Hello everyone. I’m trying to explain Objectivism to a friend. Of course I started with metaphysics and after explaining the three basic axioms, I tried to explain our denial of the supernatural. Being a ghosthunter himself, my friend explained his experiences with EVPs (I have heard them myself, and they are thought-provoking) and experiences actually “seeing” ghosts. How can an Objectivist explain these things? Thanks for your help.
Hello everyone. I’m trying to explain Objectivism to a friend. Of course I started with metaphysics and after explaining the three basic axioms, I tried to explain our denial of the supernatural. Being a ghosthunter himself, my friend explained his experiences with EVPs (I have heard them myself, and they are thought-provoking) and experiences actually “seeing” ghosts. How can an Objectivist explain these things? Thanks for your help.
Have you ever wondered why the EVP voices are only heard on some form of electronic equipment, but not directly heard audibly? There are a variety of explanations for this sort of phenomena, but the one which explains the most frequent occurrence is that via a tuned circuit the device picks up signals from any strong-enough or close-enough communication sytem. Nowadays even cell phones can do this, but more typically the culprit is probably AM radio broadcasts.
All that is required for acceptance of most paranormal phenomena is scientific ignorance coupled with a wild imagination and a willingness to believe. This has been so throughout human history.
Hello everyone. I’m trying to explain Objectivism to a friend. Of course I started with metaphysics and after explaining the three basic axioms, I tried to explain our denial of the supernatural. Being a ghosthunter himself, my friend explained his experiences with EVPs (I have heard them myself, and they are thought-provoking) and experiences actually “seeing” ghosts. How can an Objectivist explain these things? Thanks for your help.
When thinking about such theories, Occam’s Razor is a useful principle to keep in mind.
Great example:
There is a story floating around the History/Discovery channels about a murder case in the New York area. For years they searched for the last body in this mystery. They follow tons of leads, make a map of the findings of the other bodies, etc, all to no avail. Finally the lead detective in the case calls in a psychic from France. According to this tv show the clarevoyant heard the details of the case and channeled the body of this last victim, making a sketch of the surrounding area. The detective recognized the sketch and used it to get a search warrant at one of the suspect’s former houses. They dug up the backyard pool and, sure enough, they found the body. True story, according to the tv show.
I was thinking about this for the longest time. How can it be possible for a psychic to channel someone’s dead body? Do psychics really exist? This is unbelievable but somehow credible. It was the most credible “ghost story” I had ever heard. Then it hit me. This was a mafia case. The detective or someone in the department knew where the body was all along and for whatever reason was unable to give this information up without a cover story, maybe they didn’t want to blow their informant status (or whatever). They used the psychic as a cover to find the body based on information that was private or illegal for whatever reason. And it worked, because apparently everyone bought it.
Now this is just my explanation for that story, it’s not official or anything. Still, it makes a lot more sense. It is a great example of the fact that even the most convincing stories that defy what is known usually have metaphysically simpler explanations.
I grew up in a “spiritualist camp” full of people who thought they were communicating with the dead. (Cassadaga, Florida). My mom was and is a “psychic” there. That was their profession. As far as I could tell, none were self-consciously con-men. It was self-deception pure and simple. Every possible piece of “evidence” in favor of their beliefs was retained, treasured, and re-told. Every bit of contradictory evidence was immediately forgotten. Some are drug users, and that can explain some of their visions and self-deception. I suspect a number of them are really crazy, as in chemically imbalanced brain-malfunctioning crazy, which also helps to explain some things. They all have troves of “evidence” for what they believe, but I spent about 15 years there, surrounded by “spiritualists” and never saw anything at all our of the ordinary except for but a lot of gullible and deluded people talking about nonsense to one another.
When I was 11 or 12, I went out looking for some solid evidence of stuff people around me were talking about. I didn’t see or hear anything, didn’t accomplish any magic spells, didn’t summon ghosts, etc. I spent about 6 months trying this, mostly because some neighbor kids were alleging various supernatural abilities. Well, I wasn’t as good at self-deception as they were, and after that, I had absolutely no interest or respect for people who believed in that kind of mysticism, or religion in general. But I have no doubt that your friend could come and within a week find all sorts of “ghosts” there.
When a person is willfully distancing themselves from reality as a “ghost hunter” must, and are emotionally invested in fooling their senses, I think there is nothing you can do except distance yourself from them. You can check back on them in a year or two, to see if they reclaimed their committment to reality.
I’m a scardey cat. I stayed up all night last night because I watched The Exorcist this weekend and I was afraid, for what reason I’m not sure.
But this is my refutation: People have been looking for ghosts, angels, demons, ect. for millinea and there is not any absolute proof that these things exist. But as for things that are truly metaphysical but invisible to the human eye (atoms for example) speculatiom, induction, and proof have determined an absolute existence. I’m pretty sure that if ghosts existed or psychics could really predict the future accurately, we would know by now.
Aristotle says that an assertion has to be proven, not disproven. Until there is quantitative proof that a supernatural existence is a fact, we are under no obligation to disprove anything.
Wow, thanks for the replies everyone. I’ll pass this information on to my friend. You guys/gals are great.
I want to recommend my favorite book on the subject of pseudo-science and such: The Demon-Haunted World , by Carl Sagan.
Also, James Randi has a website on which he posts a weekly “newsletter”, full of examples of various cons and hoaxes, and his ongoing efforts to expose them for what they are. It’s at:
I know Ms. Rand mocked NASA for attempting telepathic experiments during the Apollo program, but since my favorite film is Ghostbusters, I have always been fascinated by the paranormal. While as a youth, I often believed in it, since growing up I have since become quite the skeptic.
However, I was wondering if you think there could be a rational way of studying the paranormal? Is it possible to use the scientific method to investigate, for example, ghost sightings, out-of-body experiences, mental telepathy etc., or is it just a waste of time?
Huh? If you use the scientific method, then it is called “science” and that’s the end of the story. But, I think you are asking something else. Once, during a philosphical discussion, I asked a Christian what evidence he had for the existence of God. He said once his grandmother had a dream where God spoke to him. And I was like “I’m wasting my time.” So thats my answer.
NASA tried telepathy experiments? Where can I read more about this? If they were not federally funded, I would laugh and say that they can experiment whatever they liked. If it turns out to be grounded in reality, then that would be super. Instead of typing on this forum, I could “think” my thoughts here for everyone to “read.”
While I think ghosts and whatnot are crap, I’m not convinced that telepathy is impossible. My fiancee and I frequently pick up the phone and call each other at the same time. I also frequently call her right as she’s walking in the door.
Now, that could either be a crazy coincidence that happens a lot, or it could just be that we know each other so well, we know when the other is about to call. Even if, as is likely the case, telepathy is not involved, I see no reason why it isn’t a possibility. I’m not saying I believe in telepathy…I don’t really know anything about the subject. If you can show me why it isn’t possible then, by all means, I’ll concede that it isn’t.
How would you study something without the scientific method? Pardon my scientific ignorance and chronic inattention in grade school (for both of which I am a little embarrassed among this group), but by “scientific method” do you mean some specific formulas and such, or is that merely a figure of speech for reason?
Do you know how mirages were initially studied? Maybe a study of “ghost” sightings would proceed similarly, on the initial theory that such sightings are also an interesting result of light waves or something.
Is it possible to use the scientific method to investigate, for example, ghost sightings, out-of-body experiences, mental telepathy etc., or is it just a waste of time?
It is both, unless you are James Randi or some other professional debunker and make your money off of such testing. It is a waste of time because you will learn what you hopefully already know, namely that all of this paranormal codswallop is a bunch of hooey. Since there is not a shred of credible evidence that suggests that it is true, you gain nothing by pounding money and time down the rathole to prove this. Additionally, nobody has ever claimed that these phenomena are replicable as is demanded of phenomena that can be investigated scientifically. [FN: exception – some people hold that ESP-like phenomena can theoretically be tested by repeated tests, typically card reading. However, since those tests always involve subjects whose identity is held secret, ESP tests cannot actually be replicated]
but by “scientific method” do you mean some specific formulas and such, or is that merely a figure of speech for reason?
My apologies, I meant the latter.
I think any research into the paranormal ought to be funded solely by those who support its undertaking. I’m not down with NASA using taxpayer dollars to study something that generally provides so little empirical evidence.
However, I’d be the last to make fun of anyone who actually apllies the tried and true scientific method and reason to research of the paranormal. The kind of ‘coincidences’ that Moose mentioned happen to me all the time, in many different forms. I also used to get Deja Vu a lot, and sometimes still get it every now and then. I haven’t done much research on this, but it is difficult for me to believe that some chemical reaction or strange function of my brain can actually cause me to conciously realize that I’ve experienced every minute detail of a certain situation before.
I’ve seen far too many crazy things in my life to believe that there isn’t something out there (or in there) that we are currently not able to see. Unfortunately, I haven’t even enough of my own experience to take the first step of making any hypothesis on the issue. Therefore, if anyone thinks he/she can research paranormal phenomenon scientifically, more power to you. Just don’t talk to me about funding. I’d rather spend my money on drugs or something. :worry:
My fiancee and I frequently pick up the phone and call each other at the same time.
This hadn’t happened in a rather long time, but it just happened again about half an hour ago…we also pretty much just (past couple of days) got over the period of doubt that we were going through, as a couple.
This hadn’t happened in a rather long time, but it just happened again about half an hour ago…we also pretty much just (past couple of days) got over the period of doubt that we were going through, as a couple.
[sarcasm] Clearly a higher power was at work. Praise be to Allah! [/sarcasm]
I wasn’t claiming there was a higher power…but people have been talking about telepathy, and this is just an example of what I was talking about earlier.
I wasn’t making fun of you, though I can see how you might think so. My fault. I tried to indicate that I was joking with “sarcasm” in the open and closed brackets. Perhaps I should have used the word “joking” or a " 
".
…I’m not convinced that telepathy is impossible. My fiancee and I frequently pick up the phone and call each other at the same time.
I’ll bet you also frequently call each other at different times. In fact I’d bet that if you actually kept track you would notice that you far more often call each other at different times. That’s not something you would particularly notice. On the other hand when you do happen to coincedently call each other at the same time, you notice it. If you are calling each other often - significantly increasing the odds - it will happen what seems like “frequently” but actually isn’t.
Or people will say when a friend calls, “Wow, I was just thinking of you. Must be ESP.” And…err…how many times have friends, including this friend, called and you weren’t thinking of them?
Or people report how they wake up in a cold sweat and think that a friend has been injured - and sure enough that friend was just injured. Would you bother noticing or telling anyone about the *hundreds* of other times you think about friends and nothing special happens to them?
When was the last time someone told you, “Gee, I had a dream about Joe - and nothing particularly noteworthy happened to Joe. Oh well, the ol’ ESP wasn’t working then.” Or how about, “Joe was injured last night. And guess what? I didn’t dream about him.”