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Most Evidence for any paranormal?

Meow Mix

Chatte Féministe
For believers in the paranormal, out of all the different "fields" which one has the most solid evidence? By "fields" I guess I mean between things like cryptozoology, UFO's, ESP, etc.?
 

Venatoris

Active Member
I'd have to say cryptozoology because we actually do find living creatures that we previously thought were extinct (coelacanth for example) and we find new species all the time.
 

Mister Emu

Emu Extraordinaire
Staff member
Premium Member
If you're going to include it... certainly cryptozoology. Animals previously thought myth and/or legend have been found.
 

Erebus

Well-Known Member
For believers in the paranormal, out of all the different "fields" which one has the most solid evidence? By "fields" I guess I mean between things like cryptozoology, UFO's, ESP, etc.?

Probably Cryptozoology and magic. As has been mentioned certain animals previously considered mythical, extinct or improbable have been found. Similarly a lot of the effects of spells and rituals can be explained psychologically.
 

alizantil

Member
i have to say mediumship

in the shape of physical evidence

in particular Edgar Cayce the large record (14,000) of medical readings he gave for people (housed at the A.R.E) edgarcayce.org

Leslie flint recordings which can be listened to online, of hundreds of spirit communicators ( through direct voice)
thousands which are on old reel tape and are being transferred to modern media. leslieflint.com

of course its up to each individual what we can make of these, but that is for our own experience and reasoning on the matter .

but thats my opinion , on your question Meow :)
 
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Reptillian

Hamburgler Extraordinaire
Astrology...yep I went there...astrology. Crime rates and hospital emergency room visits go up during a full moon. Now you could attribute this to criminals being able to see better or people going out more because visibility is up and getting injured, but I prefer to think its because of some mystical moon-force that tugs on the fluids in the human brain and causes them to act all crazy. Why do women have their "monthly visitor"?....moon-force. Also, think of how many times your horoscope in the newspaper has been correct. Is it because they're vague descriptions that could apply to anyone? Or is it because of the change in the force from Jupiter as it moves through the constellation Scorpio? If a person has a saturnine disposition, perhaps it really is due to the influence from saturn.
 

Erebus

Well-Known Member
Astrology...yep I went there...astrology. Crime rates and hospital emergency room visits go up during a full moon.

There is some truth to this actually. My mother worked on a psychiatric ward for 17 years and it was common knowledge that the patients went ballistic during the full moon whether they could see it or not. The moon has always been associated with mystery and madness, even our language reflects this (lunatic, moon-struck etc).
 

Willamena

Just me
Premium Member
Astrology...yep I went there...astrology. Crime rates and hospital emergency room visits go up during a full moon. Now you could attribute this to criminals being able to see better or people going out more because visibility is up and getting injured, but I prefer to think its because of some mystical moon-force that tugs on the fluids in the human brain and causes them to act all crazy. Why do women have their "monthly visitor"?....moon-force. Also, think of how many times your horoscope in the newspaper has been correct. Is it because they're vague descriptions that could apply to anyone? Or is it because of the change in the force from Jupiter as it moves through the constellation Scorpio? If a person has a saturnine disposition, perhaps it really is due to the influence from saturn.
Yeah, unfortunately that's not astrology, it's statistics. :)

But astrology doesn't fall in the category of paranormal anyway.
 

Nepenthe

Tu Stultus Es
Astrology...yep I went there...astrology. Crime rates and hospital emergency room visits go up during a full moon.
No they don’t. There have been dozens of studies examining a statistical link between lunar phases, crime, emergency room visits, mental illness, etc. Despite several comprehensive studies few have indicated any substantial link yet the lunar fallacy persists in the public mind. Just looking at one example of a five year study by Kung and Mrazek shows no connection. They analyzed a total of 1,826 nights with 186 full moon effects in those years with a mean of ±SD of 2.30±1.7 patients seen on “full moon” nights as opposed to 2.32±1.56 when the moon was not full. There was zero correlation between the moon’s phases and increased activity in psychiatric emergencies.

There have also been many studies on crime and lunar effects with nothing substantial being discovered. Here's just one minor example: Dowling wrote an excellent article on the alleged increase in domestic violence during the full moon. He found no correlation.

Now you could attribute this to criminals being able to see better or people going out more because visibility is up and getting injured, but I prefer to think its because of some mystical moon-force that tugs on the fluids in the human brain and causes them to act all crazy.
Nope. There’s no evidential correlation and even if there were the post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy is a better explanation than increased visibility. (see also: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3885282)

We can make up all kinds of magical moon force faeries to describe an effect that doesn’t exist but the simple fact is that someone standing over a woman giving birth exerts far more gravitational influence on the child than the moon ever could. A magazine held in your hand exerts far more gravitational pull than the moon- see this explanation of George Abell’s (misquoted) comment about mosquitoes having a far greater tidal force on a person’s body than the moon (which is correct btw): Tidal force, or The Moon and the Mosquito revisited « 360

Why do women have their "monthly visitor"?....moon-force.
Well, probably. But the correlation is a bit exaggerated. The moon’s cycle phase is 29.53 days, human female’s menstrual cycles average about 28 days (though it varies considerably of course). So close, but the correlation is not there in other mammals (like macaques at 26 days) and even our closest living relatives chimpanzees have 37 days. So perhaps human females are uniquely blessed with the lunar/menstrual connection that other mammals including our primate brethren do not possess? If that’s the case why do opossums have a 28 day menstrual cycle as well? Maybe humans came from a opossum common ancestor… :eek: Yes, there is likely a connection, but I’ll hold out for some more detailed studies before I shrug and accept “moon-force” as anything more substantive than pixie dust.

Speaking of bleeding, there is one study that claims a subtle statistical link between gastrointestinal bleeding in men and the full moon. But the authors of this study found the correlation so slight they hesitate to accept their findings without further correlation.

Also, think of how many times your horoscope in the newspaper has been correct. Is it because they're vague descriptions that could apply to anyone?
Yup. Or more accurately, it’s because people’s personalities are varied and our common interests and hopes unite us more than we realize. We all have concerns about love and death and life and money. It’s pretty universal.
Or is it because of the change in the force from Jupiter as it moves through the constellation Scorpio?
Bees are on the what now? What force? Any gravitational influence would be negligible. Ahhhh, that mystical "moon-force"? :shrug:
If a person has a saturnine disposition, perhaps it really is due to the influence from saturn.
Or more likely we all have personality traits that can be described by that ambiguous easy-to-ascribe-to-anyone disposition called “Saturnine”. Or even Pisces-like, Sagitarius-like, and on and on...

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. There’s also no evidence of an increase in the incidence of dog bites to lunar phases, or suicides, or lunacy in general during a full moon. Unfortunately I have no statistical information on menstrual cycles in mentally ill canines that have attempted suicide during a full moon. I’ll get right on it though.
 
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St Giordano Bruno

Well-Known Member
It would hardly be classed as "paranormal” but it would be cryptozoology IMHO because until the discovery of the Gorilla in the mid 19th century it was put is a similar class as big foot or the Abominable Snowman, so many people were sceptical of its existence. Now it has proven to really exist. A similar story goes with the Komodo dragon. But as for the truly paranormal such as human levitation, ghosts and the Bermuda Triangle being a wormhole to another dimension that is nothing that can back up those claims
 
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khproject

Member
Feeling, seeing incredible weird things are already considered paranormal...

Things like Ghost, UFO's, Mysticism are all paranormal too...
 

outhouse

Atheistically
There is some truth to this actually. My mother worked on a psychiatric ward for 17 years and it was common knowledge that the patients went ballistic during the full moon whether they could see it or not. The moon has always been associated with mystery and madness, even our language reflects this (lunatic, moon-struck etc).

ill go out on a limb and say its associated with they way gravity effects the tides.
 

Erebus

Well-Known Member
ill go out on a limb and say its associated with they way gravity effects the tides.

I've no idea to be honest. I'm not even sure if it really does affect people or if it's the perception of the nurses that changes. Possibly a bit of both.
 
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