Could it be that the ancients attributed things they didn't understand to the paranormal because it was beyond the scope of their scientific knowledge at the time?

Well, there was litle division in the e.g. Celtic world betwixt the normal and paranormal but how about ...one of the earliest written accounts of the paranormal? In the first century A.D., the great Roman author and statesman Pliny the Younger recorded one of the first typical ghost stories in his letters, they are famous for their realistic accounts of ordinary life during the Roman Empire. Pliny documented that the ghost of an old man with a long beard, rattling chains, i.e. quite a typical haunting was haunting his house in Athens.

Have yourself some fun and see if you can find the details of how the ghost was err..."laid" to rest /smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

It's interesting for me. Because of our family's namesake, Marcus Tullius Cicero, the famous Roman orator. There are many paranormal books with his quote's.

However, it's interesting to see how far back the discussions of the paranormal began. And, their take on what it means, or how it effected their lives.

Could it be that the ancients attributed things they didn't understand to the paranormal because it was beyond the scope of their scientific knowledge at the time?

Its easy to look for beings better then us when so many people think the human race isn't worthy of anything.

However, it's interesting to see how far back the discussions of the paranormal began. And, their take on what it means, or how it effected their lives.

It is quite interesting to see how the human race has changed in the few thousands of years we have been here. Much like what I was saying in my re-discovery of ancient inventions, we tend to believe that modern man is the originator of many ideas, only to find that the ideas had been reached by ancient man.

Some ideas, be they religious or otherwise, tend to be recycled generation after generation, and others skip a few in between and are re-discovered as a "new" idea..Good topic!

Gryphononfire, this has been the case throughout history, and has always been a problem in the interpretation of past civillizations. In the past, we have associated those who lived in paleolithic eras from a linear point of view. The discoveries at Gobleki Tepe show this point of view to be wrong, and illustrate beautifully the knowledge that many ancient cultures possesed. From this discovery alone, new ideas regarding the formation of religious beliefs and social organization will arise, and I look forward to the questions that these will generate regarding just how long ago did this begin. Good point Gryphononfire!

Karen, you make a valid point. In order to make true scientific discovery, we cannot bias our opinions as a true believer or a true skeptic but must remain in the middle, neither believing nor dis-believing in order to make proper observations and form valid opinions regarding what we see. The fact that what you think raises further questions says that you are approaching the problem from the right viewpoint. In science, proper research will always raise new questions to be followed, never stop thinking.

One area that is studied regarding past cultures is their religious beliefs and practices. The belief in a religion, or the presence of an unseen power that guides and influences life is a paranormal concept in its simplest form. By studying these beliefs, we are able to track the progression of religious beliefs and practices throughout other cultures and compare the similarities and differences.

I have long held this statement to be true. What is the difference between paranormal and religion other than that one has wider, more mainstream acceptance than the other. We've talked about this before, JD, but what I find so striking is the similarities in paranormal and/or religious belief amongst vastly different cultures - separated by time, distance, etc. Does this come about because the brain is wired in a certain way so that humans are humans and jump to similar conclusions, or is there something more to it? Did the knowledge travel?

One thing that always has made me think is the 100 monkey story, which originated in the 70s from a Japanese primate center. Essentially they claimed that one monkey washed its fruit. Other monkeys on the island observed and began washing their fruit, as well. When enough monkeys started doing this (100ish), the behavior jumped to another island. Claims were made by many New Age authors that this is evidence of a collective consciousness - and when an idea reaches critical mass, it spreads "in the ether," so to speak. The original study has been revisited, and many feel it has been discredited. I have read evidence by both skeptics and proponents of this story, and I feel that the evidence in either direction is incomplete. Like many of these types of things, a true, controlled study would have to be done to see if there is any truth in the 100th monkey claim. But I do find the story fascinating. Do ideas somehow reach critical mass? Or is it something slower and more mundane as to how they travel amongst individuals, cultures and civilizations?

In this day and age, certainly, ideas travel instantaneously. World travel, the Internet, a five minute news cycle allows everything to spread like the flu. Gone are the days where societies (for the most part) and individuals are isolated and unable to quickly share beliefs and ideas. It's hard to get back into a mindset that must certainly be remembered in our cellular memory somewhere of one's little corner of the world being the whole enchilada.

People probably get sick of me saying this, but I have no clue what the answer is. As soon as I start to think through anything, I just wind up with more questions than I started with. Huh - maybe I should stop thinking.

Okay - that's all. Move along. Nothing to see here.

Some ideas, be they religious or otherwise, tend to be recycled generation after generation, and others skip a few in between and are re-discovered as a "new" idea..Good topic!

One area that is studied regarding past cultures is their religious beliefs and practices. The belief in a religion, or the presence of an unseen power that guides and influences life is a paranormal concept in its simplest form. By studying these beliefs, we are able to track the progression of religious beliefs and practices throughout other cultures and compare the similairities and differences. But how and why did these beliefs and practices come about? This is an ongoing research question that I am working on, and new discoveries in the field bring us closer to the answer by adding to what we already know.

Recent discoveries at a site in Eastern Turkey has many far reaching implications in this area. Known as Gobekli Tepe, it is thought by many scholars to be the site of the original Garden of Eden mentioned in both Cristian and Muslim belief. Temples have been discovered there that predate anything we have known about cultures of the time. These structures date to well over 11,000 years ago, a time which was thought to have been populated only by simple hunters and gatherers. The temples discovered indicate an organized social structure and established religious belief. Whoe were these people, and what did they worship? These are ongoing questions that hopefully will be answered in time.

Temple at Gobekli Tempe

As you can see, ancient cultures have much to tell us regarding our beliefs today. Hopefully this tread will help us understand these belifs and bring us one step closer to the answers we are seeking. Enjoy!