The term supernatural or supranatural (Latin: super, supra "above" + natura "nature") pertains to entities, events or powers regarded as beyond nature, in that they cannot be explained by the laws of the natural world. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Nature, in the broadest sense is equivalent to the natural world, physical universe, material world or material universe. Religious miracles are typical of such “supernatural” claims, as are spells and curses, divination, the belief that there is an afterlife for the dead, and innumerable others. A miracle is an event believed to be caused by interposition of Divine intervention by a Supernatural being in the Universe by which the ordinary operation Magic, sometimes known as sorcery, is a Conceptual system that asserts human ability to control the natural world (including events objects people and Divination (from Latin divinare "to be inspired by a god" related to Divine, Diva and Deus) is the attempt of ascertaining AfterLife is a film drama set in Scotland directed by Alison Peebles made in 2003 about an ambitious Scottish journalist forced to choose between Supernatural themes are often associated with magical and occult ideas. Magic, sometimes known as sorcery, is a Conceptual system that asserts human ability to control the natural world (including events objects people and The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus (clandestine hidden secret referring to "knowledge of the hidden"

Controversy

Adherents of supernatural beliefs hold that such occurrences exist just as surely as does the natural world, whereas opponents argue that there are natural, physical explanations for all such occurrences, summed up as

According to the strict materialist view, if something "supernatural" exists, it is by definition not supernatural. Blaise Pascal (blɛz paskal (June 19 1623 &ndash August 19 1662 was a French Mathematician, Physicist, and religious Philosopher Are there forces beyond the natural forces studied by physics? Are there ways of sensing that go beyond our biological senses and instruments? Certainly there may always be things outside of the realm of human understanding, as of yet unconfirmed and dubious in existence, and some might term these "supernatural".

Argument and controversy has surrounded the issue on both sides. One complicating factor is that there is no exact definition of what “natural” is, and what the limits of naturalism might be. Concepts in the supernatural domain are closely related to concepts in religious spirituality and occultism or spiritualism. A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos Spirituality, in a narrow sense concerns itself with matters of the Spirit, a concept closely tied to religious belief and Faith, a transcendent reality The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus (clandestine hidden secret referring to "knowledge of the hidden" Spiritualism is a Religion founded in part on the writings of the Swedish mystic Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772 The term "supernatural" is often used interchangeably with paranormal or preternatural — the latter typically limited to an adjective for describing abilities which appear to exceed the bounds of possibility. Paranormal is an Umbrella term used to describe unusual Phenomena or experiences that lack an obvious Scientific explanation The preternatural or praeternatural is that which appears outside or beyond (Latin præter) the natural. See the nature of God in Western theology, anthropology of religion, and Biblical cosmology. The nature of God in monotheistic religions is a broad topic in Western Philosophy of religion and Theology, with a very old and distinguished The anthropology of religion involves the study of religious institutions in relation to other social institutions and the comparison of religious beliefs and practices across Cultures Cosmology|Science and the Bible The various authors of the Hebrew Bible ( Tanakh) provide sporadic glimpses of their insight regarding Likewise, legendary characters such as vampires, poltergeists and leprechauns would be considered supernatural. Vampires are mythological or folkloric revenants who subsist by feeding on the blood of the living

Views on the supernatural

Speculative views on the "supernatural" include that it may be:

Arguments in favor of a supernatural reality

Many proponents believe that the complexities and mysteries of the universe cannot be explained by naturalistic explanations alone and argue that it is reasonable to assume that a nonnatural entity or entities resolve the unexplained. The Universe is defined as everything that Physically Exists: the entirety of Space and Time, all forms of Matter, Energy By its own definition, science today is incapable of examining or testing for the existence of things which are untestable and illogical. Science (from the Latin scientia, meaning " Knowledge " or "knowing" is the effort to discover, and increase human understanding Science concerns itself with what can be measured and seen through observation, logic, and scientific reason. Proponents of supernaturalism claim that their belief system is more flexible, which allows them more diversity in terms of epistemology (ways of understanding knowledge). Epistemology (from Greek επιστήμη - episteme, "knowledge" + λόγος, " Logos " or theory of knowledge William Dembski writes: "For the theist attempting to understand nature, God as creator is fundamental, the creation is derivative, and nature as the physical part of creation is still further downstream". William Albert "Bill" Dembski (born July 18 1960) is an American proponent of Intelligent design, and its opposition to the [1]

Arguments against a supernatural reality

Many thinkers suggest that if a phenomenon is by definition outside of the realm of science, it therefore cannot be experienced and has by definition no impact on our lives.

• Our knowledge of the world is continuously increasing. Some occurrences, once assumed supernatural, can today be explained by scientific theories.
• Many claimed supernatural phenomena vanish when they are examined closely. There have been, for example, various studies on astrology, most of them with negative results^{[6][7][8][9][10]}(a single positive result cannot outweigh many negative ones, as it can be expected by mere chance).
• Supernaturality may be a remnant of a static world view. It comes from a time when the growth of human knowledge was appreciably slower than at present. As another example, the Aristotelian Mechanics were considered valid for more than a thousand years. Aristotle (Greek Aristotélēs) (384 BC – 322 BC was a Greek philosopher a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great.
• Some naturalists argue that the process of observing an event contradicts the definition of "supernatural", therefore, no event that can be observed can actually be described as supernatural. This leads to the conclusion that if there were supernatural events and beings, we would not be able to know about them.
• A majority of supernaturalists of any given supernatural religion only believe in a very narrow subset of all supernatural explanations of reality when all the supernatural beliefs of all supernatural religions, past and present, are taken together. The vast majority of Christians today do not think that we are reincarnated, nor do the vast majority of today’s Hindus think that everyone permanently goes to heaven or hell when they die. Heaven may refer to the physical heavens the sky or the seemingly endless expanse of the Universe beyond Hell, according to many Religious beliefs, is a location in the Afterlife, which may be described as a place of suffering This differentiates a Hindu from a Christian. A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Since for both groups in this example the reasons for their particular choices do not differ in any discernible way, to then make claims about the "truth" of their own beliefs and the "untruth" of the opposing beliefs would not be fair and honest. Thus some say either accept all religious claims for the same reasons or reject all religious claims for the same reasons.

Naturalization vs. supernaturalization

Some people believe that supernatural events occur, while others do not.

"Naturalization"

The neologism naturalize, meaning "to make natural", is sometimes used to describe the perceived process of denying any supernatural significance to events which another presumes to be supernatural. A neologism (from Greek neo = "new" + logos = "word" is a word that although devised relatively recently in a specific time period has been This perceived process may also be referred to as reductionism or deconstructionism. It rests on the believer's presumption that supernatural events can and do occur; thus, their description as "natural" by the skeptic is seen as a result of a process of deliberate or unconscious denial of any supernatural significance, thus, "naturalization. " (This meaning of the word should not be confused with naturalization, the process of voluntarily acquiring citizenship at some time after birth. Naturalization is the acquisition of Citizenship or Nationality by somebody who was not a citizen or national of that country when he or she was born Also, plants, for example many wildflowers and bulbs including lilies, will "naturalize"; that is spread and develop beds without extra cultivation. )

"Supernaturalization"

The neologism supernaturalize, meaning "to make supernatural", is sometimes used to describe the perceived process of ascribing supernatural causes to events which someone else presumes to be natural. This perceived process may also be referred to as mythification or spiritualization. It rests on the presumption of the skeptic that supernatural events cannot or are unlikely to occur; thus, their description by the believer as supernatural is seen as the result of a process of deliberate or unconscious mysticism, thus, "supernaturalization". In the Law of Evidence, a presumption of a particular fact can be made without the aid of proof in some situations Supernaturalization can also mean the process by which stories and historical accounts are altered to describe supernatural elements.

The subjective nature of the issue

Two people may come to completely different conclusions based on identical evidence. One may automatically "screen out" possible explanations simply because they conflict with one's paradigm, or world view, and create cognitive dissonance. The word paradigm ( Greek:παράδειγμα (paradigmacomposite from para- and the verb δείχνυμι "to show" as a whole -roughly- meaning "example" There can also be many other motivations, conscious or unconscious, for this selective awareness. For example, to make oneself "look good" to others and thus avoid isolation, or perhaps the desire to imitate personal heroes. Generally we criticize and question the picture of reality held by others; it is rare to question one's own, rarer still to admit our own is distorted.

Competing explanations and criteria of preference

For some people it is not a matter of supernatural events versus natural events; they are all events, but there may be many competing explanations. The question then becomes what criteria shall one use to prefer one explanation over another, and one must be careful not to confuse the phenomenon with the explanation. We may agree that a bush has burst into flames; where we may differ is in the explanation for the cause of that event. The supernaturalist in that instance prefers the supernatural explanation based on one or more criteria of preference. It could be because the explanation includes constructs such as an immortal soul and other purported phenomena, such as the soul rising to a place of great joy upon being released at death, and they find this very attractive. The naturalist may prefer the natural explanation because such explanations are required to have predictive power, and being able to predict in a reliable way what will happen when a certain set of circumstances is present is something they find attractive. There are many people that are comfortable with accepting both explanations to satisfy several preferences; a supernatural explanation that provides comfort from the thought of death, and a natural explanation because of its utility in reliably controlling fire. For example, a Christian may accept the theories of Evolution and the Big Bang, but still explain reality as a deliberate creation of their god. One person may be a naturalist because they are driven by a preference for predictability, rather than comfort; another person may be a supernaturalist because they prefer an explanation that makes them feel better about their eventual death, rather than how useful it is in explaining actual reality.

Alleged instances of supernaturalization

• The Tunguska Event reported as an instance of supernaturalization through an examination of the Bible and compared to historical events published in the contemporary public record. The Tunguska Event, or Tunguska explosion, was a powerful Explosion that occurred near the Podkamennaya (Lower Stony Tunguska River in what is now
• English Protestants believed that the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 was a sign of God's favor for their cause. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. The Spanish Armada ( Spanish: Grande y Felicísima Armada, "Great and Most Fortunate Navy" or Armada Invencible, "Invincible
• Some fundamentalist American Evangelicals have interpreted the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York on September 11, 2001 as a sign of God's anger at various and sundry things, including secularism. Fundamentalism refers to a "deep and totalistic commitment" to a belief in and strict adherence to a set of basic principles (often Religious in nature a reaction Evangelicalism is a theological movement tradition and system of beliefs most closely associated with Protestant Christianity, which identifies with the Gospel The World Trade Center in New York City, United States (sometimes informally the WTC or Twin Towers) was a complex of seven buildings in Lower Manhattan New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Events 9 - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Secularism is generally the assertion that governmental practices or institutions should exist separately from Religion or religious beliefs
• In Japan the scattering of aggressive Mogul-Korean fleets in 1274 and 1281 was attributed to the kamikaze or "divine wind". Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries a civilization and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. ( is a word of Japanese origin which in English usually refers to the Suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against
• Some "fringe" religious groups such as the Westboro Baptist Church routinely expound supernatural explanations for contemporary events, such as the September 11, 2001 attacks, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and even soldier deaths in the Iraq war, typically framed as some form of divine punishment. The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC is a church headed by Fred Phelps and based in Topeka Kansas, United States. Events 9 - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea Earthquake that occurred at 005853 UTC on December 26 2004 with an Epicentre off the west coast of The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign

Believers respond to the many instances of supernaturalization by arguing that the fact that supernaturalization often occurs does not refute the existence of the supernatural any more than the fact that scientists often make errors refutes the existence of the natural universe; and that the supernatural by its very nature cannot be explored through science, and must therefore be explored through different means, such as spirituality. Nonbelievers counter that the two forms of explanation cannot be equated, because erroneous naturalistic claims, such as those made for the existence of phlogiston or N-rays, are routinely and often rapidly corrected by reference to nature, while erroneous supernaturalistic claims such as the above are impossible to correct by reference to supernature or by any other widely accepted objective means. The phlogiston theory (from the Ancient Greek φλογιστόν phlŏgistón "burning up" from φλόξ phlóx "fire" first stated N rays (or N-rays) were a phenomenon described by French scientist René-Prosper Blondlot but subsequently found to be illusory

Supernatural in fiction

The supernatural is also a topic in various fictional genres, especially horror fiction and fantasy fiction. Fiction is the telling of stories which are not real More specifically fiction is an imaginative form of Narrative, one of the four basic Rhetorical modes. Horror fiction is broadly Fiction in any medium intended to scare unsettle or horrify the audience Fantasy is a Genre that uses magic and other Supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting

See also

• Dualism, the view that the mental and the physical have a fundamentally different nature as an answer to the mind-body problem. In Philosophy of mind, dualism is a set of views about the relationship between mind and matter which begins with the claim that mental phenomena are in some Philosophy of mind is the branch of Philosophy that studies the nature of the Mind, Mental events Mental functions mental properties
• Idealism, any theory positing the primacy of spirit, mind, or language over matter. In Western civilization, Idealism is the philosophy which maintains that the Ultimate nature of reality is ideal or based upon ideas values essences The so-called It includes claiming that thought has some crucial role in making the world the way it is.
• Monism, the view that the mental and physical are ultimately part of the same super-reality which both the physical and non-physical world(s) compose. Monism is the metaphysical and Theological view that all is one that all reality is subsumed under the most fundamental category of being or existence The view that differing realities are not the end-all-be-all in themselves. Monism can involve material monism, the view that only the physical is real and all else are manifestations of the physical; idealist monism which holds that only the mental is real and all else are manifestations of the mental; or neutral monism. Neutral monism, in Philosophy, is the metaphysical view that Existence consists of one (hence Monism) primal substance which in itself is
• Miracle
• Vitalism, the doctrine that life cannot be explained solely by mechanism. A miracle is an event believed to be caused by interposition of Divine intervention by a Supernatural being in the Universe by which the ordinary operation Vitalism, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary is a doctrine that the functions of a living organism are due to a vital principle distinct from physicochemical Often, the nonmaterial element is referred to as the soul, the "vital spark", or some kind of spiritual energy. The term energy has been widely adopted into the fields of spirituality complementary medicine etc
• God of the gaps, events originally ascribed to a supernatural cause move into the natural realm when explained by science. The God of the gaps refers to a view of God deriving from a Theistic position in which anything that can be explained by human knowledge is not in the domain of God
• Ex nihilo

Compare

• Naturalism, which rejects the validity of explanations or theories making use of entities inaccessible to natural science. The Latin phrase ex nihilo means "out of nothing" It often appears in conjunction with the concept of Creation, as in creatio ex nihilo Philosophical naturalism has been described in various ways In its broadest and strongest sense naturalism is the metaphysical position that "nature is all there is In Science, the term natural science refers to a naturalistic approach to the study of the Universe, which is understood as obeying rules or law of
• Materialism, the view that the only thing that can truly be said to 'exist' is physical matter and energy; that fundamentally, all things are made up of 'material'. The Philosophy of materialism holds that the only thing that can be truly proven to exist is Matter, and is considered a form of Physicalism. Materialism is typically contrasted with dualism, idealism, and vitalism.
• The scientific method, a meticulous means of building a supportable, evidenced understanding of our natural world. Scientific method refers to bodies of Techniques for investigating phenomena Scientific modelling is the process of generating abstract, conceptual, Graphical and or mathematical models. Evidence in its broadest sense includes anything that is used to determine or demonstrate the Truth of an assertion Understanding (also called intellection) is a psychological Process related to an abstract or physical object such as Person, situation or "The world " is a proper noun for the planet Earth envisioned from an Anthropocentric or Human Worldview, as a place The ability to repeat an experiment and obtain the same observed results is held in high regard.
• Scientism, a worldview that rejects the supernatural and the non-physical on the grounds that science is inherently materialistic; rejects anything which cannot be immediately scientifically tested or verified or not currently accepted by the scientific mainstream. The term scientism can be used as a neutral term to describe the view that Natural science has authority over all other interpretations of life such as philosophical Sometimes used in the pejorative.

Notes

References

• Wonders of the Invisible World, Cotton Mather, Boston, 1693
• More Wonders of the Invisible World, Robert Calef, 1700
• Secrets of the Occult, documentary, see http://www.myspace.com/155766403