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A mummy is a preserved dead body. Mummification was very important to the ancient Egyptians. They believed that dead people continued living in another world, and they thought that the spirit needed the body in order to enjoy the next world.

Where does the word “mummy” come from?

When Arabs saw mummies for the first time, they assumed the sticky, black substance that was used to preserve the dead was bitumen. The Arabic word for bitumen is ‘mummiya’, and from this we get the word ‘mummy’.

Did you know?: The Egyptians didn’t only mummify humans. Archaeologists have discovered mummies of animals and birds!

Reference :

1.http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/mummies_01.shtml
2.http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/afterlife-ancient-egypt.html

3.Mummies : truth and rumors by Heather L. Montgomery
Call No.: J English 393 MON

4.The story of mummies by Penny Clarke
Call No.: J English 393 CLA

5. Mummies and pyramids by Sam Taplin
Call No.: J English 393 TAP

It is uncertain that ghosts and black magic are real. There are varying opinions and beliefs on this topic.

Some people believe that ghosts exist and the study of such phenomenon is called paranormal science, or parapsychology. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, parapyschological phenomenon is “any of several types of events that cannot be accounted for by natural law or knowledge apparently acquired by other than usual sensory abilities. Investigators in this field are usually called Scientific Paranormal Investigators (SPI). By using tools of modern science they determine if a building or area is haunted by ghosts. Some of these tools include special tape recorders, infra-red cameras and electro-magnetic field detectors.

However, some of the people who dispute paranormal science consider it to be pseudoscience; which is defined by the Webster dictionary as ” system of theories, assumptions, and methods erroneously regarded as scientific”.

Each group has its own compelling theories and proofs, and the debate between them on the existence of paranormal phenomena is ever-present. It is up to an individual to decide for himself which theories are more convincing.

Sources
1. Scientific paranormal investigation: how to solve unexplained mysteries
Author: Bejamin Radford
Publisher: Corales, NM: Rhombus Publishing Company, c2010
Call No.: English 133 RAD

2. Modern science and the paranormal
Author: Marie D. Jones
Publisher: New York, NY: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., c2009
Call No.: Y English 130 JON

3. Paranormal claims : a critical analysis
Editor: Bryan Farha
Publisher: Lanham, Md. : University Press of America, c2007
Call No.: English 130 PAR

4. Pseudoscience and the paranormal
Author: Terence Hines
Publisher: Amherst, N.Y. : Prometheus Books, 2003
Call No.: English 133 HIN

5. “Parapsychological phenomenon.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online Library Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2011. Web. 29 Oct. 2011. .

6. Image from http://www.featurepics.com/FI/Thumb300/20101014/Ghost-Sign-1671581.jpg

Originally answered by Lo Wan Ni, Librarian
Posted by Judy Kong