Imagine a situation: In a rural village somewhere in India, a lady is “possessed.” She holds a bucket of water in her mouth. She runs at full speed because a tantrik commands her. Another scene in an urban community: A well-organized group is equipped with some tech gear. They are investigating a house. This happens because someone suspects it’s haunted. Both are two sides of paranormal phenomena prevalent in our society.
The study of the paranormal primarily investigates cases involving ghosts, jinns, and other negative entities. It’s pseudoscience, but most of us have mistakenly taken it as a serious scientific study. Traditionally, people turn to tantriks, babas, and aghoris. They are also considered the go-to practitioners of black magic in cases of paranormal events.
No scientific evidence has established the existence of ghosts. A few videos or images are circulating online. They can partially lead us to believe that something unexplained has been loitering in the dark in the wee hours. These paranormal videos can be fabricated or AI-generated. Even if they are true, there are rational explanations for such incidents that people often overlook.
On the other hand, traditional believers in ghosts are swayed by the words of local priests. Tantriks also influence them. The whole scene depends on the “belief” system. The belief system has existed for ages, with tales of negative energies passed down for generations without any factual evidence. Only rumors, hearsay, and folktales take center stage in these conversations.
The Author doesn’t claim to know absolutely about the non-existence of ghosts or negative energies. It’s not widely established that either is around. Since the veracity of the claims has not been established, one can’t fully believe society’s beliefs.
Apart from social beliefs, many superstitions run deep in people’s psyches in both rural and urban areas. In fact, many believers in the paranormal are highly educated. Basic common sense, education, and civic sense sometimes play a significant role in rationality. The black magic, superstitions, and unquestioning beliefs have created opportunities for fraudulent businesses. Many fraudsters, black magicians, paranormal tour operators, and healers gain. So do ring sellers and others who exploit gullible people. Many are duped out of money, while many are sexually exploited.
In the rural areas of most tribal dense population like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra, many evil practices are running in the name of witch hunting. Many women have been raped or killed by the villagers in the name of black magic. Even today, educated people from urban areas visit Babas for infertility issues. These deeply rooted blind systems make the people vulnerable to crime, mental/physical/financial exploitation, and a social boycott sometimes.
Ironically, paranormal investigations were initiated to dispel prevailing blind beliefs. Now, people with multiple instruments have been quite busy validating the beliefs of the rural tantriks using pseudo-scientific instruments.
The Government, local administration, police, local leaders, and the community’s older adults share equal responsibility. They must foster public reasoning. Upholding the scientific temper is also their duty. Consumers of Internet ghost stories should explore the truth in the field. Wannabe paranormal experts should not just sit in the comfort of their homes. Reality is different, and imagination is opposite. Hence, it is essential to seek the truth rationally. We must learn and unlearn facts about the paranormal. This is crucial to counter the evil effects of the supernatural on society. The author doesn’t see any redeeming qualities in the paranormal beyond fear-mongering.
The Witty Stride 