What does paranormal mean?

When people hear of the word paranormal, most of the times they are thinking about the ghost stories and hauntings that they have heard about in their lifetime. What exactly is paranormal though? Does the term only classify hauntings, poltergeist, shadow people, and residual energy of a location? Or is the term much deeper than what people normally think of when they hear the word paranormal? 

To get the just of it, people have to break down the word paranormal. The word stems from the Greek word Para. 
Para just like many other words, depending on the culture, means different things. There's an old quote about asking people about information. "Ask one hundred people the same question, you're going to get one hundred different answers." One of the definitions of Para is the term "contrary to". So could one say that paranormal is anything contrary to normal actions and beliefs? 

So could one say that something that is paranormal goes against the majority of societies beliefs? Nearly three billion people believe in God and the Christian Bible. Yet, things like premonitions, psychic ability, energy manipulation, and conversing with the dead are considered paranormal in the world today. In the book of Numbers, chapter 27, verse 18 it reads "So the Lord said to Moses, "Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him" Is this not what we call the practice of Reiki today?

Once again, if a person asked a hundred people what they thought the paranormal was that same person would obtain one hundred different answers. So a person has to ask themselves what the concept of normal is to the group that they are asking. Many cultures for centuries have been warding off evil spirits and communing with their ancestors. Many cultures offer gifts and sacrifices to their ancestors but to some people in the world, this is considered Paranormal. 

Take for example the story of the Jersey Devil. Folklore of dragons it may be but definitely something not normal to most of society. This creature is reported to inhabit the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey. What does the Jersey Devil look like? Personal reports have been of a quick moving creature with a blood-curdling scream. No one can actually give a full detailed description of the creature. People started reporting about this animal like the demon of the Pine Barrens. This Folklore and sighting may have started in the age of Ben Franklin but indigenous cultures around the world have been believing in creatures like the Jersey Devil for centuries.

What does Paranormal Explored consider what is paranormal is and what it isn't? Honestly, we try to take an unbias stance on the topic. It is our goal to share information about what other people might consider energy manipulation, hauntings, psychic ability, energy influences on the world, and more. 

As you can see, what one culture may think is paranormal may be everyday life for another culture in the world. The term paranormal depends on the topic and about whom you are asking about the topic.