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26th October 2015, 08:40 AM | #361 |
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Be that as it may, the pattern of argumentation differs little from UFO claimants, homeopathic cure claimants, faith healing claimants -- and in that vein, religion claimants in general. There is always the pretense of taking a reasonable position: "I just want to find out what it was," or "If it turns out to be ordinary, I'd accept that." But the claimant then systematically rejects everything having to do with reason. And before long the claimant starts to get really personally attached to his own beliefs and interpretations of the event, often applying various ad hoc revision techniques to make sure the details remain untestable by science, or mysterious enough to maintain the illusion of an unsurpassable inductive leap.
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26th October 2015, 09:10 AM | #362 |
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Simple probability tells us that we should expect coincidences, and simple psychology tells us that we'll remember the ones we notice... |
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26th October 2015, 06:22 PM | #363 |
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I've never seen an apparition. But I got locked in the bathroom at an old plantation by something. The only other thing was getting pinched by another something at Sloss Furnace in Birmingham, Al.
I'm not certain how my grandmother's partial got wedged into a ceiling light fixture. I can't see how a 92 year old woman that could barely walk would manage to climb up on a chair to do that but old people can surprise you sometimes, so that one is a "maybe". I saw my mother in a dream who gave me a warning about what would happen to my siblings in the future. I have two past life memories, one of being Socrate's student and of watching Abraham Lincoln give a speech. That's the extent of my experiences. The only explanation I have is that I have a leaky id. I consider it to be a type of birth defect because our role here is to experience this life under our dimensional rules. I don't see a place for all of this other business, it certainly hasn't benefited me in any way. The cougar sighting wasn't something I considered being paranormal. But I did see an albino weasel crossing the road in my headlights coming home late at night in Mississippi. That was just weird, not ghostly. |
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26th October 2015, 06:26 PM | #364 |
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26th October 2015, 06:52 PM | #365 |
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It depends on whether you consider consciousness to be the soul. In my belief, I think that we use the brain as a lens to focus our self awareness, or soul, or " I am alive" feeling to experience this 4th dimensional reality. From what I understand Tegmark was trying to describe this sense of self awareness using quantum theory. Except his made up word for this self awareness/soul/ muchy muchness is perceptronium. I'm not clear on why he chose that term, it sounds like a Transformer's name, like Optimus Prime, and no one will take that seriously.
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"When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look but it was gone, I cannot put my finger on it now. The child is grown, the dream is gone. I have become comfortably numb. " Pink Floyd |
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26th October 2015, 07:05 PM | #366 |
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I think I'm in the majority rather than the minority when you consider the general population. How do you define healthy? Have you visited the Community Section here lately?
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"When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look but it was gone, I cannot put my finger on it now. The child is grown, the dream is gone. I have become comfortably numb. " Pink Floyd |
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26th October 2015, 07:09 PM | #367 |
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"When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look but it was gone, I cannot put my finger on it now. The child is grown, the dream is gone. I have become comfortably numb. " Pink Floyd |
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26th October 2015, 07:15 PM | #368 |
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So attention, then. Got it. That's the only reason I can imagine why someone would spend so much time among such harsh critics. But don't worry, without you there would still be a plethora of UFO abductees, faith healers, rosary-fingerers, climate-change deniers, conspiracy theorists, and other ghost hunters.
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We get it. You're a big fan of metaphysics. Once you stop making outrageous personal claims to get attention, you might get someone to discuss it with you. |
26th October 2015, 07:18 PM | #369 |
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Serious consideration would require proof from you. Can you supply any? What if your brain is working normally, as others have suggested, and the things you've experienced are just part of normal human experience? What if, aside from the embellishments you can't seem to keep straight, your experiences are rather ordinary? Would that mean you aren't special anymore?
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26th October 2015, 07:31 PM | #370 |
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I think what I experienced was ordinary, just not for 4th dimensional space here on Earth. The details remain untestable because they are untestable, or at least until physics catches up with a way to intuit what other dimensional space is like based on what is testable. Isn't that one of the reasons they built CERN?
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"When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look but it was gone, I cannot put my finger on it now. The child is grown, the dream is gone. I have become comfortably numb. " Pink Floyd |
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26th October 2015, 07:36 PM | #371 |
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Asked and answered. Your speculative musings upon others' speculative musings do not constitute any sort of reality.
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26th October 2015, 07:45 PM | #372 |
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The best I can do is provide circumstantial evidence regarding multi dimensional space. Then I borrowed from neuro research regarding consciousness in developing AI. All I've done is try to synthesize the two into a cohesive hypothesis, one that can't be tested at the moment, but that might change at some point in the future. Then I applied that to some specific experiences I've had.
Am I special? I doubt it, some of you have had similar experiences but you chose to toss it off as something else. I happen to think our consciousness resides in other dimensions besides just here, that we are multidimensional beings, but our focus is on this "now", so to speak. That would apply to you, me, everyone across the board equally. |
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"When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look but it was gone, I cannot put my finger on it now. The child is grown, the dream is gone. I have become comfortably numb. " Pink Floyd |
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26th October 2015, 07:54 PM | #373 |
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It doesn't make it wrong, at least not that we know of yet. It only seems irrational if you think your flesh and blood body is the entire "you".
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"When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look but it was gone, I cannot put my finger on it now. The child is grown, the dream is gone. I have become comfortably numb. " Pink Floyd |
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26th October 2015, 07:57 PM | #374 |
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No, you provide anecdotes that you support with vague, handwaving references to "multi-dimensional space" that necessitate you having to warp the original intent of their authors. Every genre of fringe claimants has their special brand of pseudo-science. UFO enthusiasts appeal to Townsend, etc.
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When my father passed away I had several dreams of him. Just dreams. No need to appeal to other dimensions or ghosts. So yeah, go ahead and tell everyone else how I'm a guy chained in a cave.
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26th October 2015, 07:59 PM | #375 |
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I define as "me" what can be proven to be "me." I wisely refuse to bank on what I imagine might else be "me." You seem to be confused as to what constitutes "rational."
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26th October 2015, 08:04 PM | #376 |
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"When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look but it was gone, I cannot put my finger on it now. The child is grown, the dream is gone. I have become comfortably numb. " Pink Floyd |
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26th October 2015, 08:09 PM | #377 |
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For right here and right now, it serves you just fine.
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"When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look but it was gone, I cannot put my finger on it now. The child is grown, the dream is gone. I have become comfortably numb. " Pink Floyd |
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26th October 2015, 08:15 PM | #378 |
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Interpreting them in public, loudly and repeatedly. Do you really think your motives are so transparent? As to the offense component, you're posting ghost stories in a forum clearly devoted to skepticism. You know exactly what response to expect. Complaining about it just makes us laugh.
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26th October 2015, 08:19 PM | #379 |
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Indeed. When the evidence changes, so likely will my view. Until then, no.
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26th October 2015, 08:59 PM | #380 |
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I have no idea who Townsend is, so what is the original intent of the research that I cited to back up my supposition if I'm incorrect?
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There is no scorn, it's no different than saying "dismiss" or "attribute", it sounds like you simply didn't like my choice of verb. I thought I was arguing for the existence of multidimensional consciousness and how that might apply to some of my personal experiences, do you think that makes me special ? If so, you need to start a new thread in Community.
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"When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look but it was gone, I cannot put my finger on it now. The child is grown, the dream is gone. I have become comfortably numb. " Pink Floyd |
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26th October 2015, 09:13 PM | #381 |
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Speculation, not research. Your attempt to explain events in terms of it constitutes the misuse.
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26th October 2015, 09:17 PM | #382 |
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"When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look but it was gone, I cannot put my finger on it now. The child is grown, the dream is gone. I have become comfortably numb. " Pink Floyd |
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26th October 2015, 09:23 PM | #383 |
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1. Social, religious, and cultural background is a solid predictor as to who will see a ghost. 2. There is no consistent data on ghosts which allows for predictable patterns. This includes location, time of day/week/month/year, or what creates a haunting. 3. The most common ghosts are of living people. #3 holds the key to understanding the phenomenon in my opinion, because it hints at how the brain manufactures information based on esoteric and abstract input.
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For the most part it's the power of suggestion. It's like seeing a spider cross the floor - every itch you feel for a while afterwords becomes that spider. A ghost-hunting team I knew actually created a ghost as part of a controlled experiment involving a high school. They started a rumor about a 2nd floor janitor's closet haunted by someone who had hung themselves inside. I think they gave him a red shirt or some distinguishing feature. Within 6 months this previously unhaunted 2nd floor janitor's closet was now haunted by a boy in a red shirt.
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26th October 2015, 09:24 PM | #384 |
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No it isn't, that's simply your opinion. How do you think science works if it doesn't first begin with speculation?
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"When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look but it was gone, I cannot put my finger on it now. The child is grown, the dream is gone. I have become comfortably numb. " Pink Floyd |
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26th October 2015, 09:43 PM | #385 |
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You mean like the doppleganger myth? I'm not familiar with stories of living ghosts unless that's what you're talking about. I don't disagree with the rest. I think belief plays a big part in what you see, it would have to if it is truly an entity plucking something familiar from your memory in order to interact with you in some way.
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"When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look but it was gone, I cannot put my finger on it now. The child is grown, the dream is gone. I have become comfortably numb. " Pink Floyd |
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26th October 2015, 09:45 PM | #386 |
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26th October 2015, 11:34 PM | #387 |
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What if you're wrong about how your brain is working in these situations, would that mean you might have to give what I said some serious consideration?
In the absence of supporting objective evidence, fanciful explanations which contradict much of what we have discovered about how the world works do not merit serious consideration when there are several plausible mundane ones. |
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27th October 2015, 01:51 AM | #388 |
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'Of course it can be OK to mistreat people.'- shuttlt Bring Back the Yak! P.J. Denyer |
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27th October 2015, 02:19 AM | #389 |
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I can't think why Jodie does not embrace my testimony about how I sent her that dream via my cell phone from the subtle dimensions.
I mean, it's anecdote and hypothesis all wrapped in untestable cohesion. |
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"If I hadn't believed it with my own mind, I would never have seen it." - thanks sackett "If you stand on a piece of paper, you are indeed closer to the moon." - MRC_Hans "I was a believer. Until I saw it." - Magrat |
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27th October 2015, 07:04 AM | #390 |
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That's funny; I do.
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So yes, it is rational for me to expect you to understand that you'll be criticized for what you're doing. I find it more likely you're simply seeking attention than it is you have something insightful to discuss. |
27th October 2015, 07:23 AM | #391 |
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Congratulations, you have successfully failed to model something that you assert "isn't noticeable". -The Man Science is not hopelessly hobbled just because it knows the difference between fact and imagination. -JayUtah |
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27th October 2015, 08:13 AM | #392 |
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27th October 2015, 11:35 AM | #393 |
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27th October 2015, 03:34 PM | #394 |
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If I remember any of my dreams at all, it's usually what I call a "dump" dream where it's a mish mash of the previous day's events. Once in awhile I'll have the typical " I can't find the exit on the interstate dream" and I keep driving around in circles on this giant conjunction of freeways. The other dream I have on a regular basis is about an approaching tornado and my feet are stuck to the ground. That's it, I don't have dreams where actual conversations take place and rarely remember anything when I do dream.
I don't think my mind would suddenly do something different from what it usually does, but I could be wrong, other people have dreams where they talk to people in those dreams. I think if you happen to be an atheist you would probably find my speculation about this to be offensive. That's the only reason I can think of for why you and JayUtah would insist on proof for something that was clearly stated to be an idea. You don't have to participate in the conversation if it offends you. |
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"When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look but it was gone, I cannot put my finger on it now. The child is grown, the dream is gone. I have become comfortably numb. " Pink Floyd |
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27th October 2015, 03:35 PM | #395 |
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"When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look but it was gone, I cannot put my finger on it now. The child is grown, the dream is gone. I have become comfortably numb. " Pink Floyd |
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27th October 2015, 03:50 PM | #396 |
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How are you seeing the other forum members?
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"When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look but it was gone, I cannot put my finger on it now. The child is grown, the dream is gone. I have become comfortably numb. " Pink Floyd |
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27th October 2015, 03:51 PM | #397 |
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You clearly stated your belief that it was an idea backed up by science. If you say that in a skeptics' forum, but can't actually provide real science, you will be challenged.
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27th October 2015, 04:04 PM | #398 |
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"When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look but it was gone, I cannot put my finger on it now. The child is grown, the dream is gone. I have become comfortably numb. " Pink Floyd |
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27th October 2015, 04:04 PM | #399 |
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The you knowing without a doubt that your mother visited you after you died??
... or the speculation about unrealistic explanations for the above, without there being any evidence supporting the (possibility of) occurrence of such a thing? |
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27th October 2015, 04:08 PM | #400 |
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Literally "see?" You're actually making such a pedantic argument?
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And no matter how frantically you try to write off your critics as somehow emotionally fragile, the fact remains that people are very much trying to drag you away from emotional attachment to an idea and toward objective methods of testing your claims. You can't personally offend me; I have no idea who you are, nor do I care. You do offend reason, though. For the reasons amply laid out by the several posters in this thread. |
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