Joe Nickell

Joe Nickell, author of numerous investigative books, is the senior research fellow of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal. In the following viewpoint, Nickell maintains that so-called hauntings are typically the result of ordinary occurrences such as waking dreams, sleep paralysis, rumors, fantasies, or hoaxes. In addition, normal physical phenomena such as noises or pieces of lint in the eyes can trigger mental images that some people perceive as ghosts, the author explains. Popular tales about haunted places can influence the minds of imaginative people, and fantasy-prone individuals often attribute an unexplained but ordinary event to a ghostly visitation. However, there is no scientific proof of the existence of ghosts, Nickell concludes.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What happens during waking dreams, according to Nickell?
2. According...