ParaMOOC 2023
ParaMOOC is an international online course dedicated to parapsychology, and in 2023 there was an exciting lineup of speakers from around the world—including Allison Jornlin, tour developer for American Ghost Walks and creator of the YouTube channel Paranormal Women .
In 2023, Jornlin highlighted the forgotten pioneer of paranormal research: Catherine Crowe (1790–1872) , the Victorian author whose work shaped the way we think about ghosts, hauntings, and poltergeists.
Who Was Catherine Crowe?
Catherine Crowe is often called the mother of the paranormal . In 1848, she introduced the word poltergeist into English in her groundbreaking book The Night-Side of Nature. This 450-page collection explored ghost sightings, hauntings, and other unexplained phenomena we now describe as OBEs, NDEs, time slips, and ESP.
Unlike other Victorian writers who gathered ghost stories for entertainment, Crowe compared cross-cultural accounts, recorded witness testimony, and searched for patterns. She laid the foundation for modern paranormal research decades before the Society for Psychical Research was founded in 1882.
Catherine Crowe’s Lasting Legacy in Paranormal Research
Colin Wilson once called The Night-Side of Natur e “the first sustained attempt to treat paranormal phenomena in the scientific spirit.” Yet despite her contributions, Crowe’s legacy was overshadowed by rumors of insanity... a stigma that still clouds her reputation today.
In her ParaMOOC 2023 talk, Jornlin restored Catherine Crowe to her rightful place in paranormal history. The presentation:
- Examined Crowe’s most influential cases of poltergeist activity
- Revisited her 1854 ghost hunt , a landmark moment in psychical investigation
- Highlighted why Crowe’s approach remains relevant to modern ghost hunters and paranormal researchers
How to Watch ParaMOOC 2023
Allison Jornlin’s lecture, The Hidden Ghost Hunter: Remembering Catherine Crowe , took place on Sunday, March 19, at 2 p.m. Central via Zoom.
To register for future sessions, email parapsychologyonline@gmail.com with “Register” in the subject line. Participants can watch live and join the discussion afterward.
About ParaMOOC
ParaMOOC brings together researchers and lecturers from the U.S., U.K., Brazil, Australia, and Japan to share cutting-edge ideas about ghosts, hauntings, apparitions, and poltergeists . The program was organized by parapsychologist Nancy Zingrone and Psychical Research Foundation research director Bryan Williams , with support from the Parapsychology Foundation .
You can watch past and current sessions for free on the Parapsychology Online YouTube channel .
Watch Allison's presentation from ParaMOOC 2023 right here: