New Site I have Come Across Called Afterlife Debate

This site created by philosopher David Staume apparently accesses the arguments for an afterlife v.s the arguments against one. I found that the rating he gave many of arguments for the afterlife were low except the geometry which i never heard of until now. He rates that one as 6/10, well others as the television analogy for the mind and brain relationship as a 2/10.

Here is his site

http://www.afterlifedebate.com/for.html

His rating system goes as this

0- Not a reality
1- Negligible
2- Poor
3- Doubtful
4- Less than an even bet
5- An even bet
6- Better than an even bet
7- Probable
8- Good
9- High
10- Comfirmed

The arguments against an afterlife he mentions that "Brain Activity parellels Mind Activity", he rates it 8/10, true that if their is no evidence for an afterlife, psi phenomena and no alternative model of the mind and brain relationship then it's easy to accept that mind is a produced of the brain.


Nonetheless i recommend his site because it gives food for thought, and of course his evaluation like everyone else's is pure subjective evaluation. So i do disagree with his current conclusion that there is far more evidence that life is extinguished at death and that it doesn't continue in another form in an afterlife. I like to point out in my view their is far more evidence that life continues on after bodily death.


He doesn't bring some arguments that i would bring on there such as the reincarntion past life evidence from Ian Stevenson, also the evidence from the pye record experiment on electronic voice phenomena, neither the powerful case of a medium breaking the Houdini Code or experiments done on instrumental transcommunication etc. But i can understand why to him he takes what he thinks as the 10 arguments that can stand on it's own two feet against the arguments against an afterlife. He mentions about how telepathic messages are a more valid explanation for apparition phenomena. I disagree, because apparitions are not simply just visions of the deceased but that these deceased people show many characteristics of actually being really there.

He also asks this question

What evidence would prove that the brain and the mind are the same?

What would prove it is too show that the function that is going on is productive not transmissive or permissive functioning. This is what has been said clearly by Sir William James 50 years ago. Also science doesn't deal with fact it deals with probability. For example their is always that small chance that the sun won't rise tommorrow morning, but their is a high probability that it will.

Paranormal Movies I have Watched

Here are a couple paranormal movies i have watched before. They are all good movies.



First one up called Room 1408 by Stephen King





The Messengers

Official Trailer Of The Movie The Taking Of Pelham 1 2 3

This is going to be a good movie i think because John Travolta is a good actor, plus the storyline looks good.

Irrefutable Evidence For Life After Death

I have come across these youtube videos discussing some of the evidence for life after death.

Is Their A Reason And Purpose For Why We Are Here?

I shall argue that with a yes, i'm sure materialists can come up with many reasons showing in their view that natural selection alone can explain life as we know it and can even account for subjectivity that we all have inside ourselves. I have no doubt that natural selection indeed plays a role in the evolution of our species. However i don't think it's the whole story, as we all have this inner subjective character to ourselves. This subjective character i will call the soul, is something in my view that has gone through cycles of change over a period of time. I think that if reincarnation is real which their is some good evidence that it maybe real, well then it could be that our souls are recycled when they go to the afterlife but the come back to physical reality. Common knowledge tells us that we appear to have free will, one simple observation of this is that the arm won't raise on its own, its up to me if that arm will raise or not.


Now you can ignore that observation by saying well that is the thing with the arm, somedays it will move and sometimes it won't. But the fact that moves up and down, that it's up to me if the arm will go up or not.


I'm sure to a point that materialists are right when they say that religion has been here to control people. But any system of belief can control people if it's allowed the means to do so. That is why i try to follow the evidence, instead of a system of belief that i know will possibly either brainwash me or control me. This song that i am going to end this post with is called " The riddle you and i" by Five for fighting. I thought you find it uplifting and gives you reason to open your mind and see reality as marvelous and that their truly is a reason and purpose for why we are all here.

In Search Of Psychic Detectives

I have come across a youtube video which interests me about psychic detectives. Their is no doubt in my mind that some psychic detectives do sometimes assist police, giving them clues.


Part 1




Part 2




Part 3

Physicist Russel Targ Talks About The Ad Hominem Argument

Physicist Russel Targ discusses the Ad Hominem Argument often used by skeptics. Watch here excellent youtube video. I have seen this argument many times by skeptics, in skeptic forums, where they no longer are able to refute the evidence but resort to attacking the character of the person instead. This video is all about refuting this common argument that skeptic's use. Main point is it isn't an argument at all but a way to attack the person's character because it's easier to do then try and refute the evidence presented.

Parapsychology And Scientism By Parapsychologist Charles Tart On Youtube

This is an interesting youtube video by Parapsychologist Charles Tart, discussing Parapsychology and Scientism. So what is scientism your wondering? It's the view that science is the ultimate truth of reality, that their is no other way of knowing about reality except through the scientific method. This scientism can overwhelm the ego of a scientist who strongly believes he or she can reduce all phenomena down to purely naturalistic processes.

UFO Phenomena

I usually don't deal with Ufo which stands for unidentified flying object. The reason why is because even though i do believe their is other life out there, i just don't see the evidence for ufo's that compelling. I am open however to any evidence for ufo's that can help shed some light on what they maybe. A lot of people believe ufo's are flying saucers, with little green people that use them. The material which i am going to link to right now, i have come across well searching through the internet.

Here's some of the material i have found

One of those sites is called ufoevidence.org

Here is some of the photographs

http://www.ufoevidence.org/photographs/photohome.asp

A video on youtube called Evidence- NASA UFOs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBRiOmYPLA4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDPYBCnMHKM

I do find the one the videos on youtube with NASA UFO's to be the most compelling evidence for UFOs.

Just found this

Scientific Panel Concludes Some UFO Evidence Worthy Of Study

http://science.msfc.nasa.gov/current/event/ufo.html

Philip The Imaginary Ghost

In the year of 1972 the Society for Psychical Research invented a imaginary spirit called philip and provided him with a history. It wasn't too long before they started to hear from Philip. The proponents of "Super Esp" believed this particular case supported the existence of "Super Esp". A good counter argument to this it could of been a low- level spirit.


Allan Kardec book in 1872 called "The Book of Mediums". Here is a comment he had to say about it possibly being a low-level spirit.


“Invoke a stone and it will answer you. There is always a crowd of spirits ready to speak for anything….If you invoke a myth, or an allegorical personage, it will answer; that is, it will be answered for, and the spirit who would present himself would take its character and appearance. One day, a person took a fancy to invoke Tartufe, and Tartufe came immediately; still more, he talked of Orgon, Of Elmire, of Damis, and of Valire, of whom he gave news; as to himself, he counterfeited the hypocrite with as much art as if Tartufe had been a real personage. Afterward, he said he was the spirit of an actor who had played the character. Trifling spirits always profit by the inexperience of interrogators, but they take good care never to address those who they know are enlightened enough to discover their impostures, and who would give no credit to their stories.”

Also the super psi proponents obviously forget that like physical beings, our spiritual beings can have an imagination to say they are somebody their not.
By the way, i got this from Michael E Tymn but paraphrase it in my own words here.

18 Month Near Death/Out of Body Pilot Study Successful

Here is an interesting conference discussing the Aware study and Brain 1 study. According Sam Parnia the pilot phase has been successful, we managed to get the methodology refined and we're getting the sort of data that we'd expect to be getting." How many out of the 60, we don't know yet, according to Sam Parnia that is all he can say right now. Also the data he says will be used for the final study.

Watch all four parts of the conference here

Reasons For Skeptics Rejections To Evidence For Psi And Survival

Here is a list of reasons I have compiled for why skeptics don't accept or even strongly consider the evidence for psi and survival.

1]. When I was a kid like the rest of us his parents told him that Santa Claus was real, but as he got older he realized that Santa Claus with flying reindeer was not real.

2.] The same with the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny

3.] Never had any persuasive paranormal experiences

4.] Been ingrained from the get go of his or her scientific career that their wasn't any history of evidence for any survival of consciousness and psi phenomena.

5]. After a long career in academia just repeats what he or she hears from skeptics such as Randi and Shermer that their is no evidence for psi and survival.


I have found all of the above very obvious when debating with skeptics. In a way I personally can't blame a academic when all five of the above have have fullfilled. With no history in mainstream science about the apparent evidence for psi and life after death. A person has to then look for the answers for themselves. That we what the internet is good for among other things.

New Parapsychology Discussion Forum

Go here to check out this new forum

http://psicology-forum.proboards.com/index.cgi

The Brain Is An Advanced Radio Receiver or Advanced Television receiver

The big mistake some dualists make is to say that the brain is a radio or tv receiver but when they say that they don't point out, that the analogy that they are using is not a simple one. That the brain is not a simple television or radio in it's workings. But that the brain is an advance tv or radio. The brain being a advance tv or radio is in accord with the facts, such as that the brain is very complexed, also that mediums a lot of the time have trouble tuning into spiritual realities. This would explain it because the more advanced the brain is which we humans have a very advance brain the more information gets filtered out. That information could be crucial in it's possible connection with these spiritual realities that mediums attempt to communicate with.

Of course physicalists say that the brain is an advanced computer and that the mind is software, the brain is the hardware. The problems with this analogy

1. The Chinese Room Argument [John Searle]

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/chinese-room/

2. The failure Of Artifical Intelligence

http://www.skeptic.com/the_magazine/featured_articles/v12n02_AI_gone_awry.html

3. Certain things in the brain that conflict with the whole " brain is a advanced computer

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg15621052.800-radio-head--the-brain-has-its-own-fm-receiver.html

Evolution And Alfred Russel Wallace

Co- founder Russel Wallace and Charles Darwin agreed on many things about evolution however when it came to consciousness itself, Russel Wallace seen the mental as in a different realm of reality from biological processes.

Also Alfred Russel Wallace's views on natural selection differed from Charles Darwin's.

Charles Darwin emphasized competition between individuals of the same species to survive and reproduce, whereas Wallace emphasized environmental pressures on varieties and species forcing them to become adapted to their local environment.

Also Wallace had also envisioned natural selection as a kind of feedback mechanism keeping species and varieties adapted to their environment.

Alfred wrote a letter as well about spiritualism to his brother in- law in 1861, he wrote:


…I remain an utter disbeliever in almost all that you consider the most sacred truths. I will pass over as utterly contemptible the oft-repeated accusation that sceptics shut out evidence because they will not be governed by the morality of Christianity… I am thankful I can see much to admire in all religions. To the mass of mankind religion of some kind is a necessity. But whether there be a God and whatever be His nature; whether we have an immortal soul or not, or whatever may be our state after death, I can have no fear of having to suffer for the study of nature and the search for truth, or believe that those will be better off in a future state who have lived in the belief of doctrines inculcated from childhood, and which are to them rather a matter of blind faith than intelligent conviction.

In the summer of 1865, Alfred began investigating spiritualism, after reviewing the literature on the topic and attempting to test the phenomena he witnessed at séances, he came to accept that the belief was connected to a natural reality. For the rest of his life, he remained convinced that at least some séance phenomena were genuine, no matter how many accusations of fraud sceptics made or how much evidence of trickery was produced. Historians and biographers have disagreed about which factors most influenced his adoption of spiritualism.

Great New Site By Winston Wu Called SCEPCOP

I like to let everyone know that Winston Wu paranormal researcher has a new site he created called SCEPCOP.

Go here to check out his site

http://www.debunkingskeptics.com/

WWe Judgement Day Results, Also Monday Night Raw Results

1. Umaga defeats Cm Punk
2. John Cena defeats Big Show
3. Batista defeats WWE Champion Randy Orton by disqualification
4. John Morrison defeats Shelton Bejamin
5. Intercontinental Champion Rey Mysterio defeats Chris Jericho
6. ECW Champion Christian defeats Jack Swagger
7. World Heavyweight Champion Edge defeats Jeff Hardy

Raw Results

1. Kelly Kelly wins an diva battle royal to earn an future divas championship match.
2. Santino Marella defeats Chavo Guerrero
3. Unified WWE Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo defeats The Brian Kendrick & Goldust
4. United states champion MVP defeats Matt Hardy
5. Vickie Guerrero def. Santina Marella to become the new Miss WrestleMania
6. John Cena & Batista def. WWE Champion Randy Orton & The Legacy in a match that saw involvement from Big Show and WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair

Things That Are Happening In My Life

I am hanging in their i guess my poor cat takes seizures once every two months. My father isn't get any better yet, my brother Roddy is in the hospital for a checkup because he has pain in his stomach, chest, shoulders and back. My other brother Tommy has been bumming my mom for food, to use her phone and to do his laundry for money. Well he only paid her 20 dollars for like 4 loads of laundry and you know how much laundry soap is. So she told him and his girlfriend which is Becky not to come around our house again. Plus we are struggling to get by to the end of the month. Waiting now to hear how my brother Roddy's checkup went at the hospital. Other than all of that stuff that is going on everything else is ok.

An Old Discussion I Had With A Skeptic

I like to post an old discussion I had with an skeptic. Here's how it went

Chad, I would say astrology everytime i read up on my sign virgo it's always wrong.

Also you said that are many instances where the paranormal has been shown to have a natural explanation which is true in some instances but there are a lot of cases where that has not happen. Such as well documented cases of apparitions where more than one person has seen.

For Example here

http://ghosts.monstrous.com/crisis_apparitions.htm

and here

http://www.thesurvivalfiles.com/Top-40/top-40_start.shtml

By the way you mentioned also Acupuncture there are many studies that have found evidence for it

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/10/011016070408.htm
http://www.acupuncture.com/research/shldrpain.htm
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/07/29/1091046071751.html
http://gancao.net/ht/anesthesia.shtml
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0HKP/is_1_28/ai_65014410/pg_1
http://www.scienceblog.com/community/older/2000/B/200001420.html
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn13104-acupuncture-relieves-cancer-chemotherapy-fatigue.html

Also I don't accept all the paranormal I think a lot of it too out there such as Astrology, Big Foot, The lochness Monster, End of the world conspiracy theories etc.]

I do however think there is very overwhelming scientific evidence for psi and survival



Post #63
2 replies
Chad Hester (Valdosta) replied to your post about an hour ago.
Leo, why is it you don't believe in these other pseudosciences? In regards to Bigfoot, there are plenty of eye witness accounts, videos, pictures and lengthy testimonies. Also, people actually live their lives by astrology, just because you haven't found a "genuine" astrologer to predict your future doesn't mean you can discount it. Further, there have been many studies on the efficacy of astrology. You can find them here:

http://www.astrologyweekly.com/astrology-articles/astrology-scientific-studies.php

Astrology is a great example of why meta analysis can be so faulty(Ganzfeld). Post Hoc conclusions, unconscious experimenter data manipulation, and purposefully manipulative data mining are all can come in to play.

My point is that ANYTHING can be made to seem real once it inundates the public deeply enough. Reports of saucer shaped UFO's were not common until the now infamous Kenneth Arnold misquote. This is a major reason why pseudoscience is ridiculed, so as not to add to public confusion.

There are many very intelligent people who get tied up in these ideas and do a great job of making them seem plausible.

All those documented apparition cases are anecdotal. They are ghost stories; it is very difficult to falsify a story. There are just as many documented cases of UFO abductions, Big Foot and the like.

Crisis apparitions.. the people are in a crisis. Under great emotional stress people are very likely to have their perceptions altered(the time slowing down effect is a good example, which I believe has been found to be a manipulation of the memory of the event and not the perception of the actual occurrence of the event) and it's not a stretch for them to believe they see loved ones.

On acupuncture, there are plenty of natural explanations for any effects found. Such as merely the relaxation aspects or endorphine release do to the needle pricks, there is no need to resort to mystical body energy manipulation. Further, in most studies, any effect is reduced to placebo when performed on large test groups.



Post #64
Nicole Elliott (no network) replied to Chad's post about an hour ago.
"Crisis apparitions.. the people are in a crisis. Under great emotional stress people are very likely to have their perceptions altered(the time slowing down effect is a good example, which I believe has been found to be a manipulation of the memory of the event and not the perception of the actual occurrence of the event) and it's not a stretch for them to believe they see loved ones."

Nope sorry Chad but that's wrong, I've worked in Palliative Care for many years and I've had some incredible experiences, I wans't under any emotional stress in fact I enjoyed my work, my perception was never altered and in fact the reason why I got into researching the 'paranormal' is because of the things I had seen and experienced with the patients and their families . Had I never had these experiences I may not be one that not only believes in the existence of the soul continuing but I can honestly say that I know it does, but then I've experienced it and seen it, those that haven't can't understand and find it hard to comprehend I can understand that, but it has nothing to do with patients being on medication and seeing things, not all patients are on medication and when I have experienced appiritions I've been very conscious of what was happening at the time.
The don't beleive they see loved ones, they really do see them and I've seen them after the body has died : )



Post #65
1 reply
You replied to Chad's post 54 minutes ago.
Chad,

The reason why is because I don't find the evidence compelling but I am open to changing my mind about astrology, big foot.

Also you mention about meta analysis referring to the Ganzfeld experiments Yes scientists such as Professor Ray Hyman and Dr. Susan Blackmore have mention the same Post Hoc conclusions, unconscious experimenter data manipulation, and purposefully manipulative data mining which has been refuted many times also the experiments have been replicated many time.

Here's an article you might find worth interest regarding the ganzfeld experiments
http://www.skepticalinvestigations.org/anomalistics/skeptic_research.htm

They are more than just anecdotal there are recorded voices on tape of ghosts, experimental research such also been done such as Dr. Raymond Moody's work on inducing apparitions in a laboratory setting.

Yes Acupuncture more than likely has a natural explanation but it does not stop skeptics from saying it's still pseudoscience.



Post #66
You wrote 50 minutes ago.
Michael Prescott does a good job in my opinion on his analysis of James Randi's believe that acupuncture is pseudoscience



Post #67
Chad Hester (Valdosta) replied to your post 7 minutes ago.
Dr. Raymond Moody never produced an actual apparition.

There are natural explanations for the "ghost tapes".

The majority of the paranormal research I've seen you site has come from the early 1900's. This is because no evidence was found to support the claims. This is how science works. If a theory is producing no conclusive evidence then it is revised or abandoned. We would not of accepted relativity if it could not of produced experimental evidence.

Classic acupuncture IS pseudoscience. The body does not have some mystical energy that is manipulated by needles. This is similar to chiropractics; there has never been any evidence for "innate intelligence" and this is why few chiropractors practice TRUE chiropractics. It is closer to physical therapy now and if acupuncture is to continue it will undergo similar changes.

Leo says

Michael Prescott does a good job of showing why his view on crisis apparitions is wrong.

http://michaelprescott.typepad.com/michael_prescotts_blog/2008/02/whos-in-crisis.html

As far as Acupuncture goes

http://michaelprescott.typepad.com/michael_prescotts_blog/2006/12/quackery.html

Very Interesting New Skeptiko Podcast Featuring Michael Schmicker, Best Evidence For Psi

Michael Schmicker, Best Evidence of PSI

Guest: Michael Schmicker, Author of, Best Evidence: An Investigative Reporter’s Three-Year Quest to Uncover the Best Scientific Evidence for ESP, Psychokinesis, Mental Healing, Ghosts and Poltergeists, Dowsing, Mediums, Near Death Experiences, Reincarnation, and Other Impossible Phenomena That Refuse to Disappear.

Watch here

http://www.skeptiko.com/index.php?id=82

The Biggest Discovery Ever We All Appear To Survive Physical Death

You probably wonder like I do why the overwhelming evidence for survival, doesn't rock mainstream science out of it's materialistic presumptions about the nature of reality. Is it an conspirary? I shall argue it isn't an conspiracy, it is a fear but science being plunge and the world into an dark age. Even some psychical researchers couldn't accept the evidence for survival, because they didn't want to accept the implications. This is the same with mainstream science the implications are far too reality shattering, it would also replace materialism. Now mainstream scientists would fire back and say materialism has had great success and that we can understand the natural world this way perfectly. I got no problem with that, but is it the whole answer?, when a road block such as the nature of consciousness comes across materialism.

Some of the materialists say well consciousness is an epiphenomenon of the brain, others say it supervenes over the brain, while others say consciousness is an emergent property of the brain. All three of these materialist options all fall in the same assumption. That the brain somehow produces all of our thoughts, feelings, emotions, personality and memory. The thing is if the production model fails then we must look for an alternative. The alternative is that the brain is an receiver or filter of consciousness.


The filter or receiver theory had many advantages over the production theory, such as it can account for positive experimental results for large pk and other psi phenomena. Also it can account for all the evidence for survival and for other phenomena in psychology such as stigmata, the strong correlation between mind and brain, maternal impressions etc.

Of course i am not here to convince any hardcore materialist that simply will not happen. But perhaps materialist's are aren't so sure of their position can make up their own mind. That is all we survivalist's ask for.

The Biggest Loser 7 Is Coming To A Close Tonight

It should be an interesting night as Mike, Ron, Helen and Tara. Who will win? we will find out tonight on a three hour special of the biggest loser. I think Tara will win. We will see. By the way the prize money is $250,000 dollars.

You can look at the final four contestants on nbc.com

http://www.nbc.com/The_Biggest_Loser/photos/gallery#item=71520

Interesting Research Papers Of The Late Ian Stevenson

Here are some interesting reseach papers done by Ian Stevenson.

Research papers by Ian Stevenson

Three New Cases of Reincarnation Types in Sri Lanka With Written Records
http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/jse_02_2_stevenson.pdf

Case of Possession Type in India With Evidence of Paranormal Knowledge
http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/jse_03_1_stevenson.pdf

A Case of Severe Birth Defects Possibly Due to Cursing
http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/jse_03_2_stevenson.pdf


Phobias in Children Who Claim to Remember Previous Lives
http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/jse_04_2_stevenson.pdf


Survival or Super-Psi?: Interchange Responses
http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/jse_06_2_braude.pdf


http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/jse_06_3_stevenson.pdf
A Series of Possibly Paranormal Recurrent Dreams

A New Look at Maternal Impressions: An Analysis of 50 Published Cases
http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/jse_06_4_stevenson.pdf


Birthmarks and Birth Defects Corresponding to Wounds on Deceased Persons
http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/jse_07_4_stevenson.pdf

Six Modern Apparitional Experiences
http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/jse_09_3_stevenson.pdf

Do Cases of the Reincarnation Type Show Similar Features Over Many Years?
http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/jse_13_2_keil.pdf


What are the Irreducible Components of the Scientific Enterprise?
http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/jse_13_2_stevenson.pdf

Stability of Assessments of Paranormal Connections in Reincarnation Type Cases
http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/jse_14_3_stevenson.pdf

Unusual Play in Young Children Who Claim to Remember Previous Lives
http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/jse_14_4_stevenson.pdf

The Similarity of Features of Reincarnation Type Cases Over Many Years: A Third Study
http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/jse_17_2_stevenson.pdf

Children of Myanmar Who Behave like Japanese Soldiers: A Possible Third Element in Personality
http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/jse_19_2_stevenson.pdf

Half a Career with the Paranormal
http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/jse_20_1_stevenson.pdf

Closer To Truth

Awhile ago, I was watching many videos on Consciousness, God and the Cosmos. This site with host Robert Lawrence Kuhn has has very interesting videos on Consciousness, God and the Cosmos. Some of the ones I have watched were.

Is consciousness an illusion?
[Henry Stapp]

Is the person all material?
[John Searle]

Is there life after death?
[Michael Shermer]
[J.P. Moreland]


Check out this site here

http://www.closertotruth.com/topic/Is-There-Life-After-Death-/145

Swine Flu World Outbreak Update

Mexico- 45 confirmed deaths
1,363 confirmed cases
Guatemala- 1 confirmed case
Columbia- 1 confirmed case
Canada- 242 confirmed cases
1 confirmed death
US- 2 confirmed deaths
2,254 confirmed cases
Israel- 6 confirmed cases
Spain- 88 confirmed cases
El Salvador- 2 confirmed cases
UK- 39 confirmed cases
Germany- 10 confirmed cases
Austria- 1 confirmed case
South Korea- 3 confirmed cases
New Zealand- 5 confirmed cases
Switzerland- 1 confirmed case
Italy- 6 confirmed cases
France- 12 confirmed cases
Portugal- 1 confirmed case
Netherlands- 2 confirmed cases
Sweden- 1 confirmed case
Poland- 1 confirmed case
Denmark- 1 confirmed case
Costa Rica- 1 confirmed case
1 death
Argentina- 1 confirmed case
Brazil- 6 confirmed cases
Japan- 3 confirmed cases
Panama- 2 confirmed cases
Australia- 1 confirmed case

Worldwide confirmed cases: 4,379
Confirmed deaths: 49

Patricia Does Mental Mediumship Experiment For The One Million Dollars

As i mentioned before James Randi skeptic and magician has a million dollars for anyone that can prove their paranormal powers under controlled strict scientific conditions. I mentioned before how their is compelling reasons why the challenge is unwinable.


http://www.dailygrail.com/features/the-myth-of-james-randis-million-dollar-challenge
http://michaelprescott.typepad.com/michael_prescotts_blog/2006/12/the_challenge.html
http://www.skepticalinvestigations.org/New/Examskeptics/Sean_Randichallenge.html
Discussion on Randi's prize can be found at the following internet forum:
www.steorn.com/forum
http://www.skepticalinvestigations.org/New/Skepticsmedia/Auerbach_Randi.html





Recently an medium named Patricia apparently failed the test. Their are two possibilities here one she couldn't do what she claims she can do, we do know without a doubt many mediums are frauds, cold readers. However their are some that are genuine. Another possibility is that perhaps the data was altered some. The reason why i say this is because of a number of reasons.



1] He's the fellow who claimed that his own work invalidated Rupert Sheldrake's research on "pet telepathy," but when Wiseman's results were analyzed, they were found to match the same patterns Sheldrake had identified!

http://www.sheldrake.org/D&C/controversies/Wiseman_psi.html

2] He was also one of the investigators in the thoroughly botched Natasha Demkina experiment.

http://www.skepticalinvestigations.org/New/Demkinafile/index.html

3] Here's a good takedown of Wiseman by Stephen Braude.

http://www.skepticalinvestigations.org/New/Examskeptics/Braude_Wiseman.html

4] More articles critical of Wiseman can be found here

http://search.freefind.com/find.html?oq=Wiseman+demkina&id=70607058&pageid=r&_charset_=utf-8&bcd=%C3%B7&scs=1&query=Wiseman+&Find=Search&mode=ALL&search=all

Then their is the other scientist who conducted that experiment on Patricia, called Professor Chris french

in The Skeptic, 14(4): "I am biased in my approach to evidence relating to the paranormal…..I make no claim to be a neutral assessor of the evidence". He takes the view that the on-going debate about the existence of psi "is more consistent with the notion that psi is a powerful illusion rather than the idea that it is real and we are making progress in understanding it".

Skeptics Claim They Can Duplicate Paranormal Phenomena

If they can, why haven't they done so?. Of course their is the show called the mentalist, James Randi on talk shows claiming he can do what Uri Geller can. But the point is they haven't shown this is pure trickery in well controlled experiments. Why? because it appears that they can't. By the way i ain't talking about bending mental, i am talking about his ability for dowsing for oil companies. He has written novels and been a proponent of human consciousness development.


More information on Uri Geller on why he had to be dismissed as having genuine paranormal powers.

When Geller was being tested at SRI computers working on a DARPA project on the next floor went haywire. This seriously upset defense department officials. If a psychic could influence electronic equipment, then any modern weapons system would be subject to sabatoge. Geller had to be discredited to minimize the possibility that anyone would be encouraged to develop military applications for psychic powers. The operation included a prominent skeptic and a U.S. weekly news magazine which brings into question the role of skeptical organizations and the mass media in supressing parapsychology. I discuss this idea in more detail on my web site:

http://www.geocities.com/chs4o8pt/suppressed_parapsychology.html

Interesting New Article Called Does Dna Have Telepathis Properties?

According to the article Dna has been found to have a unique and bizarre ability to even itself at a distance and put itself together. Current science says it shouldn't be able to that. Research published in the ACS Journal Physical Chemistry B, shows clearly that homology recognition between sequences of several hundred nucleotides occurs without physical contact or presence of proteins.

These new findings may also shed light on ways to avoid recombination errors, which are factors in cancer, aging, and other health issues.


More information here

http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2009/04/does-dna-have-t.html

Guy Harrison, 50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God

Skeptiko has another podcast this time, guest Guy P. Harrison, author of, 50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God.

http://www.skeptiko.com/index.php?id=81

Very Important Information About H1N1 [The Swine Flu]

What is swine influenze?

Swine Influenza [swine flu] is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenze that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs. Cases of human to human spread of the swine flu have been documented.

How does swine flu influenza Spread?

It is currently not known how this virus spreads among humans however at this time it appears to be contagious to humans.

Coughing and sneezing can release germs into the air where they are breathed in by other people.

Germs also can rest on hand surfaces like counters and doorknobs. They can be picked up and transmitted to the respiratory system when someone touches their mouth and/or nose.

Should i wear a mask?

According to the public health agency of canada they don't recommend the public to wear any surgical masks to protect against H1N1. Evidence shows these are not effective in preventing the spread of the influenze in the general public. People often wear masks incorrectly or contaminate them when putting them on and taking them off, which could increase the risk and likelyhood of illness to occur.


If i have swine influenza, can i spread the infection to others?

Yes. to avoid spreading disease:

- Wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer
- Do not share drinking glasses or eating utensils
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow
- Stay home when you are sick

Can you get human swine flu from eating pork?

No. Proper cooking of pork products would kill any viruses.

Symptoms of swine influenza [H1N1]

- Fever
- Lack of appetite
- Sore throat
- Cough
- Vomiting and diarrhea [in some cases]
- Body aches/headache
- Chills/fatique
- Fatique

What is the treatment?

Because swine influenza is caused by a virus, antibiotics are not effective. Antiviral medications can sometimes help lessen influenza symptoms, but require a prescription.

What should i do if i have diagnosed with swine influenza?

You should stay home from work, school, public places and other social settings. Avoid close contact with other people for seven days after your symptoms started. This is the time when the illness can be spread to others.


Toll free number for information to Nova Scotians about swine flu influenza [H1N1] has been established. The hours of operation run from 8:30 am to 8:30 pm daily.

1-888-451-4222

Which Worldview Is Correct?

Is new age and eastern religions compatible with psi?, where evidence for survival is compatible with dualism over idealism?. This is where my thinking gets me in trouble, because how do we know which view of reality is correct?. Or perhaps idealism and dualism are both wrong ways to look at reality. That perhaps neutral monism is the answer which can support psi and survival of bodily death.

Then their is materialism which isn't compatible with either survival of bodily of death and psi. Also what about the view of an infinite number of parellel universes, could we be interacting with these universe, without no decoherence. We know that these universes could have completely different laws of physics. Also what about poltergeist phenomena?, could it be just quantum fluctuations being taped by our minds to create effects of poltergeist phenomena?.


But does that really hold?, it appears it may not their are cases of furniture being moved etc. These large objects couldn't be possibility moved by small quantum fluctuation effects from the vacuum.


According to the researchers Brovetto and Maxia believe that the extra fluctuations triggered by the pubescent brain would substantially enhance the presence of the virtual particles surrounding the person. This could slowly increase the pressure of air around them, moving objects and even sending them hurtling across the room.

Here is an new scientist on this

" They're here: the mechanism for poltergeist activity.

However Brian Josephson, a Nobel laureate physicist who is on the editorial board of Neuroquantology.

"This looks distinctly flaky to me," Josephson commented.

That would explain it seems cases of apparitions where people claim to see their people with past wounds. Such as a entity with a hole through his head but show that physical impression tide with his soul.

Rebuttal To Steven Novella's Post Called Occams Razor And Close- Mindedness In SkepticBlog

Steve Pinker mentions this first

It is certainly a virtue to be open-minded, but trouble arises in how we define “open-minded”. It is often used by true-believers as an equivalent of faith, meaning that any odd belief must be accepted regardless of the logic and evidence against it.

Fine, but the same can be said for some skeptics who won't even consider any so called woo woo as materialists call it regardless of overwhelming supportable evidence.

He then mentions

The scientific method is dependent upon methodological naturalism - meaning that we cannot invoke the equivalent of “magic” as an explanation. This is because all ideas in science must be testable - there must be a way to falsify any scientific hypothesis with evidence. A supernatural hypothesis by definition cannot be tested because it is not contained within the laws of nature.

Therefore supernatural notions are not scientific hypotheses because they cannot be tested, and they therefore do not belong on a list of alternate hypotheses. These are the rules of science - if you don’t play by these rules, you are not doing science.

Wait a second science is a method not a position. This is where Steven Pinker pulls in naturalism as the only possible way to gather scientific evidence about reality. That isn't so their are many different views of reality, such as dualism, idealism and neutral monism. If their is an supernatural interaction with our reality and another we can test for that interaction. To say that we can't because it isn't contained within the laws of nature is a cop-out.

He then mentions

But science is actually agnostic toward the question of whether or not there are supernatural forces at work in the universe. Again - definitions get tricky here, because one could argue that any force at work in the universe is by definition natural. But let’s say that a supernatural notion would include the claim that there is an undetectable agency at work in the universe that could arbitrarily suspend the laws of nature. Such a claim is untestable. At best science could detect enduring anomalies - observations that forever defy scientific explanation. But science could never confirm that a supernatural explanation were correct.

Nor could science ever confirm an natural explanation. I agree with you Novella, science is not about comfirmation or proof it is about evidence and probability.

Here is an excellent quote from Sherlock Holmes

“Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.” - Sherlock Holmes