Contents

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter I
2. Contents V
3. Acknowledgments VII
4. Preface XI
5. 1. Wondrous Events and Social Science 1
6. 2. Surveys of Anomalous Experience: A Cross-Cultural Analysis 18
7. 3. A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Wondrous Event Narratives 36
8. 4. Haunting and Poltergeist Cases: Constructing Folk Belief 57
9. 5. Psychic Practitioners and Wondrous Events 78
10. 6. Performing Wondrous Events: ESP, Psychic Surgery, and Firewalking 95
11. 7. Wondrous Events and Audience Attraction 128
12. 8. Wondrous Events and Religious History in Medieval Asia and Europe 151
13. 9. Near-Death Experiences in Medieval Europe, China, and Japan 168
14. 10. The Scientific Investigation of Wondrous Events 185
15. 11. Wondrous Events in a Small Group: A Field Study 208
16. 12. Wondrous Events and the Future of Religion 238
17. Appendix: Unusual Experience Questionnaire 249
18. Notes 251
19. References 257
20. Index 277
21. Backmatter 282