Do Paranormalists Need a Hug?

[westphalia]

Does it occur to anyone else that the foundation of some paranormalist beliefs - UFOs and CTs, primarily, though there are other examples, to be sure - is an intense self-hatred? Perhaps "denigration" might be a better term, but it seems to me that folks who insist on believing in UFOs - particularly vis-a-vis alien intervention in human affairs - can't imagine mankind doing a single positive thing to help himself.

Tonight's Coast to Coast AM (or, as I like to call it, "Hoax to Hoax") replayed a 1997 interview with Philip Corso, who read off a litany of inventions that came not from the minds of human scientists, but from back-engineered alien crash artifacts. Integrated circuits, night-vision, fiberoptics, etc. - all came from outer space, not from Earth.

Of course it's demonstrable nonsense. But the theme is pretty constant. Man couldn't possibly be smart enough, industrious enough, far-sighted enough to have conceived of such things. It had to come from above. We're just not that bright.

Other Paranormal beliefs use this line of argument, too. We couldn't build pyramids without alien help; we're being abducted, probed and raped by aliens because we are so genetically primitive that we need adjusting (having been the product of alien experimentation, anyway); our governments are in league with aliens, allowing them to abduct, rape and probe random citizens, in exchange for cool toys we're too stupid to invent ourselves. We're accused of killing the planet by our very presence upon it. Our leaders are killing us, planning our enslavement (the Illuminati and George Bush are working on this), manipulating our weather, hoarding medical treatments, forcing us to pay high gas prices, refusing to tell us the truth about our ancient past, etc., because humans are rotten at the core, and can't be trusted to be altruistic.

Do paranormalists need a hug from Dr. Phil, or am I off?

 

[Gravy]

If we're so advanced, why is there Coast to Coast?

 

[westphalia]

 

[Zep]

No, these people need a brain, preferably wired in and functional. You described a simple Argument from Incredulity. They are literally saying: "I don't understand these concepts and I can't figure out where to find out stuff about them, so they MUST have been from aliens/Atlanteans/Thetans/etc." Reality is that they are thick; too thick to find out even basic stuff in a library.

 

[Bodhi Dharma Zen]

Both a hug and a brain. They do feel "inferior" and thats why they look for some magic to make them feel "special". Now, most of us have been "woo" for at least a period of our lifes, but when exposed with knowledge we can easily abandon the need to be "special".

Now, the strange thing is that not everybody can, and we have our own very special examples in the forum to prove that

 

[gfunkusarelius]

i dont know, maybe you are reading too much into it. i am sure some people latch onto this sort of fantasy due to self loathing, but i think for the majority of people i have met just like it because it is much more interesting to them than the real answers (and as some have implied, probably due to the fact that it is much easier to "understand" than reality). it seems like basically people want to believe in the supernatural and they lose touch with reality because they choose to. i love reading these forums to see everyones thought on nonsense, but i cant stand arguing with people on these subjects- there is no arguing with someone who foresakes facts for the benefit of their fantasy. you simply can't win. as someone pointed out on the "flight 93" thread-if someone wants to believe something, they simply discard all the "facts" against their theory on the grounds that the "Facts" were fabricated as part of a conspiracy.

 

[Palimpsest]

Other Paranormal beliefs use this line of argument, too. We couldn't build pyramids without alien help; we're being abducted, probed and raped by aliens because we are so genetically primitive that we need adjusting (having been the product of alien experimentation, anyway); our governments are in league with aliens, allowing them to abduct, rape and probe random citizens, in exchange for cool toys we're too stupid to invent ourselves. We're accused of killing the planet by our very presence upon it. Our leaders are killing us, planning our enslavement (the Illuminati and George Bush are working on this), manipulating our weather, hoarding medical treatments, forcing us to pay high gas prices, refusing to tell us the truth about our ancient past, etc., because humans are rotten at the core, and can't be trusted to be altruistic.

I agree. It comes from the same place as fundie Xianity, I think: the human race is fallen and ickybad, and only the stain-removing power of Jeebus can help us.

Just one little nitpick. When it comes to pyramids it's not self-denigration. What you have is Europeans or North Americans believing that ancient Egyptians (who are, after all, Africans) couldn't possibly have done the things they did on their own. It's a very racist assumption, and all the more insidious because it's usually unspoken.

 

[senorpogo]

I think, lack of logic aside, most of them could definately use a hug.

 

[Strider1974]

In my opinion people believe in the paranormal because they want a world view that is warm and fuzzy, one that meshes with what they want (or are prepared) to believe. In the past these people were all directed to religoius groups but today a lot of people are dissatisfied with religion so they look to the paranormal.

 

[westphalia]

With great comments like these, now I'm feeling inferior, and will go seek a hug.

Great comments, folks. Thanks!