Examining Exceptional Human Experiences Through Thematic Analysis in A Group Context
Jorge Villanueva, Mariano Galarza
Journal of Parapsychology October 1, 2026 DOI: 10.30891/jopar.2025.01.10 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 60 |
| Population | Adults who reported paranormal experiences, recruited via an internet announcement; also seven groups |
| Key findings | Thematic Analysis of 108 narratives from 60 participants yielded six themes: Hearing Voices, Apparitions, Sense of Presence, Premonitions, Out-of-Body and Near-Death Experiences, and Mediumship. The authors report a trend of more positive than negative reactions, and note that only a little more than one-third of experiences were confirmed, especially premonitions, with most occurring in adults. |
Abstract
Qualitative researchers may consider the psychological, social, and cultural significance of paranormal occurrences and their impact on the individual.Thematic Analysis is a method for identifying, examining, and reporting themes/configurations within datasets, providing an accessible, systematic, and rigorous approach to coding and theme development.The main aim of the present study was to analyze narrative accounts of paranormal experiences, with particular emphasis on exploring whether individual experiences share common themes and patterns.Through in-depth interviews, sixty participants recruited by an announcement placed on the internet, along with seven groups, shared one-hundred-eight narratives in a group context.Thematic Analysis produced six themes: Hearing Voices, Apparitions, Sense of Presence, Premonitions, Out-of-Body and Near-Death Experiences, and Mediumship.In addition, we found a trend of more positive than negative reactions.Only a little more than one-third of the experiences were confirmed (especially, premonitions), with most of them occurring in adults.In the context of specific experiences, future research might do well to focus on prevalent paranormal experiences in order to determine the extent to which identified themes can be generalized.