetic/telekinetic abilities

  • Out of body experiences (OBE or OOBE)

  • Near death experiences (NDEs)

  • Reincarnation

References

¹ Rabeyron T and Loose T (2015). Anomalous Experiences, Trauma, and Symbolization Processes at the Frontiers between Psychoanalysis and Cognitive Neurosciences. Front. Psychol. 6:1926. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01926

² Cardeña, E., Lynn, S. J., and Krippner, S. (2014). Varieties of Anomalous Experience: Examining the Scientific Evidence. Washington: American Psychological Association.

³ American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Apa Dictionary of Psychology. American Psychological Association. https://dictionary.apa.org/parapsychology

⁴ Irwin, H. J., Dagnall, N., and Drinkwater, K. (2013). Parapsychological experience as anomalous experience plus paranormal attribution: a questionnaire based on a new approach to measurement. J. Parapsychol. 77, 39–53. doi: 10.1037/t31377-000

⁵ Lange, R., Ross, R. M., Dagnall, N., Irwin, H. J., Houran, J., and Drinkwater, K. (2019). Anomalous experiences and paranormal attributions: Psychometric challenges in studying their measurement and relationship. Psychol. Conscious. Theor. Res. Pract. 6, 346–358. doi: 10.1037/cns0000187

⁶ Glicksohn, J. (1990). Belief in the paranormal and subjective paranormal experience. Pers. Individ. Dif. 11, 675–683. doi: 10.1016/0191-8869(90)90252-M

⁷ Dagnall, N. A., Drinkwater, K., Parker, A., and Clough, P. (2016). Paranormal experience, belief in the paranormal and anomalous beliefs. Paranthropology 7, 4–15. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01045

⁸ Dagnall, N., Denovan, A., Drinkwater, K., Parker, A., and Clough, P. J. (2017a). Urban legends and paranormal beliefs: the role of reality testing and schizotypy. Front. Psychol. 8:942. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00942