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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
 Posted - 08/20/2013 : 09:44:16
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Two nights ago, as I sat on my terrace watching the rain, our two dogs suddenly started barking with a tone of angry excitement. I figured at once that a cat was prowling near or on the wall in the rear of the house that separates our yard from the house behind it. I saw that both the dogs, the adult female Foxi and the male adolescent Black Bear, were jumping as high as they could againt the wall. The area is lighted all night for security, but the top of the wall was pretty much in shadow.
I got my flashlight and shined it at the top of the wall. There, partially obscured by some pipes and a ladder leading to my water tower, was what clearly seemed to be a cat, laying along the top of the wall. It was a mottled dark gray and black, and it was resting very still. I made all of my patented cat-challenging yowls and hissing noises, and shined the beam of my light directly toward where the cat's head seemed to be. But the noise and light show from my terrace did not make it react in the least.
"Good dogs!" I told the trusty canines.
I figured that this was one especially cheeky cat. After a bit, the dogs quieted down and went back to their beds. I checked again over a period of hours, and the cat had not moved. I finally went to bed, and didn't give much thought to the cat during the following day.
The next evening, I noticed it there again. I shined the light on it, and the dogs began again to bark and ineffectually jump toward it.
This time I asked my mate, Rose, to "take a look at this cat," while I had the light beam trained on it. I told her the cheeky cat was teasing the dogs, probably for sport. She saw it as clearly as I did and agreed with me.
Then, very late that night I finally got to bed just before dawn. But I awoke again after a few minutes with the clear and certain realization that the reason the cat had never moved is that it was dead, and had been so for over 24 hours at a minimum. I got up with the idea of performing the disgusting but inevitable task of pulling the cat down with a push-broom, and then figuring out how to dispose of its corpse.
I dressed and went out to the terrace to eyeball the cat for the first time in daylight.
There was no cat. But a rectangular, unpainted horizontal projection on top of the back wall was bare weathered concrete mottled with a dark pattern of algae. (I live in a genuine cloud forest. If you don't wear a hat, your head will almost turn green.) I showed Rose the cheeky, dead, mottled, concrete cat. We both had a bit of a laugh.
Tonight we both looked again in the beam of the flashlight. It again looked as though a cat was resting there on the top of the wall.
The Pareidolic Cheshire Cat. (Apologies for the low-quality cell phone photo.)
I now realize that initially, the dogs must have heard some real cat prowling, and began barking. Then I shined my light, making them think I'd seen it. Their reaction helped to convince me that the vague shadow I was seeing was really a cat. And my "Good dogs!" call to my hounds convinced them that there was indeed a feline intruder. My identification to Rose of the shadow as a "cat" set her up to see it as well.
If there are any lessons in this, they might be: 1) Don't trust your eyes, 2) Humans should not trust what dogs say, 3) Dogs should not trust what humans say, 4) Don't trust what your mate says, 5) Some things that are very concrete aren't really there, and 6) Skeptics are in no way exempt from pareidolia. (We are just more likely to know the fancy word.)
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
Edited by - HalfMooner on 08/21/2013 00:41:38
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On fire for Christ
SFN Regular
Norway
1273 Posts |
Posted - 08/20/2013 : 22:58:58 [Permalink]
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| That's weird, man. But you know, animals can see things we can't see. |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 08/21/2013 : 00:40:39 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by On fire for Christ
That's weird, man. But you know, animals can see things we can't see.
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Quite true. Dogs in particular have great night vision. Plus, they have a wonderful sense of smell that goes far beyond ours. In this case, however all involved (dogs, man, woman) seemed to be experiencing pareidolia. That said, the dogs did probably initially detect the presence of an actual prowling cat. It just wasn't resting on top of our wall for two days. The worst part is that four of us mammals fed our imaginations off the imaginations of the others, in a feedback loop. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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Valiant Dancer
Forum Goalie
USA
4826 Posts |
Posted - 08/21/2013 : 06:14:36 [Permalink]
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| But this was really concrete and really there. You even said it was made of concrete. Or am I missing something? :) |
Cthulhu/Asmodeus when you're tired of voting for the lesser of two evils
Brother Cutlass of Reasoned Discussion |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 08/21/2013 : 07:22:01 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Valiant Dancer
But this was really concrete and really there. You even said it was made of concrete. Or am I missing something? :)
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Its thereness as a cat, however, was sorely deficient. Or, put another way: Catwise, there's no there there. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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On fire for Christ
SFN Regular
Norway
1273 Posts |
Posted - 08/21/2013 : 19:45:26 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by HalfMooner
Originally posted by On fire for Christ
That's weird, man. But you know, animals can see things we can't see.
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Quite true. Dogs in particular have great night vision. Plus, they have a wonderful sense of smell that goes far beyond ours. In this case, however all involved (dogs, man, woman) seemed to be experiencing pareidolia. That said, the dogs did probably initially detect the presence of an actual prowling cat. It just wasn't resting on top of our wall for two days. The worst part is that four of us mammals fed our imaginations off the imaginations of the others, in a feedback loop.
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No I'm talking about Ghosts etc |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 08/22/2013 : 02:23:03 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by On fire for Christ
Originally posted by HalfMooner
Originally posted by On fire for Christ
That's weird, man. But you know, animals can see things we can't see.
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Quite true. Dogs in particular have great night vision. Plus, they have a wonderful sense of smell that goes far beyond ours. In this case, however all involved (dogs, man, woman) seemed to be experiencing pareidolia. That said, the dogs did probably initially detect the presence of an actual prowling cat. It just wasn't resting on top of our wall for two days. The worst part is that four of us mammals fed our imaginations off the imaginations of the others, in a feedback loop.
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No I'm talking about Ghosts etc
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O. Kay... Care to elaborate your thoughts, OFfC? |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 08/22/2013 02:39:19 |
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Valiant Dancer
Forum Goalie
USA
4826 Posts |
Posted - 08/22/2013 : 05:38:54 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by HalfMooner
Originally posted by On fire for Christ
Originally posted by HalfMooner
Originally posted by On fire for Christ
That's weird, man. But you know, animals can see things we can't see.
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Quite true. Dogs in particular have great night vision. Plus, they have a wonderful sense of smell that goes far beyond ours. In this case, however all involved (dogs, man, woman) seemed to be experiencing pareidolia. That said, the dogs did probably initially detect the presence of an actual prowling cat. It just wasn't resting on top of our wall for two days. The worst part is that four of us mammals fed our imaginations off the imaginations of the others, in a feedback loop.
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No I'm talking about Ghosts etc
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O. Kay... Care to elaborate your thoughts, OFfC?
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I think he's channeling Storm. |
Cthulhu/Asmodeus when you're tired of voting for the lesser of two evils
Brother Cutlass of Reasoned Discussion |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 08/22/2013 : 05:54:26 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Valiant Dancer
Originally posted by HalfMooner
Originally posted by On fire for Christ
Originally posted by HalfMooner
Originally posted by On fire for Christ
That's weird, man. But you know, animals can see things we can't see.
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Quite true. Dogs in particular have great night vision. Plus, they have a wonderful sense of smell that goes far beyond ours. In this case, however all involved (dogs, man, woman) seemed to be experiencing pareidolia. That said, the dogs did probably initially detect the presence of an actual prowling cat. It just wasn't resting on top of our wall for two days. The worst part is that four of us mammals fed our imaginations off the imaginations of the others, in a feedback loop.
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No I'm talking about Ghosts etc
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O. Kay... Care to elaborate your thoughts, OFfC?
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I think he's channeling Storm.
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"Our" Storm, or this Storm? |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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sailingsoul
SFN Addict
2830 Posts |
Posted - 08/22/2013 : 11:16:36 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by HalfMooner
"Our" Storm, or this Storm?
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Is there a difference? |
There are only two types of religious people, the deceivers and the deceived. SS |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 08/22/2013 : 11:18:57 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by sailingsoul
Originally posted by HalfMooner
"Our" Storm, or this Storm?
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Is there a difference?
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Good point. The oxymoronic phrase "same difference" does seem to apply. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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On fire for Christ
SFN Regular
Norway
1273 Posts |
Posted - 08/22/2013 : 17:41:24 [Permalink]
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| well i don't want to alarm you, but it's possible your house is haunted. |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 08/23/2013 : 02:08:46 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by On fire for Christ
well i don't want to alarm you, but it's possible your house is haunted. |
But I am alarmed. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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sailingsoul
SFN Addict
2830 Posts |
Posted - 08/23/2013 : 07:56:30 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by On fire for Christ
well i don't want to alarm you, but it's possible your house is haunted.
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That's a little vague. Haunted by what, good/bad memories? I agree that's possible. Any house could be haunted by memories but not universally to all people, just for possible past inhabitants.
For those who believe that after death God judges the dead and sends them to heaven or hell based on their life, then accordingly to Christian dogma, it's not "possible" to be a human spirit/s. Is that what your suggesting? I disagree.
That's the problem with noncritical or wishful thinking, holding beliefs that are not backed up with empirical evidence. Beliefs can end up conflicting which presents the dilemma that both can't be true and be held as so. If one picks and chooses their beliefs with out regard to observation and empirical evidence, capable of being verified or disproved by observation or experimentation, there is the hazard that beliefs will contradict. Like a human soul haunting a house, while it's in heaven or hell. A spirit in heaven or hell cannot be somewhere else. |
There are only two types of religious people, the deceivers and the deceived. SS |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
Posted - 08/23/2013 : 16:42:25 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by sailingsoul
Like a human soul haunting a house, while it's in heaven or hell. A spirit in heaven or hell cannot be somewhere else.
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Obviously. If the house is haunted, it's either by Satan or one of the fallen angels, demons, that were cast out of heaven.
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Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
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On fire for Christ
SFN Regular
Norway
1273 Posts |
Posted - 08/23/2013 : 22:34:32 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by HalfMooner
Originally posted by On fire for Christ
well i don't want to alarm you, but it's possible your house is haunted. |
But I am alarmed.
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I wouldn't be too worried, a cat spirit is concerned only with cat things and probably wont bother you. |
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Schrödinger's Pareidolic Cheshire Cat
