From "The Sixth Sense" to "Medium," "Ghost Whisperer" to "Ghost Hunters," the paranormal stirs heated debate, spawning millions of believers and skeptics alike. Nearly half of us say we believe in ghosts, and two-thirds of us believe in life after death.

What would you make of rain barrels that refill themselves? Psychic horses? Mind-reading Cold War spies? For a group of scientists at the Duke Parapsychology Lab under the leadership of Dr. J. B. Rhine--considered the Einstein of the paranormal--such mysteries demanded further investigation. From 1930 to 1980, these dedicated men and women attempted to test the bizarre, the frightening, and the unexplainable against the rigors of science, ultimately finding proof that the human mind possesses telepathic powers.

Step into the unknown Tales of the paranormal have seduced us and spooked us for centuries, passed around from person to person and frequently retold and reimagined in books, films and TV. Whether they're based on real events or they're simply urban legends which have taken on a life of their own, the strange happenings, unexplained events and unsolved mysteries in this book will take you on a frightening journey to the outer limits of plausibility, and dare you to believe the unbelievable. Ranging from the mysterious to the macabre, the stories in this book span a broad range of supernatural subjects including ghosts, spirits and the undead, witchcraft and occultism, extraterrestrial life, mythical creatures, and much more. Whether you're a believer or a sceptic, a paranormal junkie or an interested observer, let these stories spark your imagination, capture your curiosity and perhaps even send a shiver down your spine.

Discover the spine-chilling history of ghosts and the supernatural across the world in this illustrated guide.

A History of Ghosts, Spirits and the Supernatural charts the extraordinary narrative of one of the most fascinating and controversial subjects in the world, covering everything from Neolithic ancestor worship and ancient necromancy to modern-day ghost-hunting and creepypasta tales, and from the Japanese onryo to the La Llorona of Latin America.

The perfect introduction to the subject, this spellbinding volume details the numerous ways in which spirits and the spirit world have been depicted in myth and religion, folklore, art, and literature.

In this ghostly novel, you will find:

• Recounts of infamous tales of haunted houses and ghost ships, séances and mediumship, poltergeists, possessions, and demonic encounters.
• Feature profiles for other ghostly or undead beings such as vampires and werewolves.
• There are numerous reasons that ghost stories and tales of the uncanny are a common feature of cultures all over the world.