Anthony North: We have various labels for paranormal phenomena – ghosts, premonition, etc – but can we better understand the paranormal by using a new definition? To me the subject can best be seen as the interplay between mind and environment. The mind is, of course, subjective, whilst the environment about us would seem to be an objective fact. We know this because science says so, but to what extend does the subjective mind impinge upon this objective reality? It is a subject that has fascinated philosophers for centuries, but it is an area of research so often missed by parapsychologists and psychical researchers. So I ask a question: Is objective reality simply a bare canvas to be filled by our subjective thoughts?The night I saw my UFO: An anecdote to explain what I mean. One night as I was going to bed a blast of wind rattled the window. I wasn’t in a particularly good mood. I pulled back the curtain to see how bad the wind was and became suddenly transfixed. In the garden next door, about two feet above the ground, was a cascade of golden lights. I have since called it my angel, or UFO, and it was so beautiful that my mood disappeared. After watching for quite a while, I went to bed and slept peacefully for the first time in ages.The next morning I investigated. There was a pile of bricks in the garden, and trapped on it was the cause of my vision. An empty packet of crisps with its reflective insides showing had reflected an orange street light as it blew in the wind.
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