The role of fear in delusions of the paranormal

Based on an extended process model derived from attribution theory, we hypo thesized that pervasive and persistent delusions of the paranormal are char acterized by the existence of a positive (self-reinforcing), rather than a negative (self-correcting), feedback loop involving paranormal beliefs, fea rs, and experiences, as moderated by gender and tolerance of ambiguity. A c ross-cultural sample of "international" students who reported poltergeist-l ike experiences showing high fear of the paranormal was identified. As in e arlier research, path analysis showed statistically significant and positiv e effects of belief on experience and/or fear on belief. However, paranorma l experience now had a positive effect on fear as well. Thus, as predicted, increased fear removes the option of neutralizing ambiguous events by labe ling them as "paranormal." Although female subjects showed significantly gr eater fear of the paranormal than male subjects, there is no evidence that the nature of the delusional process is gender specific.