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Storm
SFN Regular
USA
708 Posts |
 Posted - 03/27/2013 : 13:47:47 [Permalink]
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| Actually its one of the first things I think aboout first in an investigation. |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
Posted - 03/27/2013 : 16:34:14 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Storm
Actually its one of the first things I think aboout first in an investigation.
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What is? |
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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ThorGoLucky
Snuggle Wolf
USA
1487 Posts |
Posted - 03/27/2013 : 19:59:05 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by energyscholar
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| I think a truther made it. |
and we all instantly knew what he meant. This sort of professional disinformation has been so effective that the word 'truther' now means something like 'one who distorts the truth'. ... |
"Truther" to me means someone who honestly thinks that they're "in the know", but they lack critical thinking skills to realize that they have fallen for anomaly hunting, logical fallacies, and confirmation bias.
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| Edited by - ThorGoLucky on 03/27/2013 20:01:19 |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
Posted - 03/27/2013 : 21:32:00 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by ThorGoLucky
Originally posted by energyscholar
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| I think a truther made it. |
and we all instantly knew what he meant. This sort of professional disinformation has been so effective that the word 'truther' now means something like 'one who distorts the truth'. ... |
"Truther" to me means someone who honestly thinks that they're "in the know", but they lack critical thinking skills to realize that they have fallen for anomaly hunting, logical fallacies, and confirmation bias.
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Exactly! |
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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moakley
SFN Regular
USA
1888 Posts |
Posted - 03/28/2013 : 05:01:06 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Storm
My conclusions are my own... through my own investigations. None the less I believe them to be true.I have done numerous seances, automatic writing, spells, etc... No ghosts... only their energy left over
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Please forgive the hard headedness, but in a skeptic forum that is not a very satisfying answer. |
Life is good
Philosophy is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that may never be questioned. -Anonymous |
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sailingsoul
SFN Addict
2830 Posts |
Posted - 03/28/2013 : 10:43:55 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by moakley
Originally posted by Storm
My conclusions are my own... through my own investigations. None the less I believe them to be true.I have done numerous seances, automatic writing, spells, etc... No ghosts... only their energy left over
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Please forgive the hard headedness, but in a skeptic forum that is not a very satisfying answer.
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I agree with moakley and Storm's reply fails to argue her beliefs as having any foundation outside of her own head.
Simply posting a proclamation that one has done their own investigation and not being unable to articulate the methods used falls short of providing anything of true value for those listening. I think the unwillingness or inability to do so only shows a refusal to back her comments or beliefs with hard facts that can be examined. That leaves us to question if any real "scientific" investigation has even been done. Until such information is presented the investigation is meaningless to any one except the investigator and fails at proving the claims to those who require scientific methods applied to research.
As to storms post saying "the phenomena is to great just to push aside and chalk it up to fantasy prone or a trick of the mind and eye." is mistaken. This is a logical fallacy, the number of claims states nothing to the truthfulness or validity of the claims or occurrences, no matter how great the number. |
There are only two types of religious people, the deceivers and the deceived. SS |
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H. Humbert
SFN Die Hard
USA
4574 Posts |
Posted - 03/28/2013 : 15:25:47 [Permalink]
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Storm, if you want to get serious with your investigations, invite a skeptic to one of your seances or along for a ghost hunt. Not just someone who calls themselves a skeptic, someone with real ties to a skeptical organization that can help point out flaws or weaknesses in your methodology. Because you lack scientific training, there are probably things wrongs with your protocol other than fraud. Like bias. For instance, have you ever established a control?
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"A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he generally believes to be true." --Demosthenes
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool." --Richard P. Feynman
"Face facts with dignity." --found inside a fortune cookie |
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sailingsoul
SFN Addict
2830 Posts |
Posted - 03/28/2013 : 18:01:13 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by H. Humbert
Storm, if you want to get serious with your investigations, invite a skeptic to one of your seances or along for a ghost hunt. Not just someone who calls themselves a skeptic, someone with real ties to a skeptical organization that can help point out flaws or weaknesses in your methodology. Because you lack scientific training, there are probably things wrongs with your protocol other than fraud. Like bias. For instance, have you ever established a control?
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In doing some of my own exploring I came across an article about people with the ability to see colors or auras around people or written words expressing strong emotions. The article reported about the findings of a study done in a university. Imagine that, science actually doing research into perceived paranormal claims. Who would have guessed that? Anyway, they verified that the "condition" actually does exist in about 1 out of 2000 people but unfortunately there was no paranormal basis found. There are all sorts of cross talk that can go on in someones head between different regions associated with different senses which produces a wide range of strange effects. Article link.
Synaesthesia is a condition found in 1 in 2000 people in which stimulation of one sense produces a response in one or more of the other senses. For example, people with synaesthesia may experience shapes with tastes or smells with sounds. It is thought to originate in the brain and some scientists believe it might be caused by a cross-wiring in the brain, for example between centres involved in emotional processing and smell perception. Synaesthesia is known to run in families. |
One interesting book on the human brain that I read about a 1.5 years ago was "Sleights of Mind" by Sandra Blakeslee, Stephen L. Macknik. The book went through all the senses and all aspects associated with them from start to finish. The book also takes those explanations and the explains in depth some 50 Magic acts to drive home how the brain very easily can be completely wrong about what it thinks is going on. The human brain does not see, hear, smell, taste or feel anything. The stimuli that produces those experiences that are interpreted and then perceived by the brain never enters the brain directly. No light, no smells, no sound etc. ever gets into the brain. They are sensed by different types of nerves that output electrochemical signals that in turn get relayed to different areas of the brain. In the book they purpose and explain how that if a brain could be placed in a box and kept alive then by providing the proper electrochemical stimulus to it that brain could be made to experience anything it might, as it does in a body but without not having any eyes ears, etc. or even a body associated.
That brain could be made to not be unaware that it is not in a body living a normal life, with proper stimuli but is in fact existing in a box.
That book made it aware to me that what we think or believe is going on around us is ONLY in our brains, with it receiving the stimuli being provided or not AND how the brain is interpreting it, correctly or not. Our brains are not handling any of the stimuli it is receiving in real time as it is occurring. There is quite a long delay from the time the light reaches one's eyes and the brain becomes aware of what it is "seeing" and then reacts to it. We all are unaware of that delay and believe what we are "seeing" is happening "now" when it is not but delayed. It is only the brain's ability from past experiences to take that delayed vision and project into the future of what is happening so that the time it takes to react happens in time with the real event. I don't know if what I described in the book was explained effectively by me but there it is. Pretty amazing stuff, it was with that book that really made me understand that what is going on in our own heard is NOT what we think it is, not by any means. Also I came to understand how brains can have thoughts that are incorrect interpretations of activities occurring around us or not occurring at all. Come to think about it all now, I believe I'll read it again. |
There are only two types of religious people, the deceivers and the deceived. SS |
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Valiant Dancer
Forum Goalie
USA
4826 Posts |
Posted - 03/29/2013 : 12:10:33 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Siberia
Originally posted by Valiant Dancer
Has been with every group I have come in contact with over 20 some odd years of being a witch.
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A witch!! A witch!!
(sorry, couldn't resist)
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Sadly, I weigh much more than a duck. |
Cthulhu/Asmodeus when you're tired of voting for the lesser of two evils
Brother Cutlass of Reasoned Discussion |
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Siberia
SFN Addict
Brazil
2322 Posts |
Posted - 03/29/2013 : 14:27:29 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Valiant Dancer
Originally posted by Siberia
Originally posted by Valiant Dancer
Has been with every group I have come in contact with over 20 some odd years of being a witch.
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A witch!! A witch!!
(sorry, couldn't resist)
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Sadly, I weigh much more than a duck.
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But... but... you turned me into a newt! |
"Why are you afraid of something you're not even sure exists?"
- The Kovenant, Via Negativa
"People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefs."
-- unknown
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Valiant Dancer
Forum Goalie
USA
4826 Posts |
Posted - 04/01/2013 : 10:08:52 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Siberia
Originally posted by Valiant Dancer
Originally posted by Siberia
Originally posted by Valiant Dancer
Has been with every group I have come in contact with over 20 some odd years of being a witch.
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A witch!! A witch!!
(sorry, couldn't resist)
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Sadly, I weigh much more than a duck.
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But... but... you turned me into a newt!
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Quitcherbitchin. You got better. :)
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Cthulhu/Asmodeus when you're tired of voting for the lesser of two evils
Brother Cutlass of Reasoned Discussion |
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Siberia
SFN Addict
Brazil
2322 Posts |
Posted - 04/01/2013 : 17:53:30 [Permalink]
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"Why are you afraid of something you're not even sure exists?"
- The Kovenant, Via Negativa
"People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefs."
-- unknown
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Zhijun Gao
New Member
1 Post |
Posted - 04/10/2013 : 05:46:53 [Permalink]
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| I don't understand. |
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sailingsoul
SFN Addict
2830 Posts |
Posted - 04/10/2013 : 05:55:29 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Zhijun Gao
I don't understand.
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What is it that you don't understand? Perhaps someone can explain. |
There are only two types of religious people, the deceivers and the deceived. SS |
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moakley
SFN Regular
USA
1888 Posts |
Posted - 04/10/2013 : 06:17:05 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by sailingsoul
Originally posted by Zhijun Gao
I don't understand.
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What is it that you don't understand? Perhaps someone can explain.
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Just guessing. Monty Python and the Holy Grail ref. |
Life is good
Philosophy is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that may never be questioned. -Anonymous |
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Newton Conneticut
