James H. Nelson

SPEAKER: Magic, Trickery and Fraud in the Paranormal

CLASS INSTRUCTOR: Client Interviews

CLASS INSTRUCTOR: Putting the "Psychology" in Parapsychology

Dr. James H Nelson, PhD, MSW, is a psychiatric social worker in Portland Oregon. He has been researching the paranormal for over 10 years and has had anomalous experiences ts been researching the paranormal for over 10 years and has had anomalous experiences that he has yet to find an adequate explanation for. As a social scientist, his methodology is based in the scientific method and his application of skepticism in paranormal claims. He is a consultant for Oregon Paranormal and is co-founder of the small research group, Portland Office of Paranormal Research. He hosts a bimonthly podcast on mental health called “Mental Health Mondays”, and a podcast on history called “History 101”.

Stage and close up magic has an interesting relationship with the paranormal, and paranormal research. The history of magic has performers who have used their talents to defraud grieving family members, as well as magicians who have used their knowledge of magic to catch the fraudsters. The trend continues to this day, with magicians who investigate paranormal claims, and researchers who are magic hobbyists who use their knowledge to aid them in their research.