Why are people from other countries more accepting of the paranorma?

Question

Than people in the United States?
I see all the time, especially in Ireland, that if you don't have a ghost(spirit) enhabating your dwelling, you are the odd guy out.
Why is this? Or is it the same everywhere, that there are non-beileivers in the field of the Paranormal?

There are some VERY interesting thoughts here, thats why I expanded the question.
Really, as being an american, money really doesn't fall into the catagory of answering the question. However, I do see most of my fellow americans refuse to believe in something they can't see, or has been proven by scientific means.
I have been interested in some of the castles in Ireland, England & Scottland.
There was so much devastation & torture, wich lead to some very unsettled spirits.

"Nuf" I was hoping you would jump in here. Your thoughts are very intutive, objective & cautious.
Kudos!

Answer 1

I think you'll find that every culture has its own set of superstitions, mythology and folklore. Much of the US is relatively new and people also aren't as anchored to their communities, so it doesn't have the history passed down from generation to generation as is done in older countries.

Oh, and many people here are too busy trying to turn this country into a theocracy to go bothering with ghosts.

Answer 2

I believe this to be more generational based than country (citizenship) based. For instance the 1970's were almost a golden era for parapsychology in people that were interested in exploring different states of consciousness (with and without drugs) and discovering "themselves" and other such self help movements. However, the 1980's (the Gordon Geckko - "greed is good era") replaced finding your self with how much is your self worth and what will it take for you to sell out.
This flip is not unlike what occurred in parapsychology in the 1800's (then called psychical research). Where a few brave scientist (believer and skeptic alike) had the idea of using science to test their faiths (mostly concerned with an afterlife). They were attacked by religion for not honoring the "faith" but trying to test God, They were attacked by materialist science (as still happens today) for trying to take science back into prescientific (magical, religious) thinking.
Thus, the United States has (and in many cases just thinks it has) lead the way in the development and application of materialism science (everything is matter and everything can be explained by matter and it effects). So, when something you do is wildly successful (antibiotics, Newton physics, etc.) you might forget that somethings aren't adequately addressed by your concept of how the world works. So you create elaborate models (planets that go backwards, gravity that doesn't follow the speed of light rule, complain that observations like PK can't be true because your limited theories can't fit them in).
Luckily people like Einstein didn't listen and showed that gravity is effected by the speed of the light rule and publicly endorsed his friend (Upton Sinclair) efforts to find out about this thing called ESP.

So, in summary the United States is currently in a very material science mode (which works great in some areas)
and can't step out of it as easily as other countries that have made traditions of blending fields like philosophy and science.

Answer 3

I think that many people here are used to seeing so many special effects in movies that we tend to think something is an illusion or fake. Seeing things in real time is usually more believeable. YA and especially the skeptics here can make just about anyone even doubt their own sanity at times. And trying to convince others here even when you believe it really happened can be.......um, pointless. I haven't seen any statistics on this, but the documnetaries on ghost sitings with psychics or paranormal investigators seems to be more interesting, especially in old buildings with a more popular history or folklore. These could still be staged for the ratings by the way. Once someones credibility has been exposed or ruined it can take a toll on your belief system.

Answer 4

well as ivehear dit before and I also agree with Nuff, cregg, and Peter D. Well I think its because most of the US is new generation with new ideas, also more people get an education. Soin other countries some people just because they hear a noise they dont think of logical explanations, they jump into the conclusion of a haunting. So I would think its because the lack of all around education and the need for scientific explanations. I still believe in ghosts though. But hope that answers ur question.

Answer 5

I give you credit, this is an interesting subject worth discussion. I have noticed the same trend even in modern day.
I believe that culture plays an enormous part in this. People in countries like ireland are probably more in touch with older generations who pass on stories and legends.
It would be interesting if someone did some extensive research on why people are less accepting in USA.
I notice that most people who are accepting come from parents who believe in the paranormal. This might be an important clue.

Answer 6

In the US, we are pre-occupied with putting the dead to rest and only visiting our beloved one's grave site's once a year on thier birthday or mother and father's day. We don't seem to need the advice or the guidance of spirits.

In other countries the feeling is different, death is intertwined with life and most people respect that once a person has crossed over - even if they are bound to earth - that they will still be a useful presence in life- because they have gone through the realization of death. They find comfort in this way and eases the expectation of finality so that one can go about their day in a normal healthy manner.

Answer 7

As a generalization, Americans are more closed minded about everything. Europeans are much freer to speek openly about matters without taboo or the fear of being ostracized.
On the topic of the paranormal, most Americans think the belief in it is primitive and that modern science can explain most of it away. There are some of us out there that believe, and think that evidence will be on the way to prove to the skeptics. Anecdotal stories are interesting, but they don't have the credibility of more "hard" scientific evidence.

Answer 8

I'm interested to know if there's any questionnaires etc which support this.

While I recon it is unlikely, there could be less (genuine) "paranormal activity" in the States?

Also if a person/their peer group hasn't experienced what they see as "defined" by paranormal then they would be less accepting of it. It wouldn't be "cool" to see ghosts, but it might be "cool" to have a belief in deity (but not see it as paranormal!)

Maybe it's just as (unlikely ?) to be "uncool" not to have a haunted house in Ireland?

For the field of the paranormal to find anything out, it needs both believers and unbelievers!

Answer 9

The USA is very young in comparison therefore alot of the dwellings/structures are older in Europe and many more *tragic* deaths have occurred there, just look at Henry the 8th. Stories of deaths and hauntings have been passed down from generation to generation too, we don't have much of that in the states so alot of the people here do not believe in that sort of thing unless they've seen it with their own eyes but yes, there are believers and non believers everywhere.

Answer 10

Many people round the globe are more open now then before bout the paranormal, i'm a spirit medium i see things all the time, ben the odd guy out isnt really tha bad, really.
i feel many are scared because they do not understand or refuse to to believe it do happen.