COMMENT:Baker argues that many seemingly paranormal experiences are better explained within normal psychology. He particularly emphasizes how memory is always actively reconstructed, with plenty of room for confabulation and also "hidden memories" not easily available for ordinary recall. The result is a readable nontechnical book with useful information on many claims, including UFO abductions, past-life regression, hypnosis, and so forth. However, the book is also over-long, repetitive, and rather disorganized. It preaches to the converted skeptic; and even then, readers are liable to suspect "cryptomnesia" serves too much as a vague catch-all explanation.
