Joe Nickell's Argumentative Essay

Paranormal activity has been a hot topic worldwide for decades. Horror movies, novels, and television shows have been based on myths, legends, and even stories that are claimed to be true. Since many choose to watch or read about ghosts, there is debate over the authenticity of the stories and the existence of apparitions altogether. Author Joe Nickell, a stage magician, private investigator, and journalist argues that his experience with apparitions proves that paranormal accounts are entirely false, specifically involving notoriously haunted hotels, inns, and other lodgings. He offers several premises to debunk the ghostly accounts of people worldwide, using quotes and analysis from a variety of researchers and also his own personal encounters.
To begin his argument, Nickell (2009) defines a common type of hallucination that takes place in between the states of consciousness, known as a waking dream. During this type of hallucination, bright lights and unusual images can appear. Because of the nature of this type of hallucination, the author uses a real-life account of a paranormal experience that took place on a former ocean liner. The woman on the boat, A.C., recalls waking up in the middle of the night and seeing a figure dressed in all white leaving her room (J. Nickell, 2009). Nickell simply labels this as “an obvious waking dream” (2009). Since the author failed to offer anymore evidence to support this claim, the premise lacks validity, as this specific example of an apparitional event cannot be proven to be a waking dream. Nickell merely takes an arbitrary account and claims that it is false with lack of any evidentiary support. Similarly, in the next premise, Nickell presents the idea of daydreams. During a daydream, the recipient is triggered by a noise, smell, or other type of stimulus and a mental image is then formed (J. Nickell, 2009). Although waking dreams and daydreams differ slightly, they are still a common form of hallucination. The author then proceeded to use three different accounts at la Posada de Santa Fe, a New Mexico hotel. All three
Nickell should reconstruct his argument in a way that presents both sides of the argument, present significant logic that fuels his claims, and make clearer assumptions without any qualifying statements that may throw his audience. With these specific elements, the author can work towards persuading readers to consider his side on the argument. If Nickell chooses to keep the argument as is, his poorly composed argument may sway readers away from his opinion and