Merriam-Webster defines the word paranormal as not scientifically explainable, or supernatural. I have always been the type of person who loves stories about ghosts, aliens, or anything else out of the ordinary. I’ve been on a paranormal kick lately, as I’ve spent many of my commutes listening to Timesuck, a podcast by Dan Cummins. I love podcasts that tell stories, and Timesuck focuses on a lot of odd and paranormal stories in particular. Dan really does his research and puts a comedic spin on each episode, so I highly recommend you check his podcast out. Also, I just started reading Stephen King’s “It” after recently watching both movie adaptations, so I’ve definitely been binging on all things spooky. I have loved this kind of stuff since I was a kid, going on plenty of ghost tours with my parents and reading as many books about mysterious phenomena as I could get my hands on. To this day, I have never thought about why I am so interested in all things strange and unknown. Here’s why I think the realms of the paranormal are so fascinating.

We like to think there is something beyond the typical.

Mysteries can be frightening because we have no control over what we don’t know. However, mysteries are intriguing. You could spend years researching the paranormal and you would never discover all the answers you set out to find. In fact you would probably stumble upon more questions to ponder. I couldn’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent watching and reading stories about ghosts, aliens, the Bermuda Triangle, and other strange happenings. I want to know all the answers, but at the same time I don’t so that I can keep immersing myself in the mysteries.

If something has a supernatural story to it, it’s automatically more interesting

Which of these sentences is more exciting? The Egyptians built the pyramids. The Egyptians built the pyramids with the help of aliens. The latter is not necessarily true, but definitely a conversation starter.

The paranormal scares us…

I listened to a podcast episode about shadow people (Google them, it’s scary) and it terrified me. Supposedly haunted dolls and houses terrify me, and so does the thought of being abducted by aliens. I don’t necessarily want to experience these creepy happenings, but the possibility that they do happen is so incredible to me.

…We like to be scared

There’s a reason why we keep watching horror movies and walking through Halloween haunted houses. We can’t stay away from that adrenaline rush that being frightened provides. Not everyone enjoys this kind of thing, but if you do the thrill is like nothing else. Why do paranormal happenings scare us? How scared should we be, or are these unscientific events just part of our world?