Psychic Abilities, Psychic Mediums & Science!

Much skepticism exists around the subject of				just because you are performing the same
psychic phenomena, and this is probably not				experiment!
a bad thing, given its rather dubious past.
Fake mediums, bogus mind readers, magic				If, by its very nature, a experience is
tricks passed off as the real thing. The				extremely rare and unpredictable in nature,
list goes on and on forever.				it is very hard to use Science to say much
				about it at all.
Hence, the use of Science should be welcomed
in helping to verify some of the psychic				Science has very little to say about rare and
community's claims.				unrepeatable events. Yet, these are the very
				things that life itself is full of. The
However, this can also become unhealthy for				Scientific Method has little or nothing to
several reasons, and it is equally important				say regarding rare or unrepeatable events.
to stand guard against these flaws. They too				Nevertheless, these are the very things that
are all too common.				life itself is filled with.

(1) Biased scientists.				It is for this very reason that, initially,
				the theory that a meteorite collision caused
The unhappy truth is that the field of				the extinction of the dinosaurs was met with
psychic research, with only very rare				hoots of laughter by the scientific
exceptions, fails to excite or attract the				community. It was the very rarity of the
very scientific brains. Career-wise, the				event, and the fact that no evidence could
field of psychic research is extremely badly				be found, that caused anger and scorn to be
funded, is nearly impossible to make a solid,				heaped upon the heads of the theory's
respected career in, and is the source of				proponents. Until, of course, the crater was
endless derision from mainstream scientists				discovered.
and diehard skeptics.
				We now also know that the role of the
Therefore, there is always gigantic pressure				experimenter can drastically change the
upon paranormal investigators to justify				results of the experiment. This may explain
their own existence. At the end of the day,				why certain famed psychics seem to have their
they have to find something, somewhere! If,				skills abandon them in the cold harsh light
from start to finish, their careers				of the scientific laboratory. Yet, only a
consisted solely of disproving every single				mediocre scientist would claim that because
psychic experience that they were presented				this is the case, it proves that there were
with, they would quickly give up the psychic				no psychic experiences to begin with!
research field from sheer boredom or
depression. After all, from a purely personal				(3) Psychic Skeptics.
standpoint, why bother? Hence, most of them
are intrinsically believers to start with.				This may, in part, explain the James Randi
To put it bluntly, the probability is high				effect. This is a psychic investigator who
that they possess a strong in-built bias in				is a total skeptic on the subject, and who
place.				approaches the subject with this powerful
				ingrained bias. He has issued a challenge to
This is not to imply that they would fake				pay a large sum of money to anyone who can
results. However, we must be aware that, by				demonstrate psychic powers to him in a
their very existence in this much maligned				scientifically controlled environment. To
field, there is an invisible pressure upon				date, he still has his money.
these people to produce 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				somebody is genuinely psychic, the attitude
maintain in a totally objective manner.				of the scientist is sufficiently negative to
				completely extinguish whatever psychic
Regular academic scientists are always under				abilities exist, as long as he is present.
pressure to justify their funding through				Again, a true scientist of any caliber
their results. How much worse then for				cannot discount this possibility.
scientists who, for the most part, have no
funding, and who are often the laughing				This is a purely human factor we are talking
stock of the scientific community?				about, a function of the human brain, and
				not a measurement of the boiling point of
For all of these reasons, the profession of				water. Hence, it is entirely plausible that
psychic research cannot and will not attract				the negative attitude of the scientist, plus
the very finest minds, at least not at the				the undue pressure that the psychic is
present times. This is not intended to be an				placed under as a result of it, could act to
insult to scientists involved in the field.				diminish the very effect being measured.
It is just reality. The very best will tend
to gravitate towards "safe" fields where				However, the bias of people like Randi and
their talent will be recognized, and not				the organization of skeptics that calls
derided and scoffed at.				itself Psicop, is worrying for another
				reason. These are people who, while claiming
It is a pitiful state of affairs, but that is				to be scientists, are actually approaching
just how the world works at present.				the entire subject with a deep bias that has
				nothing to do with Science whatsoever.
(2) The inadequacy of Science.
				They are skeptical, because they are
The scientific method has served humanity				skeptical. That's all. They are believers in
extremely well, but it has its limits. It				"Disbelief". It's just the opposite end of
cannot do everything.				the spectrum of Belief. That's all.

Hence, we must be careful of trying to apply				There is no scientific reason for it
scientific methods where they may not work				whatsoever. While they pretend to be
well at all. Such is the manner in which				scientific, their approach is more akin to a
science has been elevated to a religion in				religious dogma; that of treating Science
our world, this statement might seem almost				like a religion. It is often called
absurd.				"Scientism" for this reason.

Yet, there are clear instances where science				They might claim that there is no proof that
cannot measure anything. You cannot measure				psychic phenomena exist. Yet, it can be
the emotions of love or anger with				stated with equal validity that there is no
scientific instruments. Yet, few would doubt				proof that they do NOT. That is a totally
that they exist.				equivalent statement. As we have seen
				earlier, Science cannot PROVE a negative
You cannot use instruments to provide a				statement. It can only talk about
printout of what somebody is thinking. Yet,				probabilities and likelihood. And, as we
nobody would deny that they DO think, and				have discussed, many psychic experiences are
they very often think in words.				intrinsically rare or fragile in their very
				essence.
You cannot prove scientifically that there
are NO toy airplanes in orbit around the				Like any good zealot, these skeptics like
planet Jupiter! It might sound absurd, but				Randi and Psicop have a hidden agenda in
no matter how much you search for them and				"proving" that the world functions the way
fail to find them, you CANNOT PROVE that				they think it does. Frankly, a major
they are not there. You can only say that you				motivation is FEAR. More people than would
have not found one YET, and that it is				like to admit it are terrified of the
extremely unlikely that they exist. You				possibility of psychic phenomena. What if
might be able to say that with 99.99999999%				someone really COULD read your mind? Every
certainty. But you can NEVER say it with 100%				dirty little secret. What if YOU too could
certainty.				develop psychic powers?

Science cannot "prove" a negative.				Just imagine what sort of world THAT would
				be!
Thus, in the realm of psychic experiences,
science cannot categorically assert that				Hardly the boringly predictable,
there is no such thing. You CANNOT PROVE				ultra-conservative, Newtonian "scientific"
that ghosts do not exist, for instance. You				universe that these people inhabit. For them,
can only say that, to date, there has been				it's a possibility too horrible to
no conclusive proof that they DO. That is				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 has				credulous in examining a psychic
limitations that psychic experiences would				experience, or in rushing to accept the
definitely stretch. In science, something				claims of the "professional" investigators
has to be repeatable for it to have any				in this field. Nevertheless, we must also be
validity. In other words, other scientists				extremely careful of the skeptics who, while
have to be able to repeat your process and				pretending to be scientific, are often
get exactly the same results.				better viewed as ideological fanatics than
				even mediocre scientists.
However, this is almost certainly doomed to
failure in the psychic realm. Imagine				Copyright 2006 Asoka Selvarajah. All Rights
repeating your experiment in a haunted house				Reserved.
and DEMANDING that the phantom appear on cue,

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Do you have psychic powers

Psychic Abilities, Psychic Mediums & Science!