| The subject of psychic phenomena and
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| | performing the same experiment!
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| parapsychology arouses ahuge amount of
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| | If, by its very nature, a experience is
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| controversy and doubt. This is not
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| | extremely rare andunpredictable in
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| unreasonable
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| | nature, it is very hard to use Science to
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| (and probably a good thing), given their
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| | saymuch about it at all.
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| extremely checkeredpast. Fake have
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| | Science has very little to say about rare
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| abounded: false mediums, charlatan mind
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| | and unrepeatable events. Yet, these are
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| readers,conjuring tricks passed off as
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| | the very things that life itself is full
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| the real thing. The list goes onforever.
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| | of.
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| Hence, the use of Science should be
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| | The Scientific Method has little or
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| welcomed in helping to verifysome of the
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| | nothing to say regarding rare or
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| psychic community's claims.
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| | unrepeatable events. Nevertheless, these
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| However, this can also become unhealthy
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| | are the very things that life itself is
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| for several reasons, andit is equally
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| | filled with.
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| important to stand guard against these
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| | It is for this very reason that,
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| flaws. Theytoo are all too common.
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| | initially, the idea that ameteorite
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| (1) Biased scientists.
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| | collision caused the extinction of the
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| The pitiful truth is that the field of
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| | dinosaurswas met with hoots of laughter
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| psychic investigation, with onlyvery rare
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| | by the scientific community. Itwas the
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| exceptions, fails to excite or attract
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| | very rarity of the event, and the fact
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| the veryscientific brains. Career-wise,
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| | that no evidencecould be found, that
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| the field of psychic investigation
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| | caused ridicule to be heaped upon
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| isextremely badly funded, is nearly
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| | theheads of the theory's proponents.
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| impossible to make a solid,respected
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| | Until, of course, the craterwas
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| career in, and is the source of endless
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| | discovered.
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| derision frommainstream scientists and
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| | We now also know that the role of the
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| diehard skeptics.
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| | experimenter candramatically change the
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| Therefore, there is always gigantic
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| | results of the experiment. This
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| pressure uponpsychic researchers to
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| | mayexplain why certain famed psychics
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| justify their own existence. At the end
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| | seem to have their skillsflee them in the
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| ofthe day, they have to find something,
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| | cold harsh light of the
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| somewhere! If, from startto finish, their
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| | scientificlaboratory. Yet, only a
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| careers consisted solely of disproving
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| | mediocre investigator would claim
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| everysingle psychic experience that they
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| | thatbecause this is the case, it proves
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| were presented with, theywould quickly
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| | that there were no psychicphenomena to
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| give up the psychic investigation field
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| | begin with!
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| fromsheer boredom or depression. After
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| | (3) Psychic Skeptics.
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| all, from a purely personalstandpoint,
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| | This may, in part, explain the James
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| why bother? Hence, most of them are
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| | Randi effect. This is apsychic
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| intrinsicallybelievers to start with. To
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| | investigator who is a total skeptic on
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| put it bluntly, the probability ishigh
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| | the subject, andwho approaches the
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| that they possess a strong in-built bias
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| | subject with this powerful ingrained
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| in place.
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| | bias. Hehas issued a challenge to pay a
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| This is not to imply that they would fake
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| | large sum of money to anyone whocan
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| results. However, wemust be aware that,
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| | demonstrate psychic powers to him in a
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| by their very existence in this much
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| | scientificallycontrolled environment. To
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| malignedfield, there is an invisible
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| | date, he still has his money.
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| pressure upon these people toproduce
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| | Now, part of the problem may be that,
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| something to validate their own
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| | even if somebody isgenuinely psychic, the
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| existence. Hence, thissort of science is
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| | attitude of the investigator
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| extremely difficult to maintain in a
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| | issufficiently negative to completely
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| totallyobjective manner.
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| | extinguish whatever psychicabilities
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| Regular academic scientists are always
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| | exist, as long as he is present. Again, a
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| under pressure to justifytheir funding
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| | trueinvestigator of any professionalism
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| through their results. How much worse
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| | cannot discount this possibility.
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| then forscientists who, for the most
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| | This is a purely human factor we are
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| part, have no funding, and who areoften
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| | talking about, a function ofthe human
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| the laughing stock of the scientific
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| | brain, and not a measurement of the
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| community?
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| | boiling point ofwater. Hence, it is
|
| For all of these reasons, the profession
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| | entirely plausible that the
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| of psychic investigationcannot and will
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| | negativeattitude of the investigator,
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| not attract the very finest minds, at
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| | plus the undue pressure that thepsychic
|
| least notat the present times. This is
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| | is placed under as a result of it, could
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| not intended to be an snub toscientists
| |
| | act to diminishthe very effect being
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| involved in the field. It is just
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| | measured.
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| reality. The verybest will tend to
| |
| | However, the bias of people like Randi
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| gravitate towards "safe" fields where
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| | and the organization ofskeptics that
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| theirability will be recognized, and not
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| | calls itself Psicop, is worrying for
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| derided and scoffed at.
| |
| | anotherreason. These are people who,
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| It is a pity, but that is just how the
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| | while claiming to be scientists,are
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| world works at present.
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| | actually approaching the entire subject
|
| (2) The inadequacy of Science.
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| | with a deepbias that has nothing to do
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| The scientific method has served the
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| | with Science whatsoever.
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| human race extremely well, but ithas its
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| | They are skeptical, because they are
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| limits. It cannot do everything.
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| | skeptical. That's all. Theyare believers
|
| Hence, we must be cautious of trying to
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| | in "Disbelief". It's just the opposite
|
| apply scientific methodswhere they may
| |
| | end of thespectrum of Belief. That's all.
|
| not work well at all. Such is the manner
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| | There is no scientific reason for it
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| in whichscience has been elevated to a
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| | whatsoever. While theypretend to be
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| religion in our world, thisstatement
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| | scientific, their approach is more akin
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| might seem almost absurd.
| |
| | to areligious dogma; that of treating
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| Yet, there are clear occasions where
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| | Science like a religion. It isoften
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| science cannot measureanything. You
| |
| | called "Scientism" for this reason.
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| cannot measure the emotions of love or
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| | They might claim that there is no proof
|
| anger withscientific instruments. Yet,
| |
| | that psychic phenomenaexist. Yet, it can
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| few would doubt that they exist.
| |
| | be stated with equal validity that there
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| You cannot use instruments to provide a
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| | isno proof that they do NOT. That is a
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| printout of what somebodyis thinking.
| |
| | totally equivalentstatement. As we have
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| Yet, nobody would deny that they DO
| |
| | seen earlier, Science cannot PROVE
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| think, and theyvery often think in words.
| |
| | anegative statement. It can only talk
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| You cannot prove scientifically that
| |
| | about probabilities andlikelihood. And,
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| there are NO toy airplanesin orbit around
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| | as we have discussed, many psychic
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| the planet Mars! It might sound absurd,
| |
| | phenomenaare intrinsically rare or
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| butno matter how much you search for them
| |
| | fragile in their very essence.
|
| and fail to find them, you
| |
| | Like any good zealot, these skeptics like
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| CANNOT PROVE that they are not there. You
| |
| | Randi and Psicophave a hidden agenda in
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| can only say that youhave not found one
| |
| | "proving" that the world functions theway
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| YET, and that it is extremely unlikely
| |
| | they think it does. Frankly, a major
|
| thatthey exist. You might be able to say
| |
| | motivation is FEAR. Morepeople than would
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| that with 99.99999999%certainty. But you
| |
| | like to admit it are terrified of
|
| can NEVER say it with 100% certainty.
| |
| | thepossibility of psychic phenomena. What
|
| Science cannot "prove" a negative.
| |
| | if someone really COULDread your mind?
|
| Thus, in the realm of psychic phenomena,
| |
| | Every dirty little secret. What if YOU
|
| science cannotcategorically state that
| |
| | too coulddevelop psychic powers?
|
| there is no such thing. You CANNOT
| |
| | Just imagine what sort of world THAT
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| PROVE that ghosts do not exist, for
| |
| | would be!
|
| instance. You can only saythat, to date,
| |
| | Hardly the boringly predictable,
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| there has been no conclusive proof that
| |
| | ultra-conservative, Newtonian
|
| they DO.
| |
| | "scientific" universe that these people
|
| That is NOT the same as saying that they
| |
| | inhabit. For them, it's apossibility too
|
| do NOT.
| |
| | terrible to contemplate.
|
| In addition, the scientific method itself
| |
| | In conclusion , it's vital not to be too
|
| has limitations thatpsychic phenomena
| |
| | credulous in examining apsychic
|
| would definitely stretch. In
| |
| | experience, or in rushing to accept the
|
| science,something has to be repeatable
| |
| | claims of the
|
| for it to have any validity. Inother
| |
| | "professional" investigators in this
|
| words, other scientists have to be able
| |
| | field. Nevertheless, wemust also be
|
| to replicate yourprocess and get exactly
| |
| | extremely cautious of the skeptics who,
|
| the same results.
| |
| | whilepretending to be scientific, are
|
| However, this is almost certainly doomed
| |
| | often better viewed asideological
|
| to failure in thepsychic realm. Imagine
| |
| | zealots than even mediocre scientists.
|
| repeating your experiment in a
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| | Copyright 2006 Asoka Selvarajah. All
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| hauntedhouse and DEMANDING that the
| |
| | Rights Reserved.
|
| sprite appear on cue, just becauseyou are
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| |
|
