Have you ever experienced a paranormal phenomenon?

[Lonewulf]

Just want to add that six7s does not speak for me, and I do not think of this as a "skeptics only club".

And yes, you are right on all accounts with the tolerance and respect being ideal. I don't follow through with this myself, but I usually give what I get. I admit this is a weakness of mine, however.

 

[Limbo]

Maybe it's a cyborg thing.

 

[Lonewulf]

Nah, probably my desire to keep my humanity at the cost of being silly.

 

[six7s]

Isn't that what this forum is for? To debate? Ideally with tolerance and respect?

Yep.

But, last time I looked, this ain't an ideal whirled

Or is it a skeptics only club where you guys just sit around with each other chewing the fat, patting each other on the back, and making fun of "woo-woos"?

Whether or not you feel like it, you are now part of the 'you guys'

I have a hunch that you'll find sincere attempts to discuss observations (in a polite manner, openly and intelligently) are repaid in kind

Posts containing nothing but ridiculous woo-affirming woo are also repaid in kind

 

[Limbo]

In that case Lonewulf I will embrace your weakness, for humanity's sake!

 

[six7s]

Just want to add that six7s does not speak for me

Nor do I want to

I do not think of this as a "skeptics only club"

This ain't forums.mylittleguardianangel.com

 

[Lonewulf]

Nor do I want to

Nor did I claim that you did.

[qimg]http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/images/header/jrefheadertext.gif[/qimg]​

This ain't forums.mylittleguardianangel.com

Ah. So we should get rid of the million dollar challenge section of the forum, as that necessarily requires contaminating people with "woo claims"...

Not to mention we should work to ban every non-skeptic, right? We certainly wouldn't want to "educate" people that need it, nosirree! After all, a place to discuss skepticism, critical thinking, the paranormal, and science in a friendly and lively way automatically means that only skeptics are allowed here!

Just like a website called biblical studies, entitled a place to discuss biblical studies in a friendly and lively way automatically means no atheists allowed.

 

[Rodney]

get a dog

Is that your way of saying that you can't find an on-line video of an 8-9 year-old performing spoonbending in the manner described by Lusikka?

 

[six7s]

Is that your way of saying that you can't find an on-line video of an 8-9 year-old performing spoonbending in the manner described by Lusikka?

No

It's my way of saying that I won't do your research for you. If you want to 'find an on-line video of an 8-9 year-old performing spoonbending in the manner described by Lusikka' consider utilising the tool at your fingertips

 

[Rodney]

No

It's my way of saying that I won't do your research for you.

So why did you post the off-point Shermer video?

If you want to 'find an on-line video of an 8-9 year-old performing spoonbending in the manner described by Lusikka' consider utilising the tool at your fingertips

Can't find one.

 

[six7s]

So why did you post the off-point Shermer video?

To illustrate that spoonbending is childs-play

Can't find one.

Maybe a seeing-eye dog?

 

[fls]

If that's true, it should be easy to direct me to an on-line video of an 8-9 year-old performing this trick in the manner described by Lusikka; i.e., "bending even my big dessert spoons by only lightly rubbing them or merely holding them between their small hands. Everything happened openly an well visible to all adults sitting and standing aroud."

When you're in the area, you could pop by and watch my kids' magic show.

Why did you take Lusikka's words at face value, but my observations require the support of YouTube?

Linda

 

[fls]

It's hard to guess how different I would be right now if I had not experienced what I have experienced in my life. I would probably still be a mainstream Christian. Instead I'm a freelance quasi-mystic, I suppose. A heretic by Christian standards.

I've had many experiences, but looking back I think it was the "poltergeist" incident and the "UFO" incident that really got me looking.

The "poltergeist" incident happened when I was about 17. My friend Derrick and I went out to a little get together, and Derricks pregnant wife Cathy stayed home at their apartment with her girlfriends. Well they played with a Ouija board, and when Derrick and I returned it was paranormal chaos and panic to make a long story short. I chalked it up to demons at the time. As a Christian I did my duty as I saw it and said some prayers with Cathy and Derrick. It seemed to work...or at least help a bit.

Then the "UFO" that a friend and I saw a few years later. BIG, FAST, and CLOSE. And silent. Graceful, playful.

And then there's the numerous instances of anomalous cognition and strange dreams. So yeah, I'm a "woo" by most standards around here. Yeah. I get it. I understand the hostility. Hostility from some quarters of religion, and hostility from some quarters of secularism.

At least I have the comfort of knowing that my position is actually grounded in personal experience and subsequent study of relevant fields, and none of you can take that away from people like me.

I realize that we all do different things with these experiences that are unsettling and profound. And not everybody shares these experiences to begin with. But I'm not sure of the extent to which the nature of these events turn people into believers, as demonstrated by this thread (although I imagine that you can trivialize others' experiences in order to get around that).

In all sincerity, I too have the comfort of knowing that my position is grounded in personal experience and subsequent study of relevant fields.

There have been endless discussions about whether any particular style is useful or finds a supportive environment here. I have my opinion which has earned me the same treatment that you complain about.

Linda

 

[Rodney]

When you're in the area, you could pop by and watch my kids' magic show.

Do they do spoonbending in a manner that would convince most adults that they have a paranormal ability?

Why did you take Lusikka's words at face value, but my observations require the support of YouTube?

I didn't take Lusikka's words at face value -- I stated: "If Lusikka's account is accurate, what stands out here is the age of the boys -- only 8 and 9 -- and so rather young to be adept magicians."

 

[stonequarry]

DAMN, so far 9 people have claimed to have been abducted by aliens. Seriously? 9 people just on this form? Come on now! You people weren’t on acid (LSD) now were you? I’ll admit you see some weird stuff on that drug and come to completely irrational conclusions about what you think you are seeing. But the next day you know it was all just the drug. This has to be a joke. If 9 people on this form claim to have been abducted that means either this form is way beyond the curve of normal abduction rates or this form is full of nuts. WOW! I am just floored from seeing that if it isn’t just people joking around.

-Kyle

I was thinking the same thing.
I was literally LOL when I read some of the posts about alien abductions.
But then again your name is 'Clairvoyant Kyle' so what does that say?
So much woo this world just does not need.

 

[fls]

Do they do spoonbending in a manner that would convince most adults that they have a paranormal ability?

Why the 'most adults' stipulation? The only adult that Lusikka described as being convinced was himself and he started out wanting to believe.

I didn't take Lusikka's words at face value -- I stated: "If Lusikka's account is accurate, what stands out here is the age of the boys -- only 8 and 9 -- and so rather young to be adept magicians."

If something doesn't make sense, the simplest approach is to first discover whether or not Lusikka has misrepresented the situation.

Linda

 

[lauwersw]

...a very long and barely-illuminated tunnel that had been carved out of the rock, it lead to the old weapon storage room which we wanted to see. As we walked towards the room, I had this feeling of opression and of being watched.

...one of the oldest churches in Lyon which also had a medieval underground crypt holding the remains of a saint...

I had to think immediately about the research of Vic Tandy, who explains paranormal experiences with standing infrasound waves. Search google for "Ghost Story Low Frequency Illusions"

Not that it must have been the explanation in your case, but it could. Also the special atmosphere of old buildings can already be enough for some people.

 

[I Ratant]

I had to think immediately about the research of Vic Tandy, who explains paranormal experiences with standing infrasound waves. Search google for "Ghost Story Low Frequency Illusions"

Not that it must have been the explanation in your case, but it could. Also the special atmosphere of old buildings can already be enough for some people.

.
Quite similar to the ethylene found coming from the fissures at Delphi.

 

[Kaylee]

the research of Vic Tandy, who explains paranormal experiences with standing infrasound waves. Search google for "Ghost Story Low Frequency Illusions"

.
Quite similar to the ethylene found coming from the fissures at Delphi.

Cool. And as long as we are listing alternative explanations for psychic phenomena here’s another one that I learned about from the JREF forums:

Tactile and gustatory hallucinations can be explained by an unusual form of epilepsy vs. DMILS or bio-PK.

 

[Limbo]

.
Quite similar to the ethylene found coming from the fissures at Delphi.

Wait wait wait. Is it your contention that ethylene intoxication is an "alternative explanation for psychic phenomena" in the case of the Oracle of Delphi?