So a few days ago I had a nice PM conversation with a member of TL. It was about being open minded and the acceptance of new ideas. In the end he linked me to this video:
I am a skeptic. I am skeptical of all things that people try and explain away with alternative ideas. I am skeptical of this video. I am skeptical of the lecturer. I am skeptical of the credibility of the people he mentions.
But I am still open minded. If all the evidence in the world on parapsychology was this video then I would believe in psychic powers, because the evidence seems to be very strong. But of course that isn't the case. I'd love it if people could tell me all they know about the science of parapsychology, I'm not interested in anecdotes or personal experience. I've lived my whole life not believing in any of this stuff because there's never been any evidence for it, but now that there appears to be some then I am willing to change my mind if I can confirm that the evidence is legitimate and cannot be refuted easily.
On April 25 2011 10:50 Empyrean wrote: There's a point where being open-minded has to give way to sense.
This seems to be one of them.
Haha, I was going to put a paragraph in my OP that would address this. I think your response is exactly how I would react if I was presented with an OP such as mine. But the video presents what appears to be evidence of parapsychology.
Like I said I know nothing about the science of this stuff. I am also very skeptical of it. But when my only exposure to it is this video, then I will obviously start to question my prior thoughts about it. That's why I posted this here, because I am so skeptical of it. I don't believe in the stuff in the video, but would love to hear counter points to it before I start disregarding it as bullshit.
I'd be interested in researching this while getting my psyc degree. the only thing i can remember off hand was something about activity in the temples or temporal lobes when someone is on the verge of death and claims they were watching themself in the hospital bed. Other than that most if not all of the typical mind reading tricks have been shown to be just a trick, which of course has psychological implications on those of us that fall for their game. i'll see if i can tear myself away from IPL and watch it lol
On April 25 2011 10:55 Bippzy wrote: Everything can be curved to make someone seem right.
Take everything with a grain of salt. With this, take a few extra grains.
I am. I just want to know what the counterpoints to this video are exactly.
And how specifically the evidence in the video can be curved to make the believers in this stuff seem right, even if it isn't. I know nothing about this stuff and want to educate myself on it, and whether it is absolute bullshit or not.
If you believe that the wisdom of the entire universe can be found in a single grain of rice, then you can say you're open-minded.
Edit: Also, if you don't believe in the topics expressed in the lecture, then I ask: do you believe in "remote viewing?" I haven't watched the video in the first post but this is relevant.
I'm sorry, I have ADD and can't be bothered to watch a 90 minute talk right now. However, I quickly skimmed through a few sections and I noticed he partially quotes a lot of papers. I would suggest reading some of the actual papers he presents and trying to find any holes in them - whether it be in experimental design, making generalizations from an incomplete sample, or misinterpreting the results. It's a classic trick used: selectively pick out the few exceptions in a flawed paper to make it seem legit.
On April 25 2011 11:26 Xusneb wrote: I'm sorry, I have ADD and can't be bothered to watch a 90 minute talk right now. However, I quickly skimmed through a few sections and I noticed he partially quotes a lot of papers. I would suggest reading some of the actual papers he presents and trying to find any holes in them - whether it be in experimental design, making generalizations from an incomplete sample, or misinterpreting the results. It's a classic trick used: selectively pick out the few exceptions in a flawed paper to make it seem legit.
Funniest one I've heard was someone using Heisenberg's uncertainty principle to deduce that our bodies' location exists only in probability and we are actually in every location of the universe.
On April 25 2011 10:55 Bippzy wrote: Everything can be curved to make someone seem right.
Take everything with a grain of salt. With this, take a few extra grains.
This is the problem of relativism. Every question of people being too open minded or not open minded enough is reducible to this problem. (to OP) Solve this for the general case (for yourself) before considering specific examples like pseudoscience if you value consistency.
I have been on many Psi-Ops missions, this man knows what he's talking about.
The reason some people find it hard to believe is because he's exerting his ENORMOUS will to ensure that only people of sufficient mental fortitude can see the truth. Sagacity is key.
On April 25 2011 10:55 Bippzy wrote: Everything can be curved to make someone seem right.
Take everything with a grain of salt. With this, take a few extra grains.
This is the problem of relativism. Every question of people being too open minded or not open minded enough is reducible to this problem. (to OP) Solve this for the general case (for yourself) before considering specific examples like pseudoscience if you value consistency.
I am willing to accept new ideas if there is evidence for it and if it simply makes sense in my head. I don't think I'm open minded to a ridiculous point which is why I've rejected every single previous idea I've been presented about parapsychology. I still think it's bullshit. I just want to know more about the science of it. I want to know why the evidence presented in the video is either unscientific or bullshit.
On April 25 2011 20:48 SirJolt wrote: I have been on many Psi-Ops missions, this man knows what he's talking about.
The reason some people find it hard to believe is because he's exerting his ENORMOUS will to ensure that only people of sufficient mental fortitude can see the truth. Sagacity is key.
This sums up most of my beliefs on all of this parapsychology stuff.
"Science adjusts its views based on whats observed. Faith is the denial of observation so belief can be preserved." Now that doesn't mean that parapsychology is necessarily false, but every case of it in history turns out to have been fraud.
The video also sums up my stance about arguing about this junk. "we'd as well be 10 minutes back in time for all the chance you'd change your mind"
EPT
