Large Brazilian Study Maps How People Experience the Uncanny and What It Means

A large Brazilian study (5,117 participants) used the Inventory of Nonordinary Experiences (INOE) to catalog 38 uncanny events and analyze their contexts, durations, and aftermath. Findings show most experiences occur while awake, are often neutral or positive, and many people attribute them to random chance or meaningful signals rather than clear causes. The study suggests such experiences can be meaningful or even beneficial for personal growth and aims to reduce stigma while highlighting the need for further research to support those who report them, with results published in PLOS One.