Spirited students given course on supernatural

HIGH spirits on campus are more usually associated with student union bars than lecture halls, but one of Scotland's oldest seats of learning is offering classes studying spooks, poltergeists and demonic possession.

Glasgow University will start running a course in psychical research next month, which aims to show that supernatural phenomena do occur.

The paranormal study group is the brainchild of veteran academic Professor Archie Roy, 84, whose pre-eminence in the field of astronomy has seen an asteroid named after him.

But critics have labelled the unconventional course "dangerous drivel" and claimed that its "pseudo-science" should have no place in a respected academic institution.

The series of lectures, titled An In Depth Study of Psychical Research, will be launched through the University's Department of Adult and Continuing Education.

Subjects to be covered in the 20-week course include apparitions, haunted places and people, poltergeist activity, telepathy, mediumship, psychic surgery, paranormal healing, possession and reincarnation.

The course, which costs £128 to take part in, is currently being advertised with the bold statement: "Paranormal phenomena do occur."

Roy believes there is no contradiction between his support for conventional science and his strong belief in spiritualism.

"Psychical researchers have studied these events for over a century, resulting in evidence as to their authenticity," he said.

The National Secular Society, which campaigns against the influence of superstition, said it did not know "whether to laugh or cry" about the Glasgow course.

The organisation's Scottish spokesman, Alistair McBay, said: "Courses such as this one give legitimacy to the dangerous supernatural drivel that can lead to tragedies such as the death of Victoria Climbie, who was abused and murdered because people believed she was 'possessed'."