The ideomotor effect and mediumnity

[Charles Boden]

The ideomotor effect and mediumnity

I honestly misinterpreted you all in that I thought there were some serious researchers amongst you, for all I have found in this forum are people hell-bent on just “debunking” anything that might be presented. You will no longer find me at Carol's forum, for I have been very understandably and rightly suspended, though I don't feel I should really be held responsible for all your appalling behaviors. I offered the link to her forum in good faith, and again you all made a shambles of it.

I have not been replying for two main reasons. The first is lack of time, and I am only doing so now because we have the weekend ahead of us. The second is the tremendous regret I have already been feeling for having indicated Carol's forum to you all. There are many people over there whom I hold in great esteem, and who are now extremely upset with me and very rightly so.

As I said, I honestly thought there were more serious researchers amidst you all when I came here, not just “debunkers”. I offered Carol's forum in good faith as a means to attempt to explain many of the various questions that were being fired at me at a speed that I just simply could not keep up with, so I offered it in the thought and hope that it might provide food for thought and reflection. I honestly did not know what to expect when I came here, nor did I expect that you would take such an attitude over there.

My intention was to bring the two “schools of thought” together, and anticipate the inevitable confrontation. If the evidence that is being presented indeed does not hold up to scrutiny, then it doesn't hold up to scrutiny, but please try to analyze it all and give it at least that “little shadow of a doubt”when doing so, and don't just discard or sweep under the carpet anything that cannot be explained, as I did feel was being done with me.

I think the one positive aspect of all that we have been debating / examining is that both sides now have a clearer picture of what lies behind each others' understanding and interpretation of the issue and why. I honestly don't know why you all should feel that reincarnation would be such a bad thing. The certainty that we will be with those we love throughout eternity? That “life” is so much more than just this one ephemeral existence? Why would this be a bad thing?

If you want to burn someone at the stake, kindly do it to me and leave the CPL forum alone. Neither you nor I can truly claim that we have the answers to such questions, so why not just consider this and let others retain what beliefs they might have just as you also retain yours?. On my part, the only reason behind doing what I have been doing has been simply the desire to share the concept and that “little message of hope”, and it is within these boundaries that I believe such things should remain – within the field of thoughts and ideas. A “belief” is very much more a simple question of choice than anything else. As I said to you all, the “Spiritual Journey” is always an individual one.

Concerning the Ouija and the ideomotor effect, for what it might be worth the “ideomotor effect” is very much an aspect of mediumnic communications. The Brazilian medium Chico Xavier used the technique of psychography, or “automatic writing”, and if indeed there are means of spiritual communications it is done at the level of the subconscious. The possibility of there having been a spiritual entity present in the room dictating the subconscious ideomotor movements in the episode I have referred to is, I believe, the only and fundamental difference of opinion between us. I certainly don't discard it off hand, in particular based on my own personal experiences.

Although I now have both sides upset at me, I am here to justify and explain the reason behind why I came here and did what I have done, which is for the same reason that I participate in such forums - for no other reason but to instigate a reflection upon the concept of reincarnation, which ,based on my own life experiences and what I have read and heard from others, seems to hold strong indications that it might be true.

It is just food for thought. Nothing more. Nothing less...

My kindest regards to all of you,

Charles

 

[Resume]

The ideomotor effect and mediumnity

I honestly misinterpreted you all in that I thought there were some serious researchers amongst you, for all I have found in this forum are people hell-bent on just “debunking” anything that might be presented. You will no longer find me at Carol's forum, for I have been very understandably and rightly suspended, though I don't feel I should really be held responsible for all your appalling behaviors. I offered the link to her forum in good faith, and again you all made a shambles of it.

I have not been replying for two main reasons. The first is lack of time, and I am only doing so now because we have the weekend ahead of us. The second is the tremendous regret I have already been feeling for having indicated Carol's forum to you all. There are many people over there whom I hold in great esteem, and who are now extremely upset with me and very rightly so.

As I said, I honestly thought there were more serious researchers amidst you all when I came here, not just “debunkers”. I offered Carol's forum in good faith as a means to attempt to explain many of the various questions that were being fired at me at a speed that I just simply could not keep up with, so I offered it in the thought and hope that it might provide food for thought and reflection. I honestly did not know what to expect when I came here, nor did I expect that you would take such an attitude over there.

My intention was to bring the two “schools of thought” together, and anticipate the inevitable confrontation. If the evidence that is being presented indeed does not hold up to scrutiny, then it doesn't hold up to scrutiny, but please try to analyze it all and give it at least that “little shadow of a doubt”when doing so, and don't just discard or sweep under the carpet anything that cannot be explained, as I did feel was being done with me.

I think the one positive aspect of all that we have been debating / examining is that both sides now have a clearer picture of what lies behind each others' understanding and interpretation of the issue and why. I honestly don't know why you all should feel that reincarnation would be such a bad thing. The certainty that we will be with those we love throughout eternity? That “life” is so much more than just this one ephemeral existence? Why would this be a bad thing?

If you want to burn someone at the stake, kindly do it to me and leave the CPL forum alone. Neither you nor I can truly claim that we have the answers to such questions, so why not just consider this and let others retain what beliefs they might have just as you also retain yours?. On my part, the only reason behind doing what I have been doing has been simply the desire to share the concept and that “little message of hope”, and it is within these boundaries that I believe such things should remain – within the field of thoughts and ideas. A “belief” is very much more a simple question of choice than anything else. As I said to you all, the “Spiritual Journey” is always an individual one.

Concerning the Ouija and the ideomotor effect, for what it might be worth the “ideomotor effect” is very much an aspect of mediumnic communications. The Brazilian medium Chico Xavier used the technique of psychography, or “automatic writing”, and if indeed there are means of spiritual communications it is done at the level of the subconscious. The possibility of there having been a spiritual entity present in the room dictating the subconscious ideomotor movements in the episode I have referred to is, I believe, the only and fundamental difference of opinion between us. I certainly don't discard it off hand, in particular based on my own personal experiences.

Although I now have both sides upset at me, I am here to justify and explain the reason behind why I came here and did what I have done, which is for the same reason that I participate in such forums - for no other reason but to instigate a reflection upon the concept of reincarnation, which ,based on my own life experiences and what I have read and heard from others, seems to hold strong indications that it might be true.

It is just food for thought. Nothing more. Nothing less...

My kindest regards to all of you,

Charles

Are you from Nigeria?

 

[Sledge]

tl;dr. Get to the point.

 

[Olowkow]

Welcome back Charles. No one means you harm here. I'm betting you won't be suspended here either, unless you get into name calling.

ETA: did you ever get around to viewing the videos of the ideomotor effect we posted? I posted the one with Derren Brown.

 

[tsig]

The ideomotor effect and mediumnity

I honestly misinterpreted you all in that I thought there were some serious researchers amongst you, for all I have found in this forum are people hell-bent on just “debunking” anything that might be presented. You will no longer find me at Carol's forum, for I have been very understandably and rightly suspended, though I don't feel I should really be held responsible for all your appalling behaviors. I offered the link to her forum in good faith, and again you all made a shambles of it.

I have not been replying for two main reasons. The first is lack of time, and I am only doing so now because we have the weekend ahead of us. The second is the tremendous regret I have already been feeling for having indicated Carol's forum to you all. There are many people over there whom I hold in great esteem, and who are now extremely upset with me and very rightly so.

As I said, I honestly thought there were more serious researchers amidst you all when I came here, not just “debunkers”. I offered Carol's forum in good faith as a means to attempt to explain many of the various questions that were being fired at me at a speed that I just simply could not keep up with, so I offered it in the thought and hope that it might provide food for thought and reflection. I honestly did not know what to expect when I came here, nor did I expect that you would take such an attitude over there.

My intention was to bring the two “schools of thought” together, and anticipate the inevitable confrontation. If the evidence that is being presented indeed does not hold up to scrutiny, then it doesn't hold up to scrutiny, but please try to analyze it all and give it at least that “little shadow of a doubt”when doing so, and don't just discard or sweep under the carpet anything that cannot be explained, as I did feel was being done with me.

I think the one positive aspect of all that we have been debating / examining is that both sides now have a clearer picture of what lies behind each others' understanding and interpretation of the issue and why. I honestly don't know why you all should feel that reincarnation would be such a bad thing. The certainty that we will be with those we love throughout eternity? That “life” is so much more than just this one ephemeral existence? Why would this be a bad thing?

If you want to burn someone at the stake, kindly do it to me and leave the CPL forum alone. Neither you nor I can truly claim that we have the answers to such questions, so why not just consider this and let others retain what beliefs they might have just as you also retain yours?. On my part, the only reason behind doing what I have been doing has been simply the desire to share the concept and that “little message of hope”, and it is within these boundaries that I believe such things should remain – within the field of thoughts and ideas. A “belief” is very much more a simple question of choice than anything else. As I said to you all, the “Spiritual Journey” is always an individual one.

Concerning the Ouija and the ideomotor effect, for what it might be worth the “ideomotor effect” is very much an aspect of mediumnic communications. The Brazilian medium Chico Xavier used the technique of psychography, or “automatic writing”, and if indeed there are means of spiritual communications it is done at the level of the subconscious. The possibility of there having been a spiritual entity present in the room dictating the subconscious ideomotor movements in the episode I have referred to is, I believe, the only and fundamental difference of opinion between us. I certainly don't discard it off hand, in particular based on my own personal experiences.

Although I now have both sides upset at me, I am here to justify and explain the reason behind why I came here and did what I have done, which is for the same reason that I participate in such forums - for no other reason but to instigate a reflection upon the concept of reincarnation, which ,based on my own life experiences and what I have read and heard from others, seems to hold strong indications that it might be true.

It is just food for thought. Nothing more. Nothing less...

My kindest regards to all of you,

Charles

Just do the test. Work the board blindfolded.

 

[Olowkow]

I honestly don't know why you all should feel that reincarnation would be such a bad thing.

It's not a question of being a good or bad thing, but rather is it a true thing?

 

[tsig]

tl;dr. Get to the point.

short version:
My woo works, skeptics are meanies, a true skeptic would believe my woo.

Shorter version:

La, la, la, I can't hear you.

 

[Garrette]

Welcome back Charles. No one means you harm here. I'm betting you won't be suspended here either, unless you get into name calling.

I agree with both of these, but that does not mean that the misrepresentations in Charles' post here need go unaddressed.

No one beat him up here, and no one from the JREF made a shambles of the CPL forum. I find it interesting that of the five of us--Charles, GAO, Aqualung, dlorde, and me--only Charles was suspended.

ETA: did you ever get around to viewing the videos of the ideomotor effect we posted? I posted the one with Derren Brown.

For my part, I see no reason to participate in any further discussion with Charles until he demonstrates that he has reviewed the pertinent links such as these.

I'm debating whether addressing the problems in his claimed genealogical tree should be a criterion, too.

But that's just me. Others, of course, may address him or not as they see fit.

 

[Olowkow]

The ideomotor effect and mediumnity

I honestly misinterpreted you all in that I thought there were some serious researchers amongst you, for all I have found in this forum are people hell-bent on just “debunking” anything that might be presented.

I think there are many serious researchers amongst us. You have not profited from this talent, and that is your fault. We skeptics do not think of what we do as "debunking", Randi has said that he hates this word, and so do I, but rather it is investigating and exposing the truth about phenomena. Trying to find what is provable, and true. You should check out his pwning of Geller and Popov. He used modern physics (a radio receiver) to defrock Popov, and mere security measures to embarrass Geller. No one burns anyone at the stake.

You will no longer find me at Carol's forum, for I have been very understandably and rightly suspended, though I don't feel I should really be held responsible for all your appalling behaviors. I offered the link to her forum in good faith, and again you all made a shambles of it.

I am honestly saddened to hear that they suspended you. I don't agree that you deserved it. I have followed all the posting there carefully, and I do not agree with you that the people from JREF misbehaved. I believe they were intelligent enough to understand the problem, and acted within the rules. It is a very restrictive forum, but that is not our affair. I see no reason for the people you hold in high esteem at the PLF to be upset with you, if you were acting according to strongly held beliefs.
...

As I said, I honestly thought there were more serious researchers amidst you all when I came here, not just “debunkers”. I offered Carol's forum in good faith as a means to attempt to explain many of the various questions that were being fired at me at a speed that I just simply could not keep up with, so I offered it in the thought and hope that it might provide food for thought and reflection. I honestly did not know what to expect when I came here, nor did I expect that you would take such an attitude over there.

Balderdash, sir.

If you want to burn someone at the stake, kindly do it to me and leave the CPL forum alone.

Be careful what you wish for. No one is doing anything to the CPL forum. If you don't specify what you mean, you will be pilloried here at JREf. Charles, you just don't know when to quit.

My kindest regards to all of you,

I really wish you meant this.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

short version:
My woo works, skeptics are meanies, a true skeptic would believe my woo.

Shorter version:

La, la, la, I can't hear you.

Kind of what I was thinking and I know nothing about the original discussions.

 

[Loss Leader]

The possibility of there having been a spiritual entity present in the room dictating the subconscious ideomotor movements in the episode I have referred to is, I believe, the only and fundamental difference of opinion between us.

Charles -

How do you think we can test this? How do you think we can show that the spirit world is guiding the subconscious?

Does it happen every time a person uses an Ouija board? Can it be invoked reliably?

What do you think would be the difference between a message guided by the spirits and one born completely from someone's unguided subconscious?

Would the spirits know where the letters on an Ouija board were if someone mixed them up? Would they be able to spell a message if the users couldn't see the board?

See, in the end, it's not about people having two different sets of beliefs. And it's not about how nice it would be if the spirit world was real. It's about what we can say for certain is true. Because once we know something is true, we can use it to do marvelous things.

It is not just a difference of opinion whether the earth is round or flat. The two beliefs are not equal. Once we could prove the earth was round, we could reliably build a rocket that could aim at the correct trajectory and land on the moon.

 

[kerikiwi]

1.. If the evidence that is being presented indeed does not hold up to scrutiny, then it doesn't hold up to scrutiny,2. but please try to analyze it all

1. it doesn't. Can you present some real evidence, succinctly?
2.. That has already been done

 

[Ssider]

I'm late to the party but

I know I'm late to the party here, but let me see if I get this straight...

You help get some guy kicked off a forum devoted to mediums and ouija boards...and he's MAD at you?

I would consider it a humanitarian service.

 

[Sean84]

The ideomotor effect and mediumnity
*snipped whining/history revising*
Concerning the Ouija and the ideomotor effect, for what it might be worth the “ideomotor effect” is very much an aspect of mediumnic communications. The Brazilian medium Chico Xavier used the technique of psychography, or “automatic writing”, and if indeed there are means of spiritual communications it is done at the level of the subconscious. The possibility of there having been a spiritual entity present in the room dictating the subconscious ideomotor movements in the episode I have referred to is, I believe, the only and fundamental difference of opinion between us. I certainly don't discard it off hand, in particular based on my own personal experiences.
*snipped more*

Ghosts cause the ideomotor effect? Is that the point of this thread?

You say we keep sweeping all your evidence under the carpet yet you can't be bothered to watch a couple of videos other members have posted or do a quick simple test. I think that says a lot.

[dickery]
Since I had to snip the bulk of your post to get to a (possible) point to this thread, I have to ask, did you come back to complain about your persecution complex or to try to actually figure something out about something?

The former belongs in the Community section with the aging virgin and the pill-popping nurse. The latter will take you down the same torturous road where all us evil skeptics will actually ask you to prove your point with evidence. But feel free either way.

[/dickery]

 

[Apology]

The ideomotor effect and mediumnity

I honestly misinterpreted you all in that I thought there were some serious researchers amongst you, for all I have found in this forum are people hell-bent on just “debunking” anything that might be presented. You will no longer find me at Carol's forum, for I have been very understandably and rightly suspended, though I don't feel I should really be held responsible for all your appalling behaviors. I offered the link to her forum in good faith, and again you all made a shambles of it.

There are some extremely serious researchers here. It just so happens that their independent research has led all of them to the same conclusion that past lives are bunk. Utter nonsense, in fact. Do you really think that none of us have ever heard of reincarnation, or seriously considered it? I personally was steeped in concepts like reincarnation when I was growing up. My own research into it led me to here:


Skeptic's Dictionary - Past Life Regression

Skeptic's Dictionary - Bridey Murphy

Skeptic's Dictionary - Bloxham Tapes

Asking relevant questions does not equal "appalling" behavior. How dare we believe that Carol's forums are "an open and non-commercial place to discuss and share about children's past lives and reincarnation." Heaven forfend! I'm glad you got over your "terror" of us enough to return to this "cesspool" to "take a poke at the skeptics".

I have not been replying for two main reasons. The first is lack of time, and I am only doing so now because we have the weekend ahead of us. The second is the tremendous regret I have already been feeling for having indicated Carol's forum to you all. There are many people over there whom I hold in great esteem, and who are now extremely upset with me and very rightly so.

Are you sure one of the reasons wasn't "I'm afraid I'm going to learn something that upsets the applecart of my slavish belief"? Alice Shortcake did some very fine research on your family tree in the other thread, perhaps you'd care to read it and "correct" what I'm sure you're going to say are "errors".

As I said, I honestly thought there were more serious researchers amidst you all when I came here, not just “debunkers”. I offered Carol's forum in good faith as a means to attempt to explain many of the various questions that were being fired at me at a speed that I just simply could not keep up with, so I offered it in the thought and hope that it might provide food for thought and reflection. I honestly did not know what to expect when I came here, nor did I expect that you would take such an attitude over there.

Just because someone else's research disagrees with your dearly held faith in past lives doesn't mean they're not serious about it. I suspect that some of our (JREF member) research into the subject is a lot deeper and more useful than the circle-jerking and back-patting done on the Bowman forums.

My intention was to bring the two “schools of thought” together, and anticipate the inevitable confrontation. If the evidence that is being presented indeed does not hold up to scrutiny, then it doesn't hold up to scrutiny, but please try to analyze it all and give it at least that “little shadow of a doubt”when doing so, and don't just discard or sweep under the carpet anything that cannot be explained, as I did feel was being done with me.

Your intention was to "take a poke at the skeptics", "shake our pedestals", and to publicize your book. Too bad it didn't work out the way you fantasized it would.

We do analyze evidence when it's offered. The difference is, when we find something that's unexplainable, we say "It's unexplainable," instead of making up an explanation such as "Since it can't be explained by science, it must be evidence of a past life!!!"

I think the one positive aspect of all that we have been debating / examining is that both sides now have a clearer picture of what lies behind each others' understanding and interpretation of the issue and why. I honestly don't know why you all should feel that reincarnation would be such a bad thing. The certainty that we will be with those we love throughout eternity? That “life” is so much more than just this one ephemeral existence? Why would this be a bad thing?

I sincerely doubt that both sides have a clearer picture of what lies behind each other's understanding and interpretation of the issue and why. You have an erroneous picture of skeptics as people who automatically shout "NOT!" about every paranormal subject without bothering to read about it or investigate it themselves. We have a picture of you as someone who's grasped a hold of a fantasy that aggrandizes you like a drowning man grasps a hold of a cork in the middle of an icy-cold lake.

Why is reincarnation a bad thing? First of all, there's absolutely no evidence to show that it's real, and much evidence to show that it's false (please read about the Bridey Murphy case and the Bloxham tapes in order to see the evidence that reincarnation is false.) In the meantime, there are many unscrupulous people who like to take advantage of the fact that there's a great many people who would like to feel more interesting, important, and special in this world. The unscrupulous people use unsupported, mystical ideas to relieve these unfortunate seekers of a great deal of the oppressive weight of the money in their wallets by producing books, tapes, workshops, and treatments based on this entirely unproven theory of reincarnation. The certainty that you will be with those you love for an eternity? Who promised you that? There's no certainty at all, there's only an unsupported belief that it can happen.

People are promised everlasting life, relief from psychological problems, and children who are prodigies if they can only follow the program and unleash the strength and power of their past lives. There have been a great number of past-life gurus---Edgar Cayce, L. Ron Hubbard, and Jane Roberts, to name a few that I have personally researched and investigated. Not one of them has been able to prove that there is any such thing as a soul, let alone a past life. In the meantime, the seeker is not guaranteed everlasting life, not relieved of their psychological problems, and their children do not become prodigies overnight. What are these seekers paying for, anyway? They're being sold dreams, plain and simple. They're buying a false sense of security, a piece of blue sky, a beautiful and seductive lie. Our beef is not with the seekers, but with the salesmen who take advantage of their vulnerabilities.

If you want to burn someone at the stake, kindly do it to me and leave the CPL forum alone. Neither you nor I can truly claim that we have the answers to such questions, so why not just consider this and let others retain what beliefs they might have just as you also retain yours?. On my part, the only reason behind doing what I have been doing has been simply the desire to share the concept and that “little message of hope”, and it is within these boundaries that I believe such things should remain – within the field of thoughts and ideas. A “belief” is very much more a simple question of choice than anything else. As I said to you all, the “Spiritual Journey” is always an individual one.

Nobody's being "burned at the stake" here. There you go again, with your dramatic overstatements. All we're asking you to do is to support your assertions with even the tiniest shred of evidence. It's far from the Spanish Inquisition. (nobody expects...nm)

As for the CPL forums, we didn't go there to tear down people's beliefs. We went there because you invited us there. You came here, to our forums, and we questioned your beliefs because that's what skeptics do---ask questions and request evidence, because that's how one truly investigates a subject. Then you invited us to CPL, even after you knew how we do business over here---knowing full well that we'd "make a shambles of the place." I doubt that we've even shaken your beliefs, because you disregard our links and suggestions. I'd be surprised if you even read our posts at this point.

As for sharing a "message of hope", I don't hope that there's another life after this one. I accept that there probably isn't one, because there is no evidence to suggest that there's life after death. Why would I even want another life? Isn't one enough? I'll just make the most of this life, thank you very much, and I won't pin my hopes on getting a second one.

Concerning the Ouija and the ideomotor effect, for what it might be worth the “ideomotor effect” is very much an aspect of mediumnic communications. The Brazilian medium Chico Xavier used the technique of psychography, or “automatic writing”, and if indeed there are means of spiritual communications it is done at the level of the subconscious. The possibility of there having been a spiritual entity present in the room dictating the subconscious ideomotor movements in the episode I have referred to is, I believe, the only and fundamental difference of opinion between us. I certainly don't discard it off hand, in particular based on my own personal experiences.

I think you have failed to understand the ideomotor effect and the true meaning of the words. No psychic or mediumnistic power is required for the ideomotor effect to work. People who are not mediums and have no special powers whatsoever will get the same results during experiments that target the ideomotor effect. If a person with no psychic powers can do the exact same thing as a medium, then what power does the medium actually have? None. Absolutely none. Here's a treatise written by someone who did a scientific study of the ideomotor effect, and its results, written in plain and straightforward English:


How People Are Fooled by Ideomotor Action by Ray Hyman, PhD

Although I now have both sides upset at me, I am here to justify and explain the reason behind why I came here and did what I have done, which is for the same reason that I participate in such forums - for no other reason but to instigate a reflection upon the concept of reincarnation, which ,based on my own life experiences and what I have read and heard from others, seems to hold strong indications that it might be true.

It is just food for thought. Nothing more. Nothing less...

My kindest regards to all of you,

Charles

I'm still interested in seeing you gather together a group of your friends and trying the blindfolded Ouija test. There's no need to trick anyone. You can be straightforward that you're trying a test that was suggested to you. Make a party of it, serve a nice dinner, play music, do the test, play Twister after that, have a few drinks, and make a nice evening of it, and nobody will complain. I really don't understand why you haven't tried this very simple test. I'm pretty sure that you already have the Ouija board, so all you'd have to do is issue invitations and rig up some blindfolds out of tea towels. It would cost you next to nothing to scrape together a spaghetti dinner and a jug of wine for 3 guests (or whatever y'all eat in Brazil that's economical and popular) and put on a Ouija test party. I could accomplish this for less than $25, and I could have the party all arranged by next Friday night without much effort at all.

 

[kerikiwi]

You have an erroneous picture of skeptics as people who automatically shout "NOT!" about every paranormal subject without bothering to read about it or investigate it themselves. [/URL]

I will automatically shout "NOT!" just as I will if someone asserts the sun orbits the earth.
With our knowledge of the universe and how it works some things are not worthy of investigation.

 

[Apology]

I will automatically shout "NOT!" just as I will if someone asserts the sun orbits the earth.
With our knowledge of the universe and how it works some things are not worthy of investigation.

Ah, but have you read about it or investigated it yourself? Surely you have.

 

[kerikiwi]

]
Make a party of it, serve a nice dinner, play music, do the test, play Twister after that, have a few drinks, and make a nice evening of it

Do you have that in the right order? When should the drinks arrive?

 

[Apology]

Do you have that in the right order? When should the drinks arrive?

Not to be a party-pooper or anything, but I figured it should probably be after the experiment, just so it seems sort of professional and science-y. I mean, would people have listened to Newton if he'd told everyone about gravity while wearing a 12-pack carton on his head like a hat? Or if Ben Franklin had said "I just discovered electricity---WOOOOHOOOO, YAAYUSSS!" then belched and curled up under the couch for a nap? Just sayin.

 

[kerikiwi]

Ah, but have you read about it or investigated it yourself? Surely you have.

No, I have not investigated it or read about it. I know enough about the brain and the universe to not even entertain the idea of a soul existing separate from the brain. Consciousness is an artefact of the brain and does not exist separately from it. When your brain ceases to function you cease to exist, you don't emigrate.