Where are the serious Scientific Studies?

[Sakari]

With all of the hoopla and shows on Paranormal Investigating ( Ghosts ) going on , and the supposed " evidence " they have , why are there no serious Scientific studies being done?.....Why are there no Universities , or Scientists doing studies to support these claims?

I this Mystery really has evidence , I would think it would be taken seriously , and above would be happening.....There is obviously money in it , or is it just " entertainment " value with no merit?

[JGirl]

With all of the hoopla and shows on Paranormal Investigating ( Ghosts ) going on , and the supposed " evidence " they have , why are there no serious Scientific studies being done?.....Why are there no Universities , or Scientists doing studies to support these claims?

I this Mystery really has evidence , I would think it would be taken seriously , and above would be happening.....There is obviously money in it , or is it just " entertainment " value with no merit?

id'say it's basically just cashing in on a trendy new thing that people got themselves hooked on.

everyone's a ghost whisperer now ya know.

[ShadowofaDoubt]

With all of the hoopla and shows on Paranormal Investigating ( Ghosts ) going on , and the supposed " evidence " they have , why are there no serious Scientific studies being done?.....Why are there no Universities , or Scientists doing studies to support these claims?

I this Mystery really has evidence , I would think it would be taken seriously , and above would be happening.....There is obviously money in it , or is it just " entertainment " value with no merit?

I read a book a while ago called Unbelieveable that dealt with seemingly scientific studies conducted by J B Rihne at Duke University. It was interesting.

[Sakari]

id'say it's basically just cashing in on a trendy new thing that people got themselves hooked on.

everyone's a ghost whisperer now ya know.

That is what I say , I would love to see some real investigations done at these locations.( National Geographic did one ) I am thinking there is no evidence to support such a investigation.( this can be said in many topics )

I guess what I am looking for , is why there is no " interest " by the Scientific Community for this , I have seen many , many , far out there things being researched. ( how fast ketchup flows threw a bottle ) etc...

I read a book a while ago called Unbelieveable that dealt with seemingly scientific studies conducted by J B Rihne at Duke University. It was interesting.

" seemingly "

[ShadowofaDoubt]

That is what I say , I would love to see some real investigations done at these locations.( National Geographic did one )

What was it called? Are you talking about the series "Is It Real?", because I loved that show

[JGirl]

i would love to see some serious research done by the scientific community as well. i think perhaps they aren't going to bother until one of these 'claims' bears fruit, and by that i mean something tangible, something they can see feel and examine.

damn that empirical evidence. it always gets in the way of a good story lol

[The Paranormal Skeptic]

All paravision is for entertainment only, that’s how you should be watching it. Universities gave up on parapsychological studies because it doesn’t produce results, regardless on what people like Dean Radin say. Colleges are not going to keep pumping money into a "science" that doesn’t produce results, in fact that’s call a non science or a pseudoscience, which the paranormal field is. There are people out there that do scientific investigations, but that doesn’t make the paranormal field a science. If you notice people that are into parapsychology and have PhD's they don’t have them in paranormal studies most have them in things like psychology or geology. People always ask me why am I a skeptic, is that the right question to ask? I know what it will take for the paranormal to become a science, what will it take for all of you to give up the ghost?

There is no such thing as the supernatural and the paranormal. There is only the natural and the normal and everything else in the middle that science can’t explain yet.

I read a book a while ago called Unbelieveable that dealt with seemingly scientific studies conducted by J B Rihne at Duke University. It was interesting.

That is a great book, it by author Stacy Horn.

[Oppono Astos]

Goldsmiths University of London Department of Psychology under Prof Chris French has undertaken several projects in the paranormal field(s); the results never suit the Believers.

Prof Richard Wiseman of University of Hertfordshire has equally undertaken research projects and presented scientific papers; again the results never suit the Believers.

[regeneratia]

With all of the hoopla and shows on Paranormal Investigating ( Ghosts ) going on , and the supposed " evidence " they have , why are there no serious Scientific studies being done?.....Why are there no Universities , or Scientists doing studies to support these claims?

I this Mystery really has evidence , I would think it would be taken seriously , and above would be happening.....There is obviously money in it , or is it just " entertainment " value with no merit?

These kinds of books, this kind of research does not arrive at your door, on a silver platter. Go out there and look for them. Be curious.

Google it.

Apply the concept "the journey is more important than the destination".

I read a book a while ago called Unbelieveable that dealt with seemingly scientific studies conducted by J B Rihne at Duke University. It was interesting.

Cool!

Edited December 8, 2010 by regeneratia

[The Paranormal Skeptic]

Goldsmiths University of London Department of Psychology under Prof Chris French has undertaken several projects in the paranormal field(s); the results never suit the Believers.

Prof Richard Wiseman of University of Hertfordshire has equally undertaken research projects and presented scientific papers; again the results never suit the Believers.

Let's not forget Susan Blackmore. Susan and Richard wiseman were also both presidents of the society of psychical research.

[Oppono Astos]

Let's not forget Susan Blackmore. Susan and Richard wiseman were also both presidents of the society of psychical research.

Indeed, French and Wiseman immediately came to mind; Blackmore is probably one of the few psychologists/researchers to have a PhD in parapsychology. Its interesting and curious that these academic researchers in the UK do not obviously suffer the same peer pressure (and ridicule) for their dabbling in the non-mainstream as we see in other countries - the much missed John Mack immediately comes to mind for his research into Experiencers while at the Harvard Medical School.

[FlyingAngel]

There are probably scientists that spend time on studying ghosts but is no real progress. The obstacle is clear, it's hard to study something you can't see, can't touch. Ghost is not like objects, plants or animals that sit in a place to wait for humans to examine. It's something in motion!

[regeneratia]

Let's not forget Susan Blackmore. Susan and Richard wiseman were also both presidents of the society of psychical research.

Let's not forget that the CIA has Remote Viewing honed down to a real solid science.

[Pauly Dangerously]

The thing is, there are studies being done in every field which the proponents of paranormal study claim the proof lies. Electromagnetic fields indicating ghostly activity? Well people have been studying this for years, and no hint of anything paranormal showing itself. Electronic voice phenomenon? People study energy forms and physics and sound and no one has turned up any evidence of ghosts using these means to communicate. Telepathy? People have been studying the brain for hundreds of years and nothing of the sort has been seen. The work is being done, just because it's titled something other than "Finding Ghosties With Particle Theory" doesn't mean that if these forces or disciplines were related to ghostly activity, we wouldn't have seen them. No one is seeing anything of the sort.

[scepticalbeliever]

With all of the hoopla and shows on Paranormal Investigating ( Ghosts ) going on , and the supposed " evidence " they have , why are there no serious Scientific studies being done?.....Why are there no Universities , or Scientists doing studies to support these claims?

I this Mystery really has evidence , I would think it would be taken seriously , and above would be happening.....There is obviously money in it , or is it just " entertainment " value with no merit?

Becasue its all entertainment.

[The Paranormal Skeptic]

Let's not forget that the CIA has Remote Viewing honed down to a real solid science.

This is false the CIA tried to use remote viewing but has sense quit using it due to lack of positive results.

[Oppono Astos]

I'd actually missed an angle on the original question "Why are there no Universities , or Scientists doing studies to support these claims."

Surely research based on scientific method and principle would have the aim or objective of verifying or proving claims of the paranormal, not supporting the claims? Research with the sole objective of supporting claims would be bad science from the outset; this is the flawed method of so much amateur research - and why it falls over.

[kiddglock]

Colleges are not going to keep pumping money into a "science" that doesn’t produce results, in fact that’s call a non science or a pseudoscience, which the paranormal field is.

If that were true there would be no schools of psychology in the universities.

What's an "id"?

[The Paranormal Skeptic]

If that were true there would be no schools of psychology in the universities.

What's an "id"?

I am sorry I fail to see what u are saying here, are u suggesting psychology doesn't produce results? What I say about parapsychology is true, just take time to look up why every university in usa pulled it. One of the last schools to pull its parapsychological programs was Princeton in 2007, it was called Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research or PEAR. It ran its course for 25 years and closed because it showed nothing. This was a quote from a physicist "It’s been an embarrassment to science, and I think an embarrassment for Princeton." Also just talk to parapsychologists such as Loyd Auerbach or Dr. William Roll both of which I've spent great time talking to, they will tell you the same thing, that universities stopped offering parapsychology due to minimal results.

Edited December 9, 2010 by The Paranormal Skeptic

[The Paranormal Skeptic]

What's an "id"?

Also talking about a Freudian psychoanalytic theory in a branch of science that does work, doesn't even come close to why universities don't teach parapsychology anymore (with the exception of maybe 2 in the world) that's like saying don't teach evolution because it is only a theory. It is also to my understand most psychologists don't even follow Id, they say its to easy of an explaination. So again I am sorry I don't see your point, teaching a theory in a branch of science that works opposed to teaching a science that doesn't produce results are two major major differences.

Edited December 9, 2010 by The Paranormal Skeptic

[Realityless]

One of the last schools to pull its parapsychological programs was Princeton in 2007, it was called Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research or PEAR. It ran its course for 25 years and closed because it showed nothing.

I thought that showing that the human mind can influence random events was a massive result.

This was a quote from a physicist "It’s been an embarrassment to science, and I think an embarrassment for Princeton."

This is very true as ‘Science’ cannot explain how the human mind can influence random events without breaking their own models of how they think the universe works.

Also just talk to parapsychologists such as Loyd Auerbach or Dr. William Roll both of which I've spent great time talking to, they will tell you the same thing, that universities stopped offering parapsychology due to minimal results.

Minimal does not equal none and perhaps as with Princeton corporate image is very important today’s markets.

[The Paranormal Skeptic]

I thought that showing that the human mind can influence random events was a massive result.

With all due respect we are not on the boards of science in universities. They seem to feel very different about the matter. This isn't just one university pulling their parapsycholigcal course, every university that offered it now doesn't, all for the same reason. There is no debate in that area.

This is very true as ‘Science’ cannot explain how the human mind can influence random events without breaking their own models of how they think the universe works.

People seem to think science is against this, not understanding if the results produced were so amazing, the jobs it would open up not to mention the winning of a nobel prize.

Minimal does not equal none and perhaps as with Princeton corporate image is very important today’s markets.

Again not just Princeton, all universities all for the same reasons, lack of two things results and repeatablity. Again this isn't a debate on the subject matter itself, these are the facts why its not science and why its not offered in universities.

Edited December 9, 2010 by The Paranormal Skeptic

[Realityless]

With all due respect we are not on the boards of science in universities. They seem to feel very different about the matter. This isn't just one university pulling their parapsycholigcal course, every university that offered it now doesn't, all for the same reason. There is no debate in that area.

Do you need to be the boards of universities to know that there is a massive decline in unfettered research.

People seem to think science is against this, not understanding if the results produced were so amazing, the jobs it would open up not to mention the winning of a nobel prize.

People do not think that science is against this, science just avoids the issue as it is usually followed by the question of how it works. Twenty plus years ago the fact that the human mind could influence random events was massive news and equally ridiculed by main stream science until they repeated the experiment and found the generated the same results.

You cannot get a noble prize unless you can show the mechanics of how something works which after twenty plus years it still unknown. So much like gravity and magnetism we can measure the effect but we are now closer to understanding how it works.

There where massive amounts of money and jobs created by these results but unfortunately while you can predict positive results, the extent varies greatly not just by different individuals but also by the same person at different times. There also seems to be a varying time lag as well.

Again not just Princeton, all universities all for the same reasons, lack of two things results and repeatablity. Again this isn't a debate on the subject matter itself, these are the facts why its not science and why its not offered in universities.

For a sceptic why are you not applying your own rules, it not just PEARS that has been dropped kick by universities it’s all unfettered research. Universities have changed from places of research to commercial development labs.

[The Paranormal Skeptic]

I didn’t realize the question was about unfettered research, I thought we were talking about the scientific data that supports paranormal research. But since we are talking about the decline in unfettered research, there is also a decline in science, mathematics and history, so what is your point?

Maybe it was a bit too much to say most people think science is against this, but a lot do. However for you to compare paranormal research to things like gravity and magnetism is absolutely asinine, please tell me that was not what you were trying to argue.

For a sceptic why are you not applying your own rules, it not just PEARS that has been dropped kick by universities it’s all unfettered research. Universities have changed from places of research to commercial development labs.

What rules are you talking about? For some reason you are trying to debate this topic as if it were my opinion. I gave the legitimate reasons why universities do not pursue parapsychology and the like, I never suggested if I thought it was fair or not or whether or not I think it should be taken serious by science, if you would like to know my stance on that topic start a new thread, if not stick to the topic. Again the topic was about science and the paranormal, not all unfettered research.

[The Paranormal Skeptic]

bottom line is this; parapsychology had its chance in academia, but sadly blew its chance. Unfortunately it wasn’t, didn’t and hasn’t met scientific standards. That isn’t to say that one day it won’t. I don’t understand why people are trying to debate FACTS, I didn’t make this up, and it isn’t my opinion. Paranormal research is not a science, it is a pseudoscience.