What do people think of this article dealing with the supernatural?

Question

http://www.newsweek.com/id/62337?GT1=10450

Tony C: My only guess is by bringing them to a psychologist.

Answer 1

Interesting and sounds plausible - however, this concept is nothing new as the same principles are used by stage magicians and mentalists to deceive their audience - and
look at that ridiculous show "Ghost Hunters" - people are more than willing to help deceive themselves.

Conversely, this theory does not evidence that ghosts and the supernatural do NOT exist, just that what people often suppose to be supernatural isn't.

Having been hit over the head with it, so to speak, through personal experience, I am in the group that believes that the supernatural exists - beyond that, I am fairly clueless. And I admit the possibility that I am wrong - certainly a lot of these things turn out just to be weird natural phenomenon, really spectacular coincidences, self-deception of the type described in the article or of another type.

But I won't lie, I don't believe that was true in my case - me, I'm a believer.

P.S. And no, I'm not into astrology, new age crystals, etc. And I am not an amateur or professional medium, psychic, fortuneteller, stage magician or anything of that sort. Nor am I any sort of religious fanatic. Nor am I in a position to make money from any such person or anything like that. And no, I have never been confined to a mental institution and no one has ever suggested I should be. I am a perfectly normal, rational, intelligent person. Really.

Answer 2

It is just one more example of where science has started explain that religious belief and the illusion of god and miracles is hardwired into our brains. A part of our biological function that arouse naturally because it aided in our survival and the ability to pass on genetic material.

Of course the religious folks will use this very biochemistry to justify dismissing the findings as a trick of Satan.

Answer 3

Looks pretty good, but why have an exercise in 'imagining a white space with four black Pac-man' thingies instead of actually putting up an image to illustrate the point?

Were they running low on bandwidth or something?

Answer 4

Scientists have been debunking the supernatural for ages. The more we learn about how the brain works, the more it seems that ghosts, aliens, angels, and even spirituality itself can be described in terms of normal brain activity.

That's one of the reasons christians are so anti-science.

Answer 5

Fascinating and plausible. I'd like to see hard data though. Remember, there are also some proofs of the existance of ghosts.

Answer 6

How do you explain that to someone who thinks they can talk to their dead family members?

Edit: Moiraes Fate, didn't you see the movie E.T. That movie is obvious proof that extra terrestials with healing powers are interested in coming to earth and spending time with children.

Answer 7

Sounds quite plausible. I'd like to see more carefully designed studies, of course, but intuitively it makes a lot of sense.

Answer 8

I think I wore that sweater and the ghost which lives inside it made me crap my pants at a most inopportune time!

But seriously, the article makes sense.

Answer 9

I think it's another way that someone is trying to rationalize a supernatural experience they obviously have not had the privilege of experiencing.

Answer 10

makes alot of sense to me

i mean, visual anomalies or spirits and supernatural?

its usually the simpler answer...