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