Research
I have had a life-long interest in supernatural and religious beliefs. This naturally led to my decision to undertake a BA degree in the study of Archaeology & Anthropology at the University of Bristol. Over the duration of the degree course I became increasingly interested in the anthropology of religion, particularly in spirit beliefs and associated practices and behaviours. For my final dissertation I undertook fieldwork at the Bristol Spirit Lodge, a non-denominational centre established for the sole purpose of the promotion and development of trance and physical mediumship.
As my fieldwork progressed I became fascinated by the experiential component of the seance proceedings; both the experience of the sitter and the medium. I came to understand that the groups notions and beliefs about spirits and the spirit-world derive from their own first-hand encounters with anomalous phenomena, whether they are sitters experiencing the effects and communications produced by mediums, or mediums experiencing the altered states of consciousness associated with their trance states. In order to understand these experiences more fully I took a deep-participatory approach to my fieldwork; attending seances to witness the phenomena reported by sitters, and also engaging in mediumship development sittings myself. The experiences I had opened my eyes to a world of experience that is not generally perceived or widely understood.
I am therefore interested in the way that anomalous experiences are interpreted and lived with by experients, and how these experiences affect the way the individual perceives and understands the world around them. I am interested in the transformative agency of paranormal and religious experiences, and have a particular interest in entity encounters, mediumship, altered states of consciousness and related phenomena. I am also interested in anthropological and ethnographic approaches to the study of paranormal and religious experience.
I am currently undertaking a masters degree course in the study of Religious Experience organised by the Alister Hardy Religious Experience Research Centre at the University of Lampeter.
I have just had a PhD research proposal accepted by the Archaeology & Anthropology department at the University of Bristol to commence in October 2010. The research will be concerned with "The Role of Anomalous Experience in Contemporary Spiritualism". I am currently in the process of seeking out and applying for funding.
I am a consultant for Parasearch, and a member of the Afterlife Research Centre (ARC), established by Dr. Fiona Bowie, University of Bristol.
Articles
Hunter, J. 2010. Thanks to the Memorates. Paranormal Magazine, September 2010, Issue 51, p. 82.
Hunter, J. 2010. Anthropology and the Paranormal: What's the Point? Paranthropology: Journal of Anthropological Approaches to the Paranormal. Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 2-4.
Hunter, J. 2010. Talking With the Spirits: More Than a Social Reality? Paranormal Review.
Hunter, J. 2010. Anthropology & the Ontological Status of the Paranormal. Rhine-Online: Psi News Magazine. Vol. 2, No. 2. pp. 4-5.
Hunter, J. 2010. Contemporary Mediumship & Seance Groups in the UK: Speculations on the Bristol Spirit Lodge. Psychical Studies: Journal of the Unitarian Society for Psychical Studies. No. 76, pp. 7-13.
Hunter, J. 2010. The Anthropologist & The Spiritualists. Paranormal Magazine, April 2010, Issue 47, pp. 40-43.
Hunter, J. 2009. The Issue of Fraud and Performance in Mediumship. PSI: Journal of Investigative Psychical Research, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 17-25.
Hunter, J. 2009. Anthropology & The Paranormal: Approches to the Investigation of Paranormal Beliefs and Practices. Anomaly: Journal of Research Into the Paranormal. Vol. 46, pp. 24-36.
Hunter, J. 2009. Talking With the Spirits: An Experiential Investigation of Contemporary Trance & Physical Mediumship. Unpublished Undergraduate Dissertation, University of Bristol.
Hunter, J. 2010. A Brief Introduction to Anthropological Theories of the Supernatural. Psipher: The Parasearch Journal of Midlands Paranormal Phenomena. Awaiting Publication.
Hunter, J. 2010. The Persistence of Spirits. The Searchlight. Awaiting Publication.
Hunter, J. 2010. Anthropology and the Paranormal: What's the Point? Paranthropology: Journal of Anthropological Approaches to the Paranormal. Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 2-4.
Hunter, J. 2010. Talking With the Spirits: More Than a Social Reality? Paranormal Review.
Hunter, J. 2010. Anthropology & the Ontological Status of the Paranormal. Rhine-Online: Psi News Magazine. Vol. 2, No. 2. pp. 4-5.
Hunter, J. 2010. Contemporary Mediumship & Seance Groups in the UK: Speculations on the Bristol Spirit Lodge. Psychical Studies: Journal of the Unitarian Society for Psychical Studies. No. 76, pp. 7-13.
Hunter, J. 2010. The Anthropologist & The Spiritualists. Paranormal Magazine, April 2010, Issue 47, pp. 40-43.
Hunter, J. 2009. The Issue of Fraud and Performance in Mediumship. PSI: Journal of Investigative Psychical Research, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 17-25.
Hunter, J. 2009. Anthropology & The Paranormal: Approches to the Investigation of Paranormal Beliefs and Practices. Anomaly: Journal of Research Into the Paranormal. Vol. 46, pp. 24-36.
Hunter, J. 2009. Talking With the Spirits: An Experiential Investigation of Contemporary Trance & Physical Mediumship. Unpublished Undergraduate Dissertation, University of Bristol.
Hunter, J. 2010. A Brief Introduction to Anthropological Theories of the Supernatural. Psipher: The Parasearch Journal of Midlands Paranormal Phenomena. Awaiting Publication.
Hunter, J. 2010. The Persistence of Spirits. The Searchlight. Awaiting Publication.
Books
Di Nucci, C. & Hunter, J. 2009. Charlie: Trance Communication & Spirit Teachings. Great Britain: lulu.com
The aim of this book is to provide an overview of the communications and teachings, received from a spirit called "Charlie". The entirety of the information contained in the book was gathered during seances conducted at the Bristol Spirit Lodge. It is the type of teachings presented in this book that form the underlying philosophical, cosmological and spiritual bedrock to the world-view of Lodge members.
The aim of this book is to provide an overview of the communications and teachings, received from a spirit called "Charlie". The entirety of the information contained in the book was gathered during seances conducted at the Bristol Spirit Lodge. It is the type of teachings presented in this book that form the underlying philosophical, cosmological and spiritual bedrock to the world-view of Lodge members.
Audio & Video
Talking With the Spirits: Video Interview With The Founder of the Bristol Spirit Lodge
Talking With the Spirits: Dissertation Field Recordings (.mp3 in .zip)
Talks
Talking With the Spirits: An Experiential Exploration of Contemporary Trance and Physical Mediumship. Presentation at 2nd Exploring the Extraordinary Conference, Department of Sociology, York University. 24th-25th September 2010.
Anthropology & the Paranormal. Talk at the Society for Psychical Research. 4th March 2010. (Lecture Notes) (Powerpoint Presentation).
Anthropological & Ethnographic Approaches to the Supernatural. Presentation at University of Bristol. 29th January and 1st February 2010 (Handout) (Powerpoint Presentation).