This area (Conspiracies and Claims for the Paranormal) of the Popular Culture Association is soliciting papers for the PCA’s national conference with the American Culture Association in San Diego March 23-26, 2005. As is the PCA/ACA’s mission, all disciplinary approaches and interdisciplinary approaches are invited. Papers submitted for panels in this area may include analyses of specific conspiracy theories (e.g.: Illuminati, One World Government, International Banking Organization) or specific claims for the paranormal (e.g.: John Edwards, John Mack, Joan of Arc, Benny Hinn, Nostradamus, Uri Geller). Panels in this area may also include theoretical discussions of the nature of conspiracy theories in general (e.g.: terrorism, surveillance, secret societies) or the social/political/rhetorical functions/histories/trends of claims for the paranormal in general (e.g.: claims for experiences of ESP, life after death, neo-pagan magic, etc.; or claims of contact with aliens/ghosts/angels).

Please send a 300-500-word abstract, paper title, and contact information to Dr. Bridget Roussell Cowlishaw (e-mail address shown below) in the body of an e-mail (no attachments, please). Though e-mail is preferred, snail-mail submissions may be made to the postal address shown below. The deadline for submissions is November 15, 2003.

For information about the PCA and ACA, please visit the web address provided bellow.