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Is talking telepathy possible? Yes

laca said:
Seconded.
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Thirded.

Any suggestions on how to do that? It's hard to tell across the language barrier, but it sounds like a) people have told him in person that they think he's schizophrenic, and b) he's talked to a doctor already. IANAD, but I suspect that explaining how to construct a double blind test is basically enabling his delusion.
 
The Norseman said:
Does Ad Man or someone else who is fluent in Norwegian wish to give it a try?
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Unfortunately (and sadly for me, since I'm half Norwegian), my Norsk is very limited and requires the aid of Google language tools...

However, I am also beginning to think that mental illness may be involved.
 
TmoonII said:
Which one of him has talked to which doctor?
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I interpret this reply:

ben m said:
glf5b: have you ever told your doctor about this?
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glf5b said:
to Ben M: she is not at my channel, but she think it's "fascinated"
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as meaning "The doctor can't hear my telepathy because she's not at my channel, but I told her about it and she thinks it's fascinating."

Which (even if I'm parsing right) could mean anything. It could mean his doctor said something random and his delusion twisted it to mean the above. It could mean his doctor said 'that's fascinating, because hearing voices helps me diagnose you as X', and he latched onto the wrong part of that. He could have made up the whole thing.

Either way, it makes me suspect again that any possible JREF discussion isn't going to help. He could wander off to the doctor tomorrow and say "Hey doc! I wroted to some people online yesterday, and they said they will help me test my telepathy, and that I will win a million dollars. And some of them seemed to disagree online, but later they told me telepathically that I should stop taking my medicine." Or whatever.
 
aggle-rithm said:
I'm pretty sure glf5b is mentally ill. We may want to cut him some slack.
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Are you claiming to provide an official medical diagnosis? If not, then I will assume that glf5b is of sound enough mind to know what is expected of him with regards to his extra-ordinary claims. Thus, if he were to provide the necessary extra-ordinary evidence for his claims, that would not only effectively prove his claims, but it would provide a measure of correlation toward proving that he has a sound mind as well. I will presume glf5b mentally competent until proven otherwise.

Besides, we rarely seem to "cut slack" for the mentally competent when they (we) are making invalid claims, using fallacious reasoning, or working from incorrect data.
 
AdMan said:
Unfortunately (and sadly for me, since I'm half Norwegian), my Norsk is very limited and requires the aid of Google language tools...

However, I am also beginning to think that mental illness may be involved.
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It may be possible. Just wanted to rule out the language barrier.
 
Fnord said:
Are you claiming to provide an official medical diagnosis? If not, then I will assume that glf5b is of sound enough mind to know what is expected of him with regards to his extra-ordinary claims. Thus, if he were to provide the necessary extra-ordinary evidence for his claims, that would not only effectively prove his claims, but it would provide a measure of correlation toward proving that he has a sound mind as well. I will presume glf5b mentally competent until proven otherwise.

Besides, we rarely seem to "cut slack" for the mentally competent when they (we) are making invalid claims, using fallacious reasoning, or working from incorrect data.
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It's not a medical diagnosis, just parsimony.

I hope the OP seeks out professional medical advice.
 
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Fnord said:
It's time to revive my "What's in the Box?" challenge.

At a certain location, there is a certain container, within which I have placed three objects. The challenge is as follows:

Using telepathy, determine (1) the location of the container; (2) the size, shape, colour, and material of the container; and (3) the exact contents of the container (include the size, shape, colour, and material of each object). A single successful description that accurately cites all three categories will be considered sufficient proof of a valid claim. I will then certify the individual as a Telepath and sell off my Verizon stocks.

Good luck.
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Just a note... but that could be solved and not involve "telepathy." He could use "remote viewing" and "see" the location and the contents of the box without anyone present. "Spirit guides" could tell him what's in the box. If he is using traditional telepathy, he is reading the mind of someone who knows what is in the box, not seeing it.

Of course, it's all woo, anyway.

Squid
 
Fnord said:
Are you claiming to provide an official medical diagnosis? ...

Besides, we rarely seem to "cut slack" for the mentally competent when they (we) are making invalid claims, using fallacious reasoning, or working from incorrect data.
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Sorry, I disagree. "I have been dowsing for gold for five years and it totally works" is the sort of invalid claim you get from a sound mind with a misguided understanding of confirmation bias. Likewise for "Bigfoot is out there" and "9/11 was a thermite beam" and "I have proven Niels Bohr wrong" and "I met a woman at work, and I totally felt something odd, and later I learned she had had cancer, which is exactly what I had been feeling".

"I hear voices in my head" is not that sort of claim. It really does sound like mental illness; you don't need to be a professional to recognize that. I feel sorry for the guy, and I don't want to go through the charade of pretending that he'd benefit from a Q-and-A session on blinding protocols.
 
ben m said:
Sorry, I disagree. "I have been dowsing for gold for five years and it totally works" is the sort of invalid claim you get from a sound mind with a misguided understanding of confirmation bias. Likewise for "Bigfoot is out there" and "9/11 was a thermite beam" and "I have proven Niels Bohr wrong" and "I met a woman at work, and I totally felt something odd, and later I learned she had had cancer, which is exactly what I had been feeling".

"I hear voices in my head" is not that sort of claim. It really does sound like mental illness; you don't need to be a professional to recognize that. I feel sorry for the guy, and I don't want to go through the charade of pretending that he'd benefit from a Q-and-A session on blinding protocols.
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That's to the heart of it.
 
ben m said:
I feel sorry for the guy, and I don't want to go through the charade of pretending that he'd benefit from a Q-and-A session on blinding protocols.
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Did you read the thread here recently by a schizophrenic who'd examined all sorts of explanations for his experiences (including demonic possession and the CIA as well as paranormal abilities) before rationally concluding that he really was mentally ill?

Whether glf5b is mentally ill or not, I don't see what possible harm it could do to explain to him how to rationally investigate his experiences.

ETA: Here's the thread: http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=183830

glf5b: I strongly advise you to read it.
 
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Pixel42 said:
Did you read the thread here recently by a schizophrenic who'd examined all sorts of explanations for his experiences (including demonic possession and the CIA as well as paranormal abilities) before rationally concluding that he really was mentally ill?

Whether glf5b is mentally ill or not, I don't see what possible harm it could do to explain to him how to rationally investigate his experiences.

ETA: Here's the thread: http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=183830

glf5b: I strongly advise you to read it.
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There is that hope - fair enough. There have been some good posts, including yours and Fnord's, suggesting simple methodological tests.

It worries me though that sometimes these threads just seem to turn into a sideshow.
 
Eng: Give me a battalion of soldiers, and I want to read a letter in telepathy, and many (1/3) of them will hear what I'm reading.
No: Gi meg en battaljon med soldater og jeg vil lese et brev i telepati, og mange (1/3) av dem vil høre hva jeg leser.
 
Squid said:
Just a note... but that could be solved and not involve "telepathy." He could use "remote viewing" and "see" the location and the contents of the box without anyone present. "Spirit guides" could tell him what's in the box.
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Or he could ask a real ( ;) ) psychic to do it for him, too.
Squid said:
If he is using traditional telepathy, he is reading the mind of someone who knows what is in the box, not seeing it.
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Since I am the only one who knows all the necessary details of "What's in the Box?", it would be my mind that he would have to read.
Squid said:
Of course, it's all woo, anyway.
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Of course ... which is why I have never had to pay out the thousand-dollar prize.
 
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