Straddling belief and science, the paranormal brings to the fore the way in which we humans try to distinguish real from unreal, the unique from the day-to-day. This course does NOT try to prove or disprove the existence of ghosts, demons, UFOs, Bigfoot, or the Loch Ness Monster. Instead, by exploring the history of the paranormal, its literature, science, and pseudo-science, we focus on its structure and extraordinary appeal.

In over four hours of lectures, we'll explore everything from character archetypes (the victim, the witness, the hunter, the authority, etc.) to the rules of evidence and reason, the accuracy of eyewitness accounts, what distinguishes trustworthy from untrustworthy sources, circular reporting, circular reasoning, the glut of contradictory information out there, as well as take a detailed look at some famous cases, including the inspiration for The Exorcist, the Enfield Poltergeist, the Betty and Barney Hill Abduction, the recent Pentagon UFO Videos, and many more.

Instructor Stefan Petrucha has written about the paranormal for over two decades, in his work on the award-winning X-Files graphic novels, as coauthor of Paranormal State with investigator Ryan Buell, star of the A&E series and by appearing on several episodes of the show as a researcher.