New Books and Media

From the publisher's website: Nightstalker. It was meant to be a refuge for him and his four-year-old daughter after a painful divorce. But unravelling the chilling secrets of the past threatens to suffocate the present. Instinctively sceptical, Matt sets out on a scientific quest to make sense of the paranormal and find peace at home. In his quest, he speaks to the Church of England’s Deliverance Ministry for advice on ‘place memories’, scientists on the theory of ‘emotional residue’, property lawyers about how they sell ‘cursed’ properties (and whether he can get his money back) and psychologists about the human brain’s ineptitude in processing the ocean of electromagnetic radiation that surrounds us – finding that the truth is much more complicated and conflicting than he’d anticipated.

Further information at the publisher's website: Elliott & Thompson.

Review by Peter A. McCue.

From the publisher's website: There is an idea that shakes the core of our scientific principles: That our consciousness participates in creating our physical reality. It's an idea that runs counter to the materialist worldview we're all taught in school. But the outer edges of scientific inquiry bleed into what can only be called 'magic.' Dean Radin, Ph.D., is at the forefront of researching magic from a scientific standpoint. In The Science of Magic, he shines a light on today's scientific breakthroughs, from quantum mechanics to the mind-body connection to telepathy, that can best be explained by what we currently call magic (or psi). In short, today's magic is the science of tomorrow. He shares his own groundbreaking research on psi phenomena, and explains how you can start utilizing these findings in your own life today.

Further information at the publisher's website: Harmony.

From the back cover: What if memory does not end with the brain, and identity is more than what we live in a single lifetime? This book takes readers on a journey beyond Darwin’s Theory of Evolution to explore the hidden structures that allow knowledge, skills, and memories to reappear in unexpected ways. From children who recall lives they never lived, to individuals who gain extraordinary abilities after trauma, these mysteries point to something deeper at work. The Theory of Continuity, developed from the Atomic Structure in Linguistics, offers a new way of seeing how meaning endures, reactivates, and connects us across time. Written for curious minds, this book invites readers to reconsider what it means to exist, to remember, and to remain human.

From the publisher's website: Have you ever thought of someone just before they called? Or experienced a coincidence that felt too unlikely to be true? It’s all too easy to dismiss synchronicities or signs like these as chance. But what if they weren’t? And what if, by learning to tune into them, you could access a guiding wisdom that would help you overcome challenges and cultivate personal growth? In this groundbreaking book, world-renowned neuroscientist Dr. Tara Swart explains how. Bringing together breathtaking real-life stories with teachings from cognitive psychology, near-death experiences, and much more ...

Further information at the publisher's website: HarperOne.

Review by Bernard D. Beitman.

From the publisher's website: A social, historical and scientific exploration of ghost-hunting, and why our fascination with the paranormal is as timeless as the ghosts we hope to find. The history of ghosts is ancient, but the history of active ghost-hunting is relatively recent, and investigations into the paranormal have developed hand-in-spirit-hand with scientific discoveries, from radio waves to smartphone apps. Now, more than ever, we want to find our own ghosts. Is it to help process grief? Become influencers? Or ease our fears of death?

Further information at the publisher's website: Bloomsbury Sigma.
 

From the publisher's website: From cursed houses where restless spirits whisper in the dark to shadowy apparitions lurking in the corners of forgotten places, Ghostly Encounters: Terrifyingly True Hauntings delves into eerie and unexplained tales that still baffle, intrigue, and terrify us to this day. Encounter malevolent poltergeists who wreak havoc on unsuspecting families, ghostly figures bound by tragic pasts, and haunted locations steeped in mystery and fear. Explore legends of cursed objects, spectral warnings, and the unrelenting presence of those who refuse to leave the mortal world behind.

Further information at the publisher's website: Visible Ink Press.

From the publisher's website: Some paranormal phenomena and powers of the mind are real, but mainstream science dismisses it all as fantasy. The Science of the Paranormal looks toward the overwhelming evidence that something weird and wild lies behind our everyday reality. Credible witnesses have seen paranormal activity with their own eyes. Scientists have studied it in their labs. And everyday we see depictions of it in popular media like Stranger Things and X-Men. 

Further information at the publisher's website: Skyhorse Publishing,

From the publisher's website: Robert. Annabelle. Peggy. The very names of these dolls can strike fear into your heart. Fiona Dodwell, who has been gripped by the idea of spirit-possessed dolls for years, dives into real world and fictional examples of toys gone bad—playthings meant to comfort children but instead make life a living hell. Fiona presents a comprehensive collection of true-life cases of haunted dolls, including lesser-known ones such as Mandy and Okiku. She also explores the killer dolls that have inspired endless horror movies and books. To chill your spine even further, Fiona shares interviews with Child's Play writer and director Don Mancini, actress Jennifer Tilly, Patti Negri of Ghost Adventures, Jayne Harris of Help! My House Is Haunted, and many, many more. Creepy, addictive, and meticulously researched, this book takes paranormal enthusiasts on a thrilling journey into the dark and fascinating world of haunted dolls.

Further information at the publisher's website: Llewellyn.

From the publisher's website: Tapping into a growing interest in American culture with the occult and new spiritualism, this book is the first scholarly work devoted entirely to the unique place of Ouija in American culture. On the one hand, Ouija has at different moments in history pointed to a deep fascination and openness with the supernatural in the American psyche. On the other hand, Ouija resides squarely outside of orthodox religious belief, and, as we shall see, garners suspicion and even outright rejection from various Christian traditions especially. Thus this cardboard doorway to the supernatural continues to reflect some of the most interesting paradoxes in American life. Bringing together an international team of scholars, this book shows that what qualifies as religious remains an open question, and how Americans continue to grapple with what practices lie within and without the traditions they inherit and pass on.

Further information at the publisher's website: Routledge.

Review by Nemo C. Mörck.

From the publisher's website: The phenomenon of near-death experiences (NDEs) has fascinated humanity for centuries but remains famously difficult to define and study. This book presents a unique source, integrating historical, clinical, psychological, and neuroscientific approaches toward a modern scientific understanding of NDEs. Featuring exciting clinical and experimental details about processes in dying brains, it examines the physiological and psychological underpinnings of this extraordinary phenomenon. Chapters offer science-based accounts of NDEs as a natural part of the human condition informed by our biology and the remarkable capacities of the brain. By proposing that the origin of NDEs can be found in the physiology-dependent mental processes of the experiencer as expressed in altered states of consciousness, this book provides up-to-date insights for psychologists, psychiatrists, neuroscientists, and philosophers alike.

Further information at the publisher's website: Cambridge University Press.

From the publisher's website: In the summer of 1998, FBI agent Bob Hilland reluctantly picked up the phone to call the famous psychic John Edward. Bob didn’t expect much from the call, but he was working on an unsolvable cold case and had nowhere else to turn. What Bob never imagined was that the call would lead to a shattering of all his preconceived notions, a huge break in the cold case, and an unlikely crime-solving partnership that spanned twenty-five years. As Bob and John took on more cases together, they slowly learned how to rely on each other and trust their skills, ultimately finding not only justice for the crimes they solved, but resolution and healing in their own lives. Centering on the investigation of the gruesome John Smith murders that rocked the nation, Chasing Evil is a heart-stopping story of murder, justice, and finding help in unexpected places.

Further information at the publisher's website: St. Martin's Essentials.

From the back cover: A gripping narrative that uses the case files of Tony Cornell and the Society for Physical Research to examine our interactions and obsessions with all things paranormal. Tony Cornell spent his life probing the very edges of reality. A member of the UK’s Society for Psychical Research (SPR), Cornell’s role as an investigator of so-called “spontaneous cases” saw him returning time and again to the unsettling spaces that exist just on the periphery of our ordered, tidy, and rational lives, and which we all do our best to ignore: Ghosts. Spirits. Premonitions. Psychic powers. Glimpses of other worlds that throw into question everything we take for granted about life, death, and material existence itself.

Review by Nemo C. Mörck.