What Paranormal Power Would You Choose?

[The Atheist]

Thanks to this thread, I wondered what kind of paranormal power people would choose to have if paranormal power actually existed. (May have been done before, bad luck.)

Personally, I'm going to have to think about it. Telekinesis appeals, but... Carrie. Telepathy appealed momentarily, but do I really want to know what you're thinking? Medium? Having dead blokes come and talk to me, no thanks! Fortune telling? Great; "You're going to get cancer of the bowel and die screaming." Nope. Astrology? Uranus is troubling you? I could have become a proctologist and said the same thing [phonetically]. Curses & spells? See: Carrie. God? Yeah right. I really want someone to compete for the loud mouth prize.

Astral travel it is. Never mind Uranus, how are the Pleaides tonight?

Poll now open. Apologies to Buzzlightyear, et al, but I chose not use the Poll option:

All of these things actually exist.

 

[JoeTheJuggler]

If I could have any actual paranormal power--any at all?

Anything that I could use to improve the lot of humankind? Anything that could be used to gain a greater understanding of things, perhaps to help with solving some of the worst problems facing us?

Anything at all?

It'd definitely be the power to bend spoons with my mind.

And keys.

Sometimes.

 

[Puppycow]

I chose telepathy, telekinesis, precognition, and some other ability. Other abilities I might like would be the ability to fly, X-ray vision, etc.

Dowsing would be too boring. I suppose if I could do that the first thing I would do would be apply for the JREF million dollar challange. But after that, it doesn't seem like something I would have much use for in my life. I've never had to search for water underground in my life so far.

 

[rsaavedra]

Being able to travel any length of time into the past as a completely passive, unnoticeable observer of any place in the world, returning unscathed with the knowledge of what was observed. Similar to what Harry Potter and Dumbledore were able to do through the "pensieve" but not limited to specific personal memories, unlimited in time and space.

This paranormal power would allow someone to tell exactly what happened whenever/wherever in the past. This is the "Super-Witness" power

Would be nice if more than one people had this power, so that there would always be a way to independently verify other witnesses' report on whatever they have witnessed.

Witnesses shouldn't be able to "see" other witnesses while witnessing the past.

I can write quite a few more rules of how this power would work, might even write a book about this at some point in my life

 

[grayman]

I guess if I were a telepath I would enter the poker games at TAM.



Plus, I'd be able to find out what "NOTHING" means when I ask the wife, "What's wrong?".

 

[The Atheist]

Plus, I'd be able to find out what "NOTHING" means when I ask the wife, "What's wrong?".

That's odd. That's precisely one of the reasons I wouldn't choose telepathy!

 

[Meri]

I have to go with telekinesis. Not only could I be even lazier, but I could throw things at people and never be blamed for it. Also, of course, I could win 1 million dollars.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

If these things actually exist, that means other people have them too? And how effective are these things? Is telekenesis just being able to make a scrap of paper spin on a needle? Or hurl a brick at someone? Is cursing someone limited to an ingrown toenail or keeling over with a wave of the hand?

I would have little faith in mankind and I'd bet there would be a number of people that would use their superpower like a weapon, so I'd take the more powerful of either curse or telekenesis, for self defense if nothing else.

If I'm the only one with the power, or the rest are weak enough to not pose a threat? Astral projection, for the sheer entertainment value, both terrestrial and interstellar.

 

[Unalienable]

Definitely not precognition. I already have precognition and it sucks. Most worthless "power" you can have, because even though you know what's going to happen, you can't stop it. And the details are always just hazy enough to prevent you from profiting from the knowledge. Some sort of cosmic law which prevents us precognitives from cashing in on our power. What a ripoff.

 

[thatguywhojuggles]

precognition... wait around for one of those multiple hundred million dollar lottery jackpots, win it. Use the money to teach the masses the scientific method.

ETA
Because if I really had precognition, there would be a scientific explanation for it... we'd still need science to explain the rest of the natural world.

 

[The Atheist]

Definitely not precognition. I already have precognition and it sucks. Most worthless "power" you can have, because even though you know what's going to happen, you can't stop it. And the details are always just hazy enough to prevent you from profiting from the knowledge. Some sort of cosmic law which prevents us precognitives from cashing in on our power. What a ripoff.

Damn, that must hurt, eh?

 

[GodMark2]

Thanks to this thread, I wondered what kind of paranormal power people would choose to have if paranormal power actually existed. (May have been done before, bad luck.)

Personally, I'm going to have to think about it. Telekinesis appeals, but... Carrie. Telepathy appealed momentarily, but do I really want to know what you're thinking? Medium? Having dead blokes come and talk to me, no thanks! Fortune telling? Great; "You're going to get cancer of the bowel and die screaming." Nope. Astrology? Uranus is troubling you? I could have become a proctologist and said the same thing [phonetically]. Curses & spells? See: Carrie. God? Yeah right. I really want someone to compete for the loud mouth prize.

Astral travel it is. Never mind Uranus, how are the Pleaides tonight?

Poll now open. Apologies to Buzzlightyear, et al, but I chose not use the Poll option:

All of these things actually exist.

Carrie? Just because you're telekenitic doesn't mean you'll have a psychotically religious mother and hunted by the government (or was that another telekenitic?). Telekenisis ! = phycosis.

"You're going to get cancer of the bowel and die screaming."? Best get your living in now, and don't worry about amassing debt, you won't be around to have to pay it (though any kids you may have might not like that attitude)

Any of those powers would be great, in some way. Except for that whole 'god existing'. I mean, what does that get me? Do I have to beg him for special favors, and if I get it slightly wrong, does he punish me for trying? Or is he a wish-washy God that gives anyone the same gifts, but they all suck? I'd rather have the power in my own hands than have to rely on a third party.

 

[SusanB-M1]

'None of the above' is my choice!

 

[arthwollipot]

"Some other".

I'd have to go for the ability to become invisible at will. That would be so cool.

 

[shalomsteph]

"Some other".

I'd have to go for the ability to become invisible at will. That would be so cool.

Me too!! Think of the fun we could have!! Not to mention free flights, concerts, movies, famous people's houses...all that stuff!

 

[fagin]

Flying, fun, useful and doesn't infringe on the privacy of others. Except for the odd flight over Pamela Anderson's house.

 

[shalomsteph]

Flying, fun, useful and doesn't infringe on the privacy of others. Except for the odd flight over Pamela Anderson's house.

I guess I came out of anesthesia once and told the nurse I had been flying "like Superman". She asked why I wasn't flying like "superwoman" and I said, "Because men get paid more."

I don't remember any of it, but my family swears to it.

I DO fly in dreams, though. It is fun.

 

[buzz lightyear]

Poll now open. Apologies to Buzzlightyear, et al, but I chose not use the Poll option:

.

??????????????? I'm hip to the apology TA, but what is it for?
Although I realise that part of your anger management is to repent for your sins and you have really been a good boy lately, this is a bit weird.

Also, all this talk about wanting to astral travel and communicating with dead folks,....you been drinking again?

 

[Cuddles]

I'd go with telekinesis. Pretty much the same reasons as TA for not wanting the other ones but, as GodMark said, telepathy doesn't necessarily make you psychotic. And if it did, at least it would be more fun than being psychotic and not telekinetic.

 

[RenaissanceBiker]

I went with "God and Heaven Existing." If I had the power to cause God to exist, I would simply never use it.