Dr Jack Hunter BA (Hons), PhD

Tutor

Institute of Education and Humanities

Role in the University

I am the lead tutor on the MA in Ecology and Spirituality, and am also a tutor on the MA in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology, teaching modules on Sacred Geography and Researching Contemporary Cosmologies.

Background

Dr. Jack Hunter is an anthropologist exploring the borderlands of consciousness, religion, ecology and the paranormal. He lives in the hills of Mid-Wales with his family.

Member Of

Alister Hardy Religious Experience Research Centre, Honorary Research Fellow.
Parapsychological Association, Professional Member.
Parapsychology Foundation, Research Fellow.

Academic Interests

Anthropology of Religion
The Paranormal
Autoethnography
Ecological Humanities
Extraordinary Experience
Folklore
Parapsychology
Religious Studies
Qualitative Research

Research Interests

My research interests broadly centre around the anthropology of religion and the paranormal, and how they intersect with spirituality, ecology and parapsychology. I am also very much interested in education, especially the role of outdoor learning as a vehicle for fostering a sense of connection to nature.

Expertise

The anthropology of religion and the paranormal, parapsychology, religious education, spirituality and ecology.

Enterprise, Commercial and Consultancy Activities

2019 – Frances P. Bolton Fellowship, Parapsychology Foundation.
2017/18 – Award for Services to Examining, three Consecutive Years, Joint Council for Qualifications.
2015 – Read-Tuckwell Scholarship, University of Bristol.
2015 – Scholarly Incentive Award, Parapsychology Foundation.
2011 – Research Grant, Society for Psychical Research.
2011 – Gertrude Schmeidler Outstanding Student Contribution Award, Parapsychological Association.
2010 – Eileen J. Garrett Scholarship, Parapsychology Foundation.

Publications

Books

(2023). Folklore, People and Place: International Perspectives on Tourism in Storied Places (edited with Dr. Rachael Ironside). Abingdon: Routledge (Forthcoming).
(2022). Deep Weird: The Varieties of High Strangeness Experience. Milton Keynes: August Night Press (Forthcoming).
(2021). Mattering the Invisible: Technologies, Bodies and the Realm of the Spectral (edited with Dr. Diana Espirito Santo). Oxford: Berghan.
(2021). Manifesting Spirits: An Anthropological Study of Mediumship and the Paranormal. London: Aeon Books.
(2020). Spirits, Gods and Magic: An Introduction to the Anthropology of the Supernatural. Milton Keynes: August Night Press.
(2019). Greening the Paranormal: Exploring the Ecology of Extraordinary Experience. Milton Keynes: August Night Press.
(2018). Engaging the Anomalous: Collected Essays on Anthropology, the Paranormal, Mediumship and Extraordinary Experience. Milton Keynes: August Night Press.
(2016). Damned Facts: Fortean Essays on Religion, Folklore and the Paranormal. Paphos: Aporetic Press.
(2014). Talking With the Spirits: Ethnographies from Between the Worlds. Brisbane: Daily Grail.
(2014). Strange Dimensions: A Paranthropology Anthology. Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant: Psychoid Books.
(2012). Paranthropology: Anthropological Approaches to the Paranormal. Bristol: Paranthropology.

Book Chapters

(2022). “Through a Crystal Darkly: Cultural, Experiential and Ontological Reflections on Faery.” In J. Cutchin (ed.) Fairy Films: Wee Folk on the Big Screen. Milton Keynes: August Night Press (Forthcoming).
(2022). “Gardens and Gnomes: Statues, Extraordinary Experiences and Subtle Ecologies” in S. Young (ed.). The Wollaton Gnomes: A Nottingham Fairy Mystery. Pwca Press.
(2020). “Harmony and Ecology” in Nicholas Campion (ed.). The Harmony Debates. Lampeter: Sophia Centre Press, 2020.
“Numinous Dimensions: Exploring Otto’s Concept of the Numinous in Stoker, Machen and Lovecraft” in B. Grafius & J.W. Morehead (eds.) Theology and Horror.
“Mediumship and the Experiential Self” in D. Menintel, V. Béguet & J.G. Goulet (eds.) Extraordinary Experience in Modern Contexts.
(2019) “The Dark Knight Rises: Shamanic Transformations in Gotham City” in D. Caterine & J.W. Morehead (eds.) The Paranormal and Popular Culture: A Post-Modern Religious Landscape.
(2017) “Ontological Flooding and Continuing Bonds” in D. Klass & E.M. Steffen (eds.) Continuing Bonds in Bereavement: New Directions for Research and Practice.
(2015) Entries on “Ectoplasm,” “Mediumship,” and “Discarnate Entities” in M. Cardin (ed.) Ghosts, Spirits and Psychics: The Paranormal from Alchemy to Zombies.
(2015) “On the Nature of the Psilocybe Folk: Psychedelic, Psychoid Persons” in R. Dickins & T. Read (eds.) Out of the Shadows: A Cornucopia from the Psychedelic Press.
(2015) “Music and Altered States of Consciousness in Shamanism and Spirit Possession: An Overview of the Literature” in S. Parsons & C. Cooper (eds.) Paracoustics: Sound and the Paranormal.
(2015) “ ‘Beyond Castaneda: A Brief History of Psychedelics in Anthropology” in D. King, D. Luke, B. Sessa, C. Adams & A. Tollan (eds.) Neurotransmissions: Essays on Psychedelics from Breaking Convention.
(2013) “ ‘Numinous Conversations: Performance and Manifestation of Spirits in Spirit Possession Practices” in A. Voss & W. Rowlandson (eds.) Daimonic Imagination: Uncanny Intelligence.
(2011) “The Anthropology of the Weird: Ethnographic Fieldwork and Anomalous Experience” in G. Taylor (ed.) Darklore Vol. VI.

Journal articles

(2022). ‘Parapsychology and The Varieties of High Strangeness Experience.’ Mindfield: Bulletin of the Parapsychological Association, No. 13.3, pp. 7-11.
(2022). ‘The Folklore of the Tanat Valley: Fairies, Giants and Forgotten Ecological Knowledge.’ Newsletter of the Fairy Investigation Society, Jan 2022, pp. 31-47.
(2021). Editorial: ‘“…not the action of mind upon matter, but the action of mind-matter upon matter-mind…”: A World of Many Minds in Archaeology and Ethnography.’ Time and Mind: Journal of Archaeology, Consciousness and Culture, Vol. 14, No. 4, pp. 481-485.
(2021). ‘Antropoloog Jack Hunter: ‘Bedrog kan het paranormale triggeren’.’ ParaVisie, December 2021, pp. 19-22.
(2021). ‘Fairies in the Tanat Valley.’ Tanat Valley Chronicle, June 2021.
(2021). ‘Editorial: Stone, People and Place.’ Time and Mind: Journal of Archaeology, Consciousness and Culture, Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 179-180.
(2021). ‘MA Ecology and Spirituality: Background and Interview with Dr. Andy Letcher.’ Journal for the Study of Religious Experience, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 140-145.
(2021). ‘Editorial: Religious Experience and Ecology.’ Journal for the Study of Religious Experience, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 3-16.
(2021). ‘Deep Weird: High Strangeness, Boggle Thresholds and Damned Data in Academic Research on Extraordinary Experience.’ Journal for the Study of Religious Experience, Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 5-18.
(2021). ‘Editorial: The Future of Research on Religious and Spiritual Experience.’ Journal for the Study of Religious Experience, Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 2-4.
(2021). ‘What About Traditional Ecological Knowledge? Further Thoughts on ‘Are Plants Sentient?’’ Edgescience, No. 45, pp. 17-19.
(2020). ‘Review: Diabolical Possession and the Case Behind the Exorcist.’ Journal of Parapsychology, Vol. 84, No. 2, 333-334.
(2020). ‘Review: Understanding Religion: Empirical Perspectives in Practical Theology.’ Journal of Empirical Theology, Vol. 33, No. 1, pp. 152-153.
(2020). ‘Sacred Landscapes and Philosophical Gardens: Religious Education as a Response to Climate Change.’ RE Today Magazine, Vol. 38, No. 1, pp. 53-56.
(2020). ‘Parapsychology and the Ecological Self.’ Mindfield: Bulletin of the Parapsychological Association, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 15-18.
(2020). ‘Faeries at the Bottom of the Garden: Non-Human Intelligence and Nature Connection.’ The Supernatural Magazine (Online).
(2020) Hunter, J. & Paphitis, T. ‘Editors’ Introduction.’ Time and Mind: Journal of Archaeology, Consciousness and Culture, Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 1-3.
(2020). ‘The Next Generation of Parapsychology Researchers’ (Interview). Mindfield: Bulletin of the Parapsychological Association, Vol. 11, No. 3, pp. 118-119.
(2019). ‘Review: Secret Body: Erotic and Esoteric Currents in the History of Religion and Ecologies of Participation: Agents, Shamans, Mystics, and Diviners.’ Religion and Society, Vol. 10, pp. 185-186.
(2019). ‘Religious Experience and Ecological Participation: Animism, Nature Connectedness and Fairies.’ De Numine: The Journal and Newsletter of the Alister Hardy Trust, No. 67, pp. 4-9
(2019). ‘The Contribution of Anthropology to our Understanding of Religion (and how RE and Anthropology might be able to help each other out).’ RE Today Magazine, Summer 2019, pp. 64-69.
(2019). ‘Rev. Elias Owen and the Folklore of the Tanat Valley.’ Tanat Valley Chronicle, April 2019, p. 5.
(2018). ‘Review: Edward Burnett Tylor, Religion and Culture.’ Fieldwork in Religion, Vol. 13, No. 2, pp 231-233.
(2018). ‘Review: Paranormal America: Ghost Encounters, UFO Sightings, Bigfoot Hunts, and Other Curiosities in Religion and Culture.’ Religion and Society, Vol. 9, pp. 192-193.
(2018). ‘Preliminary Report on Extraordinary Experience in Permaculture: Collapsing the Natural/Supernatural Divide.’ Journal of Exceptional Experiences and Psychology, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 12-22.
(2018). ‘Reflecting on Edith Turner’s Work and Influence.’ Journal for the Study of Religious Experience. Vol. 4, No. 1. pp. 102-104.
(2017). ‘Re-Thinking Charles Fort.’ Bulletin of the British Association for the Study of Religion, No. 131, November 2017, pp. 22-24.
(2017). ‘Reflecties op Paranthropology.’ Tijdschrift voor Parapsychologie & Bewustzijnsonderzoek, Vol. 84, No. 2, pp. 8-11. (Translated by Fred Melssen).
(2017). ‘Religious Education and the Paranormal: Reflections on Discussing Anomalous Experiences in the Classroom.’ Religious Studies News: Spotlight on Teaching, October, pp. 4-8.
(2016). ‘Engaging the Anomalous: Reflections from the Anthropology of the Paranormal.’ European Journal of Psychotherapy and Counselling, Vol. 18, No. 2, pp. 170-178.
(2016). ‘Ordinary Theology in the Classroom: Experience and Belief in Secondary Religious Education.’ RE Today Magazine, Vol. 33, No. 2, pp. 58-61.
(2016). ‘Religious Education and the Paranormal: Discussing Anomalous and Exceptional Experiences in the R.E. Classroom.’ Anomaly: Journal of Research into the Paranormal.
(2016). ‘Ghosts, Spirits and Gods: Perspectives from Anthropology.’ Anomaly: Journal of Research into the Paranormal.
(2015). ‘“Between Realness and Unrealness”: Anthropology, Parapsychology and the Ontology of Non-Ordinary Realities.’ Diskus: Journal of the British Association for the Study of Religion, Vol. 17, No. 2, pp. 4-20.
(2015). ‘“Spirits are the Problem”: Anthropology and Conceptualising Spiritual Beings.’ Journal for the Study of Religious Experience, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 76-86.
(2015). ‘Three Legends of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant: Re-Animating the Landscape.’ The Chronicle: Newspaper for the Tanat, Cain and Vyrnwy Valleys, April 2015, pp. 24-25.
(2015) Luke, D. & Hunter, J. ‘Talking With the Spirits: Ethnographies from Between the Worlds: An Overview.’ Paranormal Review: Magazine of the Society for Psychical Research, No. 73, pp. 18-20.
(2014) Caswell, J.M., Hunter, J. & Tessaro, L.W.E. ‘Phenomenological Convergence Between Major Paradigms of Classic Parapsychology and Cross-Cultural Practices: An Exploration of Paranthropology.’ Journal of Consciousness Exploration and Research, Vol. 5, No. 5, pp. 467-482.
(2014). ʻParanthropology: Towards a Parapsychological Anthropologyʼ Anomaly: Journal of Research into the Paranormal, Vol. 47, pp. 102-112.
(2014). ʻDefinitions, Origins, Functions and Experiences: Trends in the Anthropology of the Supernatural from Tylor to Turner.ʼ Beyond Borderlands: A Critical Journal of the Weird and Occult, No. 0, pp. 6-11.
(2013). ʻIntroduction: Taking Experience Seriously.ʼ Paranthropology: Journal of Anthropological Approaches to the Paranormal, Vol. 4, No. 3, pp. 3-8.
(2013). ʻBeyond Castaneda: A Brief History of Psychedelics in Anthropology (Part 2).ʼ Psychedelic Press III, pp. 59-66.
(2013). ʻBeyond Castaneda: A Brief History of Psychedelics in Anthropology (Part 1).ʼ Psychedelic Press II, pp. 9-14.
(2012). ʻExpressions of Spirithood: Performance and the Manifestation of Spirits.ʼ Anomaly: Journal of Research into the Paranormal, Vol. 46, pp. 144-156.
(2012). ʻOn the Nature of the Psilocybe Folk.ʼ Psychedelic Press I, pp 3-5.
(2012). ‘Anthropology and the Supernatural: From Spirits to Consciousness.ʼ Edgescience: Current Research & Insights, Issue 10, pp. 14-17.
(2012). ʻContemporary Physical Mediumship: Is It Part of a Continuous Tradition?ʼ Paranthropology: Journal of Anthropological Approaches to the Paranormal, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 35-43.
(2012). ‘EMFs and Spirit Mediumship: A Research Proposal.’ Seriously Strange Magazine, Issue 138, pp. 16-17.
(2011). ‘The Anthropology of Spirit Mediumship: Mediumship, Animism and Altered States of Consciousness.’ Anomaly: Journal of Research Into the Paranormal, No. 45, pp. 128-142.
(2011). ʻPsychical and Anthropological Approaches to Spirit Mediumship.ʼ Seriously Strange Magazine, Issue 137, pp. 13-15.
(2011). ʻTalking With the Spirits: Anthropology and Interpreting Spirit Communicators.ʼ Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, Vol. 75.3, No. 904, pp. 129-142.
(2011). ‘Review: The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen and The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson.’ The Bristol Magazine: The Magazine for the City of Bristol, Issue 88, p. 44.
(2010). ʻAnthropology and the Paranormal: What’s the Point?ʼ Paranthropology: Journal of Anthropological Approaches to the Paranormal, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 2-4.
(2010). ʻThe Persistence of Spirits.ʼ The Searchlight: Newsletter of the Academy of Spirituality and Paranormal Studies, Vol. 19, No. 3, pp. 8-9.
(2010). ʻTalking With the Spirits: More Than a Social Reality?ʼ Paranormal Review: Magazine of the Society for Psychical Research, April 2010, Issue 54, pp. 9-13.
(2010). ʻAnthropology and the Ontological Status of the Paranormal.ʼ Rhine-Online: Psi News Magazine, Vol. 2, No. 2. pp. 4-5.
(2010). ‘Talking With the Spirits: Anthropology and Interpreting Spirit Communications.’ Anomaly: Journal of Research Into the Paranormal, Vol. 44, pp. 34-39.
(2010). ʻContemporary Mediumship and Seance Groups in the UK: Speculations on the Bristol Spirit Lodge.ʼ Psychical Studies: Journal of the Unitarian Society for Psychical Studies, No. 76, pp. 7-13.
(2010). ʻThanks for the Memorates.ʼ Paranormal Magazine, September 2010, Issue 51, p. 82.
(2010). ‘What Are Ghosts? My View.’ Paranormal Magazine, June 2010, Issue 48, p. 64.
(2010). ʻThe Anthropologist and the Spiritualists.ʼ Paranormal Magazine, April 2010, Issue 47, pp. 40-43.
(2009). ʻThe Issue of Fraud and Performance in Mediumship.ʼ PSI: Journal of Investigative Psychical Research, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 17-25.
(2009). ʻAnthropology and The Paranormal: Approaches to the Investigation of Paranormal Beliefs and Practices.ʼ Anomaly: Journal of Research Into the Paranormal, Vol. 43, pp. 24-36.

Additional Information

I am the founder of the online journal Paranthropology: Journal of Anthropological Approaches to the Paranormal, and was co-editor with Dr. Tina Paphitis of Time and Mind: Journal of Archaeology, Consciousness and Culture between 2020–22.

I have completed a permaculture design course, and between 2016-2019 worked on the One School One Planet project to develop an interdisciplinary permaculture curriculum suitable for use in secondary schools. This work involved working with students from Llanfyllin High School in Powys to create a community heritage orchard (Cae Bodfach Community Garden) and resulted in the textbook Small and Slow Solutions (2019).