| Much skepticism exists around the subject
| |
| | appear on cue, just because you are
|
| of psychic phenomena, and this is
| |
| | performing the same experiment!
|
| probably not a bad thing, given its
| |
| | If, by its very nature, a experience is
|
| rather dubious past. Fake mediums, bogus
| |
| | extremely rare and unpredictable in
|
| mind readers, magic tricks passed off as
| |
| | nature, it is very hard to use Science to
|
| the real thing. The list goes on and on
| |
| | say much about it at all.
|
| forever.
| |
| | Science has very little to say about rare
|
| Hence, the use of Science should be
| |
| | and unrepeatable events. Yet, these are
|
| welcomed in helping to verify some of
| |
| | the very things that life itself is full
|
| the psychic community's claims.
| |
| | of. The Scientific Method has little or
|
| However, this can also become unhealthy
| |
| | nothing to say regarding rare or
|
| for several reasons, and it is equally
| |
| | unrepeatable events. Nevertheless, these
|
| important to stand guard against these
| |
| | are the very things that life itself is
|
| flaws. They too are all too common.
| |
| | filled with.
|
| (1) Biased scientists.
| |
| | It is for this very reason that,
|
| The unhappy truth is that the field of
| |
| | initially, the theory that a meteorite
|
| psychic research, with only very rare
| |
| | collision caused the extinction of the
|
| exceptions, fails to excite or attract
| |
| | dinosaurs was met with hoots of laughter
|
| the very scientific brains. Career-wise,
| |
| | by the scientific community. It was the
|
| the field of psychic research is
| |
| | very rarity of the event, and the fact
|
| extremely badly funded, is nearly
| |
| | that no evidence could be found, that
|
| impossible to make a solid, respected
| |
| | caused anger and scorn to be heaped upon
|
| career in, and is the source of endless
| |
| | the heads of the theory's proponents.
|
| derision from mainstream scientists and
| |
| | Until, of course, the crater was
|
| diehard skeptics.
| |
| | discovered.
|
| Therefore, there is always gigantic
| |
| | We now also know that the role of the
|
| pressure upon paranormal investigators
| |
| | experimenter can drastically change the
|
| to justify their own existence. At the
| |
| | results of the experiment. This may
|
| end of the day, they have to find
| |
| | explain why certain famed psychics seem
|
| something, somewhere! If, from start to
| |
| | to have their skills abandon them in the
|
| finish, their careers consisted solely of
| |
| | cold harsh light of the scientific
|
| disproving every single psychic
| |
| | laboratory. Yet, only a mediocre
|
| experience that they were presented with,
| |
| | scientist would claim that because this
|
| they would quickly give up the psychic
| |
| | is the case, it proves that there were no
|
| research field from sheer boredom or
| |
| | psychic experiences to begin with!
|
| depression. After all, from a purely
| |
| | (3) Psychic Skeptics.
|
| personal standpoint, why bother? Hence,
| |
| | This may, in part, explain the James
|
| most of them are intrinsically believers
| |
| | Randi effect. This is a psychic
|
| to start with. To put it bluntly, the
| |
| | investigator who is a total skeptic on
|
| probability is high that they possess a
| |
| | the subject, and who approaches the
|
| strong in-built bias in place.
| |
| | subject with this powerful ingrained
|
| This is not to imply that they would fake
| |
| | bias. He has issued a challenge to pay a
|
| results. However, we must be aware that,
| |
| | large sum of money to anyone who can
|
| by their very existence in this much
| |
| | demonstrate psychic powers to him in a
|
| maligned field, there is an invisible
| |
| | scientifically controlled environment.
|
| pressure upon these people to produce
| |
| | To date, he still has his money.
|
| something to validate their own
| |
| | Now, part of the problem may be that,
|
| existence. Hence, this sort of science
| |
| | even if somebody is genuinely psychic,
|
| is extremely difficult to maintain in a
| |
| | the attitude of the scientist is
|
| totally objective manner.
| |
| | sufficiently negative to completely
|
| Regular academic scientists are always
| |
| | extinguish whatever psychic abilities
|
| under pressure to justify their funding
| |
| | exist, as long as he is present. Again, a
|
| through their results. How much worse
| |
| | true scientist of any caliber cannot
|
| then for scientists who, for the most
| |
| | discount this possibility.
|
| part, have no funding, and who are often
| |
| | This is a purely human factor we are
|
| the laughing stock of the scientific
| |
| | talking about, a function of the human
|
| community?
| |
| | brain, and not a measurement of the
|
| For all of these reasons, the profession
| |
| | boiling point of water. Hence, it is
|
| of psychic research cannot and will not
| |
| | entirely plausible that the negative
|
| attract the very finest minds, at least
| |
| | attitude of the scientist, plus the undue
|
| not at the present times. This is not
| |
| | pressure that the psychic is placed
|
| intended to be an insult to scientists
| |
| | under as a result of it, could act to
|
| involved in the field. It is just
| |
| | diminish the very effect being measured.
|
| reality. The very best will tend to
| |
| | However, the bias of people like Randi
|
| gravitate towards "safe" fields where
| |
| | and the organization of skeptics that
|
| their talent will be recognized, and not
| |
| | calls itself Psicop, is worrying for
|
| derided and scoffed at.
| |
| | another reason. These are people who,
|
| It is a pitiful state of affairs, but
| |
| | while claiming to be scientists, are
|
| that is just how the world works at
| |
| | actually approaching the entire subject
|
| present.
| |
| | with a deep bias that has nothing to do
|
| (2) The inadequacy of Science.
| |
| | with Science whatsoever.
|
| The scientific method has served humanity
| |
| | They are skeptical, because they are
|
| extremely well, but it has its limits.
| |
| | skeptical. That's all. They are
|
| It cannot do everything.
| |
| | believers in "Disbelief". It's just the
|
| Hence, we must be careful of trying to
| |
| | opposite end of the spectrum of Belief.
|
| apply scientific methods where they may
| |
| | That's all.
|
| not work well at all. Such is the manner
| |
| | There is no scientific reason for it
|
| in which science has been elevated to a
| |
| | whatsoever. While they pretend to be
|
| religion in our world, this statement
| |
| | scientific, their approach is more akin
|
| might seem almost absurd.
| |
| | to a religious dogma; that of treating
|
| Yet, there are clear instances where
| |
| | Science like a religion. It is often
|
| science cannot measure anything. You
| |
| | called "Scientism" for this reason.
|
| cannot measure the emotions of love or
| |
| | They might claim that there is no proof
|
| anger with scientific instruments. Yet,
| |
| | that psychic phenomena exist. Yet, it
|
| few would doubt that they exist.
| |
| | can be stated with equal validity that
|
| You cannot use instruments to provide a
| |
| | there is no proof that they do NOT. That
|
| printout of what somebody is thinking.
| |
| | is a totally equivalent statement. As we
|
| Yet, nobody would deny that they DO
| |
| | have seen earlier, Science cannot PROVE a
|
| think, and they very often think in
| |
| | negative statement. It can only talk
|
| words.
| |
| | about probabilities and likelihood. And,
|
| You cannot prove scientifically that
| |
| | as we have discussed, many psychic
|
| there are NO toy airplanes in orbit
| |
| | experiences are intrinsically rare or
|
| around the planet Jupiter! It might sound
| |
| | fragile in their very essence.
|
| absurd, but no matter how much you
| |
| | Like any good zealot, these skeptics like
|
| search for them and fail to find them,
| |
| | Randi and Psicop have a hidden agenda in
|
| you CANNOT PROVE that they are not
| |
| | "proving" that the world functions the
|
| there. You can only say that you have
| |
| | way they think it does. Frankly, a major
|
| not found one YET, and that it is
| |
| | motivation is FEAR. More people than
|
| extremely unlikely that they exist. You
| |
| | would like to admit it are terrified of
|
| might be able to say that with
| |
| | the possibility of psychic phenomena.
|
| 99.99999999% certainty. But you can
| |
| | What if someone really COULD read your
|
| NEVER say it with 100% certainty.
| |
| | mind? Every dirty little secret. What if
|
| Science cannot "prove" a negative.
| |
| | YOU too could develop psychic powers?
|
| Thus, in the realm of psychic
| |
| | Just imagine what sort of world THAT
|
| experiences, science cannot
| |
| | would be!
|
| categorically assert that there is no
| |
| | Hardly the boringly predictable,
|
| such thing. You CANNOT PROVE that ghosts
| |
| | ultra-conservative, Newtonian
|
| do not exist, for instance. You can only
| |
| | "scientific" universe that these people
|
| say that, to date, there has been no
| |
| | inhabit. For them, it's a possibility
|
| conclusive proof that they DO. That is
| |
| | too horrible to contemplate.
|
| NOT the same as saying that they do NOT.
| |
| | In conclusion , it's vital not to be too
|
| In addition, the scientific method itself
| |
| | credulous in examining a psychic
|
| has limitations that psychic experiences
| |
| | experience, or in rushing to accept the
|
| would definitely stretch. In science,
| |
| | claims of the "professional"
|
| something has to be repeatable for it to
| |
| | investigators in this field.
|
| have any validity. In other words, other
| |
| | Nevertheless, we must also be extremely
|
| scientists have to be able to repeat your
| |
| | careful of the skeptics who, while
|
| process and get exactly the same
| |
| | pretending to be scientific, are often
|
| results.
| |
| | better viewed as ideological fanatics
|
| However, this is almost certainly doomed
| |
| | than even mediocre scientists.
|
| to failure in the psychic realm. Imagine
| |
| | Copyright 2006 Asoka Selvarajah. All
|
| repeating your experiment in a haunted
| |
| | Rights Reserved.
|
| house and DEMANDING that the phantom
| |
| |
|
