Mycroft
Ministry of Serendipity
It often seems that people have great difficulty with accepting different ideas. Over the course of our lives we hear many different and intriguing ideas, some of which may outrage us or may enchant us and so on and some may confuse us. So what system can we use to determine which ideas are valid, which ones we should accept or reject? What system can we use?
When I speak of Scientific Method, I mean that in most instances scientists investigate problems by putting ideas to the test. Those that work are selected, those that don't work are rejected, and those that fail to produce enough data are held in abeyance. So the more information we have on things, the greater our ability to select or reject ideas.
For people who don't gain information, or investigate things, it becomes very hard to know what is relevant and what is not. There are many people, for example, who claim to have seen flying saucers or spaceships from another world. But how can we know? Are they sincere? Are they lying?
I don't think they're lying. But they are sincere a lot of the time.
But what they believe they have seen is not always accurate. People, in general, are not always accurate in describing information. We know, for example, that in many instances weather balloons have been interpreted as extra-terrestrial ships. We also know that, in certain conditions, part of an aircraft can be reflected on a cloud at an offset position like the wing or the fuselage. These have also been mistaken for spaceships.
The same can happen when people speak of spiritual experiences or events. They can sincerely believe what they're saying to us, but may not be accurately describing the information because they're unable to. They lack the relevant information in the areas of human biology, neurology, psychology, neuroscience and so on to be able to know of many strange medical and psychological conditions, or abnormalities in the brain, that might lead to an event that feels spiritual. That isn't to say that their experience isn't spiritual necessarily, but that they have no way of being able to select what is accurate information and what is not.
For example, a few years ago a number of people in the area of SoHo, New York reported hearing ghostly voices as they walked down the street. Such people could be dismissed as crazy, but in this case they actually were hearing voices.
There was, however, nothing 'paranormal' about the event. The voices were created using a technology. Holosonics is a company that creates a device called an 'Audio Spotlight' that directs ultrasonic waves at a spot near the ear of an individual or group (depending on distribution). The result is that only that person, or group, can hear whatever sound is being projected. Even if someone were stood next to you, you would hear the projected sound, and they would not (until they stood in the same spot).
This highlights the problem with descriptions and claims both paranormal and spiritual experiences. Those people may have sincerely believed that they had just had a paranormal or spiritual experience, but they only believe so because they're unaware of the Audio Spotlight created by Holosound. Someone who is aware of the Audio Spotlight may say 'Oh it's one of those holo sound things, it's not really ghosts,' and that may be more accurate than 'It was ghosts, I tell you!'.
When I speak of Scientific Method, I mean that in most instances scientists investigate problems by putting ideas to the test. Those that work are selected, those that don't work are rejected, and those that fail to produce enough data are held in abeyance. So the more information we have on things, the greater our ability to select or reject ideas.
For people who don't gain information, or investigate things, it becomes very hard to know what is relevant and what is not. There are many people, for example, who claim to have seen flying saucers or spaceships from another world. But how can we know? Are they sincere? Are they lying?
I don't think they're lying. But they are sincere a lot of the time.
But what they believe they have seen is not always accurate. People, in general, are not always accurate in describing information. We know, for example, that in many instances weather balloons have been interpreted as extra-terrestrial ships. We also know that, in certain conditions, part of an aircraft can be reflected on a cloud at an offset position like the wing or the fuselage. These have also been mistaken for spaceships.
The same can happen when people speak of spiritual experiences or events. They can sincerely believe what they're saying to us, but may not be accurately describing the information because they're unable to. They lack the relevant information in the areas of human biology, neurology, psychology, neuroscience and so on to be able to know of many strange medical and psychological conditions, or abnormalities in the brain, that might lead to an event that feels spiritual. That isn't to say that their experience isn't spiritual necessarily, but that they have no way of being able to select what is accurate information and what is not.
For example, a few years ago a number of people in the area of SoHo, New York reported hearing ghostly voices as they walked down the street. Such people could be dismissed as crazy, but in this case they actually were hearing voices.
There was, however, nothing 'paranormal' about the event. The voices were created using a technology. Holosonics is a company that creates a device called an 'Audio Spotlight' that directs ultrasonic waves at a spot near the ear of an individual or group (depending on distribution). The result is that only that person, or group, can hear whatever sound is being projected. Even if someone were stood next to you, you would hear the projected sound, and they would not (until they stood in the same spot).
This highlights the problem with descriptions and claims both paranormal and spiritual experiences. Those people may have sincerely believed that they had just had a paranormal or spiritual experience, but they only believe so because they're unaware of the Audio Spotlight created by Holosound. Someone who is aware of the Audio Spotlight may say 'Oh it's one of those holo sound things, it's not really ghosts,' and that may be more accurate than 'It was ghosts, I tell you!'.
