The AH Paranormal Belief Thread (read OP before voting)

philologos

Mod request: Please don't move this thread to the Paranormal forum, it is intended to assess the general boards.ie average punter belief in the Paranormal, it is not intended to assess how much current believers in the Paranormal believe.

Was just watching the reshowing of Richard Dawkins' - Enemies of Reason on More4, and I was just wondering how much the average AH'er believes in the Paranormal, or spirits, etc. There is a poll coming, but it is something that I find interesting.

The poll will be as follows:

1) Believer and active participant in the paranormal - By this I mean that you regularly use tarot cards, go to mediums, or in some other way regularly express and seek out answers based on paranormal explanations.

2) Believer in the paranormal, but rarely have participated - By this I mean if you have gone once or twice to a medium, or use tarot cards, amongst other means.

3) Believer in spirits, forces active in this world, but I am not a participant. - You believe in supernatural / psychic / spiritual presences in this world, but you are not an active participant in the paranormal, and have never used a medium.

4) Believer in astrology, confined to reading the horoscopes - If you believe in astrology, and believe that horoscopes are actually telling the truth and that it is relevant to you.

5) Skeptic, open to the idea of spiritual / paranormal presences, but doubtful.

6) There are no such thing as the paranormal / spiritual. Everything has a natural explanation. This world is only material. There are no immaterial or supernatural presences.

Personally, I am a 3.

Daemos

5 or 6, depending on the mood I'm in

Owwmykneecap

I'm a 7 and this thread is an Edge [3]

Superbus

So... do you mean ghosts or God? 'Cos it gets a bit foggy in those questions.

philologos

Believer in astrology (reading horoscopes)

Superbus wrote: »

So... do you mean ghosts or God? 'Cos it gets a bit foggy in those questions.

I'm mainly dealing with the paranormal, not with religion or divinity for this thread. Although, I have voted 3 because I believe in God's presence, and in the presence of evil / dark influences in this world. That's the height of my belief in spirits / presences.

InTheTrees

Believer in astrology (reading horoscopes)

My dad visited leap Castle when he was younger. He said it made his skin crawl.

KnifeWRENCH

There is no such thing as the paranormal / spiritual

I suppose I'd be a 5; I'd be very skeptical about psychics/mediums etc. and astrology is a load of **** tbh. I wouldn't totally rule out any possibility of the paranormal existing though.

Superbus

Jakkass wrote: »

I'm mainly dealing with the paranormal, not with religion or divinity for this thread. Although, I have voted 3 because I believe in God's presence, and in the presence of evil / dark influences in this world. That's the height of my belief in spirits / presences.

Well then, I'd be a 5. No point in ruling stuff out completely.

starbelgrade

There is no such thing as the paranormal / spiritual

I AM A GHOST..... BOO.....OOOOH....OOOOH

Gaudizeit

InTheTrees wrote: »

My dad visited leap Castle when he was younger. He said it made his skin crawl.

He should have taken the mushrooms after the visit...

Jev/N

Believer in astrology (reading horoscopes)

I'd say 3, it's something that's interested me but I've never really bothered doing anything. I can't say I believe in astrology, although maybe there is something outside of the crap that is published in magazines/papers etc. which are more humerous than anything!

Zillah

Belief in magic is sad, desperate and pathetically understandable. There are few common traits that lower a person more in my esteem than discovering they're deluded with such nonsense.

I need hardly specify that I'm a six.

philologos

Believer in astrology (reading horoscopes)

If you have voted 1 or 2, I'd be interested in hearing what way you have practiced / participated in the paranormal.

Jev/N

Believer in astrology (reading horoscopes)

Zillah wrote: »

Belief in magic is sad, desperate and pathetically understandable.

Who mentioned magic?

Zillah

Jev/N wrote: »

Who mentioned magic?

Spirits, ghosts, spells, leprechauns, unicorns, faeries, astrology, Jesus, ressurection...it's all the same desperate supernatural magical gibberish. Some forms might be more common or popular at the moment, or dare I say 'trendy', but it's all equally preposterous.

Suffice to say, I don't mean stage magic.

easyeason3

Believer in astrology (reading horoscopes)

3.
I have often felt that people who have passed are around me. Maybe it's a defence mechanisim, maybe I imagined it or maybe they are not here at all.
But I believe that people who have passed into the afterlife do not sit on fluffy white clouds. I believe they walk beside us, if you're lucky you get a glimpse, a smell, a memory, if you're lucky.
I have often been tempted to go to mediums or psyhics. But if I need someone badly enough, if I am in dire straits, if I need something, anything to make me cop the fcuk on, then the ones that are gone will help me.
God has little or no meaning in my life. I believe in family & friends that have died & gone to where ever you go.
I think of them often & hope they are well.
I hope they are well & think of me.

Zillah

Jakkass wrote: »

If you have voted 1 or 2, I'd be interested in hearing what way you have practiced / participated in the paranormal.

Me too. It would be wonderful to find out if there are some wizards posting on boards. To use a D&D analogy, are your powers more like a Wizard, a Sorceror or a Cleric?

starbelgrade

There is no such thing as the paranormal / spiritual

Zillah wrote: »

Me too. It would be wonderful to find out if there are some wizards posting on boards. To use a D&D analogy, are your powers more like a Wizard, a Sorceror or a Cleric?

I have the power of invisibilty.

Jev/N

Believer in astrology (reading horoscopes)

Zillah wrote: »

Spirits, ghosts, spells, leprechauns, unicorns, faeries, astrology, Jesus, ressurection...it's all the same desperate supernatural magical gibberish. Some forms might be more common or popular at the moment, or dare I say 'trendy', but it's all equally preposterous.

Suffice to say, I don't mean stage magic.

So maybe 2 or 3 of the list you've mentioned might be in discussion. However, there's no point in tacking on such crap just to justify your views on the debate.

Magic may be a word for it but in the vernacular, I'd lean towards the supernatural or paranormal as being the more accepted terms.

Zillah

So do I, but it's entirely technological.

philologos

Believer in astrology (reading horoscopes)

easyeason3 wrote: »

But I believe that people who have passed into the afterlife do not sit on fluffy white clouds. I believe they walk beside us, if you're lucky you get a glimpse, a smell, a memory, if you're lucky.

Who believes this?

easyeason3 wrote: »

I have often been tempted to go to mediums or psyhics. But if I need someone badly enough, if I am in dire straits, if I need something, anything to make me cop the fcuk on, then the ones that are gone will help me.

OK, but how can one be convinced, even if one believes that spirits exist in the world, that psychics are even qualified to tell you anything about them?

easyeason3 wrote: »

God has little or no meaning in my life. I believe in family & friends that have died & gone to where ever you go.
I think of them often & hope they are well.
I hope they are well & think of me.

I don't think there is all that much a leap between believing in spirits, and believing in a God. It is strange to think that many believers in the paranormal would actually regard God's existence as unreasonable.

Although, I best not derail my own thread! :pac:

Columbia

There is no such thing as the paranormal / spiritual

I voted for 5. I've had two things happen to me a number of years back which have defied any explanation I could give them, but I'm still waiting (hoping, you could say) for something more concrete to make me believe there's more to death than...well, death.

Gummy Panda

I believe in wizrdcat

Donkey Oaty

Remember Paul the psychic octopus? His agent was on Newstalk this afternoon telling us that Paul has a book coming out (written in his own ink) and there'll be a Christmas single to look forward to as well.

Zillah

Jev/N wrote: »

So maybe 2 or 3 of the list you've mentioned might be in discussion. However, there's no point in tacking on such crap just to justify your views on the debate.

Magic may be a word for it but in the vernacular, I'd lean towards the supernatural or paranormal as being the more accepted terms.

Honestly, whatever word you want to use to describe that group of silly things that don't exist and break the rules of the universe that people believe in. Paranormal, supernatural, magical, spiritual, supernal, numinous, preternatural...whatever. I tend to use "magic" because it very clearly describes the defining quality of all these things; they can't and don't exist, and always have perfectly reasonable explanations for why people believe in them (missing loved ones, desperate to answer questions, afraid of the dark/unknown etc).

It also happens that "magic" also goes a long way to highlighting the disdain I feel for these beliefs.

ShadowGal

Believer in astrology (reading horoscopes)

just throwing this out there, maybe a paranormal head can get back onto me (or a doctor lol )

i smell flowers occasionally, like a breeze of beautiful flowers will just waft past my nose, as im watching tv, or in bed. ghosty type stuff ? dodgy brain ? anyho ive got no complaints about it either way

dvpower

Jakkass wrote: »

Who believes this?

Exactly. Dead people sitting on white fluffy clouds. That's a preposterous notion.:rolleyes:

Owwmykneecap

My personal favourite is Feathers.

See that feather in your garden? Think it's from a bird, one of the hundreds you see fly over your garden every day?
Wrong! It's from an angel, your guardian angel read my book to find out more.
RRP €17.99.

Pace2008

There is no such thing as the paranormal / spiritual

5 leaning towards 6.

philologos

Believer in astrology (reading horoscopes)

dvpower wrote: »

Exactly. Dead people sitting on white fluffy clouds. That's a preposterous notion.:rolleyes:

Asking the poster to substantiate where he heard that to begin with is fair enough I thought.

Karl Hungus

Jakkass wrote: »

I'm mainly dealing with the paranormal, not with religion or divinity for this thread.

What's the distinction there?

Jev/N

Believer in astrology (reading horoscopes)

Zillah wrote: »

It also happens that "magic" also goes a long way to highlighting the disdain I feel for these beliefs.

Don't worry, I got that alright!

philologos

Believer in astrology (reading horoscopes)

Karl Hungus wrote: »

What's the distinction there?

Paranormal activity such as mediums, psychics, tarot cards, and spiritualism in general isn't typically a part of religion.

I have said although, that I have voted 3 on the basis of my belief in God's spiritual presence, and evil presences in the world.

That said, my position on 3 can be held without having the slightest interest in the paranormal, psychics, mediums and so on.

Sanjuro

There is no such thing as the paranormal / spiritual

I believe in science and a peer-reviewed, constantly evolving system of knowlege that deals with fact. And since the paranormal does not fall into that category, it is, to me, hokum.

Still love ghost stories and horror movies though!

starbelgrade

There is no such thing as the paranormal / spiritual

So does Derren Brown really exist, or is he just an evil invention?

Pace2008

There is no such thing as the paranormal / spiritual

Zillah wrote: »

Me too. It would be wonderful to find out if there are some wizards posting on boards.

People who who believe in magic (or magick, as they insist on calling it) and actually think they can cast spells are on the absolute bottom rung of the paranormal spectrum in my eyes.

I can understand why some people might believe in a deity, but anyone who thinks they're a witch or a warlock with the power to physically affect their environment with some sort of incantation needs to cop the **** on. It's literally on a level with an adult believing in Santa Claus, in my view.

Karl Hungus

Jakkass wrote: »

Paranormal activity such as mediums, psychics, tarot cards, and spiritualism in general isn't typically a part of religion.

I have said although, that I have voted 3 on the basis of my belief in God's spiritual presence, and evil presences in the world.

That said, my position on 3 can be held without having the slightest interest in the paranormal, psychics, mediums and so on.

Well, I would probably hold religious views in the same regard as belief in the paranormal, and mediums, psychics and those of that ilk much like the priests and other religious leaders who squeeze money out of hapless people with the promise of something beyond death. Same peddlers, different horsesh*t.

Kiwi_knock

There is no such thing as the paranormal / spiritual

Probably leaning towards a 5, I do not believe in it but I would not rule it out being there

philologos

Believer in astrology (reading horoscopes)

Karl Hungus wrote: »

Well, I would probably hold religious views in the same regard as belief in the paranormal, and mediums, psychics and those of that ilk much like the priests and other religious leaders who squeeze money out of hapless people with the promise of something beyond death. Same peddlers, different horsesh*t.

Fair enough. The point of this thread isn't to go down the same auld road of religion on AH. The point of the thread is to see how much people are open to the paranormal / existence of spirits / spirituality in general.

Indeed, I'd love to hear from a few people who actually partake in it, and I'm willing to give my ear and respect to them if they wish to explain their case.

Owwmykneecap

ShadowGal wrote: »

just throwing this out there, maybe a paranormal head can get back onto me (or a doctor lol )

i smell flowers occasionally, like a breeze of beautiful flowers will just waft past my nose, as im watching tv, or in bed. ghosty type stuff ? dodgy brain ? anyho ive got no complaints about it either way

You have a brain tumour.

King Felix

Believer in the paranormal, rarely participate.

I meant to vote two.

Believer in the paranormal, rarely participate.

I would believe some things, not others.
I'd believe in the existance of ghosts/spirits, for example, but not in mediums/psychics.

I'd use the I Ching a lot, ouija boards in the past. I use sigils, I try lucid dreaming. But at the same time I believe it's the power of the mind that makes these things work, if they work, and not any external spiritual force.

ShadowGal

Believer in astrology (reading horoscopes)

Owwmykneecap wrote: »

You have a brain tumour.

ya i was thinking something like that

Owwmykneecap

Woah Woah Woah!

Lucid Dreaming is NOT paranormal.

philologos

Believer in astrology (reading horoscopes)

Thanks King Felix -

Could you go a bit more into detail about what these ghosts and spirits are like?
Also what are sigils and lucid dreaming?

As for it being a thing of the mind and not an external force, surely one must also consider that these ghosts and spirits aren't actually tangibly existing, but just existing in your mind then?

Pace2008

There is no such thing as the paranormal / spiritual

King Felix wrote: »

I'd use the I Ching a lot, ouija boards in the past. I use sigils, I try lucid dreaming. But at the same time I believe it's the power of the mind that makes these things work, if they work, and not any external spiritual force.

There's nothing paranormal about lucid dreaming.

Karl Hungus

Jakkass wrote: »

Fair enough. The point of this thread isn't to go down the same auld road of religion on AH. The point of the thread is to see how much people are open to the paranormal / existence of spirits / spirituality in general.

Indeed, I'd love to hear from a few people who actually partake in it, and I'm willing to give my ear and respect to them if they wish to explain their case.

Well apologies if I'm derailing your thread by taking the time to stick two fingers up at organized religion, I'll make no more mention of it.

But I do believe that mediums and psychics are of a particularly unscrupulous kind, telling people what they want to hear in order to get in their pockets, and any false comfort it might bring the person who's been duped by such tricksters can only serve to do more harm. Astrology, whatever else, all a load of hogwash.

easyeason3

Believer in astrology (reading horoscopes)

Jakkass wrote: »

Who believes this?



OK, but how can one be convinced, even if one believes that spirits exist in the world, that psychics are even qualified to tell you anything about them?



I don't think there is all that much a leap between believing in spirits, and believing in a God. It is strange to think that many believers in the paranormal would actually regard God's existence as unreasonable.

Although, I best not derail my own thread! :pac:

1) Just a Hallmark example of how some people view the after life.

2) Was trying to say that mediums/ psychics just don't do anything for me having heard friends experiences.

3) There is a huge differnece in believing in God & spirits. I believe that spirits are around us, all the time. I do not believe in God, but due to my catholic upbringing I often think 'Thank God' or 'Please God'. It's a habit.
However at times I get the heebie jeebies, a certain smell, a thought or whatever that makes me think of people who have died.

Ruu_Old

Load of cods-wallop!

<insert Derek Acorah MARY LOVES DICK! video>

Black Swan

I'm abnormal paranormal

magma69

There is no such thing as the paranormal / spiritual

I voted five. I am open to the idea, which means that until I see some compelling evidence, I'll think it's a load of nonsense. But I am very open and willing to believe if there is a rational reason to do so.

It's silly, imo, to rule anything out completely, no matter how ridiculous it sounds.

magma69

There is no such thing as the paranormal / spiritual

Just as a side note, I think there is a possibility of other beings among us that we are not aware of but do not all into the realm of "paranormal".