Abstract

Examined the validity of the worry hypothesis, which associates spontaneous paranormal experiences (SPEs) with the tendency of people to worry about future events. It assumes that a paranormal character is attributed to feelings of worry in those cases in which, despite the low probability, the events they worried about actually occur. In 2 studies, questionnaire data were obtained from 201 Ss (mean age 37 yrs) constructed to measure to determine the extent to which Ss worried about others and themselves. When these data were compared to the known distributions of the same variables for SPEs, it was found that the differences were substantial. Worries tended to concern daily matters or personal problems. It is concluded that the worry hypothesis is not likely to provide a satisfactory explanation for the phenomenon of SPEs. (8 ref)