Hello from a non-skeptic

[Akhenaten]

Biggar is better.

Post of the thread right here

The one-liners are easy, my friend, but it was you who did the hard yards.

 

[Mojo]

You are certainly not qualified to evaluate my work...

Out of interest, what qualifications do you consider necessary, and why?

 

[Charles Boden]

Hi Charles Boden, The post that you created in the following thread has been deleted ----- Post ID: Alice, your research on genealogy is about as shallow as you... Thread: Hello from a non-skeptic Reason: Moderated thread. -----

This is in auto-mod deletion and the above has been copied and pasted from my "notifications".

Interestingly enough, last night I was watching a program on the prophecies of Nostradamus on History Channel and saw a couple of interviews with Mr James Randi. When I first came here, I had no idea of the size of the Skeptic magazine, the fact that there was a magazine, or even the "million dollar prize". I came with a specific question. Of your own initiative, my book was dug out and posted here. When I saw that it had been, I thought "Oh heck", for whatever credibility I might initially have hoped for seemed doomed, but I felt I had to justify what I wrote and I led you all through it. It was not my initial intention, but I rode it through with all of you...

Despite whatever you might say, with all your "no, it isn't" and "no, it doesn't", my own personal experience has proven to me that "yes, it is" and "yes, it does". Your argumentations are one-sided, in stubborn insistance against anything that might be contrary to your claims. You look at the issue from one side, not from both sides. Naturally the result will be as you expect it to be...

A recent film that has been made about the Brazilian medium Chico Xavier tells the story of a famous interview of his on TV many years ago, in which behind the cameras a skeptic TV director who had lost a son was saying: "Do you believe in all this crap?" At the end of the program, Chico Xavier was asked to do a psychography (which you all wish to call "the ideomotor effect"). End of the program, Chico Xavier approaches the TV director and says: "I was told to give this to you."

This TV director's son had died because of a gun-shot caused by a friend. The father wished him sentenced (naturally), but in the letter what was written convinced him of the contrary, for the letter was from his son. In this letter, the Spirit of this young lad was telling him that his grandfather was also with him. During his life, the boy's grandfather had always told the boy's father that he never watched his programs. At his death bed, in a coma, the boy's father made mention that he wished that he had. In the psychographed letter, the boy said to him that the accused was innocent. That it had been an accident. And that this man's father wished to tell him that he had always watched his programs and was very proud of him. The man was so convinced by what he read that the letter was presented in court by the boy's father in defence of the accused, who was absolved. I do hope that you will experience something similar some day and change your minds. The current knowledge of science does not hold the answers for this. To believe in this is an error.

Just like this boy's father, I have also encountered "impossible" situations such as the one above, that have convinced me of the veracity of spirituality. Contrarily to what you might wish to say, people are NOT prone to believing, but to an intermediary position of doubt, one way or the other. I could tell you of how ill I felt last Saturday night when I gave a friend who has been suffering from alcohol and cocaine dependance a hug, because I felt the awful presence that was accompanying him. I could tell you of countless personal situations in which I was told of things that only I could know, just as did thousands with Chico Xavier's psychographed letters. I could tell you many things, but your minds are already set, therefore I will persist no longer.

Dlorde, it's a pity that you and so many others seemed to have learned nothing from all this and from your participation in the CPL forum. And do tell Mr Randi that yes, the messages in Nostradamus's work are "encoded", just as in researching the particle "Stuart" of my family name I opened up practically a universe of information. Believe in nothing, and you will receive nothing. Look upon the issue from another angle, and a whole universe will open up before you.

I will not be returning here to read any further. And this time it is a promise. Whatever you might say from now on, it will be as condemnable as your saying to me that the post above was not deleted, that my genealogy is wrong, and so many other false accusations and argumentations such as the ones you have used and have accused me of doing.

One day, we will all find out "the truth". Who knows if we might not discuss this issue again then...

I wish you all well.

Charles

 

[Mojo]

At the end of the program, Chico Xavier was asked to do a psychography (which you all wish to call "the ideomotor effect"). End of the program, Chico Xavier approaches the TV director and says: "I was told to give this to you."

This TV director's son had died because of a gun-shot caused by a friend. The father wished him sentenced (naturally), but in the letter what was written convinced him of the contrary, for the letter was from his son. In this letter, the Spirit of this young lad was telling him that his grandfather was also with him. During his life, the boy's grandfather had always told the boy's father that he never watched his programs. At his death bed, in a coma, the boy's father made mention that he wished that he had. In the psychographed letter, the boy said to him that the accused was innocent. That it had been an accident. And that this man's father wished to tell him that he had always watched his programs and was very proud of him. The man was so convinced by what he read that the letter was presented in court by the boy's father in defence of the accused, who was absolved.

Ever heard of hot reading?

Or of telling people what they want to hear? Do you really think this is an indication of an accurate reading:

During his life, the boy's grandfather had always told the boy's father that he never watched his programs. At his death bed, in a coma, the boy's father made mention that he wished that he had. In the psychographed letter ... this man's father wished to tell him that he had always watched his programs and was very proud of him.

 

[EHocking]

Ever heard of hot reading?

Or of telling people what they want to hear? Do you really think this is an indication of an accurate reading:

It must be since, it was presented in a 2010 film based on a 2004 book both written after Xavier's death in 2002.

How much more compelling anecdotal evidence you you need?

 

[Pixel42]

Looks like Charles had a post rejected during the few days this thread was on moderated status, and this is the source of his belief that he has had posts deleted. It's probably just as well he's not coming back, because explaining the difference to someone of his mindset would probably have been impossible.

I like that his last post contained what he undoubtedy failed to realise was a perfect description of himself though ...

Your argumentations are one-sided, in stubborn insistance against anything that might be contrary to your claims. You look at the issue from one side, not from both sides. Naturally the result will be as you expect it to be...

 

[RoboTimbo]

The problem is that whatever argumentations you might present cannot take away my own personal experience and what I have come to learn from them.

I hope you have learned to hide your IP address when editing Wiki articles to support your fantasies.

 

[Akhenaten]

This is in auto-mod deletion and the above has been copied and pasted from my "notifications".

You pretty much refuse to understand, don't you Charles? It's very hard to feel sympathetic in the face of your self-imposed confusion.

My recommendation at this stage would be for you to PM the mod who 'deleted' your post from the moderated thread and ask for clarification. The mod's name in this case will be AutoModAction.

I look forward to reading AMA's response to you.

Interestingly enough, last night I was watching a program on the prophecies of Nostradamus on History Channel and saw a couple of interviews with Mr James Randi. When I first came here, I had no idea of the size of the Skeptic magazine, the fact that there was a magazine, or even the "million dollar prize". I came with a specific question. Of your own initiative, my book was dug out and posted here. When I saw that it had been, I thought "Oh heck", for whatever credibility I might initially have hoped for seemed doomed, but I felt I had to justify what I wrote and I led you all through it. It was not my initial intention, but I rode it through with all of you...

Such bwavewy and hewowism are not without their wewards, Charles. Long will your expwoits be discussed here in hushed and awed tones, just as are those of the iconic George Simpson.

Despite whatever you might say, with all your "no, it isn't" and "no, it doesn't", my own personal experience has proven to me that "yes, it is" and "yes, it does". Your argumentations are one-sided, in stubborn insistance against anything that might be contrary to your claims. You look at the issue from one side, not from both sides. Naturally the result will be as you expect it to be...

Your experiences, Charles, are nothing more than anecdotes, whether we say so or not. They can't even prove that you're fooling yourself because we have no way of knowing whether you even believe them. It would probably be the most charitable thing we could do to assume that you know it's all make-believe and that you're spinning a yarn in hope of flogging a few books. The less-charitable options I'll leave to your own vivid imagination.

<drivel>

You really don't know when to quit, do you?

Dlorde, it's a pity that you and so many others seemed to have learned nothing from all this and from your participation in the CPL forum. And do tell Mr Randi that yes, the messages in Nostradamus's work are "encoded", just as in researching the particle "Stuart" of my family name I opened up practically a universe of information. Believe in nothing, and you will receive nothing. Look upon the issue from another angle, and a whole universe will open up before you.

Claiming that people have failed to learn anything simply because they haven't come around to thinking the same things that you do is arrogant and offensive. That's no way to treat your readers, is it?

Nostra-bloody-dumbarse??? And you reckon we have failed to learn anything? Geeze Louise, Charles, you're in no position to be casting aspersions.

I will not be returning here to read any further. And this time it is a promise. Whatever you might say from now on, it will be as condemnable as your saying to me that the post above was not deleted, that my genealogy is wrong, and so many other false accusations and argumentations such as the ones you have used and have accused me of doing.

Does this mean the questions about Biggar have gone into the 'Too Hard' basket?

BTW, have you Googled "doing a Melba" yet?

One day, we will all find out "the truth". Who knows if we might not discuss this issue again then...

I do. I asked my future self about it and he said "No way, José!"

I wish you all well.

Charles

Kewl. I'll pass that on to Hadrian and Montezuma.

 

[iknownothing]

I do hope that you will experience something similar some day and change your minds.

Why do you think people here have not experienced such things?

Contrarily to what you might wish to say, people are NOT prone to believing, but to an intermediary position of doubt, one way or the other.

This is the main problem. You simply don't want to believe the evidence, evidence which shows how easily people are misled into believing in supernatural explanations for things.

I've missed some of this thread; did Charles ever respond to the idea of doing the test on the Ouija board?

 

[Akhenaten]

I've missed some of this thread; did Charles ever respond to the idea of doing the test on the Ouija board?

He believes he did, but no.

 

[EHocking]

Ever heard of hot reading?

I'm wondering how much of this incident Charles is misremembering or how much of it has been invented in the book and film?

There is a copy of a book by the Medical Spiritist Association of São Paulo (AME-SP), Life's Triumph, that has a different version of affairs.

In short,

Distressed, his parents - like other parents - went to Uberaba to receive spiritual assistance from Chico Xavier. At the Spiritist Group for Prayer, Maurício’s parents received an unexpected message from their son, which was published in full in one of the issues of the Folha Espírita.

His parent's names were José Henrique and Dejanira Garcez Henrique.
Not Orlando and Gloria (as listed in IMDB's entry for the film).

The Orlando in the story was most likely, Orlando Criscuolo, who was a newspaper reporter from Diários Associados covering the court case.

The story about an atheist TV presenter being the father and receiving an unsolicited message from his dead son after taping a show on Xavier appears to be a complete invention, embellishment, and well, a lie.

 

[Big Les]

Ha. Even his obfuscatory digressions get annihilated in a matter of hours.

 

[EHocking]

I would have replied earlier if I had read his post sooner!

BTW, I meant to offer my M3 Too, in support of your article on Charles' book.

Up to your usual (high) standard.

I do rather miss a "good" dowsing thread though.
Haven't seen one for some time on the Forum.

 

[Olowkow]

Dlorde, it's a pity that you and so many others seemed to have learned nothing from all this and from your participation in the CPL forum.

This is melodramatic exit #7, by the way. Boy, it is getting more and more difficult to defend Charles. Every single line of his most recent post is startling.

I believe we have learned much more than you or they at PLF have. I learned that there is a certain personality type that needs to believe in reincarnation in order to give their life meaning, that this belief is remarkably persistent, and the believer is tenacious in his refusal to investigate any rational evidence to the contrary.

Your feeling that we have not looked at both sides is merely due to the fact that you never presented an "other" side with any evidence. I think I now understand your point of view, which doesn't mean I agree at all. I can actually visualize how you strongly believe that your integrity is intact.

Some of the dozens of posts I read at PLF are just misdirected and misunderstood details about the real world and are essentially harmless, while others could present dangers to those who are clinging to such beliefs. It really seems that some people have no method for distinguishing fantasy from reality. This is one of the casualties of a disdain for science.

 

[Elizabeth I]

BTW, have you Googled "doing a Melba" yet?

Not to mention a Kareem-Abdul Jabbar or a Cher...

 

[Alice Shortcake]

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr Charles Boden - more flounces than a Victorian ballgown!

 

[Big Les]

I would have replied earlier if I had read his post sooner!

BTW, I meant to offer my M3 Too, in support of your article on Charles' book.

Up to your usual (high) standard.

I do rather miss a "good" dowsing thread though.
Haven't seen one for some time on the Forum.

Likewise! And thank you. I'm overdue a new post actually. I have a couple of ideas in mind, but as ever suggestions/new leads are gratefully received!

 

[dlorde]

... I came with a specific question. Of your own initiative, my book was dug out and posted here. When I saw that it had been, I thought "Oh heck", for whatever credibility I might initially have hoped for seemed doomed,

Not to worry Charles, no-one has any initial credibility when they first post here until they present a reasoned argument and/or evidence. Sadly, the book and your arguments failed to establish your credibility - rather the opposite, in fact.

Dlorde, it's a pity that you and so many others seemed to have learned nothing from all this and from your participation in the CPL forum.

On the contrary, I learned a great deal, much more than I expected - and in a strange sort of way, I'm grateful to you for providing me the opportunity. I'm only sorry that you don't appear to have learned as much as I have. If you'd like to, you can still follow the links, read the articles, and try the suggested experiments.

 

[FSM]

Charles.... Oh Charles. You know you'll be back.

What about Biggar? You do realize that everything you said in all your other posts about every little secret, private Xavieresque ancedote means nothing if you can't give a proper answer to The Biggar Problem.

It is proof that your modern mind draws conclusions stemming from your anguished and grasping emotional (yet imaginative) neediness and tries to --perhaps subconsciously-- mask it in 'ye olde' ness for legitimacy... The Biggar Problem appears when your modern mind has overshot a bit and your 'ye olde'ness lacks historical accuracy.

Would you like to explain The Biggar Problem differently? I promise to hear you out. If you don't come back to explain, I think we can safely say that I called it spot on.

 

[Apology]

I'm still hoping for double-blind otherworldly messages from Candyland personally. While I think there's a good possibility that Charles will be back, I don't think he'll be addressing the Biggar questions (heh) or doing Ouija experiments at home any time soon. He wouldn't want to rock his own all-knowing pedestal.