Not many people know that subjects like ESP and PK are accumulating scientific evidence in favor of their existence. The best evidence of psychokinesis is manipulation of random event generators (such as occurred at Princeton's now defunct PEAR lab). The best evidence for ESP seems to be in the ganzfeld and auto-ganfeld experiments, but there have been many more experimental setups for ESP.
It seems that no matter what the psychic ability being tested is, the effect size is usually very small. Yet, the effect size appears to remain consistent across studies. Meta-analysis has been put to great use in parapsychology because of the ability to compare and examine data from multiple studies. It also allows for small effects to become apparent by putting all of the data into one study.
I could go on and on about parapsychology and the evidence of psychic abilities but I mainly wanted to write this post in order to share with you one of the best papers on the subject I've read. It's by Jessica Utts who is a professor of statistics at UC Davis. It's kind of long and gets a little technical, but if you're as interested in the evidence as I am then you may find it worth your time.
Replication and Meta-Analysis in Parapsychology
Monday, November 8, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Summoning Demons
Recently I've been very interested in sigils and sigil magic. It just so happens that when browsing some darker areas of the Internet in the wee hours of the morning I stumbled upon an image file containing 99 sigils. Ninety of these are specific to particular demons, apparently. The remaining nine have more general purposes.
I don't typically dabble with spirits or demons but I thought this might be relevant to the interests of my readers. Whether you choose to work with this is up to you. I thought I recognized some of these names and symbols from somewhere but I've searched my books as well as the Internet and the closest I can turn up is this image, apparently found in a number of places on the Net besides the place I got it from. Some of these are evocative of the Keys of Solomon, but I can't find any matches. I haven't studied Solomon's works that closely though.
For those of you that might be brave enough to try this, let me know what happens.
I don't typically dabble with spirits or demons but I thought this might be relevant to the interests of my readers. Whether you choose to work with this is up to you. I thought I recognized some of these names and symbols from somewhere but I've searched my books as well as the Internet and the closest I can turn up is this image, apparently found in a number of places on the Net besides the place I got it from. Some of these are evocative of the Keys of Solomon, but I can't find any matches. I haven't studied Solomon's works that closely though.
For those of you that might be brave enough to try this, let me know what happens.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Possible human mutilations by extraterrestrials?
I've wanted to write about cattle mutilation for a little while but several people have done a better job than I think I could do. Instead I'd like to bring your attention to a lesser-known but more disturbing phenomenon. Cattle aren't the only animals being mutilated by the military or extraterrestrials or whoever is doing these things. Among the other animals are horses, sheep, buffalo, deer, dogs, and cats. The most disturbing revelation perhaps is that these mutilations may be happening to human beings.
I became aware of a specific case a few years ago but it seems that still not that many people know about this phenomenon. That's possibly for the best considering the implications this particular case could have. The popular theory is that extraterrestrials are doing these mutilations as it is not believed that humanity has the technology. If this is the case then we should seriously rethink how we view the UFO and abduction phenomenons. The mundane explanation for this particular case is murder by a drug cartel. I struggle to believe that the peculiar characteristics could be replicated by human technology.
The summary is that this body was discovered in Brazil in the Guarapiranga Reservoir. The body bears many similarities to cattle mutilations including removal of organs through peculiar holes, evidence of high heat or laser cutting instruments, the operation appears to have been done with speed, and it appears as if the subject was alive for all of this. The articles below tell the story better than I can.
WARNING: The links below have their own warning notices but both contain graphic images of a mutilated human being. If you are squeamish then I do not recommend viewing the images and probably not the second link at all, just to be safe. The first link has all of the images at the bottom of the page so you can read the information without viewing the images if you prefer. The second link has the images interspersed with the text. View at your own risk. You have been warned.
This page tells of three human mutilation cases that include the specific case I have talked about above. There is ample warning before you see any graphic content.
This link focuses on the specific case I've mentioned and asks more questions. However, the graphic images are interspersed with the text. View at your own risk.
I became aware of a specific case a few years ago but it seems that still not that many people know about this phenomenon. That's possibly for the best considering the implications this particular case could have. The popular theory is that extraterrestrials are doing these mutilations as it is not believed that humanity has the technology. If this is the case then we should seriously rethink how we view the UFO and abduction phenomenons. The mundane explanation for this particular case is murder by a drug cartel. I struggle to believe that the peculiar characteristics could be replicated by human technology.
The summary is that this body was discovered in Brazil in the Guarapiranga Reservoir. The body bears many similarities to cattle mutilations including removal of organs through peculiar holes, evidence of high heat or laser cutting instruments, the operation appears to have been done with speed, and it appears as if the subject was alive for all of this. The articles below tell the story better than I can.
WARNING: The links below have their own warning notices but both contain graphic images of a mutilated human being. If you are squeamish then I do not recommend viewing the images and probably not the second link at all, just to be safe. The first link has all of the images at the bottom of the page so you can read the information without viewing the images if you prefer. The second link has the images interspersed with the text. View at your own risk. You have been warned.
This page tells of three human mutilation cases that include the specific case I have talked about above. There is ample warning before you see any graphic content.
This link focuses on the specific case I've mentioned and asks more questions. However, the graphic images are interspersed with the text. View at your own risk.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Hoaxing
If you spend enough time researching the paranormal then you come across a lot of hoaxing. Some of it is very high quality and continues to fool people even after it has been exposed as a hoax. Other hoaxes are easily identifiable as such.
People that present hoaxes as reality are a huge problem to this field, in my opinion. This is perhaps the biggest problem in the realm of UFO research. From my experience, I have to say that I've seen more UFO/alien hoaxes than I have seen hoaxes of anything else in relation to the paranormal, perhaps with the exception of ghosts. The problem of hoaxing is twofold and it really does do the field an enormous injustice.
The first problem with hoaxing is that it takes time and resources to investigate a hoax. If someone were to file a false police report then they would be held accountable for the expenses of that investigation. There are no such laws or rules concerning UFOs or the paranormal, but the fact remains that someone is spending time and resources on looking into this case that was intentionally fabricated to fool people. It takes resources away from looking at actual anomalies.
The second problem with hoaxing is that it hurts the credibility of the field. All it takes is for a few well-made hoaxes to be passed off as real to credulous people and then they get incorporated into the public mind. When eventually exposed as hoaxes they have the effect of making people think that all similar occurrences must be hoaxes. Even with the existence of legitimately anomalous cases, people will often look at the exposed hoaxes as being a nail in the coffin for the field.
I've focused on the example of UFOs, but ghosts might be a very good example as well. There are so many hoaxed ghost videos that it has the same effect of people pushing aside even the legitimate cases. No doubt there is a certain amount of skill and artistry in making videos like that, but the honest thing to do would be to label them for entertainment purposes only.
Perhaps putting a disclaimer at the end wouldn't be enough though. I come across people to this day that still think Paranormal Activity was the real deal. The same thing happened with The Blair Witch Project when it was first released. These were both major movie releases designed to look so real that people actually believed they were recovered footage from real events.
In a perfect world people wouldn't be so dishonest as to pass off a fake as the genuine article. This isn't a perfect world though, so we have to be vigilant and discerning when it comes to evidence that is "too good to be true," especially when we have people intentionally trying to deceive others for profit. Let it be noted that deception isn't confined to just UFOs and ghosts.
Creating fake evidence and passing it off as real is dishonest and really does a disservice to those of us that are looking for genuine answers. Hoaxing evidence is bad enough, but then profiting from deception makes it even worse. I know I'm not the only one that feels this way. Remember to keep a healthy amount of skepticism in your search for the truth.
People that present hoaxes as reality are a huge problem to this field, in my opinion. This is perhaps the biggest problem in the realm of UFO research. From my experience, I have to say that I've seen more UFO/alien hoaxes than I have seen hoaxes of anything else in relation to the paranormal, perhaps with the exception of ghosts. The problem of hoaxing is twofold and it really does do the field an enormous injustice.
The first problem with hoaxing is that it takes time and resources to investigate a hoax. If someone were to file a false police report then they would be held accountable for the expenses of that investigation. There are no such laws or rules concerning UFOs or the paranormal, but the fact remains that someone is spending time and resources on looking into this case that was intentionally fabricated to fool people. It takes resources away from looking at actual anomalies.
The second problem with hoaxing is that it hurts the credibility of the field. All it takes is for a few well-made hoaxes to be passed off as real to credulous people and then they get incorporated into the public mind. When eventually exposed as hoaxes they have the effect of making people think that all similar occurrences must be hoaxes. Even with the existence of legitimately anomalous cases, people will often look at the exposed hoaxes as being a nail in the coffin for the field.
I've focused on the example of UFOs, but ghosts might be a very good example as well. There are so many hoaxed ghost videos that it has the same effect of people pushing aside even the legitimate cases. No doubt there is a certain amount of skill and artistry in making videos like that, but the honest thing to do would be to label them for entertainment purposes only.
Perhaps putting a disclaimer at the end wouldn't be enough though. I come across people to this day that still think Paranormal Activity was the real deal. The same thing happened with The Blair Witch Project when it was first released. These were both major movie releases designed to look so real that people actually believed they were recovered footage from real events.
In a perfect world people wouldn't be so dishonest as to pass off a fake as the genuine article. This isn't a perfect world though, so we have to be vigilant and discerning when it comes to evidence that is "too good to be true," especially when we have people intentionally trying to deceive others for profit. Let it be noted that deception isn't confined to just UFOs and ghosts.
Creating fake evidence and passing it off as real is dishonest and really does a disservice to those of us that are looking for genuine answers. Hoaxing evidence is bad enough, but then profiting from deception makes it even worse. I know I'm not the only one that feels this way. Remember to keep a healthy amount of skepticism in your search for the truth.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Eastern and Western Monsters Are Surprisingly Similar
In light of this information I would like to pose a question. Are the monsters of different cultures so different because of some complex psychological aspect of humanity or because these creatures actually existed (or still do exist)?
To the present day there are sightings of Bigfoot-like creatures all over the world, from the United States to Russia to China. Dragons are another cross-cultural cryptid. It seems that if Bigfoot/Yeti/Sasquatch is an actual creature then it still exists in remote places, but what about dragons? Did they exist at one time and went extinct? Were they just figments of our imaginations? Maybe the legends of dragons actually come from large lizards left over from the age of the dinosaurs such as the creatures reported in remote parts of the African jungles.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Is the Moon inhabited?
Our moon has been an object of fascination for millennia. Many beliefs developed about it through time and it was a largely mysterious presence in the sky for the majority of our history. Even though we eventually got to the Moon (or so we're told) there are still a number of mysteries for us to uncover.
Strange lights, clouds, and mists on the surface of the moon have been observed for hundreds of years with no real explanation behind them. NASA itself has acknowledged these mysteries and has recorded many reports of strange activity on the moon from the age before spacecraft. Strange lunar phenomena visible from Earth continue to the present. Strange tracks and objects have also been photographed on the Moon since we've been sending probes there. There are also the rumors of an extraterrestrial base on the far side of the moon to contend with as well.
Most people are aware of the big fuss that was made over the "Face on Mars" several years ago, but fewer people seem to be aware of the very strange things happening much closer to home. Perhaps the strangest thing about the Moon is that there is a theory that it is actually artificial and functions as a very large spacecraft. This theory, called The Spaceship Moon Theory, was developed by two Russians in 1970. This theory draws together the more interesting lunar anomalies into one theory that makes a scary amount of sense when looked at. Some of the anomalies that the theory addresses are the bizarre density and mineral composition of the moon as well as how it got into Earth's orbit in the first place.
So, what is up with the Moon? Is it a giant spaceship? If so, where is it from? More importantly, who was operating it and are they still there? It just doesn't seem like the Moon should remain so mysterious in our day and age when we've actually sent people to its surface. Are these mysteries largely ignored by science or does someone have the answers and just isn't sharing them?
Here is some additional reading about the mysteries of our moon.
Strange Things on the Moon
The original Spaceship Moon proposal.
Some Say Moon Photos Show Signs of Alien Life
Strange lights, clouds, and mists on the surface of the moon have been observed for hundreds of years with no real explanation behind them. NASA itself has acknowledged these mysteries and has recorded many reports of strange activity on the moon from the age before spacecraft. Strange lunar phenomena visible from Earth continue to the present. Strange tracks and objects have also been photographed on the Moon since we've been sending probes there. There are also the rumors of an extraterrestrial base on the far side of the moon to contend with as well.
Most people are aware of the big fuss that was made over the "Face on Mars" several years ago, but fewer people seem to be aware of the very strange things happening much closer to home. Perhaps the strangest thing about the Moon is that there is a theory that it is actually artificial and functions as a very large spacecraft. This theory, called The Spaceship Moon Theory, was developed by two Russians in 1970. This theory draws together the more interesting lunar anomalies into one theory that makes a scary amount of sense when looked at. Some of the anomalies that the theory addresses are the bizarre density and mineral composition of the moon as well as how it got into Earth's orbit in the first place.
So, what is up with the Moon? Is it a giant spaceship? If so, where is it from? More importantly, who was operating it and are they still there? It just doesn't seem like the Moon should remain so mysterious in our day and age when we've actually sent people to its surface. Are these mysteries largely ignored by science or does someone have the answers and just isn't sharing them?
Here is some additional reading about the mysteries of our moon.
Strange Things on the Moon
The original Spaceship Moon proposal.
Some Say Moon Photos Show Signs of Alien Life
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
At least I'm not the only one.
Why real-life ghost hunters hate "Ghost Hunters"
I've written about this before and it seems the plethora of ghost hunting shows hasn't gone unnoticed by serious parapsychologists either. It usually is the case that the most popular aspect of any particular subject overshadows and sometimes stigmatizes the whole of the subject. One bad apple spoils the bunch and all that. I still can’t bring myself to watch very much of these shows.
I've written about this before and it seems the plethora of ghost hunting shows hasn't gone unnoticed by serious parapsychologists either. It usually is the case that the most popular aspect of any particular subject overshadows and sometimes stigmatizes the whole of the subject. One bad apple spoils the bunch and all that. I still can’t bring myself to watch very much of these shows.
Monday, November 1, 2010
The Zombie Apocalypse
I know zombies are popular right now (and have been for a while) but I had an idea while I was watching TV earlier (no, not The Walking Dead; it was actually the first few episodes of a good series called Dead Set). I had the idea to go over some of my thoughts on surviving the Zombie Apocalypse. I know countless people have done this and some have even written books about it, but I figured it might be fun so here goes.
We first have to take into account what kind of zombies we're dealing with. If we're dealing with zombies of a supernatural origin then things get complicated depending on the details. For the sake of this post I'm going to go with the overwhelmingly popular viral outbreak scenario. There is some kind of virus outbreak that infects people and turns them into zombies. If you get bitten or otherwise infected by a zombie you will slowly die and then reanimate as a zombie with a hunger for human flesh. The typical destruction of the brain puts them down permanently. Pretty simple, right?
Instead of giving a rundown of what I, personally, would do I'm just going to outline a few things that I feel would be very important.
1. Get out of the population centers as soon as you can. Take whatever useful supplies and equipment you can get your hands on and get out of there. Humans will be just as dangerous as zombies during the initial chaos. Go somewhere that won't be obvious. It doesn't make sense to flee a population center if the rest of the population is just going to follow after you to an obvious refuge. Try to keep in mind the geographical isolation of the place, the potential for harvesting natural resources (like food, water, and material), and also how defensible it might be.
2. Don't try to take everything with you. Take essentials and take things that have more than one use. If you have time to cook and properly preserve perishable food before you leave then do so. The highways might be impassible so be prepared for that and find another way if you can. If you're already in an isolated area because you live there then you will probably have more time to prepare. If you are already where you want to be then try to preserve as much perishable food as you can before the power goes out and try to store as much clean water as you can before the water service fails. Reinforce doors and windows on the ground floor (or everywhere if you can).
3. Wait out the initial chaos. It would be best not to go into a population center to rescue someone or to snatch up supplies if you're already out of there but I understand that it isn't human nature to leave friends and family behind in such a situation. You may even be trapped in a population center and have no choice but to stay. Everyone is going to have the same idea to make a run on food, water, medicine, etc. so you will probably be better off avoiding supermarkets, superstores, and hospitals (especially hospitals because of infected people going in for treatment).
4. Try to avoid the infected as much as possible. Stealth over aggression. Unnecessarily engaging infected wastes ammunition, opens you up to being infected yourself, and could also attract more infected or humans that want to rob you of your supplies or worse.
5. Once you have your safe haven established you should strive to be self-sufficient. Growing food, collecting rain water, reusing and recycling everything. If you have to go into population centers to scavenge for supplies then I would suggest traveling light and having a plan. Ideally this wouldn't be until a week or two after the initial chaos; maybe longer. I highly recommend learning survival skills (including long-term survival skills) and learning the natural foods and medicines of your area.
6. Remain off the radar. Don't broadcast your presence to anyone unless there is a definite chance of being rescued by authorities (i.e. you heard it on the radio). Don't fall for other people trying to take advantage of you though. Just hole up and wait it out if you can. Eventually the infected should become incapacitated. There's a possibility this could take years though depending on the nature of the infected physiology.
This is all just common sense from my perspective. Then again, I'm a bit of a survivalist so maybe not everyone thinks this way. I am of the opinion that a zombie outbreak is incredibly unlikely but these same points could apply to a large-scale natural disaster as well. Even if zombies are incredibly unlikely, it sure is fun to think about. If you have something to add to this list then leave a comment: Our survival may depend on it.
We first have to take into account what kind of zombies we're dealing with. If we're dealing with zombies of a supernatural origin then things get complicated depending on the details. For the sake of this post I'm going to go with the overwhelmingly popular viral outbreak scenario. There is some kind of virus outbreak that infects people and turns them into zombies. If you get bitten or otherwise infected by a zombie you will slowly die and then reanimate as a zombie with a hunger for human flesh. The typical destruction of the brain puts them down permanently. Pretty simple, right?
Instead of giving a rundown of what I, personally, would do I'm just going to outline a few things that I feel would be very important.
1. Get out of the population centers as soon as you can. Take whatever useful supplies and equipment you can get your hands on and get out of there. Humans will be just as dangerous as zombies during the initial chaos. Go somewhere that won't be obvious. It doesn't make sense to flee a population center if the rest of the population is just going to follow after you to an obvious refuge. Try to keep in mind the geographical isolation of the place, the potential for harvesting natural resources (like food, water, and material), and also how defensible it might be.
2. Don't try to take everything with you. Take essentials and take things that have more than one use. If you have time to cook and properly preserve perishable food before you leave then do so. The highways might be impassible so be prepared for that and find another way if you can. If you're already in an isolated area because you live there then you will probably have more time to prepare. If you are already where you want to be then try to preserve as much perishable food as you can before the power goes out and try to store as much clean water as you can before the water service fails. Reinforce doors and windows on the ground floor (or everywhere if you can).
3. Wait out the initial chaos. It would be best not to go into a population center to rescue someone or to snatch up supplies if you're already out of there but I understand that it isn't human nature to leave friends and family behind in such a situation. You may even be trapped in a population center and have no choice but to stay. Everyone is going to have the same idea to make a run on food, water, medicine, etc. so you will probably be better off avoiding supermarkets, superstores, and hospitals (especially hospitals because of infected people going in for treatment).
4. Try to avoid the infected as much as possible. Stealth over aggression. Unnecessarily engaging infected wastes ammunition, opens you up to being infected yourself, and could also attract more infected or humans that want to rob you of your supplies or worse.
5. Once you have your safe haven established you should strive to be self-sufficient. Growing food, collecting rain water, reusing and recycling everything. If you have to go into population centers to scavenge for supplies then I would suggest traveling light and having a plan. Ideally this wouldn't be until a week or two after the initial chaos; maybe longer. I highly recommend learning survival skills (including long-term survival skills) and learning the natural foods and medicines of your area.
6. Remain off the radar. Don't broadcast your presence to anyone unless there is a definite chance of being rescued by authorities (i.e. you heard it on the radio). Don't fall for other people trying to take advantage of you though. Just hole up and wait it out if you can. Eventually the infected should become incapacitated. There's a possibility this could take years though depending on the nature of the infected physiology.
This is all just common sense from my perspective. Then again, I'm a bit of a survivalist so maybe not everyone thinks this way. I am of the opinion that a zombie outbreak is incredibly unlikely but these same points could apply to a large-scale natural disaster as well. Even if zombies are incredibly unlikely, it sure is fun to think about. If you have something to add to this list then leave a comment: Our survival may depend on it.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Happy Halloween!
I thought about doing something special on the blog for Halloween but I've decided that I'll keep it short tonight. Hopefully everyone is having a safe and spooky Halloween weekend. Be careful out there if you're the type that likes to perform Halloween mischief. If you have/had any paranormal experiences while enjoying the weekend I would love to read about them. Just leave me a comment.
Friday, October 29, 2010
No aliens, just terrorists.
So, the Pleiadians didn't show up but it seems that the mail-bombs almost did. I will admit that I had a "Holy crap," moment when I saw the President addressing the nation on the TV today. Then I learned that it was about potential terrorist threats.
Maybe this is a sign that the terrorists are actually aliens or the aliens are actually terrorists? Maybe the aliens actually tipped us off to the terrorists? I think it's far more likely that it's just a coincidence and this was another prediction that just didn't pan out. Meeting some aliens would have been neat too.
In case you have no idea what I'm talking about, please see my previous post and also the link below.
Terror plot thwarted as US-bound explosives seized
Maybe this is a sign that the terrorists are actually aliens or the aliens are actually terrorists? Maybe the aliens actually tipped us off to the terrorists? I think it's far more likely that it's just a coincidence and this was another prediction that just didn't pan out. Meeting some aliens would have been neat too.
In case you have no idea what I'm talking about, please see my previous post and also the link below.
Terror plot thwarted as US-bound explosives seized
Official Disclosure of Extraterrestrial Presence
I've seen rumors of some kind of official disclosure of extraterrestrials popping up pretty consistently for a while now. There have been rumors going around for years, but there really seems to be a big interest in the idea now because of various movies and television shows as well as widespread publicized UFO sightings all over the globe. "Publicized" is the operating word here. International UFO sightings are nothing new, but the media attention is.
The election of Barack Obama to the presidency two years ago seemed to add fuel to the fire of official disclosure as well. His campaign promises of hope and change appealed to UFO enthusiasts, it seems, and many apparently thought that official disclosure could be a part of his sweeping changes. In the past couple of months is when all of this has stuck out to me the most though. Stan Fulham (allegedly) even went so far as to lay down a date.
That date is October 29th, 2010. Today. The prediction goes that President Obama is going to announce the existence of extraterrestrials and our interaction with them. The Pleiadians (aliens from somewhere in the Pleiades star cluster) are also supposed to make an appearance. The original YouTube video referenced by the person I learned this from was taken down by the user and I never got to see it, so take that as you will. Personally, I'll believe all of this when it happens.
Predictions of official disclosure or first contact are as common as predictions of the end of the world and they're about as reliable too. Due to this chronic inaccuracy I tend to not pay much attention to them anymore. Being as the date is upon us though, I thought I'd share it with the rest of the world and in the case it actually happens I can boast that I was in the know beforehand. I've included a link to UFO Digest at the bottom of this post that gives some perspective on this particular prediction. Here's to meeting our benevolent space-brothers today.
Stan Fulham's Next Alien Communique or Elaborate Hoax
The election of Barack Obama to the presidency two years ago seemed to add fuel to the fire of official disclosure as well. His campaign promises of hope and change appealed to UFO enthusiasts, it seems, and many apparently thought that official disclosure could be a part of his sweeping changes. In the past couple of months is when all of this has stuck out to me the most though. Stan Fulham (allegedly) even went so far as to lay down a date.
That date is October 29th, 2010. Today. The prediction goes that President Obama is going to announce the existence of extraterrestrials and our interaction with them. The Pleiadians (aliens from somewhere in the Pleiades star cluster) are also supposed to make an appearance. The original YouTube video referenced by the person I learned this from was taken down by the user and I never got to see it, so take that as you will. Personally, I'll believe all of this when it happens.
Predictions of official disclosure or first contact are as common as predictions of the end of the world and they're about as reliable too. Due to this chronic inaccuracy I tend to not pay much attention to them anymore. Being as the date is upon us though, I thought I'd share it with the rest of the world and in the case it actually happens I can boast that I was in the know beforehand. I've included a link to UFO Digest at the bottom of this post that gives some perspective on this particular prediction. Here's to meeting our benevolent space-brothers today.
Stan Fulham's Next Alien Communique or Elaborate Hoax
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Something I learned today about Wicca.
I learned that if you really want to make Wiccans and their supporters very upset all you have to do is mention that Gerald Gardner plagiarized Aleister Crowley. Bonus points for providing specific examples.
When I first learned about all of this plagiarism business I was very surprised. At the same time I was rather amused. It becomes even more amusing when you look into the deeper history of Wicca and Gerald Gardner. This says nothing towards the validity or efficacy of that particular path, but I think maybe Wiccans should lighten up a little bit.
Wiccans can always say that the Outer Court teachings (the plagiarized stuff) are not as valid as the Inner Court teachings which are oathbound (meaning you take an oath not to reveal them). The "real" Wicca being oathbound makes it very easy to defend it as no one is able to discuss it. There's really nothing wrong with any of this at all until a "holier-than-thou" attitude creeps in and then, I feel, it becomes necessary to put the whole matter into perspective.
For further reading I provide the following links. As always, feel free to leave a comment.
The Great Wicca Hoax - Part One
The Great Wicca Hoax - Part Two
The Thelemic Origins of Wicca
When I first learned about all of this plagiarism business I was very surprised. At the same time I was rather amused. It becomes even more amusing when you look into the deeper history of Wicca and Gerald Gardner. This says nothing towards the validity or efficacy of that particular path, but I think maybe Wiccans should lighten up a little bit.
Wiccans can always say that the Outer Court teachings (the plagiarized stuff) are not as valid as the Inner Court teachings which are oathbound (meaning you take an oath not to reveal them). The "real" Wicca being oathbound makes it very easy to defend it as no one is able to discuss it. There's really nothing wrong with any of this at all until a "holier-than-thou" attitude creeps in and then, I feel, it becomes necessary to put the whole matter into perspective.
For further reading I provide the following links. As always, feel free to leave a comment.
The Great Wicca Hoax - Part One
The Great Wicca Hoax - Part Two
The Thelemic Origins of Wicca
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Does anyone still watch ghost hunting shows?
People must still watch these shows otherwise they wouldn't be on the air, right? There are at least half-a-dozen ghost hunting shows on various networks and I can't stand to watch any of them anymore. I try. I really do. I just can't seem to find them interesting enough to bother with anymore.
Back when Ghost Hunters was a new thing I found it interesting and entertaining. They were all about finding the answers to peoples' problems; even if those problems were just their pipes banging around. When they actually found something strange it was even better and in those days that didn't happen that often. My impression is that over time they started to cater more and more to the people watching the show and writing the checks rather than seeking any kind of answers. I don't watch Ghost Hunters anymore because I find it boring. There have also been allegations of fraud by their own members .
I thought Paranormal State was a cool show for a while. Then I realized that ninety percent of the time it turned out to be a demon and they needed to do a full-on exorcism of the property and/or person. This is exciting the first couple of times it happens but after a while it comes off as contrived and it looks like a desperate grab for ratings. Do I believe that there are really this many people afflicted with demonic hauntings and possessions? No, I don't. That's what makes the entire show absurd to me. Throw in a vampire, a medium, and an "occult specialist" and you've got a regular circus here. Never mind that all of these things ostensibly contradict the Catholicism they employ to banish these nasty spirits. I can't stand to watch this show anymore except to make fun of it.
And then there's Ghost Adventures. The EXTREME answer to all the other shows. Three guys lock themselves in haunted locations with camera gear and proceed to stumble around in the dark injuring themselves and freaking out like high school girls with a Ouija board. They also look like they'd be more at home poolside in Las Vegas. This really has nothing to do with the authenticity of their ghost hunting but it's silly to me to get gelled up and put your Affliction shirt on to run around in the dark. I have to give these guys some credit though; they seem to do everything in their power to piss off the ghosts enough to do something. Is this frat boy posturing? Probably. At least it's funny when they freak out because something actually happened when they challenged the spirits. I've tried watching this show lately but after a while it just gets boring.
The one thing that all of these shows have in common (and there are many more than these three) is that they don't really give any answers. There's no real innovation aside from a new ghost-finding gadget (which has its operational theory based in speculation usually). I don't really see what these people have contributed to the field; they haven't come up with very many real answers. It's just the same reiteration of speculation and superstition that we've heard for years.
If you're someone that is entertained by these shows then that's fine. They ultimately are meant for entertainment. I just wanted to get this off of my chest about the ghost hunting fad on television and I hope that I'm not the only person that has noticed these things.
Back when Ghost Hunters was a new thing I found it interesting and entertaining. They were all about finding the answers to peoples' problems; even if those problems were just their pipes banging around. When they actually found something strange it was even better and in those days that didn't happen that often. My impression is that over time they started to cater more and more to the people watching the show and writing the checks rather than seeking any kind of answers. I don't watch Ghost Hunters anymore because I find it boring. There have also been allegations of fraud by their own members .
I thought Paranormal State was a cool show for a while. Then I realized that ninety percent of the time it turned out to be a demon and they needed to do a full-on exorcism of the property and/or person. This is exciting the first couple of times it happens but after a while it comes off as contrived and it looks like a desperate grab for ratings. Do I believe that there are really this many people afflicted with demonic hauntings and possessions? No, I don't. That's what makes the entire show absurd to me. Throw in a vampire, a medium, and an "occult specialist" and you've got a regular circus here. Never mind that all of these things ostensibly contradict the Catholicism they employ to banish these nasty spirits. I can't stand to watch this show anymore except to make fun of it.
And then there's Ghost Adventures. The EXTREME answer to all the other shows. Three guys lock themselves in haunted locations with camera gear and proceed to stumble around in the dark injuring themselves and freaking out like high school girls with a Ouija board. They also look like they'd be more at home poolside in Las Vegas. This really has nothing to do with the authenticity of their ghost hunting but it's silly to me to get gelled up and put your Affliction shirt on to run around in the dark. I have to give these guys some credit though; they seem to do everything in their power to piss off the ghosts enough to do something. Is this frat boy posturing? Probably. At least it's funny when they freak out because something actually happened when they challenged the spirits. I've tried watching this show lately but after a while it just gets boring.
The one thing that all of these shows have in common (and there are many more than these three) is that they don't really give any answers. There's no real innovation aside from a new ghost-finding gadget (which has its operational theory based in speculation usually). I don't really see what these people have contributed to the field; they haven't come up with very many real answers. It's just the same reiteration of speculation and superstition that we've heard for years.
If you're someone that is entertained by these shows then that's fine. They ultimately are meant for entertainment. I just wanted to get this off of my chest about the ghost hunting fad on television and I hope that I'm not the only person that has noticed these things.
SLIders and Electric/Magnetic People
A strange and somewhat recent phenomenon that I sometimes see come up is that of SLIders. The SLI stands for "street lamp interference." People that are SLIders report street lamps spontaneously going out when they pass near them. This apparently happens so often that it leads them to believe it's something about them rather than just coincidence. Some SLIders even report that watches stop and credit cards have their magnetic strips erased while in the SLIder's possession.
I can't help but wonder if perhaps this phenomenon isn't something that has existed since ancient times, going unnoticed because of the lack of electrical contraptions being literally everywhere. Tales of electric or magnetic people are not uncommon and in my mind these phenomena are very similar to psychokinesis. An example is that of Jennie Morgan of Sedalia, Missouri who in the 1890s was so highly charged with electricity that sparks would jump from her to nearby objects, animals would avoid her, and people that touched her were often knocked unconscious by her charge. A similar case is that of Caroline Clare of London, Ontario. She became charged after falling ill in 1877 and objects that came in contact with her became magnetized. Clare was also capable of sticking cutlery to herself similar to some modern reports of "magnetic people" with the difference being that she needed another person to pull the objects off of her.
Over the years many people, both male and female, young and old, have been studied because of their extreme electromagnetic properties. I find it peculiar how many of these cases at first resemble classic poltergeist activity and eventually develop into what would seem to be psychokinetic or telekinetic powers. I think that this implies a connection between psychokinesis and electromagnetism. Of course, looking into the data available on both psychokinesis and electromagnetism, one encounters a number of difficulties with this explanation. The primary problem being that it seems impossible for people to emit, let alone control, that much electrical energy.
It's interesting to note that some SLIders report that their incidents occur during times of stress or emotional upset. In the classic cases of electric people and magnetic people we find those that acquired these abilities after falling severely ill and then recovering. These correlations, while interesting, do very little to reveal the secret of what's actually going on here. This problem is made even more unassailable by the usual difficulty of these phenomena typically being beyond the conscious control of the person. This obviously makes it very hard to study under laboratory conditions.
I like to think that I've had some SLIder experiences of my own, but they are sporadic and could very well be coincidences. This doesn't deter me from trying to figure the whole thing out though. If you've ever had a SLIder experience let me know in the comments. Your input is welcome.
I can't help but wonder if perhaps this phenomenon isn't something that has existed since ancient times, going unnoticed because of the lack of electrical contraptions being literally everywhere. Tales of electric or magnetic people are not uncommon and in my mind these phenomena are very similar to psychokinesis. An example is that of Jennie Morgan of Sedalia, Missouri who in the 1890s was so highly charged with electricity that sparks would jump from her to nearby objects, animals would avoid her, and people that touched her were often knocked unconscious by her charge. A similar case is that of Caroline Clare of London, Ontario. She became charged after falling ill in 1877 and objects that came in contact with her became magnetized. Clare was also capable of sticking cutlery to herself similar to some modern reports of "magnetic people" with the difference being that she needed another person to pull the objects off of her.
Over the years many people, both male and female, young and old, have been studied because of their extreme electromagnetic properties. I find it peculiar how many of these cases at first resemble classic poltergeist activity and eventually develop into what would seem to be psychokinetic or telekinetic powers. I think that this implies a connection between psychokinesis and electromagnetism. Of course, looking into the data available on both psychokinesis and electromagnetism, one encounters a number of difficulties with this explanation. The primary problem being that it seems impossible for people to emit, let alone control, that much electrical energy.
It's interesting to note that some SLIders report that their incidents occur during times of stress or emotional upset. In the classic cases of electric people and magnetic people we find those that acquired these abilities after falling severely ill and then recovering. These correlations, while interesting, do very little to reveal the secret of what's actually going on here. This problem is made even more unassailable by the usual difficulty of these phenomena typically being beyond the conscious control of the person. This obviously makes it very hard to study under laboratory conditions.
I like to think that I've had some SLIder experiences of my own, but they are sporadic and could very well be coincidences. This doesn't deter me from trying to figure the whole thing out though. If you've ever had a SLIder experience let me know in the comments. Your input is welcome.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
The Hollow Earth
The notion that the Earth is hollow or contains a vast subterranean space is not something you hear about much in the modern era. Everything we think we know about the way things work seems to speak against the notion of the Hollow Earth Hypothesis. Still, this idea has inspired much fiction and my understanding is that to this day people still plan expeditions to the Hollow Earth.
Folklore and mythology from all over the world speaks of realms below the earth containing creatures and beings that seem rather strange to us modern secular surface-dwellers. It is not known by many that there are vast cave and tunnel systems running underneath large areas of the planet. Some of these are man-made tunnels and others are natural caves. These systems are huge and, to my knowledge, mostly unexplored.
It is thought by some that the poles of the Earth are actually lipped holes that lead to the hollow interior of our planet. Strange phenomena reported by early polar explorers are cited in support of this idea as well as some modern physical anomalies. Some feel that the interior of the Earth is a more likely place for UFOs to come from than outer space. The Hollow Earth also provides an explanation for why some cryptids are only occasionally sighted and cannot be found. If Big Foot is returning to an underground habitat then it makes perfect sense that no amount of surface exploration would lead to its discovery. There is also an apparent link between faults in the Earth's crust and mysterious creatures and strange lights.
I am no stranger to the rumors of extraterrestrial underground bases and it seems that this could tie into the idea of the Hollow Earth as well. The idea that a reptilian race of advanced creatures lives beneath the surface of the planet is a staple of UFO/alien folklore and some have even claimed to have made contact with these creatures, usually seen as malevolent entities. Whether these reptilians are extraterrestrials taking up residence or an older race native to Earth is not something that anyone seems to be able to say for sure. I find the entire idea of the Hollow Earth to be fascinating and I'm apparently not alone.
As to whether the Earth is actually hollow or not... That's not something I can say. The scientific establishment says that it's not possible; we know the structure of the Earth and how it was formed. Yet still the idea of a Hollow Earth continues to survive to the present. I can see why given the revelation that real-time weather satellite data above the 60th parallel is not available to the public, or so I'm told. If you would like to read more about the Hollow Earth then please see the links below. If you have any further information regarding the Hollow Earth then please leave a comment.
Wikipedia on the Hollow Earth.
Lots of articles on the Hollow Earth from paranormal.about.com.
Folklore and mythology from all over the world speaks of realms below the earth containing creatures and beings that seem rather strange to us modern secular surface-dwellers. It is not known by many that there are vast cave and tunnel systems running underneath large areas of the planet. Some of these are man-made tunnels and others are natural caves. These systems are huge and, to my knowledge, mostly unexplored.
It is thought by some that the poles of the Earth are actually lipped holes that lead to the hollow interior of our planet. Strange phenomena reported by early polar explorers are cited in support of this idea as well as some modern physical anomalies. Some feel that the interior of the Earth is a more likely place for UFOs to come from than outer space. The Hollow Earth also provides an explanation for why some cryptids are only occasionally sighted and cannot be found. If Big Foot is returning to an underground habitat then it makes perfect sense that no amount of surface exploration would lead to its discovery. There is also an apparent link between faults in the Earth's crust and mysterious creatures and strange lights.
I am no stranger to the rumors of extraterrestrial underground bases and it seems that this could tie into the idea of the Hollow Earth as well. The idea that a reptilian race of advanced creatures lives beneath the surface of the planet is a staple of UFO/alien folklore and some have even claimed to have made contact with these creatures, usually seen as malevolent entities. Whether these reptilians are extraterrestrials taking up residence or an older race native to Earth is not something that anyone seems to be able to say for sure. I find the entire idea of the Hollow Earth to be fascinating and I'm apparently not alone.
As to whether the Earth is actually hollow or not... That's not something I can say. The scientific establishment says that it's not possible; we know the structure of the Earth and how it was formed. Yet still the idea of a Hollow Earth continues to survive to the present. I can see why given the revelation that real-time weather satellite data above the 60th parallel is not available to the public, or so I'm told. If you would like to read more about the Hollow Earth then please see the links below. If you have any further information regarding the Hollow Earth then please leave a comment.
Wikipedia on the Hollow Earth.
Lots of articles on the Hollow Earth from paranormal.about.com.
Monday, October 25, 2010
The Power of Objects
Do objects have power or do we give them power? In many forms of magic there is emphasis on using particular objects to focus or direct metaphysical energies. Could these things be done without the tools? Most likely, I think. The tool merely serves as a kind of key to unlock what our minds can already do. So do objects have innate power or is it all in our heads?
Does a candle's flame hold more power than a light bulb? I'm inclined to say that it does. I feel that a flame holds more connection to the Fire element and all of the archetypal powers that it represents. But is that why it has power, because I think that it does? Does it have power because of its associations and symbolism in my mind? I think that there are a lot of deep subjects I could go into with this but I want to narrow the field a bit.
I feel that magic and parapsychology are just two different ways of looking at the same phenomenon. In parapsychology the emphasis is on anomalous effects that are directly observable, ostensibly coming from the subject. There is more freedom in the practice of magic as the force behind the magic often has more freedom to operate and is not bound by strict parameters, capable of taking whatever path is necessary to bring about the desired change. Magic seems to be more impersonal whereas abilities like ESP and PK almost have to be personal by their very nature. In both cases though, I think that the energy and force behind the feats comes from within the person
I think that in some instances of magic it is the person's own power being allowed to manifest rather than objects having power in and of themselves. I think that the object acts like a key to unlock the safeguards on the subconscious mind. The power of the subconscious mind is thought by some to be enormous (even limitless). I can say from my own experience with ESP and PK that the subconscious mind seems to play some part in how these abilities work. I think this also explains the sometimes erratic manifestation and accuracy of these abilities.
When it comes to magic there is little conscious effort to control the powers of the subconscious. The magic is performed consciously and it is turned loose for the powers that be to manifest the desire in any way they see fit. In my view, fewer limits on the subconscious means more paths for it to do what you want it to do. The conscious act spurs the subconscious mind into action but in a less direct way than "Read his thoughts," or "Move that object." Magic usually has a much less strict time frame as well.
I think that by turning over the power to something like an object or a deity, we remove ourselves from the equation enough to not stand in our own way when it comes to harnessing the power of our minds. Perhaps this is for the best, this mental safeguard. Imagine what the world would be like if every conscious whim were manifested? It seems to me that it might be a very scary place.
Maybe it's not the carvings and the sigils or the symbolism and the ritual that is powerful but the person using these things that holds all the power. Perhaps all these things do is allow the person to unleash their full potential? What about psychometry then? Psychometry is the ability to read the history of an object through psychic means because of the emotional and energetic imprints left on the object by people that are in close contact with it.
So objects can hold energy and impressions, but can objects hold their own power? If they do then perhaps it is power that has been imprinted by human beings that can be picked up by other human beings, similar to telepathy between individuals only with an object as the go-between. Perhaps magical objects or enchanted objects can pass their powers on to others because of suggestions planted in the mind of the new owner or because of unconscious reading of the object through psychometry. From this suggestion the new owner's mind would take over where the last owner left off.
These are just some thoughts I've had while comparing parapsychology with magic. I would appreciate any thoughts from the more magically inclined on this subject. Let me know if I'm out of line or on to something with a comment. If nothing else, I find this interesting to think about and hopefully you do too. See you next time.
Does a candle's flame hold more power than a light bulb? I'm inclined to say that it does. I feel that a flame holds more connection to the Fire element and all of the archetypal powers that it represents. But is that why it has power, because I think that it does? Does it have power because of its associations and symbolism in my mind? I think that there are a lot of deep subjects I could go into with this but I want to narrow the field a bit.
I feel that magic and parapsychology are just two different ways of looking at the same phenomenon. In parapsychology the emphasis is on anomalous effects that are directly observable, ostensibly coming from the subject. There is more freedom in the practice of magic as the force behind the magic often has more freedom to operate and is not bound by strict parameters, capable of taking whatever path is necessary to bring about the desired change. Magic seems to be more impersonal whereas abilities like ESP and PK almost have to be personal by their very nature. In both cases though, I think that the energy and force behind the feats comes from within the person
I think that in some instances of magic it is the person's own power being allowed to manifest rather than objects having power in and of themselves. I think that the object acts like a key to unlock the safeguards on the subconscious mind. The power of the subconscious mind is thought by some to be enormous (even limitless). I can say from my own experience with ESP and PK that the subconscious mind seems to play some part in how these abilities work. I think this also explains the sometimes erratic manifestation and accuracy of these abilities.
When it comes to magic there is little conscious effort to control the powers of the subconscious. The magic is performed consciously and it is turned loose for the powers that be to manifest the desire in any way they see fit. In my view, fewer limits on the subconscious means more paths for it to do what you want it to do. The conscious act spurs the subconscious mind into action but in a less direct way than "Read his thoughts," or "Move that object." Magic usually has a much less strict time frame as well.
I think that by turning over the power to something like an object or a deity, we remove ourselves from the equation enough to not stand in our own way when it comes to harnessing the power of our minds. Perhaps this is for the best, this mental safeguard. Imagine what the world would be like if every conscious whim were manifested? It seems to me that it might be a very scary place.
Maybe it's not the carvings and the sigils or the symbolism and the ritual that is powerful but the person using these things that holds all the power. Perhaps all these things do is allow the person to unleash their full potential? What about psychometry then? Psychometry is the ability to read the history of an object through psychic means because of the emotional and energetic imprints left on the object by people that are in close contact with it.
So objects can hold energy and impressions, but can objects hold their own power? If they do then perhaps it is power that has been imprinted by human beings that can be picked up by other human beings, similar to telepathy between individuals only with an object as the go-between. Perhaps magical objects or enchanted objects can pass their powers on to others because of suggestions planted in the mind of the new owner or because of unconscious reading of the object through psychometry. From this suggestion the new owner's mind would take over where the last owner left off.
These are just some thoughts I've had while comparing parapsychology with magic. I would appreciate any thoughts from the more magically inclined on this subject. Let me know if I'm out of line or on to something with a comment. If nothing else, I find this interesting to think about and hopefully you do too. See you next time.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
The Ouija Board
Most of us have heard horror stories about dabbling with a spirit board (more commonly known as a Ouija board). The stories all tell of how the board opens a doorway between our world and another and allows for evil spirits and demons to come through. I've played with a Ouija board a few times and I have no reason to believe that there is any truth to this. I feel that spirit boards are tools similar to divination devices such as Tarot cards and pendulums. Whatever is on your mind is likely to be what you'll get with a Ouija board (if you get anything at all) and the movements seem to come from the ideomotor effect.
I would like to go a little deeper into this though. While the Ouija board may be nothing more than a toy, could it be used to contact spirits? I'm thinking in the same vein as channeling and automatic writing (neither of which do I have any experience in at this time). Let's say that an individual allows themselves to be put into a trance similar to how a channeling or automatic writing session would begin. Could that person then channel a spirit's communications through the board rather than through their own mouth or hand? Obviously this would still depend on the person being the go-between, but it could lend some credence to the idea of the spirit board being a communication tool with the beyond.
Of course, the truth of any of this would lie in the ability to produce verifiable information that the "medium" could not know through normal means, just like in a channeling or automatic writing session. This potential could perhaps be why the Ouija board continues to generate tales of bringing spirits into a home, much to the dismay of the inhabitants. Are these actually spirits though?
What if the individuals merely being open to the idea of channeling spirits from beyond allows them to unlock abilities of their own? I've mentioned in a previous blog how poltergeists are now believed to be recurrent spontaneous psychokinesis. Perhaps occurrences of any strange happenings in a home or presences felt or information spontaneously gained are actually coming from the living person and not an outside entity? Sometimes being open to something is all it takes to allow it to happen.
These are just some ideas I've come up with and I make no claims as to their validity but I try to look at things from several different perspectives. If any of you have any ideas or stories about your own Ouija experiences then let me know in the comments. I might even have to dust off my Ouija board and give it a try again. Also, be sure to check out the new poll on the right.
I would like to go a little deeper into this though. While the Ouija board may be nothing more than a toy, could it be used to contact spirits? I'm thinking in the same vein as channeling and automatic writing (neither of which do I have any experience in at this time). Let's say that an individual allows themselves to be put into a trance similar to how a channeling or automatic writing session would begin. Could that person then channel a spirit's communications through the board rather than through their own mouth or hand? Obviously this would still depend on the person being the go-between, but it could lend some credence to the idea of the spirit board being a communication tool with the beyond.
Of course, the truth of any of this would lie in the ability to produce verifiable information that the "medium" could not know through normal means, just like in a channeling or automatic writing session. This potential could perhaps be why the Ouija board continues to generate tales of bringing spirits into a home, much to the dismay of the inhabitants. Are these actually spirits though?
What if the individuals merely being open to the idea of channeling spirits from beyond allows them to unlock abilities of their own? I've mentioned in a previous blog how poltergeists are now believed to be recurrent spontaneous psychokinesis. Perhaps occurrences of any strange happenings in a home or presences felt or information spontaneously gained are actually coming from the living person and not an outside entity? Sometimes being open to something is all it takes to allow it to happen.
These are just some ideas I've come up with and I make no claims as to their validity but I try to look at things from several different perspectives. If any of you have any ideas or stories about your own Ouija experiences then let me know in the comments. I might even have to dust off my Ouija board and give it a try again. Also, be sure to check out the new poll on the right.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Psychics and World Governments
It should come as no surprise to students of the paranormal that the governments of the world have an interest in utilizing psychic powers for their own ends. This first seemed to take precedence during the Cold War. While there was a space race and a nuclear arms race going on between the United States and the Soviet Union, there was also a kind of psychic arms race. The story goes that a French hoax about the US using telepathy to communicate with submarines sparked the Soviets to delve into parapsychology in order to keep up. The rise of Soviet psi research meant that the US had to do the same thing in order to keep up with Soviet advances.
There was an increase of interest in researching parapsychology by both countries going as far back as (at least) the 1970s. The Soviets seemed to be just as advanced as the Americans when it came to the psi war, if not more so. The telekinetic Nina Kulagina comes to mind when I think of Soviet psi research. When I think of American psi research I think of Ingo Swann and the work done at Stanford Research Institute. The work done at SRI led to the creation of a group of psychic spies that worked for the US military and intelligence services.
The story of how the US military developed remote viewing as an espionage tool is one that has been told over and over so I won't recount it here. An Internet search of "remote viewing" or related terms is sure to yield a wealth of information and there are a lot of books on the market that detail the story. For our purposes I am more interested in what the present state of psi is in connection with world governments. This piece from the American Chronicle suggests that after the CIA remote viewing program was canceled in 1995 there was another post-9/11 NSA psychic program. This leads one to wonder what else the government might be doing in the realm of the paranormal since publicly outing and discrediting the remote viewing program just 15 years ago.
For years I've heard rumors of the government using psychics for everything from security to assassinations as well as rumors of gifted individuals being picked up by the government and never heard from again. To this day I still consider all of this to be rumor as I have never seen any corroborating evidence. However, I can't help but to think that there could be something to it. If there are individuals that are particularly gifted then I can see why the government might want to "recruit" them. I can see how it would be useful to use psychic operatives to accomplish missions or acquire information because there is always the element of deniability. Most people don't believe that these things are even possible and simply scoff at the notion. What better weapon could there be than one that no one believes even exists?
If the reports out of China of individuals that can teleport objects with their minds are true (as mentioned in my previous blog post) and the US continues to use remote viewers then one can only imagine what abilities might have been developed after decades of research. Until there is more disclosure it seems that all we can do is imagine. What are our minds really capable of? Should we be concerned about literal thought police? Where can I sign up for the Psi Corps?
If you would like to read more about the remote viewing program of the United States Military then please see this paper by Commander L. R. Bremseth. It really is a fascinating read and a good primer for someone new to the subject. I hope that it tides you over until next time. Take care until then.
There was an increase of interest in researching parapsychology by both countries going as far back as (at least) the 1970s. The Soviets seemed to be just as advanced as the Americans when it came to the psi war, if not more so. The telekinetic Nina Kulagina comes to mind when I think of Soviet psi research. When I think of American psi research I think of Ingo Swann and the work done at Stanford Research Institute. The work done at SRI led to the creation of a group of psychic spies that worked for the US military and intelligence services.
The story of how the US military developed remote viewing as an espionage tool is one that has been told over and over so I won't recount it here. An Internet search of "remote viewing" or related terms is sure to yield a wealth of information and there are a lot of books on the market that detail the story. For our purposes I am more interested in what the present state of psi is in connection with world governments. This piece from the American Chronicle suggests that after the CIA remote viewing program was canceled in 1995 there was another post-9/11 NSA psychic program. This leads one to wonder what else the government might be doing in the realm of the paranormal since publicly outing and discrediting the remote viewing program just 15 years ago.
For years I've heard rumors of the government using psychics for everything from security to assassinations as well as rumors of gifted individuals being picked up by the government and never heard from again. To this day I still consider all of this to be rumor as I have never seen any corroborating evidence. However, I can't help but to think that there could be something to it. If there are individuals that are particularly gifted then I can see why the government might want to "recruit" them. I can see how it would be useful to use psychic operatives to accomplish missions or acquire information because there is always the element of deniability. Most people don't believe that these things are even possible and simply scoff at the notion. What better weapon could there be than one that no one believes even exists?
If the reports out of China of individuals that can teleport objects with their minds are true (as mentioned in my previous blog post) and the US continues to use remote viewers then one can only imagine what abilities might have been developed after decades of research. Until there is more disclosure it seems that all we can do is imagine. What are our minds really capable of? Should we be concerned about literal thought police? Where can I sign up for the Psi Corps?
If you would like to read more about the remote viewing program of the United States Military then please see this paper by Commander L. R. Bremseth. It really is a fascinating read and a good primer for someone new to the subject. I hope that it tides you over until next time. Take care until then.
Friday, October 22, 2010
The Super-Sargasso Sea and Teleportation
The Super-Sargasso Sea is where all the things that disappear go to. Charles Fort postulated this place as an explanation of where things go when they mysteriously disappear and where things come from when they mysteriously appear. It's questionable as to whether Fort really believed in the Super-Sargasso Sea, but he was very interested by the force of teleportation that he felt caused a great deal of the strange phenomena that he wrote about.
From what I've read of the strange phenomena that Charles Fort documented, this teleportation force seems to be a natural force taking place on this planet with the ability to cause something to disappear without a trace or spontaneously appear with no explanation. Spontaneous showers of frogs and toads, hollows filled with water that never empty, stones and other missiles hurled from nowhere and similarly disappearing afterward, people that disappear without a trace only to be deposited in a far away place (or never seen again); all of these things seem to relate to a teleportation force.
Teleportation has been the fodder of fiction for decades and there have been great strides in making it a reality through applying some of the stranger aspects of quantum mechanics such as quantum entanglement. Scientists are now able to take the characteristics of one particle and teleport them to another particle. Obviously we are still a long way from being beamed from place to place in an instant. Or are we? All of our technology has resulted from us gaining the ability to manipulate naturally occurring phenomena. But what if we don't need technology to do it?
About a year ago I became aware of a study on teleportation commissioned by the United States Air Force. A lot of the study discussed various ways to manipulate quantum mechanics in order to move an object from one place to another instantly. The very last section of the paper was what I found most intriguing. The author waits until the last section to discuss "p-teleportation" or teleportation through psychic means. He discusses cases of Chinese children that are capable of causing objects to disappear from one place and appear in another seemingly through the power of their minds alone, all under laboratory conditions. This ability even seems to extend to living creatures.
In light of this, the idea of a Super-Sargasso Sea and a teleportation force that occasionally (and seemingly randomly) spirits people away and sometimes returns them doesn't seem so far-fetched. Does this mean that there is more to the idea of the Super-Sargasso Sea than Fort perhaps realized when he suggested the idea? Perhaps the Super-Sargasso Sea will be remembered as an archaic name for a fourth spatial dimension that objects can move through without the limitations we know as three-dimensional beings. Maybe the Super-Sargasso is better thought of as another dimension allowing for miraculous events and circumstances to occur in our three-dimensional world. I can only hope that future breakthroughs will provide better understanding.
That some of the stranger Fortean phenomena might be caused by human beings and not some impersonal force of nature is a profound idea. Like the idea that poltergeist activity originates from the uncontrolled psychokinetic outbursts of a distressed person, maybe instances of stones being hurled from nowhere and frogs falling from the sky are the result of unrestrained teleportation abilities. This is certainly something to consider when discussing these strange occurrences.
With that I'll leave you to consider what we really might be capable of when we focus our minds. If you would like to view the USAF teleportation study I mentioned you can find the .pdf here. I highly suggest taking a look if psychic abilities and teleportation interest you as much as they interest me. I'll try not to disappear into the ether before next time. If I do I'll bring back a souvenir.
From what I've read of the strange phenomena that Charles Fort documented, this teleportation force seems to be a natural force taking place on this planet with the ability to cause something to disappear without a trace or spontaneously appear with no explanation. Spontaneous showers of frogs and toads, hollows filled with water that never empty, stones and other missiles hurled from nowhere and similarly disappearing afterward, people that disappear without a trace only to be deposited in a far away place (or never seen again); all of these things seem to relate to a teleportation force.
Teleportation has been the fodder of fiction for decades and there have been great strides in making it a reality through applying some of the stranger aspects of quantum mechanics such as quantum entanglement. Scientists are now able to take the characteristics of one particle and teleport them to another particle. Obviously we are still a long way from being beamed from place to place in an instant. Or are we? All of our technology has resulted from us gaining the ability to manipulate naturally occurring phenomena. But what if we don't need technology to do it?
About a year ago I became aware of a study on teleportation commissioned by the United States Air Force. A lot of the study discussed various ways to manipulate quantum mechanics in order to move an object from one place to another instantly. The very last section of the paper was what I found most intriguing. The author waits until the last section to discuss "p-teleportation" or teleportation through psychic means. He discusses cases of Chinese children that are capable of causing objects to disappear from one place and appear in another seemingly through the power of their minds alone, all under laboratory conditions. This ability even seems to extend to living creatures.
In light of this, the idea of a Super-Sargasso Sea and a teleportation force that occasionally (and seemingly randomly) spirits people away and sometimes returns them doesn't seem so far-fetched. Does this mean that there is more to the idea of the Super-Sargasso Sea than Fort perhaps realized when he suggested the idea? Perhaps the Super-Sargasso Sea will be remembered as an archaic name for a fourth spatial dimension that objects can move through without the limitations we know as three-dimensional beings. Maybe the Super-Sargasso is better thought of as another dimension allowing for miraculous events and circumstances to occur in our three-dimensional world. I can only hope that future breakthroughs will provide better understanding.
That some of the stranger Fortean phenomena might be caused by human beings and not some impersonal force of nature is a profound idea. Like the idea that poltergeist activity originates from the uncontrolled psychokinetic outbursts of a distressed person, maybe instances of stones being hurled from nowhere and frogs falling from the sky are the result of unrestrained teleportation abilities. This is certainly something to consider when discussing these strange occurrences.
With that I'll leave you to consider what we really might be capable of when we focus our minds. If you would like to view the USAF teleportation study I mentioned you can find the .pdf here. I highly suggest taking a look if psychic abilities and teleportation interest you as much as they interest me. I'll try not to disappear into the ether before next time. If I do I'll bring back a souvenir.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Skepticism and the paranormal.
If you're a student of the paranormal then seeing the word "skeptic" probably causes you to recoil a bit. Skeptics are seen as those debunkers and deniers for which no evidence is good enough. I am pleased to inform you that these people are not skeptics. These people give skepticism a bad name.
For your consideration here is a definition:
skepticism (uncountable)
1. (US) The practice or philosophy of being a skeptic.
2. (US) A studied attitude of questioning and doubt
3. (US) The doctrine that absolute knowledge is not possible
4. (US) A methodology that starts from a neutral standpoint and aims to acquire certainty though scientific or logical observation.
5. (US) Doubt or disbelief of religious doctrines
(From Wiktionary.)
To me, the overall meaning of skepticism, based on this definition, is that of one that considers evidence and then makes a decision accordingly. This means not jumping to conclusions and, most importantly, not dismissing something out of hand. It is unfortunate that modern skepticism has been co-opted by dogmatic thinkers who are no better than the dogmas they are so proud of opposing. I tend to think of modern skepticism as making a negative assumption, whereas belief is a positive assumption. They're still both assumptions though. Belief is "Mental acceptance of a claim as truth regardless of supporting empirical evidence." (Again from Wiktionary.)
If a negative assumption is a belief just the same as a positive assumption then what is the difference? Well, as any skeptic will be sure to point out, the burden of scientific proof is on the person making the claim and they are exempt from this because a negative cannot be proven. This leads me to my point: If a negative cannot be proven, why hold a negative assumption about something? To make a claim and then fail to back it up without any evidence sounds ridiculous to those that are expected to believe it no matter what the claim is (unless those people have faith). If there is no evidence to support a positive claim then there is obviously no evidence to support the negative claim either. So why assume the negative position? Why not simply say "I don't know," or "We don't know"?
In the case of paranormal claims that have some evidence, whether it be eyewitnesses, photographs, videos, etc. the "neutral" claim is that it must be trickery or illusion. Why? This is not to say that all such things should be believed because many of these things do turn out to be frauds or hoaxes, or less sinisterly, misunderstood natural phenomena or optical illusions. Perhaps this is why some people immediately jump to the conclusion that all such activity is fake. This is perhaps not so bad. The bad part is that when a natural explanation is not forthcoming and no evidence of trickery or illusion is discovered, the pseudoskeptics still cry hoax. What is the difference between this kind of clinging to faith and the clinging to faith of one who continues to believe in a proven fraud?
Then we have events that are seemingly supernatural but can be replicated by trickery. We can present a scene from the Civil War on the big screen, complete with big-budget CGI. It looks like the Civil War but it is not the genuine article. Some propose that the telekinetic feats of Nina Kulagina can be replicated with string. Big deal. Knowledge of the principles of multiplication can be replicated by simply memorizing multiplication tables. My point is that just because something can be emulated through trickery does not mean that it was trickery to begin with.
We must also take into account how many things are known to exist that were previously unknown to us because of the limits to our knowledge and technical capability. X-rays were once denounced as a hoax by Lord Kelvin but with more demonstrations X-rays became accepted and understood and now the majority of people have some understanding of something that perplexed the greatest minds of that time. Did X-rays not exist before they were demonstrated? While a possibility, this seems unlikely and I think most self-styled skeptics would agree.
A key tenet of the scientific method is that a hypothesis must be falsifiable. You must be able to show that the hypothesis is true or false in definitive terms. I can say that the entire universe is contained within an invisible snow globe, but there is no way to prove this. This is not a testable hypothesis and therefore not a valid one as it doesn't allow us to gain any further knowledge or understanding. The lack of existence of something is not testable, so how can we say with any certainty that something does not exist? At best we can say that it has not been conclusively proven to exist. The belief that something does not exist because we can't detect it is just that: a belief. It is an assumption upheld by faith. It is impossible to prove a nonexistence, so how can any skeptic possibly claim with certainty that something is nonexistent?
I am not advocating credulity. I am also not advocating denial. I'm fully aware that nothing I've written here will stop the ongoing battle between believers and nonbelievers. My intention is to get you to think about why you believe the things you believe. There is nothing wrong with belief, but we must be prepared to examine our beliefs as objectively as we possibly can from our subjective human perspective. This includes accepting that sometimes that awesome ghost photo or that UFO sighting is a fake or a hoax.
If you would like to read more eloquent observations on skepticism and the paranormal then please see this article written by the true skeptic Marcello Truzzi. I believe you will like it. If you would like to report your thoughts on what I've written above then leave me a comment below. See you next time.
For your consideration here is a definition:
skepticism (uncountable)
1. (US) The practice or philosophy of being a skeptic.
2. (US) A studied attitude of questioning and doubt
3. (US) The doctrine that absolute knowledge is not possible
4. (US) A methodology that starts from a neutral standpoint and aims to acquire certainty though scientific or logical observation.
5. (US) Doubt or disbelief of religious doctrines
(From Wiktionary.)
To me, the overall meaning of skepticism, based on this definition, is that of one that considers evidence and then makes a decision accordingly. This means not jumping to conclusions and, most importantly, not dismissing something out of hand. It is unfortunate that modern skepticism has been co-opted by dogmatic thinkers who are no better than the dogmas they are so proud of opposing. I tend to think of modern skepticism as making a negative assumption, whereas belief is a positive assumption. They're still both assumptions though. Belief is "Mental acceptance of a claim as truth regardless of supporting empirical evidence." (Again from Wiktionary.)
If a negative assumption is a belief just the same as a positive assumption then what is the difference? Well, as any skeptic will be sure to point out, the burden of scientific proof is on the person making the claim and they are exempt from this because a negative cannot be proven. This leads me to my point: If a negative cannot be proven, why hold a negative assumption about something? To make a claim and then fail to back it up without any evidence sounds ridiculous to those that are expected to believe it no matter what the claim is (unless those people have faith). If there is no evidence to support a positive claim then there is obviously no evidence to support the negative claim either. So why assume the negative position? Why not simply say "I don't know," or "We don't know"?
In the case of paranormal claims that have some evidence, whether it be eyewitnesses, photographs, videos, etc. the "neutral" claim is that it must be trickery or illusion. Why? This is not to say that all such things should be believed because many of these things do turn out to be frauds or hoaxes, or less sinisterly, misunderstood natural phenomena or optical illusions. Perhaps this is why some people immediately jump to the conclusion that all such activity is fake. This is perhaps not so bad. The bad part is that when a natural explanation is not forthcoming and no evidence of trickery or illusion is discovered, the pseudoskeptics still cry hoax. What is the difference between this kind of clinging to faith and the clinging to faith of one who continues to believe in a proven fraud?
Then we have events that are seemingly supernatural but can be replicated by trickery. We can present a scene from the Civil War on the big screen, complete with big-budget CGI. It looks like the Civil War but it is not the genuine article. Some propose that the telekinetic feats of Nina Kulagina can be replicated with string. Big deal. Knowledge of the principles of multiplication can be replicated by simply memorizing multiplication tables. My point is that just because something can be emulated through trickery does not mean that it was trickery to begin with.
We must also take into account how many things are known to exist that were previously unknown to us because of the limits to our knowledge and technical capability. X-rays were once denounced as a hoax by Lord Kelvin but with more demonstrations X-rays became accepted and understood and now the majority of people have some understanding of something that perplexed the greatest minds of that time. Did X-rays not exist before they were demonstrated? While a possibility, this seems unlikely and I think most self-styled skeptics would agree.
A key tenet of the scientific method is that a hypothesis must be falsifiable. You must be able to show that the hypothesis is true or false in definitive terms. I can say that the entire universe is contained within an invisible snow globe, but there is no way to prove this. This is not a testable hypothesis and therefore not a valid one as it doesn't allow us to gain any further knowledge or understanding. The lack of existence of something is not testable, so how can we say with any certainty that something does not exist? At best we can say that it has not been conclusively proven to exist. The belief that something does not exist because we can't detect it is just that: a belief. It is an assumption upheld by faith. It is impossible to prove a nonexistence, so how can any skeptic possibly claim with certainty that something is nonexistent?
I am not advocating credulity. I am also not advocating denial. I'm fully aware that nothing I've written here will stop the ongoing battle between believers and nonbelievers. My intention is to get you to think about why you believe the things you believe. There is nothing wrong with belief, but we must be prepared to examine our beliefs as objectively as we possibly can from our subjective human perspective. This includes accepting that sometimes that awesome ghost photo or that UFO sighting is a fake or a hoax.
If you would like to read more eloquent observations on skepticism and the paranormal then please see this article written by the true skeptic Marcello Truzzi. I believe you will like it. If you would like to report your thoughts on what I've written above then leave me a comment below. See you next time.
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