2019, Vol. 83, No. 1, 47-68
Citation
Langston, W., and Hubbard, T. (2019). Shadow Walking:
Will a Ghost Walk Tour Affect Belief in Ghosts?. Journal of Parapsychology, 83, 47-68. http://doi.org/10.30891/jopar.2019.01.04
Shadow Walking:
Will a Ghost Walk Tour Affect Belief in Ghosts?
William Langston and Tyler Hubbard
Middle Tennessee State University
Abstract: There is a strong relation between personal experience and belief in ghosts. The research reported here investigated whether other people’s experiences conveyed in a ghost walk tour could also influence belief. We surveyed participants before and after a ghost tour to evaluate changes in belief as a result of the tour. For participants who started out lower on ghost belief, the tour did increase their belief. The tour had no effect on non-ghost related paranormal beliefs. The data were evaluated against a model suggesting that the variables influencing the updating of beliefs are different from the variables related to the formation of belief. The model provided a good account for the data and suggests directions for future research.
Keywords: ghost belief, paranormal experience, others’ experience