Non-theists and the Paranormal

[Majikthise]

For the theist,the paranomal can be easily rationalized as divine intervention or influence.As a non-theist,what conclusions have you come to or what are your thoughts on these subjects:

-Ghostly manifestations
-Out of body experiences/thought projection
-Telekenesis
-Savants (suddenly being an expert at something with no training or experience --art ,music ,mathmatics, language.......)

It is a fact that people with sensory dissabilities can "upgrade",so to speak,other senses to make up for those damaged or lost.I believe the power of the human mind itself can explain much about the paranormal.

Is it all stuff and nonsense? Have you personally experienced the paranormal?
Are scientific methods of explaining these phenomena bearing any fruit?

Theists with cool stories welcome too!!

 

[Saw11_2000]

Well, that's one of the biggest holes in Atheism, how can we explain ghosts...and to tell you the truth, we don't really have a guess right now. I'm just going to put up a few theories I think are true.

Ghosts-Well, I think these just might be a person thinking they saw "something". You know when you're really really hyper, and the littlest thing makes you jump? Well, I think your body is on high alert when you're going to someplace haunted, and even the slightest change in conditions and suddenly its AHHHHHHHHH I JUST SAW A GHOST!???????????!!!!!!!!!! DID YOU GET THAT ON HEAT CAM!?????????????????????.

Don't know too much on the second option, so I'll skip it.

I like to call this the staring syndrome. Did you ever notice when you stare at someone intensely, they always seem to notice very quickly. Your body is definitely sending something out that they are picking up. Brain waves, I don't know, but something is definitely telling them hey I'm staring at you. The same thing is telekeneis I think.

Savants-Just people who have a gift for something. I happen to be pretty good at math, of course I needed to be taught numbers, but when I was younger, I could do things without being taught that much older kids were doing. I just think it's your brain analyzing certain things better.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Well, that's one of the biggest holes in Atheism, how can we explain ghosts...

I'm devastated! :biglaugh:

 

[Saw11_2000]

I'm devastated! :biglaugh:

Are you atheist? I can't seem to figure it out. You don't have that little religion box filled out in the profile box of your posts.

 

[Majikthise]

Nice post saw ,thank you.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Are you atheist? I can't seem to figure it out.

Yes, I am. Why?

 

[Runt]

While I acknowledge that ghosts, astral projection, telekinesis, and other phenomena are possible, I also recognize that experiences that have been categorized as "paranormal" may have perfectly reasonable alternate explanations. When I encounter something that I cannot explain, I prefer to simply admit that "I don't know what happened" rather than attempting to make up for the gap in my knowledge by attributing the experience to the paranormal.

 

[Majikthise]

"bump"

 

[robtex]

Sorry Majekthise.....

ghosts..same cateogry as souls and spirts..not evidenced and until such a time not reasonable to accept their existance...

If one rejects the notion of a soul (as I do) one would have to reject the notion of an out of body experience..As a matter of fact since their is such a strong similarity between the definition of a soul and a ghost I would contend it would be difficult to buy into one but not the other.

telekinesis: No. Never been documented no forumula for its feasiblty for its existance.

savant: I didn't know what the word meant until just now and don't have an educated opinon on the matter..maybe I can answer it later.

 

[Mr Spinkles]

I think the first mistake is to assume that things like ghostly manifestations and telekinesis happen at all. If the claimed phenomenon doesn't actually exist, there is nothing to explain except the psychology of credulity and superstition.

 

[kreeden]

I believe the power of the human mind itself can explain much about the paranormal.

I believe that the human mind explains everything about the " paranormal ". We just don't understand it yet .

The human mind or the so called paranormal .