A Guide for the Confused
Category Archives: Supernatural beliefs
What to do if you REALLY have ‘psychic powers’
If you genuinely, honestly, sincerely believe that you have ‘psychic’ or ‘paranormal’ or ‘supernatural’ powers, there is only one course open to you as a compassionate, caring human being. Since you are claiming you can break physics at will, the place to go is a physics lab. Credibly demonstrate your ‘psychic powers’ to the scientists in the …
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How can we test for the occurrence of ‘non-physical’ events?
People who make claims about ‘supernatural’ or ‘paranormal’ phenomena often try to dodge their obligation to present evidence by maintaining that these phenomena are ‘non-physical’, and hence can’t be expected to leave physical traces. Obviously this contradicts many of the other claims they make; for instance, if you can see a ‘ghost’ then it must …
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“I CAN do psychic stuff in public: I just don’t WANT to”
Suppose I told you I have just married into an extraordinary family. I have thousands of new in-laws, extending all around the world, and although they are otherwise normal people in every respect, they have two things in common. The first is that they can all run very fast. Much faster than the average human …
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The Acid Test for Real Science: Does it GO somewhere?
There have been a number of studies published in even quite reputable journals which purport to show results indicating that ESP, or ‘psychic’ powers, or ‘supernatural’ phenomena, are real. It’s not always easy for a lay person without a scientific background to understand why these are not taken seriously by sceptics. What is it that …
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If ‘psychics’ are genuine, then they’re all jerks
Suppose you meet someone at a party. Let’s call her ‘Kim’. And over the course of your conversation, Kim claims that she can fly, unaided, just like Superman. “Oh,” you say. “Is that meant to be a secret? Because I have never heard of you.” “No, it’s not a secret. I just don’t make a …
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Regarding your question about ‘souls’ or ‘spirits’, or ‘spirituality’…
It’s unlikely to get a sensible answer, because no two people can agree on what these words mean. Whether there are ‘souls’ or ‘spirits’ at all is open to serious doubt — certainly there is no evidence for them as they are usually represented — but the main problem is that even people who use …
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What would life be like for a REAL psychic, or witch, or shaman?
Suppose you wake up tomorrow and discover that you can fly like Superman. From that moment on, you have two options: Keep it secret. Tell nobody, and don’t fly at all. Or if you must, do it only when there is no chance of being seen. Keep it all completely to yourself, and you have …
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How can we be sure there are no supernatural/paranormal phenomena or entities?
We have a large, active, well-funded global news network, constantly on the lookout for stories of remarkable events that will interest their audience. There is no event more remarkable and interesting than one which breaks the laws of physics as we currently understand them. If a ‘supernatural’ or ‘paranormal’ phenomenon occurs, or a ‘supernatural’ or ‘paranormal’ …
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What should I do if I’m telepathic/psychic?
Run, don’t walk, to the physics department at your local university. Demonstrate your powers and then ask them to make you an offer; how much will they pay you to be their research subject? If it’s not enough, contact other physics labs, demonstrate your powers to them and ask them the same question. Within a …
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Jon's Quora content 