Are Psychics Real?
Frederick Gimino asked:
If you have ever wondered “are psychics real?” you are not alone. Many people ask them selves this very same question every day. The answer is often not an easy one but for thousands of years, people have turned to psychics, and clairvoyants for love, romance, and life advice. Some say psychics even have the ability to communicate with the spirits of the departed.
However, over the years claims of spiritualism and psychic powers have been so widespread and the reports of its effects so numerous and impressive that it was inevitable that scientists would be attracted to the alleged phenomena. Parapsychology the science that studies these phenomena focused on many areas including telepathy, clairvoyance, hypnotism, spirits, spiritualism, and the history of spiritual manifestations.
Although Parapsychology is still considered a fringe science by many scientists it still merits the attention of renowned educational institutions such as Princeton University and Berkley. Princeton offers the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research (PEAR) degree and the University of Berkley in California awarded the only American accredited degree in Parapsychology to Jeffery Mishlove in 1980. But in saying this I am putting the cart before the horse.
The pioneers of modern Parapsychology began using the experimental approach to psychic phenomena at Duke University in the 1930s under the direction of Joseph Rhine. Subsequently Karl Zener one of J.Rhines associates developed the world renowned Zener card test for testing ESP abilities using the scientific method. These ESP tests were conducted at Duke University in one of the first Pavlovian conditioning laboratories.
So, whether you believe in psychics, paranormal activity, or spiritualism the fact of the matter is there is currently hard scientific data documenting the anomalous psychic events which occur in the everyday world around us. In addition for thousands of years unexplained phenomena have been documented throughout history. Are millions of people crazy? I think not. I assure you that the spiritual realm does exist and I am not alone in that belief. Many scientists, layman, and spiritualists share the same views about our universe. Even some world renowned physicists speculate the need for more than one dimension to explain life as we know it.
My best advice is to try to keep an open mind and an objective outlook about things that we do not fully understand. that is unless you believe the sole criterion of reality is our limited human ability to quantify, tag, and label it. After all we can not see the wind but we do see the affect it has on the leaves as they blow about. Does this mean wind does not exist just because we cannot see it?
In closing I leave it up to you the reader to decide for your self the answer to the question at hand. But, know this my answer to the question “are psychics real?” is yes. Psychics, psychic abilities, spirits, and ESP are real whether you believe in them or not.
If you have ever wondered “are psychics real?” you are not alone. Many people ask them selves this very same question every day. The answer is often not an easy one but for thousands of years, people have turned to psychics, and clairvoyants for love, romance, and life advice. Some say psychics even have the ability to communicate with the spirits of the departed.
However, over the years claims of spiritualism and psychic powers have been so widespread and the reports of its effects so numerous and impressive that it was inevitable that scientists would be attracted to the alleged phenomena. Parapsychology the science that studies these phenomena focused on many areas including telepathy, clairvoyance, hypnotism, spirits, spiritualism, and the history of spiritual manifestations.
Although Parapsychology is still considered a fringe science by many scientists it still merits the attention of renowned educational institutions such as Princeton University and Berkley. Princeton offers the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research (PEAR) degree and the University of Berkley in California awarded the only American accredited degree in Parapsychology to Jeffery Mishlove in 1980. But in saying this I am putting the cart before the horse.
The pioneers of modern Parapsychology began using the experimental approach to psychic phenomena at Duke University in the 1930s under the direction of Joseph Rhine. Subsequently Karl Zener one of J.Rhines associates developed the world renowned Zener card test for testing ESP abilities using the scientific method. These ESP tests were conducted at Duke University in one of the first Pavlovian conditioning laboratories.
So, whether you believe in psychics, paranormal activity, or spiritualism the fact of the matter is there is currently hard scientific data documenting the anomalous psychic events which occur in the everyday world around us. In addition for thousands of years unexplained phenomena have been documented throughout history. Are millions of people crazy? I think not. I assure you that the spiritual realm does exist and I am not alone in that belief. Many scientists, layman, and spiritualists share the same views about our universe. Even some world renowned physicists speculate the need for more than one dimension to explain life as we know it.
My best advice is to try to keep an open mind and an objective outlook about things that we do not fully understand. that is unless you believe the sole criterion of reality is our limited human ability to quantify, tag, and label it. After all we can not see the wind but we do see the affect it has on the leaves as they blow about. Does this mean wind does not exist just because we cannot see it?
In closing I leave it up to you the reader to decide for your self the answer to the question at hand. But, know this my answer to the question “are psychics real?” is yes. Psychics, psychic abilities, spirits, and ESP are real whether you believe in them or not.
The Basics of Paranormal Investigation
Denise Villani asked:
The word paranormal comes from the words “para” meaning beyond, and normal. So the term paranormal really means something that is beyond the normal scope of science or being beyond a scientific explanation. According to the Journal of Parapsychology, the term paranormal describes “any phenomenon that in one or more respects exceeds the limits of what is deemed physically possible according to current scientific assumptions.”
Ghosts generate strong electro-magnetic fields. These fields cause disruptions in the magnetic field of a location which makes it detectable by both specialized equipment and psychics. Ghost hunters use many different types of equipment to detect an paranormal phenomena. A 35mm or digital camera is probably the easiest and least expensive way to begin. Pictures, whether digital or recorded on film have the ability to capture paranormal activity that is usually invisible to the ***** eye. In addition to a camera, it’s important to have a flashlight since most paranormal investigations will be in dark places like cemeteries, basements, attics, or old buildings. Also, most investigations occur between 9pm and 6am when it’s dark. This is believed to be the best time to record paranormal activity. Along with the flashlight you’ll need extra batteries, since batteries will sometimes mysteriously lost all their charge during paranormal investigations, literally leaving you in the dark.
Once you have these basic items, you’re ready to start exploring the world of paranormal investigation. Some important things to remember are: never go on an investigation alone, and be respectful of the of the people, places and situations you encounter.
The first step in an investigation is selecting the place you’re going to investigate. Once you choose a location, be sure to get permission to access the property to ensure you won’t get into any trouble for trespassing. It’s also very important to do some research on the location before you go out and physically investigate it. You can go to the library and look up old newspapers, visit the local historical society to find out about the history of the place and if anything strange has happened there, and of course talk with the owner of the property.
Once you get all your data collected you have to analyze it. Every picture, video, audio recording is reviewed to look for any sign of a haunting. When doing your analysis, be sure to be skeptical. Make sure you rule out any explainable causes for anything odd that may show up. Check for mirrors, shadows, light sources or anything else that may cause something weird to be seen or heard in your collected data. Most of the time, the things you initially detected during your investigation will have real world explanations as opposed to supernatural ones. It’s important to make sure your evidence will stand up to any scrutiny by eliminating any other explanations. This will give your data more credibility.
Once you complete your analysis, you need to present your findings property owner. At this point you would recommend whether the owner needs to seek additional help, such a having the property blessed or if there is really nothing that needs to be or even can be done. Sometimes just having someone investigate the place and find nothing can help ease the mind of the person experiencing the haunting.
The word paranormal comes from the words “para” meaning beyond, and normal. So the term paranormal really means something that is beyond the normal scope of science or being beyond a scientific explanation. According to the Journal of Parapsychology, the term paranormal describes “any phenomenon that in one or more respects exceeds the limits of what is deemed physically possible according to current scientific assumptions.”
Ghosts generate strong electro-magnetic fields. These fields cause disruptions in the magnetic field of a location which makes it detectable by both specialized equipment and psychics. Ghost hunters use many different types of equipment to detect an paranormal phenomena. A 35mm or digital camera is probably the easiest and least expensive way to begin. Pictures, whether digital or recorded on film have the ability to capture paranormal activity that is usually invisible to the ***** eye. In addition to a camera, it’s important to have a flashlight since most paranormal investigations will be in dark places like cemeteries, basements, attics, or old buildings. Also, most investigations occur between 9pm and 6am when it’s dark. This is believed to be the best time to record paranormal activity. Along with the flashlight you’ll need extra batteries, since batteries will sometimes mysteriously lost all their charge during paranormal investigations, literally leaving you in the dark.
Once you have these basic items, you’re ready to start exploring the world of paranormal investigation. Some important things to remember are: never go on an investigation alone, and be respectful of the of the people, places and situations you encounter.
The first step in an investigation is selecting the place you’re going to investigate. Once you choose a location, be sure to get permission to access the property to ensure you won’t get into any trouble for trespassing. It’s also very important to do some research on the location before you go out and physically investigate it. You can go to the library and look up old newspapers, visit the local historical society to find out about the history of the place and if anything strange has happened there, and of course talk with the owner of the property.
Once you get all your data collected you have to analyze it. Every picture, video, audio recording is reviewed to look for any sign of a haunting. When doing your analysis, be sure to be skeptical. Make sure you rule out any explainable causes for anything odd that may show up. Check for mirrors, shadows, light sources or anything else that may cause something weird to be seen or heard in your collected data. Most of the time, the things you initially detected during your investigation will have real world explanations as opposed to supernatural ones. It’s important to make sure your evidence will stand up to any scrutiny by eliminating any other explanations. This will give your data more credibility.
Once you complete your analysis, you need to present your findings property owner. At this point you would recommend whether the owner needs to seek additional help, such a having the property blessed or if there is really nothing that needs to be or even can be done. Sometimes just having someone investigate the place and find nothing can help ease the mind of the person experiencing the haunting.
Conscious Spirits: Paranormal Groups and Anthropormorphization
May 4, 2009 by admin
Filed under Metaphysics
Bobby Elgee asked:
by Bobby Elgee, Sights Unseen Paranormal
Many paranormal groups will detail the difference between two types of hauntings–residual and intelligent. Without going into a great degree of detail, residual hauntings are like a tape recorder that periodically plays for a variety of supposed reasons, while intelligent hauntings imply some degree of consciousness and interaction with the environment, including the people that encounter them. The goal of this article is not to go into a myriad of details regarding the specifics of these two types of hauntings, or necessarily, how to tell the difference. Instead, I’d like to discuss people’s propensity to attribute human characteristics to things that aren’t human. Consider the following definition, taken straight from Merriem-Websters 11th Collegiate Dictonary:
anthropomorphize
Main Entry:
an·thro·po·mor·phize
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s):
an·thro·po·mor·phized; an·thro·po·mor·phiz·ing
Date: 1845
transitive verb
: to attribute human form or personality to
intransitive verb
: to attribute human form or personality to things not human
— an·thro·po·mor·phi·za·tion noun
If you are a human being, you have a natural tendency to do this. It’s part of being human, much like recognizing faces in ambiguous visual stimuli; a wonderful ability afforded us by the most spectacular of all organs–our brains. The question is, how does one do this accurately in the realm of paranormal investigation?
It’s natural for humans to be self-centered or egocentric. If something happened, its probably related to you, and perhaps is because of something you did. Ask a child of a certain age “Why does the sun come up?” and they will answer with some variation of “Because I got up.” It is simply a developmental stage that–hopefully–we all outgrow.
But, to me, it seems that we may revert to earlier developmental stages when analyzing paranormal phenomena. Consider the following hypothetical questions and answers….
Why did that mist show up in a picture?
It was a ghost trying to show itself to me.
Why did those plates fall off the counter?
A ghost was trying to get my attention.
Why are the dowsing rods moving?
A spirit is spinning them around in answer to your questions.
Why did my EMF detector spike when there’s no electrical source around?
A spirit is attempting to make contact with us.
Why did this cold spot materialize?
A ghost is trying to manifest, and tell me it’s here.
Why did that door slam?
The spirits are upset that we’re here.
What is the cat looking at?
A ghost, animals can see things that we can’t, and the ghost is trying to communicate with it..
The questions could certainly apply to many paranormal investigations I’ve been on. The answers however, show a clear indication of anthropormorphism–in addition to a lack of a debunking attempt. Their is no indication from the events that this is an intelligent haunting, and yet the person answering the question automatically makes it a conscious spirit interacting with the investigator. In addition, they are clearly ascribing human attributes to something non-human, in this case, a bunch of environmental observations.
Whether such things are paranormal–not explainable by science–may be determined in the context of a careful investigation. Whether they were caused by a spirit or ghost can certainly never be proven, regardless of whether it is a residual or intelligent haunting.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that we all need to fight against our basic human propensity to anthropormorphize. I feel it can sabotage an investigation, causing investigators to loose focus and pigeon-hole data into their belief system, and, perhaps, even cause people to miss potentially relevant events.
So, unless a full-bodied apparition materializes in front of you in period dress, tells you it’s a ghost, and then offers to play a game of cards with you, be very careful about calling anything an intelligent haunting. The events that occurred are probably not paranormal to begin with. To make them into a ghost interacting with you is quite a stretch.
Have I been in haunted places where I felt that a presence was interacting with the team? Absolutely! Have I recorded EVPs that respond to an investigators questions in a specific manner? Yes, albeit rarely.
Assigning attributes such as *** and personality traits–as well as motivations–to paranormal phenomena is a slippery slope. I prefer to leave that stuff up to competent psychics–which are very, very rare.
by Bobby Elgee, Sights Unseen Paranormal
Many paranormal groups will detail the difference between two types of hauntings–residual and intelligent. Without going into a great degree of detail, residual hauntings are like a tape recorder that periodically plays for a variety of supposed reasons, while intelligent hauntings imply some degree of consciousness and interaction with the environment, including the people that encounter them. The goal of this article is not to go into a myriad of details regarding the specifics of these two types of hauntings, or necessarily, how to tell the difference. Instead, I’d like to discuss people’s propensity to attribute human characteristics to things that aren’t human. Consider the following definition, taken straight from Merriem-Websters 11th Collegiate Dictonary:
anthropomorphize
Main Entry:
an·thro·po·mor·phize
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s):
an·thro·po·mor·phized; an·thro·po·mor·phiz·ing
Date: 1845
transitive verb
: to attribute human form or personality to
intransitive verb
: to attribute human form or personality to things not human
— an·thro·po·mor·phi·za·tion noun
If you are a human being, you have a natural tendency to do this. It’s part of being human, much like recognizing faces in ambiguous visual stimuli; a wonderful ability afforded us by the most spectacular of all organs–our brains. The question is, how does one do this accurately in the realm of paranormal investigation?
It’s natural for humans to be self-centered or egocentric. If something happened, its probably related to you, and perhaps is because of something you did. Ask a child of a certain age “Why does the sun come up?” and they will answer with some variation of “Because I got up.” It is simply a developmental stage that–hopefully–we all outgrow.
But, to me, it seems that we may revert to earlier developmental stages when analyzing paranormal phenomena. Consider the following hypothetical questions and answers….
Why did that mist show up in a picture?
It was a ghost trying to show itself to me.
Why did those plates fall off the counter?
A ghost was trying to get my attention.
Why are the dowsing rods moving?
A spirit is spinning them around in answer to your questions.
Why did my EMF detector spike when there’s no electrical source around?
A spirit is attempting to make contact with us.
Why did this cold spot materialize?
A ghost is trying to manifest, and tell me it’s here.
Why did that door slam?
The spirits are upset that we’re here.
What is the cat looking at?
A ghost, animals can see things that we can’t, and the ghost is trying to communicate with it..
The questions could certainly apply to many paranormal investigations I’ve been on. The answers however, show a clear indication of anthropormorphism–in addition to a lack of a debunking attempt. Their is no indication from the events that this is an intelligent haunting, and yet the person answering the question automatically makes it a conscious spirit interacting with the investigator. In addition, they are clearly ascribing human attributes to something non-human, in this case, a bunch of environmental observations.
Whether such things are paranormal–not explainable by science–may be determined in the context of a careful investigation. Whether they were caused by a spirit or ghost can certainly never be proven, regardless of whether it is a residual or intelligent haunting.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that we all need to fight against our basic human propensity to anthropormorphize. I feel it can sabotage an investigation, causing investigators to loose focus and pigeon-hole data into their belief system, and, perhaps, even cause people to miss potentially relevant events.
So, unless a full-bodied apparition materializes in front of you in period dress, tells you it’s a ghost, and then offers to play a game of cards with you, be very careful about calling anything an intelligent haunting. The events that occurred are probably not paranormal to begin with. To make them into a ghost interacting with you is quite a stretch.
Have I been in haunted places where I felt that a presence was interacting with the team? Absolutely! Have I recorded EVPs that respond to an investigators questions in a specific manner? Yes, albeit rarely.
Assigning attributes such as *** and personality traits–as well as motivations–to paranormal phenomena is a slippery slope. I prefer to leave that stuff up to competent psychics–which are very, very rare.
