What are poltergeists?

Discussion in 'Parapsychology' started by Magical Realist, Feb 6, 2015.

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  1. billvon Valued Senior Member

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    Exactly. And it then involves examining the likelihood of it happening via known mechanisms - and being honest about the results, no matter what your beliefs might be.
     
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  3. Yazata Valued Senior Member

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    Quantum theory is something of a black box. There's an elaborate mathematical apparatus that allows physicists to make predictions of what they will observe (at least probabilistically). But physics doesn't really know what kind of physical mechanisms lurk within the mysterious quantum box, beyond being sure that they can't be classical. That's where the philosophical interpretations come in.

    So I guess that we can say that quantum theory lacks the kind of explanatory power that classical physics has. It allows us to predict what will happen, but doesn't do much to help us understand why.

    Nevertheless, I'd say that it's still a lot more enlightening than parapsychology or theology.
     
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  5. Magical Realist Valued Senior Member

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    If someone told me about nonlocality or quantum entanglement or retrocausality or the quantum zeno effect without scientific evidence, I would not be inclined to believe them. There are enough implications in these concepts about the nature of reality to overturn alot of things we assume based on common sense. The same applies to paranormal phenomena. I would never have entertained its possibility had I not seen the scads of evidence for it. This leaves me in the inconvenient position of having to reconcile a scientific universe with a reality that appears to contradict it. Or maybe the contradiction is only my assumption. I'm content not to know everything. I'm fine living inside the Infinite Mystery.
     
    Last edited: Mar 27, 2015
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  7. Magical Realist Valued Senior Member

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    Right..including the belief that the paranormal can't happen.
     
  8. billvon Valued Senior Member

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    Heck, if you can prove that a paranormal event happened, great. Do so and win some science awards. (Of course, then it's not paranormal any more.)
     
  9. Magical Realist Valued Senior Member

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    Proving the paranormal exists makes it non-paranormal. Ok..lol!
     
  10. Sarkus Hippomonstrosesquippedalo phobe Valued Senior Member

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    Yes. Almost by definition.
    Paranormal phenomena are unscientific. To be able to prove them would require them conforming to scientific enquiry, and thus be scientific.
    A scientific paranormal phenomena is contradictory.
     
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  11. Magical Realist Valued Senior Member

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    No..it would only prove a phenomenon that doesn't conform to our current level of scientific knowledge.
     
  12. paddoboy Valued Senior Member

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    I fail to understand your reasoning. We have very good physics based theories as to why S/N occur, the same with meteorites and Earthquakes.
    We don't need to reproduce them.
    From where I sit, any arrogance and insults are being leveled by MR in his continued grand mission to try and devalue science in general.
    I certainly stick to my claim that poltergeists, ghosts, goblins etc are at best unexplained phenomena in some cases [easily explained in other cases] , and at worst totally against any scientific reasoning and logic.
     
    Last edited: Mar 27, 2015
  13. Magical Realist Valued Senior Member

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    You're making a claim that I insulted you. Quote the post where I did that then.
     
  14. paddoboy Valued Senior Member

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    ???

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    Wow!!! You certainly have a problem with the English language...or is this just another example of your intellectual dishonesty?..or paranoia? .or maybe just plain trolling?
    Oh, and I totally stand by my claim thus.......
    "From where I sit, any arrogance and insults are being leveled by MR in his continued grand mission to try and devalue science in general."
     
  15. Magical Realist Valued Senior Member

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    So now you insult me as intellectually dishonest, paranoid, and trolling, but can't provide any proof of me insulting you. Just as I thought..You're going to get this thread closed for off-topic insults just as you and Kittamaru did to the "Proof of the Supernatural" thread..
     
    Last edited: Mar 27, 2015
  16. Magical Realist Valued Senior Member

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    Fraggle Rocker didn't say that. Yazata did.
     
  17. paddoboy Valued Senior Member

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    According to recent evidence, most certainly those "qualities" are evident in your makeup and unreasonable fanaticism on this subject, not to metion your continued mission in insulting scientists, and trying to devalue science.
     
  18. Magical Realist Valued Senior Member

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    Where did I insult you? Quote the post. It should be easy for you to do.
     
  19. paddoboy Valued Senior Member

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    reported for continued and total intellectual dishonesty.
     
  20. billvon Valued Senior Member

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    Exactly. We once thought tides were paranormal. We thought cauls were a sign from God. We thought that people hearing voices meant they were having a paranormal experience. We thought that the Giant's Causeway was built by mythological beings. Now we understand where all those things come from.
     
  21. Magical Realist Valued Senior Member

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    You're confusing proving the paranormal exists with explaining it. Merely proving it exists doesn't mean its scientific. It could merely prove the existence of spirits, something science certainly has no explanation for.
     
  22. billvon Valued Senior Member

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    Once they are proven to exist they become science. Science is the process of explaining how the world works. If "spirits" are proven to exist, and can interact with the real world, then they are well within the realm of science. (Of course, they may be nothing like what ghost hunters think they are.)
     
  23. Magical Realist Valued Senior Member

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    Nope..acknowledging the existence of spirits does not make it scientific. It doesn't make it anything. It is what it is. Only explaining spirits would make it scientific.
     
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