[Free Talk] The Psychology of Ghosts and Hauntings

Do ghosts exist? If not, how are we to explain why so many people believe in ghosts with many of them claiming to have personally had a ghostly encounter?

This talk attempts to answer these questions by considering a number of psychological factors that may lead someone to reach for a supernatural explanation when in fact a natural explanation would suffice.

Chris French is Emeritus Professor and former Head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit in the Psychology Department at Goldsmiths, University of London. He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society and of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and a Patron of Humanists UK. He has published well over 200 articles and chapters covering a wide range of topics. His main current area of research is the psychology of paranormal beliefs and anomalous experiences. He frequently appears on radio and television casting a sceptical eye over paranormal claims. His most recent book is The science of weird shit: Why our minds conjure the paranormal, published by MIT Press in 2024.

Entry is free, all ages welcome.

Complementary tea and coffee will be available during the break.

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Event Venue

Hampstead Community Centre, 78 Hampstead High Street, London, United Kingdom