3 Paranormal Experiences Explained by Science

You've likely seen paranormal movies, tv shows, and heard spooky tales about ghosts and spirits. However with the right questions and careful observation, a ghost story can transform from a spooky anecdote to a scientific experiment. In this episode of SciShow, Hank shows you three times science could explain a paranormal experience. Let's go!

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[pwnyyGaming]

Just remember, if you capture video footage of any paranormal activity, it only appears if you record in 144p and shake the camera a lot.

[RedDeadSakharine]

Saw a UFO over the ocean once. Friends and I went to investigate. It was a fisherman, fishing with a light as lure and the strange movement we saw, was him just throwing the lure into the water and pulling it out again... The simplest things can seem spooky, if you've never seen them before.

[randallulrich]

I had an encounter the other night.

I heard weird sounds throughout the house. I heard cabinet doors being opened and closed.

I started exploring the house, in search of whatever was causing the noises.

All of a sudden, I saw a dark shape, with two glowing eyes. Then it spoke to me.

It said "Meow."

[jkm]

Who remembers that small Egyptian statue that would slowly rotate on its own during they say. People thought it was haunted but it was actually vibrations rotating because the bottom was slightly curved

[Master_Therion]

Student: No, sorry. I don't want to help you in the lab, I heard it's haunted.
Scientist: Not anymore. I used a fencing foil to get rid of the ghost.
Student: So you foiled the ghost?
Scientist: Yes. Fencing is good... exercise.

[davidarnold]

I live in the middle of nowhere. 10 miles from the nearest town, 50 miles from the nearest city. One night I went outside to have a cigarette, as I normally do. I'm mainly awake during the night, go to bed on average around 5am to 6am, and wake up around 1pm. That night, it was around 1am and the wild animals near my home started freaking out, running and hiding. Thousands of lights appeared, blinking everywhere. It was an awesome sight to see but also a bit intimidating. Then they were gone. The following nights they showed up again but in fewer numbers until a few days later there were only about a handful of these blinking lights left.

They were fireflies. But, I knew that beforehand because it happens every year on my property but I've had guests over the years and man does it freak them out. They think a bevy of things that I let them think because I find it hilarious to watch them freak out.

[elviswjr]

I don't believe in paranormal activity but I still find it fun to experience something unexplained. Just the mysterious nature of such an experience can be quite frightening, even if I know there is a logical explanation somewhere.

[johnnyli]

ooh, so I can make my house really spooky using infrasound on Halloween!

[JohnCena]

I love when sciences destroys paranormal activity.

[seitisetsoh]

I lived in a house where you could hear sighing, and what sounded like a bouncing ball. My dad, a plumber, solved it, the person who unstalled the plumbing was a DIY kind of guy, and had put the valves in wrong throughout the whole house! Once the plumbing was fixed, no sounds. Also, I'm an exterminator, and a lot of noises are caused by rodents and even ants in the walls. I always wanted to try solving a haunted house, it would be very interesting.

[greentea.mp]

Most, if not all, of these explanations are cooler and more interesting than the original paranormal explanation. I truly think the universe is interesting, beautiful, and amazing without any paranormal or supernatural stories.

[thegreatandpowerfultwily]

It's a well known fact that scientists ain't afraid of no ghosts.

[TheAceWing]

Scenario-
Hears something in the other room
Looks in there (Nothing's there)
Normal people-
"Welp, time to move
YouTubers-
"IM BEING HAUNTED (TRUE STORY) (Story time) (Gone wrong in the hood) (Gone sexual) (Gone Minecraft)

[remyzk]

I love how a lot of paranormal videos are taken using such low quality (often done in post) even tho phone cameras are pretty great

[TheFancyUmbreon]

Ok so that floating, red-eyed demon head in the hallway that's been staring at me for the past hour is simply caused by my fan that doesn't work at all? Good to know.

[Dollightful]

Those were fascinating! There are so many other freaky, explainable 'paranormal' instances out there-- I look forward to the day we can figure out the truth with science.

[WhatsYourGhostStory]

As a believer in the paranormal (really, more a belief that there's more out there left to be discovered, that we don't have all the answers yet), I like how this video was put together. Very thorough without too much smugness. LOVE that fencing foil story - fascinating! Also, any remotely knowledgeable investigator knows what a moth looks like in slow shutter speed. I've never heard anyone call them anything other than moths. Skyfish? We'll leave that to Doctor Who ;)

[borgir]

Science doesnt need to debunk unsubstantiated claims when they can't already stand on their own due to lack of
evidence.Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence -- Carl Sagan

[korstmahler]

"B-but what about [unverifiable personal experience]."

[Glockenspheal]

Gonna hunt Bigfoot with a fencing foil