When the Veil is Thin

Researching the paranormal frequently involves the study of how people discuss paranormal phenomena’s significance in popular culture. Using Victor Turner’s concept of the liminoid, in this article I survey The Simpsons’ annual “Treehouse of Horror” episodes and suggest that thinking with these episodes can help scholars re-envision the academic construction of religion and the paranormal. I will argue that scholars should collapse the distinction between “religion” and “the paranormal” in academic and popular discussions.