This is just a theory, mind, so don't get angry at me, I am a skeptic, after all, so these things come to mind. This has to do with why so many people have an interest in mysterious things, based on basic human psychological traits.

UFOs, extraterrestrials: We are a social animal. We don't like to be alone. The idea that someone is visiting us from other worlds is comforting, as it would mean that we are not the only sentient species in the universe. It's a big, lonely place, and we'd like to think we have some friends out there somewhere.

Ghosts/hauntings: This has to do with the general consensus in religion that we go somewhere after we die. Again, it's a comfort thing, we need to know that there's something after this life, and ghosts fill that need perfectly.

Cryptozoology: I'm not sure, but as humans we also have a strong need to explore new worlds, cryptids give us hope that there are things on our planet we haven't already found.

Conspiracy: gossip, the need to make things more interesting than they really are, so we have a nice story to tell.

Psi/telekinesis/telepathy/etc. This exists for the same reason superheroes exist, everyone would like to be a little better than they are. Psi powers make us supermen, if only in our minds.


This is just a theory, I'm not saying I'm totally right about any of this, but I don't think I'm totally wrong.

comments? hate mail?

Very good point. But theres two sides to it. If you think about it in general, then you would be correct in a way. But why do certain houses have these so called ghosts that more than one person can sense and sometimes see? Is it in our mind? Its almost an impossible chance that 2(+) different minds are playing the same trick on theirself at the same time.



Also a good point. But same with the ghosts, do you think some people are making it up? there must be a lot of lonely people out there that need a friend then. Including me.

(which is sort of funny in a way, considering I said I had no friends in another topic...ha)

I don't think you are totally wrong either snuffs. Good post

I didn't say I was completely right, but you also have to consider the people who see these things, their perspective plays a big role in how they experience things.

bump

Bumping? Why would you do such a thing. You better not be getting away with it!


I don't think UFOs are just for us not to feel lonely in the universe. I think UFOs are valid, and there is something else out there. I don't believe this just for comfort.


I agree with this.


I agree with this


I don't know about this. There are conspiracy theories because something fishy happens. It does make things interesting, but not just for gossip, and telling stories.

Unless some scientist can prove that our mind is indeed playing tricks on us and can make objects move and fall off things right before our eyes. Then I disagree.

[quote=snuffypuffer,Nov 3 2004, 02:46 AM]
UFOs, extraterrestrials: We are a social animal. We don't like to be alone. The idea that someone is visiting us from other worlds is comforting, as it would mean that we are not the only sentient species in the universe. It's a big, lonely place, and we'd like to think we have some friends out there somewhere.

no angry cooments BUT its actually not such a comforting thought to most that things from wherever may be visiting us. the main reason why most ppl think there's something out there is because we're here, there might as well just be something out there since we exist plus, what a waste of space if its all deserted, it only makes sense to our minds to think there might be other stuff out there and not be arrogant and think we're the only intelligent life just coz we cant SEE any other.

I never said I was totally correct on any of this. I'm just speaking in broad general terms, thinking about the sociology of the whole thing. People see things and experience things all the time, while most end up being pretty mundane after you use occams razor and all that, there are always a few things that still slip through the cracks.

I'm just stating a theory as to why every unexplainable occurence usually gets pigeonholed into one of these categories.

One of the blessings and curses of being humans is that we're never satisfied with the horizons we have....we're quick to leap to conclusion and supposition for the sake of expanding those horizons, even if the trigger of it all is something completely mundane

The need of some people, in this day and age, to continue believing in religion is a prime example of the way some people need to believe in something "bigger" than they are....the paranormal is another field that gives people a similar comfort.

Having said that, I think it would be pretty arrogant to say the paranormal is all just people leaping to conclusions for their own sense of feeling warm and fuzzy...some areas of it have to have at least some origins in truth

quite fun way to put it Sera...personnally i see it the same way but...
***
I love to live in a world fill with the unxplainable (which can easly be debunked...but that's no fun is it?), I live to find oddity around me like the smiley's in Nokea cell phones or that time i found a trail of oregami on in the middle of the side walk (yes a trail...it lead to a park, don't know why)...it's little things like that, that makes the senses so much fun to have. Mysteries of the mind like love, redundent memories or "why do we lose things?" are soo amusing, it's like a random brain teaser waiting to be resolved.

I like the post and I like the idea. I am less skeptic and more believer but, It posses an interesting question. Are we alone in the universe? More importantly, do we want the answer to be yes or no?

The easy assumption is that those that say yes: rely of fact-based, hard evidence that they can touch/feel. Also that anything paranormal is thrown right out the window. Not real. period! Then those that say yes: Are crazy, uneducated, shiftless dreamers with no purpose to life.

There is a happy medium. There is something comforting about believing in an afterlife, whatever it may be. As far a ghosts go, I would like to think the people that I loved that have passed on might still be able to look on me from time to time. As far as aliens...well I just don't know about that.

These are my thoughts...

I think this one is the one that is the closest to the money Snuffs . I believe that we look for a paranormal because of what it essentially is . Something beyond the normal , it makes life exciting and gives us hope that there is more to look forward to in life as well as an afterlife . In other words it's more exciting and life is better for having the paranormal.

good thoughts snuffy . There are many things we as humans do not understand, but untill the human realizes what there is to be understood, it will continue to learn.

I think you might get an argument from most people about feeling good about E.T.'s, ghost's, or any subject thats out side the box of every day thinking.
As a species we hate and kill any thing thats different than us, so an E.T. if they exist had better look out. And mention ghost's to some people will have you put away because it scares them. Am I a LAZY THINKER, may be. But I don't have to be hit in the head with a stick before a new idea can get in. I know we all have much more to learn about life, and the older I get, The dumber I realize Iam.

There are always going to be things that can't be explained, no matter how many times you look at it. It is fun to try to find these things out, I'll admit that. And I know several people who say they've seen UFOs, or bigfoot, or a ghost, and I don't think they're lying to me. But I'm still not satisfied that all this is real, and it's not just because I've never seen any of it for myself. I've had a couple strange experiences, but after a little bit of investigation, they all turn out to be ordinary every day things. Just in odd places at odd times.

But I agree with everyone, the wierdness of it all makes life more interesting. There's nothing like a good ghost story on a cold night to get your imagination going.

I think this could be true to the whole, "there is a God" aspect as well. But I don't think this applies to UFO's because there are factual evidence of UFO's. Too many people confuse UFO's with "flying saucers." A UFO is just that, an unidentified flying object. If there were explanations and we knew what they were, regardless of this world or another, they wouldn't be UFO's.


I agree, however there are unexplained hauntings and such, but I beleive there is oblivion after we die, absolute nothingness. But to get there, you have to pass from life to death, it's like a bridge, and some people stick around I think.


We can't even examine life in our deepest oceans because we aren't technologically advanced yet to explore them. Same with all the land however, there is much left unexplored, just because we know there is land doesn't mean we know of all the documented creatures living on it.


Many times it's true, it's like rumors in high school except with a more broadened scale. However, you can't deny that there are conspiracies, a famous one being Watergate...


ESP is almost a proven fact, perhaps there are other things we are capable of but just not yet proven as a true ability that not everyone is born with or developed but has the ability to do so. But many people, example hypochondriacs, would like the attention of being "superhuman" and swear up and down that they have an ability when they don't. But I don't doubt there are people who have abilities that we just can't figure out why or where or how it's possible.

we know snuff, no worries