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Can All Weird Experiences Be Explained?
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I'm generally sceptical of the paranormal and view with suspicion the claims of psychics, spiritualists and the like. However I personally know many people who have had some very strange and inexplicable occurences.
Can ALL strange experiences really be explained by science, psychology etc?
Can ALL strange experiences really be explained by science, psychology etc?
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i generally disbelieve, but not that there is 'something' out there ... but the people who make the claims - on the whole they tend to be mistaken or liars.
i used to be very into all of that kind of thing and read a lot, watched documentaries etc etc ... and now i almost burst out laughing when i hear the tenuous 'evidence' some people claim as proof and what the presenters are going along with.
there is never anything of any substance.
saw a show about a woman claiming to have seen a bigfoot.
so the crew went down to investigate - turned out she hadn't 'seen' it, just had a smear on a window that looked a bit like a hand (which shed obviously wiped off...), a dent in her gate and a bent pole in her yard ... that was it, that was her evidence ...
i also had a friend who claimed all sorts of stuff - unbelievably far fetched garbage, and she had all sorts of followers.
but more and more i became exasperated with her claims ...so i began to challenge her for proof - and obviously she failed spectacularly.
one incident that made me laugh was when she played me a tape of a little girls voice that she claimed was a ghost voice ...
that was it, that was her 'evidence'...
she looked at me wide eyed expecting me to be be totally wowed by it ... she seemed totally convinced that this was irrefutable proof, and looked shocked when i said that its just a tape, not proof - i could make one tomorrow
the fact that she had a little girl said it all to me.
i challenged her when she claimed to be able to shape shift and astral project.
she said she could go anywhere she wanted, and laughed that she often went into her neighbours houses ... so i said, ok do it now, go to my house... and tell me what colour my bedroom carpet is ... she stared at me, she just didn't know how to respond, how to get out of it... obviously she couldn't tell me, and made some excuse ... i asked her again days later... still no answer...
she claimed to be able to control the weather... so i asked her to make sure it didn't rain when i had my driving test - she said yes sure! - it utterly poured down... and when i asked her why, she said she forgot the time and got distracted...
her ludicrous claims go on and on, claiming she could heal me, change this, make that happen ... obviously none of it worked...
the funniest one was when she claimed to be able to change her eye colour at will - obviously i said, go on then, she couldn't, but the next day showed me a photo on her phone of 'her' eye, which was now bright glowing green ... it was the eye they used on the start of big brother ... hahahaha!
all this wouldn't matter much, id just think she was some delusional idiot - but this woman ran a business as a psychic, people believed her, they relied on her, came back over and over and she took money for it... she also ran teaching groups teaching kids magic, and also did teaching sessions with adults...
which is why i began challenging her - that she was using this nonsense to lie to vulnerable people to suck them in an take their money, and then tried to suck me in too ... and i wasn't letting her get away with that...
i used to be very into all of that kind of thing and read a lot, watched documentaries etc etc ... and now i almost burst out laughing when i hear the tenuous 'evidence' some people claim as proof and what the presenters are going along with.
there is never anything of any substance.
saw a show about a woman claiming to have seen a bigfoot.
so the crew went down to investigate - turned out she hadn't 'seen' it, just had a smear on a window that looked a bit like a hand (which shed obviously wiped off...), a dent in her gate and a bent pole in her yard ... that was it, that was her evidence ...
i also had a friend who claimed all sorts of stuff - unbelievably far fetched garbage, and she had all sorts of followers.
but more and more i became exasperated with her claims ...so i began to challenge her for proof - and obviously she failed spectacularly.
one incident that made me laugh was when she played me a tape of a little girls voice that she claimed was a ghost voice ...
that was it, that was her 'evidence'...
she looked at me wide eyed expecting me to be be totally wowed by it ... she seemed totally convinced that this was irrefutable proof, and looked shocked when i said that its just a tape, not proof - i could make one tomorrow
the fact that she had a little girl said it all to me.
i challenged her when she claimed to be able to shape shift and astral project.
she said she could go anywhere she wanted, and laughed that she often went into her neighbours houses ... so i said, ok do it now, go to my house... and tell me what colour my bedroom carpet is ... she stared at me, she just didn't know how to respond, how to get out of it... obviously she couldn't tell me, and made some excuse ... i asked her again days later... still no answer...
she claimed to be able to control the weather... so i asked her to make sure it didn't rain when i had my driving test - she said yes sure! - it utterly poured down... and when i asked her why, she said she forgot the time and got distracted...
her ludicrous claims go on and on, claiming she could heal me, change this, make that happen ... obviously none of it worked...
the funniest one was when she claimed to be able to change her eye colour at will - obviously i said, go on then, she couldn't, but the next day showed me a photo on her phone of 'her' eye, which was now bright glowing green ... it was the eye they used on the start of big brother ... hahahaha!
all this wouldn't matter much, id just think she was some delusional idiot - but this woman ran a business as a psychic, people believed her, they relied on her, came back over and over and she took money for it... she also ran teaching groups teaching kids magic, and also did teaching sessions with adults...
which is why i began challenging her - that she was using this nonsense to lie to vulnerable people to suck them in an take their money, and then tried to suck me in too ... and i wasn't letting her get away with that...
A few months ago a friend of a FB friend passed away with Cancer. Because I am Pagan people tend to think for some odd reason I have a direct line to the afterlife, and this friend approached me to see if she should do a Seance to get in touch with her friend -she explained that her friend had promised to contact her from beyond the grave to let her know she was alright, a but nothing had happened yet. I persuaded her not to do this Seance as these things can cause more harm than good, so she reluctantly agreed not to. That night I got a sentence in my head -like a song you can't get rid of 'tell her strawberries she'll know' over and over. Next morning I emailed my friend and told her this -she emailed straight back and told me that in the last few weeks of life her friend could only face strawberries to eat and she would bring her some at every visit - I had no knowledge at all of this, could not have read it or heard it anywhere..I would love a rational explanation but can't find one.
After reading Joko's account, I'd like to change my statement from:
// I don't believe for a moment that those who report them are either deluded, stupid, or lying.//
to:
// I don't believe for a moment that all who report them are either deluded, stupid, or lying.//
Joko's lady is definitely suspect. :o)
// I don't believe for a moment that those who report them are either deluded, stupid, or lying.//
to:
// I don't believe for a moment that all who report them are either deluded, stupid, or lying.//
Joko's lady is definitely suspect. :o)
I have seen many ghostly things, most while staying at the royal castle hotel, dartmouth in the 70's. the place was running alive with them, all sorts of stuff going on. I had room number 4, which had a plaque on the door which said" sir francis Drake"
He apparantly had slept in that room. it was a four poster, and sometime during the night i awoke and the bed was shaking and all the curtain rings above
the bed were ringing. then the sound of someone walking across the room, the wardrobe door opened, and I was out of the room like a flash. went back in, all quiet.awake all night, nothing more. I must add, that when i arrived and was shown to my room, I unpacked and thought i will have a quick wash. I went to the sink, looked in the mirror and jumped back in fright, it was not my face, but a oldish man in a sailors type hat from the 1800's. I slowly moved back and looked again and this time it was me. So, i am not sure what to beleive.
He apparantly had slept in that room. it was a four poster, and sometime during the night i awoke and the bed was shaking and all the curtain rings above
the bed were ringing. then the sound of someone walking across the room, the wardrobe door opened, and I was out of the room like a flash. went back in, all quiet.awake all night, nothing more. I must add, that when i arrived and was shown to my room, I unpacked and thought i will have a quick wash. I went to the sink, looked in the mirror and jumped back in fright, it was not my face, but a oldish man in a sailors type hat from the 1800's. I slowly moved back and looked again and this time it was me. So, i am not sure what to beleive.
No, they cannot.
Most are more likely than not explainable through perfectly natural causes, but some, like this example about the ouija board and the fathers army number being enumerated seem to defy reason. And of course, the big problem with many of the events is that they are not reproducible.
Just have to chalk it up to "weird stuff sometimes happens" :)
Most are more likely than not explainable through perfectly natural causes, but some, like this example about the ouija board and the fathers army number being enumerated seem to defy reason. And of course, the big problem with many of the events is that they are not reproducible.
Just have to chalk it up to "weird stuff sometimes happens" :)
Quite, Naomi.
Also just because some things defy explanation, doesn't mean that there really is a spiritual world. Give us time to rule everything else out first! Finally as is often the case with these sort of thing no-one pays attention to all the times they thought something happened like that but they were wrong. Anecdotes like that are probably more common but far less interesting!
Also just because some things defy explanation, doesn't mean that there really is a spiritual world. Give us time to rule everything else out first! Finally as is often the case with these sort of thing no-one pays attention to all the times they thought something happened like that but they were wrong. Anecdotes like that are probably more common but far less interesting!
one of the problems i have most with these tales is than often they start with , "i was in bed and i was woken up by ...", "or i was dozing by the fire and ..."
and to me, as soon as someone says that then im afraid the tale they tell is suspect because dreams can be very realistic, lucid and frightening - but just because they feel real does not mean there are.
why do these tales rarely happen in broad daylight, or in front of 12 other people?
and to me, as soon as someone says that then im afraid the tale they tell is suspect because dreams can be very realistic, lucid and frightening - but just because they feel real does not mean there are.
why do these tales rarely happen in broad daylight, or in front of 12 other people?
#The glass then proceeded to give her my dads army number (even I dont know it). The number was correct. #
You say you don't know it but it appears your sister did. I would guess that was her test question. Which surprise , surprise the glass spelt out.
Had she not known the number and only found out when she got home that would have been a more creditable story.
,
You say you don't know it but it appears your sister did. I would guess that was her test question. Which surprise , surprise the glass spelt out.
Had she not known the number and only found out when she got home that would have been a more creditable story.
,
Joko - “... why do these tales rarely happen in broad daylight, or in front of 12 other people?...”
Quite.
I enjoyed your story about your so-called psychic friend. I've heard a great many tales like that and I've heard them told to other so-called psychics who generally respond by claiming that people like that give 'real' psychics a bad name!
Quite.
I enjoyed your story about your so-called psychic friend. I've heard a great many tales like that and I've heard them told to other so-called psychics who generally respond by claiming that people like that give 'real' psychics a bad name!
'Noth43' mentioned earlier about the $1 million prize that will be given to any person who can perform any 'supernatural' act under conditions agreed to by both the person being tested and the testers. It's called the JREF Challenge.
http://
The challenge has been going since 1964 (although the prize money was rather less back then) and strangely not a single person has got even close to passing it.
http://
The challenge has been going since 1964 (although the prize money was rather less back then) and strangely not a single person has got even close to passing it.
Most of the things are just cooked stories and illusion of a kind. But few are out of that circle and do not and will never have any explanation. But the common thinking is that only the one who goes through the experience knows what really happened but others do not believe him/her until they themselves experience something but then others will not believe them either and it carries on. People who only believe in something they see or experience themselves would always be there. And that is the fundamental of scepticism or atheism.
how do you explain this:
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birdie - lol yes that old chestnut - thats what she said.
she said thats why i was suspicious because of all the bad ones ruining it for the good ones ...
i also wonder why we never see ghosts etc in shops, cafes, any public places in the middle of the day ... its always night when people are alone
although, regarding the group sightings - me and 4 others did actually see ghost legs once ... we were hanging about in a park, aged about 15 and there was small tree in front of the hut - shaped kind of like a lollipop - and we saw this pair of white legs, with the body hidden behind the leaves, and we thought it was our friend who often wore white jeans ...
so we all watched him, made a few comments like we can see you, come out etc...
and then the legs turned and walked out from behind the tree...us expecting him to pop out... and nothing came out and the legs just faded away!
it was against a 30ft hut so he could not have gone anywhere else - we all just sat for a minute, and gradually started to realise what we'd just seen ... gradually starting to react ...
we all leapt up and ran off to the rest of our mates, in a sort of mild shock... we talked and even reenacted it, and he just could not have gone anywhere and not be seen ... so for the next few weeks, we would walk around the park ghost hunting haha!
but even when people go ghost- or monster- hunting - they wait until night, use night vision goggles - yet only bother to bring one camera which they invariably point at their own face, instead of where theyre searching.
all the 'evidence' they come away with consists of small noises that happen just off camera - and all we see is the hosts reaction - usually " oh my god did you hear that, what was that" etc, or "ooh it feels cold here" or "someone just brushed against me" - its never anything proper...nothing ever flies across the room, or floats in mid air ... and if it does, they never catch it on camera - just a broken pot on the floor
but i sit and watch with my boyfriend and he gets all into it ... and then moans at me for pointing out how feeble it all it - he says he likes to get into and i am ruining it ...which is fine because it doesnt affect his life in any way, but interesting that he wants to be fooled...
she said thats why i was suspicious because of all the bad ones ruining it for the good ones ...
i also wonder why we never see ghosts etc in shops, cafes, any public places in the middle of the day ... its always night when people are alone
although, regarding the group sightings - me and 4 others did actually see ghost legs once ... we were hanging about in a park, aged about 15 and there was small tree in front of the hut - shaped kind of like a lollipop - and we saw this pair of white legs, with the body hidden behind the leaves, and we thought it was our friend who often wore white jeans ...
so we all watched him, made a few comments like we can see you, come out etc...
and then the legs turned and walked out from behind the tree...us expecting him to pop out... and nothing came out and the legs just faded away!
it was against a 30ft hut so he could not have gone anywhere else - we all just sat for a minute, and gradually started to realise what we'd just seen ... gradually starting to react ...
we all leapt up and ran off to the rest of our mates, in a sort of mild shock... we talked and even reenacted it, and he just could not have gone anywhere and not be seen ... so for the next few weeks, we would walk around the park ghost hunting haha!
but even when people go ghost- or monster- hunting - they wait until night, use night vision goggles - yet only bother to bring one camera which they invariably point at their own face, instead of where theyre searching.
all the 'evidence' they come away with consists of small noises that happen just off camera - and all we see is the hosts reaction - usually " oh my god did you hear that, what was that" etc, or "ooh it feels cold here" or "someone just brushed against me" - its never anything proper...nothing ever flies across the room, or floats in mid air ... and if it does, they never catch it on camera - just a broken pot on the floor
but i sit and watch with my boyfriend and he gets all into it ... and then moans at me for pointing out how feeble it all it - he says he likes to get into and i am ruining it ...which is fine because it doesnt affect his life in any way, but interesting that he wants to be fooled...
No they have not all been explained for the simple reason that they depend on anecdotes. Anecdotes, by definition, are accounts of something that has already happened and therefore cannot be analysed by an objective observer.
naomi is right: one doesn't have to assume that the person telling the story is an idiot or dishonest or whatever: they are telling the truth as they saw/experienced it. But there may be lots more information which they simply didn't notice - too late now to correct that.
What one can say is that all proper double-blind tests done on ESP, dowsing, spritualism and so on have shown them to have no basis in fact. None of those many ghost-hunting expeditions has ever produced any worthwhile results. The ouija-board phenomenon is easily explained and has been many times.
naomi is right: one doesn't have to assume that the person telling the story is an idiot or dishonest or whatever: they are telling the truth as they saw/experienced it. But there may be lots more information which they simply didn't notice - too late now to correct that.
What one can say is that all proper double-blind tests done on ESP, dowsing, spritualism and so on have shown them to have no basis in fact. None of those many ghost-hunting expeditions has ever produced any worthwhile results. The ouija-board phenomenon is easily explained and has been many times.
-- answer removed --
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