Your paranormal questions answered - FINALLY!

Introduction
I grew up reading many, many stories about ghosts, UFOs, Bermuda Triangle disappearances, ESP, and all sorts of other intriguing, mysterious phenomena. I ate the stuff up - I really loved it. I read clean through 3 libraries of paranormal literature, reading many of the same tales in different books. I was fairly credulous, but always had certain questions in my mind.

As time went on, my foremost question was "Why aren't the people in this story doing what I would do if I were there. Why aren't they asking this question, or trying this to test that or whatever. Why aren't they trying to get to the bottom of the matter.

Then, one day, someone introduced me to the Skeptical Inquirer. I was amazed. Here were people asking the exact questions I wanted to ask - and they were getting answers and results.

Rather than being distressed to find out that many of the tales I enjoyed so much in my youth were poorly supported, I was quite relieved to find out what was shaky about them. I remember specifically a story of reincarnation - the popular tale of Bridey Murphy who came out during a hypnotist's age regression session. I finally learned that this supposed reincarnated spirit was based on real people that the woman knew as a child. No one had bothered to report the truth because they felt the story was less sensational that way.

What's in it?
Usually, Skeptical Inquirer contains stories about careful, skeptical investigations of the paranormal. I know skepticism is a dirty word to some people. In this context it means that the investigator is not presupposing anything. The investigator is trying to verify an extraordinary claim, and therefore must find some evidence.

Joe Nickell's column, for example, details his applications of investigative techniques. He's quite thorough.

Martin Gardner is a hard skeptic who is steeped in the history of paranormal charlitains and crackpots, as he calls them, having written enough essays on the subject to fill 6 books or so.

There are reviews of books on the paranormal, reports on media treatment of the paranormal, news items, and many other regular and special features.

Conclusion
If you are like me, and thrilled to these stories, but feel gyped by a mystery that is simply the result of people ignoring the facts, the Skeptical Inquirer is for you.

There are plenty of real mysteries and amazing phenomena around. Learn to tell the difference.