Why people are skeptical of psychic claims

[Drayno]

You haven't been using it. Sorry. I never said you were immature. Please show me where I did.

BUT you are 14, and at 14 a person acts a certain way. For instance, believing in things without proof. "Faith."

"- Take your own advice kid." Hmmm? That would be referring to my maturity level, as if it was low. Which would mean I am immature, and I need to grow up, in your words. I'm fourteen yes, I know most people behave in specific ways and have their own reaction to a situation that fit their personality. I believe in what seems most reasonable, if you think I mean people creating flipping fire balls or creating ice, no I don't believe in that. That would be illogical , as during this time frame, areas of our brain are left untouched.

[InHuman]

I believe in what seems most reasonable, if you think I mean people creating flipping fire balls or creating ice, no I don't believe in that. That would be illogical , as during this time frame, areas of our brain are left untouched.

So you mean that level could eventually be reached through more evolution?

Sweet, I'm be so special with my newly found "powers" ... (I'm serious, take my word for it, please, those audio files are still coming around)..

[Drayno]

People have no reason to LIE. But, they do LIE? So, I suppose you think this is unintentional?

I forgot to reply to this one yesterday, bah. It mean that people do lie, but they don't need to. Each person has his or her own intentions based on numerous factors including the morals they were raised with.

[The Skeptic Eric Raven]

I forgot to reply to this one yesterday, bah. It mean that people do lie, but they don't need to. Each person has his or her own intentions based on numerous factors including the morals they were raised with.

Kids like to lie. Thats what they do. They don't necessarly do it to be bad. They want to make themselves look and feel special.

[Papaver]

Telekinetics, one piece of proof please. Why can you not muster anything for the world? Not too much to ask for. This lacking is a real and dirty great stain on your characters...

Wash that stain out.

[Drayno]

Telekinetics, one piece of proof please. Why can you not muster anything for the world? Not too much to ask for. This lacking is a real and dirty great stain on your characters...

Wash that stain out.

Too bad I don't believe in Telekinetics.

[Papaver]

areas of our brain are left untouched.

You're going to need to back that up because I don't believe that's true at all.

[inkblot]

Ok, 100 billion people have existed on Earth in it's history. Assuming a life-span of 25 years for everyone, that's 2.5 trillion man-years of people being alive. 2.5 trillion years, and no one has successfully proved telekinesis. And I mean with repeatable evidence. Not repeatable as in "I'm going to keep trying at proving astral projection until I get the result that supports my theory!", repeatable as in consistant. As in instructions for making a psi ball that work without fail.

EVERY time someone tries, skeptics easily poke holes in the believer's flimsy evidence.

I hate believers. I hate New Agers. I hate non-athiests. I hate faith. I know I sound like an angsty teen, but I have had it with people like Heartagram.

Tell me, if believers in paranormal abilities spout BS about how people use 10% of the brain, how can we trust them when they say that they can make a ball out of this VAGUELY-defined "energy" that can't be seen, heard, felt or measured directly or indirectly?

Edited May 12, 2008 by inkblot

[Sporkling]

Psychic is one of the most difficult of the things in the world to ever exist. In fact, its existance has been reported, debunked and reported all over again. Abound with stories, it is probably one of the more faith existences on the planet. It can neither be proven nor debunked. The proof is therefore, with the people who have witnessed it. Asking for proof is poking holes in them. Because, as one of the more strange arts of the planet, it appears and disappears as it likes, therefore, it is not something that is solid. Instead, it is like air. The gas is invisible, cannot be seen and cannot be touched. The most mysterious of the workings of life. Unimportant and yet its existance is fought over with many times. Proof, therefore, is invisible to everyone but the user. Whoever seeks to prove the arts to anyone else does not yet, know that it is a furtile attempt to do so. The arts are so elusive that consistancy is an impossiblity to achieve. Whatever is said of the other arts in life, our species have not yet been able to uncover the mysteries of the mind fully. Partly because it is something we don't need in our lives anymore and partly because of the mental blocks we build in a bid to stay "normal" and therefore, we are unable to open our minds to the fullest. Therefore, proof is impossible to all but the sure, steady practioner who understands that things like this cannot be rushed, nor can it be proven or used for evil. For, using it for evil and gainful deeds will diminish the skill, making it weaker and never will reach its full potential.

Edited May 12, 2008 by Sporkling

[DfizzleShizzle]

Find that post for me wabbit. I tried all this nonsense for years when I was a teenager with no effect. Thats enough proof for me.

It was in a comment or message I sent you...

You deleted all you're comments, and I might have it, but if it was a message than it's long gone...

[DfizzleShizzle]

You haven't been using it. Sorry. I never said you were immature. Please show me where I did.

BUT you are 14, and at 14 a person acts a certain way. For instance, believing in things without proof. "Faith."

You could same thing about the Pope, or other religous officials Eric...But yet those are some of the most respected people in the world...

[DfizzleShizzle]

You are wrong, yet again. I practiced these supposed abilities almost everyday for about four years

when I was young, I believed in it so much that I was sure something would become of it. But, alas,

NOTHING ever did. So, I eventually let it go, and grew out of it.

Recently, I practiced with the psiball for about two weeks; I also done the same for the pin/psiwheel.

But, again, NOTHING became of it that could not be explained.

You are talking about Psi-shields Heart...

Psi-Shields:

Gather psi to yourself, like making a psi ball. Imagine the psi coming out of your head as water comes out of a fountain.

Visualize the psi coming down your physical body, and as it touches your skin, it solidifies. Put several layers on top of the first one. You have just made your first shield.

Bubble Shield:

Gather the psi again, but this time, form it around yourself.

Visualize it forming around you like an egg shell. Like a Psi ball, you must program it. You must program it to not dissipate until you dispel it yourself, and program it to hold back what you want to hold back (this shield cannot hold back physical objects).

Marshmallow Shield:

Make a bubble shield, but this time, instead of visualizing an egg shell, visualize layers of melted marshmallows (make sure they stick together)

Put several bubble shields on the outside and inside to keep the layers from falling apart.

Program the shield to absorb and hold all incoming attacks.

Cloaking Shield:

Start out by making a bubble shield.

Program it to make your energy invisible.

When you're ready to get rid of your shield (this goes for any of these) simply visualize it disintegrating into particles and floating away.

Turtle Shell Shield:

Start by making a marshmallow shield, but program it to let you mold it into a turtle shell, big enough for you to hide in.

Mirror Shield:

This is a simple, but effective shield. Imagine your psi forming into a bubble around you, but instead of a bubble shield, imagine it turn into a mirror in front of you. This is a very good shield.

Sorry Heart! I find this Psi-Shield stuff to be nothing more than new age anime. That is nothing

more than fantastical nonsense when it is trying to be applied to reality.

I never specified which areas I practice...Now did I Moro...You just made an assumption that was what I was talkin about...

[The Skeptic Eric Raven]

It was in a comment or message I sent you...

You deleted all you're comments, and I might have it, but if it was a message than it's long gone...

Isn't that convienant.

[The Skeptic Eric Raven]

You could same thing about the Pope, or other religous officials Eric...But yet those are some of the most respected people in the world...

And they would be misguided just like you.

I never specified which areas I practice...Now did I Moro...You just made an assumption that was what I was talkin about...

Well you seem to be a "jack of all claims."

[Nik Xues]

Man this place is an all you can eat buffet.

Munch Munch

wow ive made bubble sheilds but whats the point they dont stop physical attacks. they just reaffirm personality traits like a mental armour. all symbols and "psych"ology in the long run.

[Drayno]

You're going to need to back that up because I don't believe that's true at all.

So you do believe that even with the complexity of our brains, we understand all it's functions? I mean, absolutely understand?

Edited May 13, 2008 by Drayno

[The Skeptic Eric Raven]

So you do believe that even with the complexity of our brains, we understand all it's functions? I mean, absolutely understand?

I leave open the possiblity, BUT I require true evidence of it. NOT just claims. I would love it if it really existed.

[Drayno]

I leave open the possiblity, BUT I require true evidence of it. NOT just claims. I would love it if it really existed.

I do too, the brain is a wonderful thing. Saying we understand the brain completely would be kind of the wrong thing to say, as ours brains grow in our life time a lot. We constantly absorb knowledge. It is true that we use 100% of our brain, but we have yet to understand it's capabilities, because it evolves over generations. I will honestly admit I have no proof, but it is common sense.

[Kevin A.]

I do too, the brain is a wonderful thing. Saying we understand the brain completely would be kind of the wrong thing to say, as ours brains grow in our life time a lot. We constantly absorb knowledge. It is true that we use 100% of our brain, but we have yet to understand it's capabilities, because it evolves over generations. I will honestly admit I have no proof, but it is common sense.

There is the rub. It is neither common nor sensible really.

Our brain is a wonderful thing, it is the key, it got us to where we are and keeps us here. Yes, we do not understand the brain and its functions completely. There still are some mysteries and some things we are working on figuring out. Our brains do grow is a psychological sense through learning/the adsorbtion of knowledge. Now here comes the problem. We do use 100% of our brain and we do evolve over time but the following problem is very poor math: 100% brain use + "evolution" = some sort of psi ability(or the possibility of psi).

You stated you have a logical mind set. Ok then, follow me here. We use 100% of our brain and as far as anyone has ever been able to tell we have no psi abilities. There are interesting stories, there are unique personal experiences but there is no proof, there are no results and as such there is no psi. In order to develop some sort of psi ability things would have to change. We already use 100% of our brain so what happen in order to develop some ability? A structure in the brain would have to change, part of the brain would have to shrink to make room for this new structure, some existing structure would have to become dual purpose thus making its former role less efficient or powerful, our brain (and head) would have to get bigger to handle this new structure and not effect previous ability levels. Something would have to happen and it would not happen overnight. Thinking along these lines do we see a single bit of this happening? Do we see a hint of anything at all currently? I don't think so.....

Now I am sure you will say that since we use 100% of our brain but do not fully understand everything it does there is room for new discoveries. Ok fine. The only problem is that this does not mean there be monsters there. Just because we do not understand fully does not mean we can not hypothesize (educated guess). Nothing in our psychology or physiology really hints at any psi ability. As such and if we ever truly completely figure out how the brain works we probably are not going to find some untapped ability or whatever.

Your next point is kind of what happens when a believer has their 10% brain use comment shot to hell and they are left grasping for straws. Same sort of flawed thinking just some other thing to make it possible, in this case "evolution". We currently have no psi abilities and our brain does not have the room for "evolving" such things nor do we see any hint that we are "evolving" in that line. The reason I put evolve in quotes is that there is a very poor understanding of how evolution occurs. This is not just for you personally put a good number of people fail to understand it completely. I noticed you said "it evolves over generations" and this leads me to think you need to brush up on what evolution really is or does. Might I also suggest a somewhat recent thread where I posed the question of why psi powers would evolve. Perhaps this can point you in a solid direction of thought.......

Drayno, you said you had a logical mind set. Logic is an interesting thing. There are people that have it and don't need to say it, there are people that say it but do not really have it and there are those that just do not have it at all nor do they claim it. Reflect and decide which one of these you want to be and apply that here. Do the math. Logic = no psi abilities.

Also, can you outline what psi things you believe are possible or will be/could be possible? I know you said you don't believe in telekinetics so could you let us know what you think is possible? If you have covered this already I apologize for skipping over it......

Kevin A.

[inkblot]

You could same thing about the Pope, or other religous officials Eric...But yet those are some of the most respected people in the world...

The only reason Jesus is so respected is because people back then could believe anything. If Christianity started in 2008, people would dismiss it as a cult of personality. Besides, religion is only around to give people false hope about morality and death. People should not respect religious officals.

Edited May 14, 2008 by inkblot

[Sporkling]

But then, we cannot say respect on their beliefs. Lets say, the person is religious, and he has a kind caring heart, I respect him. If someone is athiest and he is wicked, I would not respect him at all. But I would despise him. Therefore, we cannot judge people on what they are or their beliefs but we should judge on who they are. On their good points and goodness and all that.

[DfizzleShizzle]

The only reason Jesus is so respected is because people back then could believe anything. If Christianity started in 2008, people would dismiss it as a cult of personality. Besides, religion is only around to give people false hope about morality and death. People should not respect religious officals.

But the fact of the matter is that even if you think we should not respect them, we do...And whatever you think wont change that...