NationStates Jolt Archive

So, I was reading some Paranormal related articles on Wiki, and I've begun to think just what do people believe in the Paranormal, and thus came a great poll idea for NSG! :D So if you believe in the Paranormal, to what extent do you believe in it? I believe in ghosts, UFOs, ESP, and few psychics. So what say you NSG? (Poll coming)

None of the above

I don't beleive in any, but are scared by all

*cowers from Eskimos*

I don't believe any of them exist. But if good evidence for any of their existence was found, I might change my views.

So, I was reading some Paranormal related articles on Wiki, and I've begun to think just what do people believe in the Paranormal, and thus came a great poll idea for NSG! :D So if you believe in the Paranormal, to what extent do you believe in it? I believe in ghosts, UFOs, ESP, and few psychics. So what say you NSG? (Poll coming)
It is self-evident that there are unidentified flying objects. Whether or not those objects are aliens is a whooooole other story.

The rest is bunk. ESP is pure, unadulterated bullshit. Ghosts are BS. Psychics are scammers and con artists.

I believe that human stupidity is on a level of paranormal so high that aliens have special government departments to investigate it.

Given the lack of conclusive evidence I continue to believe that they might exist, but I don't know for sure.

I'm skeptical, but open to the idea of such things as spirits, psychics, and the like.

I still remember an episode of National Geographic's "Naked Science" that dealt with remote viewers and psychics and such. The remote viewer they put to the test did exactly what they charged him to do (find a person they had hidden) and when he did only said "but this isn't a scientific experiment, so the results aren't worthwhile"

Sure, they may not have truly followed the Scientific Method and the guy may not have really been Remote Viewing, but it was still funny.

i don't really believe in any of them. but certain circumstances can get me really hoping that ghosts don't exist.

i don't really believe in any of them. but certain circumstances can get me really hoping that ghosts don't exist.

Why don't you want them to exist?

I don't believe in any of them as a rule

However, after seeing Derren Browns stage show I was shocked at how easy he can manipulate and read the human mind. He openly admits that no one is psychic but seems to get very close to being so.

Maybe the mind is more powerful than we think

I voted for all the above just to mess with poll results.

Why don't you want them to exist?

cuz then there'd be something to be scared of and i wouldn't be able to explain away the fear as irrational fear of the unknown/dark.

I don't believe in any of them as a rule

However, after seeing Derren Browns stage show I was shocked at how easy he can manipulate and read the human mind. He openly admits that no one is psychic but seems to get very close to being so.

Maybe the mind is more powerful than we think

Its a bit hard to trust his shows though after his Russian Roulette scam

I remember someone once saying "I don't believe in ghosts. But I'm scared of them."

So, rationally, I don't believe in any of this. But tell that to my subconscience...

Its a bit hard to trust his shows though after his Russian Roulette scam

Yeah, that was a big career mistake. Must say though, the show was very professional and had *sensible* people like me wondering 'How the f**k did he do that'

Yeah, that was a big career mistake. Must say though, the show was very professional and had *sensible* people like me wondering 'How the f**k did he do that'

The Russian Roulette thing was a scam? :eek:

I don't believe in the paranormal, let alone fear it. Now if someone could tell me how to get rid of an infestation of pre-Sumerian demons, I'd be set.:D

All right, own up, who voted for ghosts or UFOs as well as the last option?

I don't believe in the paranormal, let alone fear it. Now if someone could tell me how to get rid of an infestation of pre-Sumerian demons, I'd be set.:D

They're afraid of bunnies.

I don't believe in extra-sensory perception as such. People who claim to have ESP are probably being honest in their interpretation of what they perceive, but are mistakenly calling this perception an extra sense where it's actually just additional (and/or alternative) insight applied to the data of the 5 traditional senses and their own internal processing of this data. So it does exist, but it's entirely natural.

UFOs definitely do exist, simply because an Unidentified Flying Object is quite a trivial definition. They're probably not space-ships, but there are many verified reports of things seen flying that have not been identified. For instance,

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/3681938.stm

Psychics I know are not really mindreaders, but there are many illusionists/psychological showmen who are very good at what they do due to their understanding of the human condition. Derren Brown, for one, is an awesome entertainer, and regardless of the fact that he doesn't actually read peoples' minds, he knows an awful lot about how people think.

The rest are probably all fictional devices, but I'm open to any evidence you may wish to present.

They're afraid of bunnies.

I had thought of that, but in this case, the demons are the lesser of two evils.

My ESP is that if take a pen or something, and move it towards my forehead, when it's an inch or so away from my face, my forehead tingles. Is that just me, or do all people have this remarkabl(y useless)e ability?

I had thought of that, but in this case, the demons are the lesser of two evils.

Have you tried Mortein Demon-Away?

My ESP is that if take a pen or something, and move it towards my forehead, when it's an inch or so away from my face, my forehead tingles. Is that just me, or do all people have this remarkabl(y useless)e ability?
I do, but only because my hair is quite long and spiky and by the time the pen is an inch away from my face it's touching my hair.

Have you tried Mortein Demon-Away?

Not yet. I did try "King of the Jews Demon Begone" but that just pissed them off and now I can't get the damned stains out of the caroet.:p

My ESP is that if take a pen or something, and move it towards my forehead, when it's an inch or so away from my face, my forehead tingles. Is that just me, or do all people have this remarkabl(y useless)e ability?
That's actually not ESP (extra sensory perception) at all. It's sensory perception.

The tactile hairs on your body are amazingly sensitive, particularly if you know where to focus your attention. Remarkably fine shifts in air currents can allow you to "feel at a distance."

Here's an exercise that I once learned about from a physical therapist who works with newly-blind individuals:

Find a room where there is an area of wall that's not blocked by anything, so you can walk right up to the wall.

Start out standing a couple of feet from the wall. Then, close your eyes and slowly walk toward the wall.

It takes a little practice to know what you're looking for, but you can actually feel a kind of "cushion" of air right next to the wall. It's got something to do with air currents in closed rooms (not exactly sure how the physics of it all works out). If you're having trouble feeling it, try turning your head from side to side a bit.

With practice, you can learn how to "see" the wall even with your eyes closed! You have to be moving slowly, of course, but it's still kind of fun to try.

If by UFO you mean, literally, unidentified flying objects, as opposed to alien saucers, then of course I believe in them.

There are undoubtedly objects flying in the sky which are currently unidentified. Whether they are little grey men annoying Mulder, beyond top-secret military aircraft buzzing about, or as-yet undiscovered natural phenomena is, however, still up for debate.

None of them, do I win a cookie?

I said I believe in psychics, but IMHO this is not paranormal but just subconsciously running mental processes.

Believe in? None of the above. Hold an open mind in regards to, all of the above.

I can possibly give levels of credence to the concept of UFO's, although I don't believe in the, as I would, say, believe in evolution. I'll admit to their possibility though.

I also wouldn't be surprised at the recognition of some form of psychic capabilities, now, not in the traditional sense of being able to see the future in a conscious state, but rather in the sense of the brain, whilst the individual is sleeping, being able to accurately calculate the probabilities of certain actions and represent those likelihoods in a dream state. Not that one could actually penetrate through space and time to see the future.

The others, though, I'd just rate as pure baloney.

well, a ghost is the only way I've been able to explain, once at dinner...all 5 people in the house accounted for at the table, the hall light began to go off and on. Right away, people will say...it was a short, or a faulty switch or something...and I would accept that, if the actual light switch wasn't also moving up and down, and making the click noise that some older light switches make.

We also had the situation where our old dial, non-remote control television would turn on during the day when no one was home, or the dial would change channels, the actual dial moving.

However, I am totally open to someone explaining this in a logical fashion.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y223/GermanNightmare/Ghostbuster.gif
"Back off, man. I'm a scientist."

We also had the situation where our old dial, non-remote control television would turn on during the day when no one was home, or the dial would change channels, the actual dial moving.
I blame power surges. I always used to come home to find that somehow my computer had decided to start playing whatever audio CD was in the drive; it took me a while to realise this was because my CD drive, as it's being externally powered, turned off when there was a power cut, back on when the power was restored and the computer would realise there was a new CD to play. Perhaps something similar happened with your TV?

I believe in polls with all their options selected.

Just ESP, though I am open to the possibility of other psychics and to UFOs.

Why ESP? There have been too many studies that came back positive to discount ESP as reality.

My theory is that the human brain is capable of sensing electrical fields, including those that make up another brain, and then 'reading' those fields, to potentially read someone's thoughts.

I had an idea for a novel where humans discover this eventually, and then learn to train people to use their powers, resulting in a psychic human race.

So, I was reading some Paranormal related articles on Wiki, and I've begun to think just what do people believe in the Paranormal, and thus came a great poll idea for NSG! :D So if you believe in the Paranormal, to what extent do you believe in it? I believe in ghosts, UFOs, ESP, and few psychics. So what say you NSG? (Poll coming)

I can't believe i have to reply rationally to an inherently psychologically suspicious thread, but i shall.

I've personally experienced two or more witnessed episodes of all four of the first poll options, and voted thusly.

I've gone on about a few of them in prior posts (as in, a few YEARS back), and there's probably a few posters who remember, so i shan't elaborate unless someone queries me about 'em.

...and upon reading a few prior posts, i'll just say it's much easier to quantify one's beliefs with experience more than hope (and i mean that in all regards).
That would be keeping in line with the case of my poll selections as well.

Yes, there IS some paranormal, but they'll never make any progress until they get over the vast armies of frauds relying on the Forer Effect:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forer_effect#Forer.27s_demonstration

the idea of UFOs (which is to say, aliens) is at least vaguely within the realm of possibility, and while I don't believe it's a true situation, it's one that I believe COULD be true.

The rest is pure bullshit.

the idea of UFOs (which is to say, aliens) is at least vaguely within the realm of possibility, and while I don't believe it's a true situation, it's one that I believe COULD be true.It's not so much an issue of possibility as probability.
There's literally THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of individuals with sightings, both alone and in groups, and not all of it can be attributed to "mass hysteria".
But if your personal experience doesn't quantify it, again it's best to leave open as a possibility. Just can't swear on it, eh?


The rest is pure bullshit.See above.

EDIT : Ah, as for a frame of reference, just what percentage of the populace of this particular planet is religious?
Obviously the moronic principles of gullibility and misappropriation of circumstance are ubiquitous, and one who can rule out EVERY "paranormal" experience with life and practical experience is in the minority.
I.E., most people subscribe and PERPETUATE said "bullshit".

It's not so much an issue of possibility as probability.
There's literally THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of individuals with sightings, both alone and in groups, and not all of it can be attributed to "mass hysteria".
But if your personal experience doesn't quantify it, again it's best to leave open as a possibility. Just can't swear on it, eh?

Correct, because aliens ARE a possibility. I've never seen them, but I admit they could exist

See above.

ahh, but herein we have a problem. I believe aliens could exist because there is nothing about aliens that is fundamentally counter to physical laws. Aliens could exist, there's nothing in particular saying the CAN NOT exist.

However for the rest, the laws of physics simply can not allow fo rit. How does one move something with his mind? By what method is he exerting force?

The only one, the ONLY ONE I could, POSSIBLY, MAYBE concede as remotely possible is mind reading, only because we don't understand how the mind works, in its entirety, and it is possible that thoughts can cause a brain wave or electromagnetic field change, and it's POSSIBLE that some people MIGHT be able to subconciously interpret that field. It's POSSIBLE it could work somehow like radio. MAYBE

The rest just is, literally, impossible.

Correct, because aliens ARE a possibility. I've never seen them, but I admit they could exist
Fair enough.


ahh, but herein we have a problem. I believe aliens could exist because there is nothing about aliens that is fundamentally counter to physical laws. Aliens could exist, there's nothing in particular saying the CAN NOT exist.Given the multitude of life forms known of already, and the ones we keep finding, it's a fair attitude to have.

However for the rest, the laws of physics simply can not allow fo rit. How does one move something with his mind? By what method is he exerting force? I didn't vote in favour of telekinesis for reason of not having experienced it, and for fact that it's difficult to put into any sensible physical terms, as you'd pointed out.


The only one, the ONLY ONE I could, POSSIBLY, MAYBE concede as remotely possible is mind reading, only because we don't understand how the mind works, in its entirety, and it is possible that thoughts can cause a brain wave or electromagnetic field change, and it's POSSIBLE that some people MIGHT be able to subconciously interpret that field. It's POSSIBLE it could work somehow like radio. MAYBE

The rest just is, literally, impossible.Well, as you should know, there's a vast chasm in the diff between micro and macro as physics goes. Again, gravity isn't even figured out yet, and neither is Bell's Theorem, and because of that, as physics remains unfinished, that and certain aspects of physics remain open to more institutional research. Thusly, and i say this also due cosomological considerations, "impossible" isn't a valid consideration.

I don't really "believe in" any of the things on that list. I am, however, open to the possibility that some of them could have a basis in scientific fact. For example, I think the term "extra-sensory perception" is nonsense, but the possibility that human beings have means of perception that we don't really know about or understand as yet is not in itself ridiculous.

I actually did a long-term study on ESP in high school, which was rather interesting. One of the main parts of the study was very simple - I took a random group of twenty playing cards, looked at one at a time, and asked another person, sitting behind a screen, to tell me whether the suit was red or black. (I was very deliberately not attempting to separate out clairvoyance and telepathy for this particular part of the project.) I did this with about thirty people, about twenty-five times each, and was rather puzzled to discover that the average for everyone's attempts combined was almost .600 - significantly higher than it ought to have been assuming the complete nonexistence of any form of ESP. I also discovered that certain people did consistently much better than others - one subject got about 15/20 every single time. Was my goofy little study conclusive? Of course not. But it was, nonetheless, interesting. (Oh, and in case anyone thinks my subjects might somehow have conspired against me, I used myself as a subject for several other parts of the study, and the results were similarly intriguing.)

I admit, though, as open-minded as I try to be, certain aspects of the "paranormal" just strike me as silly. Aliens visiting Earth apparently for the sole purpose of abducting humans and sticking things up our butts? Riiiiiiiiiight. Telekinesis? Only if we are totally, totally wrong about how physics works. Ghosts wandering around with their heads cut off and such? Eh, not so much.

Believe in? None of the above. Hold an open mind in regards to, all of the above.

That's pretty much how my experience started.
*bows*

ESP, totally.

I don't really "believe in" any of the things on that list. I am, however, open to the possibility that some of them could have a basis in scientific fact. For example, I think the term "extra-sensory perception" is nonsense, but the possibility that human beings have means of perception that we don't really know about or understand as yet is not in itself ridiculous. Well said, imnsho. That's kinda what i was angling about also.

I actually did a long-term study on ESP in high school, which was rather interesting. One of the main parts of the study was very simple - I took a random group of twenty playing cards, looked at one at a time, and asked another person, sitting behind a screen, to tell me whether the suit was red or black. (I was very deliberately not attempting to separate out clairvoyance and telepathy for this particular part of the project.) I did this with about thirty people, about twenty-five times each, and was rather puzzled to discover that the average for everyone's attempts combined was almost .600 - significantly higher than it ought to have been assuming the complete nonexistence of any form of ESP. I also discovered that certain people did consistently much better than others - one subject got about 15/20 every single time. Was my goofy little study conclusive? Of course not. But it was, nonetheless, interesting. (Oh, and in case anyone thinks my subjects might somehow have conspired against me, I used myself as a subject for several other parts of the study, and the results were similarly intriguing.)
Indeed, i've followed up on a few these kinds of studies.
Last read i took, there's a percentage not dissimilar to the results posted here a while back about the percentage of heart surgery patients doing WORSE after being informed of intercessory prayer. Very similar number, and past the usual 2-3% median of error.


I admit, though, as open-minded as I try to be, certain aspects of the "paranormal" just strike me as silly. Aliens visiting Earth apparently for the sole purpose of abducting humans and sticking things up our butts? Riiiiiiiiiight. Telekinesis? Only if we are totally, totally wrong about how physics works. Ghosts wandering around with their heads cut off and such? Eh, not so much.As for aliens, there's a HUGE percentage of the abduction scenario situations that don't necessarily do anything other than to purposely humiliate anyone who might have seen anything peculiar, to the extent that the stigma automatically carries over. It's a good cover, imnsho.
As far as decapitated ghosts? Never seen one of those, but that's not really the concept behind it except for, of course, Sleepy Hollow and Harry Potter and the like.

ESP, totally.

Extremely
Scintillating
Photography

Or, as George Lynch was accused of by Vernon Reid,
Extra
Small
Penis
:D

Once I saw something in the sky that I can't identify.......other than that........not so much.

I did work as a "psychic" once and I know I was a fraud (a darn good one too)

I don't believe in ghosts, esp, etc.

Ghosts, nature spirits, cryptozoology, and weird stuff that doesn't fall in to those categories.

UFOs not so much, and I'm more or less undecided on ESP.

My ESP is that if take a pen or something, and move it towards my forehead, when it's an inch or so away from my face, my forehead tingles. Is that just me, or do all people have this remarkabl(y useless)e ability?

It's the same reason you can't test your own reflexes, or become sea sick if you're the driver of a boat, It's anticipation. You're in control and you at some level or another know when its happening.

Do dopplegangers count as ghosts?

"I don't believe in ghosts. But I'm scared of them."



Seconded

Regarding UFOs -

I follow a certain school of thought regarding UFOs - at least SOME UFO accounts are actually invented by the government, especially the air force and intelligence. The reason is that some UFOs are in fact prototype aircraft. So long as there are UFO nutjobs out there, nobody will take a second look.

I dont believe in any of them. UFO´s may be possible, but without proof I wont say I believe in it.

ESP is possible. Its possible we have more than 5 senses (and we do), things we havent identified yet but sometimes affect our behavior.

Once I saw something in the sky that I can't identify.......other than that........not so much.

I did work as a "psychic" once and I know I was a fraud (a darn good one too)

I don't believe in ghosts, esp, etc.

Perhaps you were too shallow to be chosen. You have the ability to sum up humans at a glance with a known set of behaviors and prey upon their weaknesses. Perhaps it is that same trait which makes you unable to sense the unexplained and undescribed, like a learning disability. There is serious evidence that what we consider a conscience, which would tell you to be honest and good, instead of predatory, is actually a normal function of the human brain. So if you display behaviors and thoughts to the contrary it's only fair to assume you likely have a brain disorder.

Perhaps you were too shallow to be chosen. You have the ability to sum up humans at a glance with a known set of behaviors and prey upon their weaknesses. Perhaps it is that same trait which makes you unable to sense the unexplained and undescribed, like a learning disability. There is serious evidence that what we consider a conscience, which would tell you to be honest and good, instead of predatory, is actually a normal function of the human brain. So if you display behaviors and thoughts to the contrary it's only fair to assume you likely have a brain disorder.

that was incoherent, try again.

that was incoherent, try again.

Ditto, I had a hard time following as well.

Perhaps you were too shallow to be chosen. You have the ability to sum up humans at a glance with a known set of behaviors and prey upon their weaknesses. Perhaps it is that same trait which makes you unable to sense the unexplained and undescribed, like a learning disability. There is serious evidence that what we consider a conscience, which would tell you to be honest and good, instead of predatory, is actually a normal function of the human brain. So if you display behaviors and thoughts to the contrary it's only fair to assume you likely have a brain disorder.

Are you a vampire?

So, I was reading some Paranormal related articles on Wiki, and I've begun to think just what do people believe in the Paranormal, and thus came a great poll idea for NSG! :D So if you believe in the Paranormal, to what extent do you believe in it? I believe in ghosts, UFOs, ESP, and few psychics. So what say you NSG? (Poll coming)

What's ESP? :confused:

Ghosts are real, my mom and I were attacked by them once with many witnesses around.

The universe is infinite so aliens have to exist, UFO exist becasue there are tons of objects that are flying and unidentified, if I made a foil airplane of very irregular shape and it managed to fly and I threw it and it flew high those who didn't know what it was would call it unidentified. Being phychic is a matter of making our social senses (empathy, the ability to read faces, body language tone of voice, ect) acute. Literally it is extreme empathy. Many cultists are technically "phychic", and use their abilities to size them up, find their weaknesses and such then use their phychological knowledge which they used to read them first with to then brainwash, influence, hypnotise them. (sorry for the synononyms it helps make this clearer) I strongly beleive in mind over matter and that if one meditates enough he/she can manipulate objects with the mind so telekinesis is a possibility.

I am fairly open minded about things. I am one that needs to see it to believe it. Although I am religious so guess not everything. I do believe in some peoples physchic abilities. Had a Grandmother that was a some what famous for her abilities. She did our future readings when we were about 8 years old. Everything she said has come true. The amount of children at what ages I would have them. My love life she hit on directly. She also said I would be in a war in the desert. Surprised I found myself in the desert in 91. There was a lot more she said that has been accurate. However I think that the majority of people that "read" are basically BS.

I dont believe in the "Paranormal" simply because i cant explain something doesnt make it not just normal.

I believe that things like telepathy, telekenisis, precognition are possible.

Everyone MUST believe in UFOs if you dont believe in UFOs you are an idiot.

UFO is an acronym for Unidentified Flying Object...not Space Alien.

So anything in the sky can at some point be a UFO. As long as you dont know what it is, it's a UFO. Ok. Great.

I also believe that things like telepathy, and what not can and will be completely explained by science. Physics is ever expanding and I see no reason to rule something out completely just because.

I believe that things like telepathy, telekenisis, precognition are possible.

I am 90% sure my husband is telepathic, but don't tell him.......whenever he guesses what I was thinking I just tell him he was wrong. :p

I have had some dreams of stuff before it happened, but often they are so vague it's impossible to attribute them to anything other than coincidence.

Are you a vampire?

Oooh! Good question! We have a nark?

It's not that hard to follow as a post, but that's considering my own posting history, i suspect.

I am 90% sure my husband is telepathic, but don't tell him.......whenever he guesses what I was thinking I just tell him he was wrong. :p
:eek:
Please don't, unless he gets a big head about it. Literally millions and millions of hapless (or at least poorly attentive) males bemoan this particular malady on an hourly basis.

We do not know enough about the natural world to say what is or is not possible in it. I believe that if people observe or experience something then there must have been something there to observe or experience. But in the absence of full data, our interpretations of what that something is will most likely be incorrect. For an interesting study of what happens when many people over a very long period of time develop complex ideas based on incomplete data, I recommend Vampires, Burial and Death by Paul Barber. In that book, Barber examines how early, original folk-beliefs about vampires -- how they were described, what they were believed to do, etc -- matched in great detail actual facts about death and the processes of decay of corpses. People in ancient times quite commonly were in a position to observe those processes in detail, but they had no way to actually see what was making the processes happen. So, for 1000s of years, people ascribed dynamic forces to these things that accounted for them logically but were not actually true. The fact is that corpses do change their appearance, grow (seemingly), change their skin, and even move about and make noise -- but it is not because they are really alive or animated by an evil spirit.

So, for the items on the list -- any of them might be true, or they might not. Perhaps they are misinterpretations of observed phenomena for which explanatory data is missing. For instance, on the tv show "Ghosthunters," the ghostly phenomena often turn out to be caused by old plumbing. (Think your house is haunted? Do yourself a favor and call a plumber and an electrician before an exorcist.)

Or perhaps they are accurate but incomplete interpretations. For instance, maybe it is possible to hear others' thoughts or foretell the future, but HOW that works is not understood and so the ability is considered to be a myth. And since we haven't yet figured out how to tell the real ability from someone faking it, we have no way of knowing if the real thing is common, or rare, or exists at all.

All of it.

I believe ghosts may be some kinda residual trace left behind. That for some reason or another, one individual who comes along can physically detect that and "sees" something. But none of the common spirit, soul, whatever aspect people think of. A part of undiscovered brain power perhaps, social linking of some kind. Nothing more than some kinda mark we leave, a scar of sorts. Not someone who decided they wanted to hang around after death.

Honestly I've always preferred not to believe in it at all but personal experience made me re-evaluate things and try to construct a theory other than "I'm imagining things"

As far as the rest, Ironically after that first paragraph, I don't put any faith in Telekinesis, psychics etc. But I do put some faith in the possibility of intelligent beings that aren't native ;) and a few cryptids.

Guess its just easier for my brain to put a scientific spin on things.

I don't believe any of them exist. But if good evidence for any of their existence was found, I might change my views.
QFT.

And "believe" is the wrong word for this. I see no concrete evidence for the "paranormal."

QFT.

And "believe" is the wrong word for this. I see no concrete evidence for the "paranormal."
Well, if it were concrete and commonplace, it would become normal, somewhat. :p