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“DCP” wrote:I have to confess that, for years, I dismissed all parapsychological claims as baseless nonsense, unsupported by the data. That was because I was unfamiliar with the data. I’m now inclined to believe that some such things (e.g., perception at a distance, extraordinary knowing) are demonstrably real, though typically at a very weak “signal strength.” And, if they are real, then “reductive materialism” seems most likely to be false.

Next he will be claiming that people actually bend spoons with their minds.

CFR: I dispute this part "for years, I dismissed all parapsychological claims as baseless nonsense."

Can he provide one quote from his former self criticizing paranormal claims?

Gadianton wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 24, 2024 2:14 am

CFR: I dispute this part "for years, I dismissed all parapsychological claims as baseless nonsense."

Can he provide one quote from his former self criticizing paranormal claims?

Exactly. How is it that angels showing up with gold plates is believable to him, but “parapsychological claims” used to be “baseless nonsense”? He says that it was simply a matter of “looking at the data” (which I guess we have to assume was every bit as compelling as the evidence for the angel Moroni and the gold plates). So, does that mean that “looking at the data” for UFOs, or Bigfoot, or Scientology’s “auditing” will yield similar results? My guess is that, just like Gemli, he’d “refuse to look at the evidence.”

Gadianton wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 24, 2024 2:14 am

CFR: I dispute this part "for years, I dismissed all parapsychological claims as baseless nonsense."

Can he provide one quote from his former self criticizing paranormal claims?

Seriously. He's talked about his amazing ability to find water by dowsing for years.

“DCP” wrote:I’m now inclined to believe that some such things … are demonstrably real … .“

This seems to mean, “I have a weak confidence that I could have a strong confidence.” If the things are demonstrably real, then one could see their reality demonstrated, and then one would no longer be merely inclined to believe in it. After a demonstration one should be quite sure.

The oddly uncertain conviction that something is demonstrable may indicate a reluctance to look closely at purported evidence, a preference for sustaining a possibility rather than getting to the truth whatever it may be.

Physics Guy wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 24, 2024 9:17 am

“DCP” wrote:I’m now inclined to believe that some such things … are demonstrably real … .“

This seems to mean, “I have a weak confidence that I could have a strong confidence.” If the things are demonstrably real, then one could see their reality demonstrated, and then one would no longer be merely inclined to believe in it. After a demonstration one should be quite sure.

The oddly uncertain conviction that something is demonstrable may indicate a reluctance to look closely at purported evidence, a preference for sustaining a possibility rather than getting to the truth whatever it may be.

If he was even a tiny bit curious about testing these theories, he would have set up a simple water dousing experiment. It wouldn’t be difficult to do.

Instead he was satisfied to be told that he had the ability without verifying with a simple double blind experiment.

Interesting! Wow. Talk about synchronicity. This morning after my usual session of qigong patterned after the teachings of Shi Heng Yi, who himself is the 35th Generation of Shaolin Masters, and is the headmaster of the Shaolin Temple in Europe, I decided to take a breakfast of artisanal avocado toast adorned with edible yeast flakes, paired with a rare Himalayan pink salt-infused poached egg. This ensemble was, of course, accompanied by a meticulously crafted organic acai bowl topped with hand-picked siriguela. It was good!

I followed breakfast with coffee, made with a single-origin, ethically sourced coffee bean that's been through a civet cat's ass, meticulously handpicked from the dung, roasted by a local alchemist, and brewed using a vintage siphon. It's a brew so exclusive that I truly believe only a select few truly appreciate its acquired taste! I paired this delight with lo-fi Icelandic post-rock, played on a vinyl record on my 1968 Victrola. Honestly? I was so immersed I didn’t know if I was listening to music or decoding a secret message from a distant galaxy! It was fun!

As such, I was ready to settle in for a reading of Dean Radin's The Conscious Universe: The Scientific Truth of Psychic Phenomena. What can I say? His research and books are like a mind-bending rollercoaster through the quantum realm, where every twist and turn leaves you questioning the very fabric of reality. Radin has a knack for making you believe that your coffee mug full of civet crap coffee might be having a telepathic conversation with your toaster, all while citing experiments that make you raise an eyebrow higher than a scaredy cat’s arched back. Ha.

In this tome, Radin weaves a tapestry of psychic phenomena and quantum entanglement that could make even Schrodinger’s cat (ha) scratch its head in confusion. It's a wild ride where statistical significance dances with the paranormal, leaving you both astounded and slightly amused.

While some may see Radin as the daring explorer of the uncharted territories of consciousness, others might suspect he's the mischievous wizard casting spells with p-values. Whether you're a skeptic searching for loopholes or a true believer in the cosmic dance of mind and matter, Radin's work is bound to entertain and challenge your perceptions. Buckle up, because in Radin's world, reality is just a suggestion, and the journey is as enigmatic as a quantum particle's path! It was neat!

Sadly, after visiting Dowsin’ Dan’s blog and reading his latest turd, thanks to Drumdude, I don’t believe he addressed alternative explanations, or considered the role of psychological and cultural factors in shaping individuals' perceptions of exceptional experiences. Dowsin’ Dan, always, omits the importance of rigorous scientific methods and the need for more empirical research to substantiate claims about the relationship between nonlocality and these phenomena he lists. Sure, psychic are intriguing , but they consistently fall short of meeting the standards required for scientific credibility.

Anyway, I recommend to Sick and Nones obsessive lurkers "The Conscious Universe" and "Entangled Minds," by Radin. I understand quantum mechanics, as it relates to our understanding of consciousness and extraordinary experiences, isn’t as relatable as Dan’s soothsayers and 19th century degenerate-prophets, but he’s going to have to buckle down and actually read some good literature for once in his life.

- Doc

To bad the amazing Randi's 1 million dollar challenge is discontinued. Sniffex worked at a diminished distance?

Sniffex, producer of a dowsing bomb detection device, sued Randi and the JREF in 2007, Sniffex sued Randi for his comments regarding a government test in which the Sniffex device failed. The company was later investigated and charged with fraud.

Honestly, Dean Robbers, if you think about it for a while, it's more sad than anything.

Because they take their authority so seriously, Mormonism's leaders condemned psychiatric and psychological mental healthcare for decades, while at the same time embracing the assistance of electroshock therapy to cure gayness. They did all this while, with straight faces, claiming to "embrace all truth."

The number of lives harmed as a result is difficult to fathom. And things like this occur today as well. Jeff Green, billionaire founder-CEO of TheTradeDesk, nailed it on the head in his public resignation letter when he said, "While most members are good people trying to do right, I believe the church is actively and currently doing harm in the world."

“DCP” wrote:(e.g., perception at a distance, extraordinary knowing)

So... he now believes in prophetic gifts, whereas he previously thought it was baseless nonsense?

Cool.

Some testimonies take time to grow.