Freethought & Rationalism Archive

CubicGate · 08-20-2002, 04:50 PM

Hello Atheists and skeptics!
I am new to posting on the board but I have lurked here for a while. I am really amazed that so few of you seem to believe in psychics and the paranormal. It's hard for me to see why you don't believe because so many of you are obviously really educated and stuff. What I mean is - have you guys really not experienced this stuff at all??
I have seen ghosts since I was a little girl and known that I was psychic since junior high school. It is just a part of my life that I see like the Sun or the clouds.
Your first reaction might be that I am crazy or something but I am just as normal as anyone else here. Just look on this website and you'll see that other people see some of the same things I do!

<a href="http://www.childpastlives.org/ubb/Forum7/HTML/000988.html" target="_blank">http://www.childpastlives.org/ubb/Forum7/HTML/000988.html</a>

I don't know how to make the links work right so I appologize if it dosen't work.
What I want to know is have you guys really never seen a ghost, had a premenition, heard voices, had psychic dreams, or anything else. I mean ever in you life. My friends and I just take this stuff for granted. It's hard for me to understand how you guys could be living in what would seem like a whole other world to me. Thank you!

Mageth · 08-20-2002, 05:00 PM

Welcome to the board.

I am really amazed that so few of you seem to believe in psychics and the paranormal.

You may have noticed that this is a secular website, where many of the members are atheists or agnostics. As such, many of us tend to be of a skeptical nature, many tend to ask for actual, scientific evidence to back supernatural claims, and thus many of us lack belief in psychic/paranormal claims, as such evidence is sorely lacking.

Not that an atheist/agnostic can't believe in psychic/paranormal phenomenon, it's just that as a group we tend not to have the predisposition to believe such claims.

[ August 20, 2002: Message edited by: Mageth ]

Bible Humper · 08-20-2002, 05:00 PM

Ok, you claim to see or used to see ghosts often, eh?

Well, it always seems that these phenomena only occur to those who already believe in it. Why do skeptics never seem to experience these things? Be aware that most of us have left belief in the supernatural behind, the usual reason being the utter lack of evidence. If supernature actually existe, and was anywhere near as common as you claim, there would be no way for us to deny it.

Mageth · 08-20-2002, 05:10 PM

BTW, I've never seen a ghost, heard voices, had psychic dreams, or anything else. I, like most people, have had what might be called "premenitions", but none that could only have a supernatural explanation and not a perhaps mundane, naturalistic psychological one.

Anunnaki · 08-20-2002, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by CubicGate:
Hello Atheists and skeptics!

What I want to know is have you guys really never seen a ghost, had a premenition, heard voices, had psychic dreams, or anything else. I mean ever in you life. My friends and I just take this stuff for granted. It's hard for me to understand how you guys could be living in what would seem like a whole other world to me. Thank you!

Nope. I`ve never witnessed anything paranormal. I would have given my right arm to experience something like that as a kid and I even hung around cemetaries and other "haunted" places hoping I`d provoke such an incident,but all I got was hassled by the cops.

I`m 32 now and STILL haven`t seen anything supernatural.

Hedwig · 08-20-2002, 05:10 PM

I was into the whole psychic/ghost/paranormal thing for quite a while. I wanted to believe in ghosts all my life. Thing is, everything that I chalked up to paranormal incident happened under extremely dubious circumstances. When you're living across from an abandoned dorm and you're sitting outside at night, it's very easy to imagine faces peering at you from the dorm across the lawn. It's easy to wake up in the middle of the night and think you're seeing or hearing ghosts/UFO's/whatever. When you're half asleep you can fool yourself into thinking someone is sitting on your chest, keeping you from moving...but in all likelihood it's just normal sleep paralysis.

Basically, everything that I thought I saw when I was a believer, when I looked at it from a skeptical viewpoint, can be chalked up to my imagination, being influenced by dream states when I'm half awake, etc. They didn't hold up under basic skepticism...so I eventually had to discard them. Which was difficult considering that I come from a long line of "psychics".

I've yet to see any paranormal claim hold up under the intense scrutiny of skepticism.

daemon · 08-20-2002, 05:19 PM

Quote:

CubicGate: It's hard for me to see why you don't believe because so many of you are obviously really educated and stuff. What I mean is - have you guys really not experienced this stuff at all??

Nope. Never.

Quote:

I have seen ghosts since I was a little girl and known that I was psychic since junior high school. It is just a part of my life that I see like the Sun or the clouds.

That's nice. I knew a guy who was, at one point in time, convinced he was Batman.

Quote:

Your first reaction might be that I am crazy...

Correct.

Quote:

...or something but I am just as normal as anyone else here.

Um, you said you believe in ghosts. I don't care how "normal" you think you are.

Quote:

Just look on this website and you'll see that other people see some of the same things I do!

If numbers were all it took to convince me, I would be a Christian.

Quote:

What I want to know is have you guys really never seen a ghost,...

Nope.

Quote:

...had a premenition,...

Nope.

Quote:

...heard voices,...

Sure, when people talk to me... or I listen to a recording.

Quote:

...had psychic dreams,...

Nope.

Quote:

...or anything else. I mean ever in you life.

Sorry, no.

Quote:

My friends and I just take this stuff for granted. It's hard for me to understand how you guys could be living in what would seem like a whole other world to me. Thank you!

Well, whatever.

ashibaka · 08-20-2002, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by CubicGate:
...and known that I was psychic since junior high school.

Cool! Will you take my <a href="http://home.attbi.com/~ashitaka/psychic.html" target="_blank">psychic test</a>? I'm sure you'll pass with flying colors. You see, I've been waiting for a psychic to come and prove to me the existence of psychics, and none have so far.

You might also be interested in contacting <a href="http://www.randi.org/" target="_blank">James Randi</a> to earn his one-million-dollar prize. He's waiting, too.

Bible Humper · 08-20-2002, 05:55 PM

Hello Cubicgate,

I recommend that you look up some explanations of dopamine and the effect on the brain that it has. Researchers have conducted tests where both skeptics and religious believers were made to look at a screen that was a bit like your television when it is tuned to a dead channel.

Believers thought that they could perceive faces and symbols, though there were none there, and the skeptics failed to see anything. When they injected the skeptics with extra dopamine, they were then able to perceive faces also...

Just keep in mind that there are thousands of little cults who all have believers that swear that their guru has magic powers, but they can't all be the messiah, can they? Somehow, these people literally believe it though...

CubicGate · 08-20-2002, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Splashing Colours Of Whimsy:
Ok, you claim to see or used to see ghosts often, eh?

Well, it always seems that these phenomena only occur to those who already believe in it. Why do skeptics never seem to experience these things? Be aware that most of us have left belief in the supernatural behind, the usual reason being the utter lack of evidence. If supernature actually existe, and was anywhere near as common as you claim, there would be no way for us to deny it.

Yes I do still see ghosts on a regular basis. I just saw one last Thursday night as a matter of fact. I was getting ready for bed - but not asleep! Anyway, I looked in my dresser mirror and I saw behind me in the mirror a white form that looked like the outline of a person. I turned around quickly but it was gone.
Stuff like this happens to me alot, which is why I am sort of skeptical of skeptisism on this subject ;-). But I don't want to offend anyone. I realize that everyones experiences are different and their beliefs are valid within those experiences.
As to why skeptics don't seem to experience the paranormal very much - I really don't have an answer to that. My friends and me have talked about it before and we think that maybe some people are spiritually tuned to pick up certain things and others are not. This is not good or bad. It is just because people are different.
Another thing that I was thinking is that maybe spirits are afraid of really skeptical people. My friends mom said that hardcore skeptics have a different aura than other people. Maybe ghosts don't like it. I don't know. Just a thought.
Have you ever done any aura work? It might help you to see beyond. Just curious. Thanks!

08-20-2002, 04:50 PM	#1
CubicGate Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 31	Proof of the Paranormal is everywhere Hello Atheists and skeptics! I am new to posting on the board but I have lurked here for a while. I am really amazed that so few of you seem to believe in psychics and the paranormal. It's hard for me to see why you don't believe because so many of you are obviously really educated and stuff. What I mean is - have you guys really not experienced this stuff at all?? I have seen ghosts since I was a little girl and known that I was psychic since junior high school. It is just a part of my life that I see like the Sun or the clouds. Your first reaction might be that I am crazy or something but I am just as normal as anyone else here. Just look on this website and you'll see that other people see some of the same things I do! <a href="http://www.childpastlives.org/ubb/Forum7/HTML/000988.html" target="_blank">http://www.childpastlives.org/ubb/Forum7/HTML/000988.html</a> I don't know how to make the links work right so I appologize if it dosen't work. What I want to know is have you guys really never seen a ghost, had a premenition, heard voices, had psychic dreams, or anything else. I mean ever in you life. My friends and I just take this stuff for granted. It's hard for me to understand how you guys could be living in what would seem like a whole other world to me. Thank you!

08-20-2002, 05:00 PM	#2
Mageth Contributor Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Deep in the heart of mother-lovin' Texas Posts: 29,689	Welcome to the board. I am really amazed that so few of you seem to believe in psychics and the paranormal. You may have noticed that this is a secular website, where many of the members are atheists or agnostics. As such, many of us tend to be of a skeptical nature, many tend to ask for actual, scientific evidence to back supernatural claims, and thus many of us lack belief in psychic/paranormal claims, as such evidence is sorely lacking. Not that an atheist/agnostic can't believe in psychic/paranormal phenomenon, it's just that as a group we tend not to have the predisposition to believe such claims. [ August 20, 2002: Message edited by: Mageth ]</p>

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08-20-2002, 05:00 PM	#3
Bible Humper Veteran Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,125	Ok, you claim to see or used to see ghosts often, eh? Well, it always seems that these phenomena only occur to those who already believe in it. Why do skeptics never seem to experience these things? Be aware that most of us have left belief in the supernatural behind, the usual reason being the utter lack of evidence. If supernature actually existe, and was anywhere near as common as you claim, there would be no way for us to deny it.

08-20-2002, 05:10 PM	#4
Mageth Contributor Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Deep in the heart of mother-lovin' Texas Posts: 29,689	BTW, I've never seen a ghost, heard voices, had psychic dreams, or anything else. I, like most people, have had what might be called "premenitions", but none that could only have a supernatural explanation and not a perhaps mundane, naturalistic psychological one.

08-20-2002, 05:10 PM	#6
Hedwig Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 3,921	I was into the whole psychic/ghost/paranormal thing for quite a while. I wanted to believe in ghosts all my life. Thing is, everything that I chalked up to paranormal incident happened under extremely dubious circumstances. When you're living across from an abandoned dorm and you're sitting outside at night, it's very easy to imagine faces peering at you from the dorm across the lawn. It's easy to wake up in the middle of the night and think you're seeing or hearing ghosts/UFO's/whatever. When you're half asleep you can fool yourself into thinking someone is sitting on your chest, keeping you from moving...but in all likelihood it's just normal sleep paralysis. Basically, everything that I thought I saw when I was a believer, when I looked at it from a skeptical viewpoint, can be chalked up to my imagination, being influenced by dream states when I'm half awake, etc. They didn't hold up under basic skepticism...so I eventually had to discard them. Which was difficult considering that I come from a long line of "psychics". I've yet to see any paranormal claim hold up under the intense scrutiny of skepticism.

08-20-2002, 05:55 PM	#9
Bible Humper Veteran Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,125	Hello Cubicgate, I recommend that you look up some explanations of dopamine and the effect on the brain that it has. Researchers have conducted tests where both skeptics and religious believers were made to look at a screen that was a bit like your television when it is tuned to a dead channel. Believers thought that they could perceive faces and symbols, though there were none there, and the skeptics failed to see anything. When they injected the skeptics with extra dopamine, they were then able to perceive faces also... Just keep in mind that there are thousands of little cults who all have believers that swear that their guru has magic powers, but they can't all be the messiah, can they? Somehow, these people literally believe it though...

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