Ever since I started on my journey actively investigating possible paranormal phenomena, it was frowned upon for anyone to use the term “expert” when it came to investigating. We would silently cringe when it was ever referenced by a journalist in the media.
“How can you be an expert in the unknown!”
“Using Expert just makes you look like you are trying to appear more knowledgeable – when you’re not”
“No one knows everything about the paranormal… you can’t be an expert”
It was almost considered… rude.
But what if there are valid reasons as to why this title could be used? Who would be the kind of person who could call themselves this? Or anyone else?
Can’t we use another term instead maybe? Like professional?
Well, let’s first look at the difference between Expert and Professional. Wikidif explains it as:
“Expert is a person with extensive knowledge or ability in a given subject while professional is a person who belongs to a profession.”
So, already we can see a problem there. The paranormal field isn’t a field that belongs to a profession (it does have the potential to use multidisciplinary sciences though) but there are those around today who do have extensive knowledge.
So, what defines a person to be considered an expert?
According to Malcom Gladwell, in his publication “Outliers”, to be considered an expert you have to be “deliberately practicing” for 10,000 hours or what is also 10 years.
Ok… but just because you spend 10,000 hours at something doesn’t also mean you are particularly good at it either – lets be serious for a moment there.. Yet, it’s an interesting gauge and one that a few people today definitely fit into.
And on that note, here are a few suggestions from me:
Yes, if you haven’t been living under a rock you would know that I highly look up to this individual for so many reasons. He’s known more so for being on Most Haunted but don’t let that fool you. This passionate individual has written numerous papers (you can find them here) and books on paranormal topics for years.
His balanced approach and manor are also what sets Ciaran apart from many as he is always factual and respectful. In-between many commitments as well as being a busy dad and husband he also runs The School of Parapsychology online website. I’ve enrolled in a few of his courses and can’t highly recommend them enough.
Do you think Dr O’Keefe is a Paranormal Expert? Absolutely.
A founding member of the University of Edinburgh's Koestler Parapsychology Unit, she is currently the second Koestler Chair of Parapsychology at the university. Her interests for years have been overlapped between psychology and parapsychology, including the psychology of paranormal belief and experience, and experimenter effects in parapsychology.
She teaches parapsychology to honour students and supervises PhD students as well as being a member of the scientific board of the Bial Foundation.
Her passion is to provide the general public with information about parapsychology, which she does through her online course created in 2008.
Her book “Parapsychology: A Beginner's Guide” is a widely recommended by many academics (I have a copy!) and she is often interviewed in the media as well as being a speaker at science events.
A Paranormal Expert? Yep, I think so.
Having met Steve briefly at the ASSAP Annual Conference in 2019, he like many of us was fascinated by all things paranormal from a young age. He has qualifications in engineering and medicine and that mixed in with 40 years as a full time investigator, he has developed methods and techniques that are used by investigators today.
He’s actively provides training and support as well as being a member of the SPR and currently the Training Officer at ASSAP.
As far as books goes that are practical for all paranormal investigators? Be sure to check out ‘Ghostology, The Art of the Ghost Hunter’, ‘Paracoustics, Sound and the Paranormal’ (co-authored with Dr. Callum Cooper) and ‘Guidance Notes for Investigators of Spontaneous Cases’ (which I’ve read and highly recommend).
I think he is certainly one who could also be considered a Paranormal Expert.
Known in the USA as the “Ghost Guy”, he is also on the board of the infamous Rhine Institute. His journey officially started in 1982 and since then has written over 9 books on psi related phenomena.
Enormously passionate about education in parapsychology, Lloyds method of teaching aren’t over-complicated and he has the rare ability of simplifying some of the most difficult subjects. He has taught at the John F Kennedy University at the Parapsychology Unit and Atlantic University.
With active field research experience, he’s been able to bring that into the online parapsychology courses that he teaches for the Rhine Education Centre since 2014 (which I have attended and again highly recommend).
You reckon this guy classifies as a Paranormal Expert? Yep. I do too.
And yet that is only a few people. There are so many more (Professor Chris French, John Fraser, Alan Murdie, Dr Lance Storm, Dr Tony Jinks) who have been actively researching possible paranormal phenomena and rightly deserve the title of Expert.
So maybe we should really look at who deserves such recognition more than who shouldn’t and start to use the term Paranormal Expert for those who truly deserve it.
