Why is it that...

[Gerald]

...folks who claim to have had encounters with allegedly supernatural entities or occurences always clam up when pressed to provide evidence supporting the notion that what they experienced was, in fact, supernatural?

 

[Caledvwlch]

Is this a rhetorical question?

 

[Granite]

...folks who claim to have had encounters with allegedly supernatural entities or occurences always clam up when pressed to provide evidence supporting the notion that what they experienced was, in fact, supernatural?

:think:

Embarrassment and the idea of being ridiculed.

 

[kmoney]

...folks who claim to have had encounters with allegedly supernatural entities or occurences always clam up when pressed to provide evidence supporting the notion that what they experienced was, in fact, supernatural?

What evidence are you looking for?

 

[Gerald]

What evidence are you looking for?

Something verifiable. If such entities and phenomena are as common as some folks claim, that should not be a particularly difficult task...

 

[kmoney]

Something verifiable. If such entities and phenomena are as common as some folks claim, that should not be a particularly difficult task...

Who claims they are common? And what exactly is your definition of common?

 

[Gerald]

Who claims they are common? And what exactly is your definition of common?

My definition of "common" is irrelevant to this discussion.

 

[Real Sorceror]

Hey Gerald, guess what! TAPS, a paranormal investigation team, has video footage and sound of the paranormal. They have several excellent examples of beings (ghosts) cuaght on tap using heat sensitive cameras.

 

[koban]

My definition of "common" is irrelevant to this discussion.

How about your definition of "something verifiable"?

 

[koban]

My definition of "common" is irrelevant to this discussion.

How about answering the first question?

Who claims they are common? And what exactly is your definition of common?

 

[Gerald]

Hey Gerald, guess what! TAPS, a paranormal investigation team, has video footage and sound of the paranormal. They have several excellent examples of beings (ghosts) cuaght on tap using heat sensitive cameras.

TAPS seems to use a "this is what we think we encountered; what do you think?" approach.

At best, their results are inconclusive.

 

[Gerald]

:think:

Embarrassment and the idea of being ridiculed.

I think this about sums it up... :chuckle:

 

[koban]

Wuss!

 

[Real Sorceror]

TAPS seems to use a "this is what we think we encountered; what do you think?" approach.

At best, their results are inconclusive.

What kind of proof are you looking for exactly? Ghosts dont exactly sit and smile for the cameras. I've never heard of a spell that can be seen with the naked eyes. Maybe the proof your looking for doesnt exist, or is simply near impossible to aquire.

 

[Gerald]

Maybe the proof your looking for doesnt exist, or is simply near impossible to aquire.

If that is the case, then there is no compelling reason to take any supernatural/paranormal claim seriously.

 

[Real Sorceror]

If that is the case, then there is no compelling reason to take any supernatural/paranormal claim seriously.

What I mean to say is, if your looking for someone who shoots magical fire, you wont find it, becuase thats not how magic works. Magic opperates within natural boundries, it just stacks the deck in your favor. I'm of the opinion that magical forces are weaker on Earth than they are on other dimensions (ex. Heaven or Hell). If you where to visit another dimension, maybe you could shoot fire. It wont work here though.

 

[Poet Fox]

I can shoot out magik fire, just give me a lighter, and a can a beans LOL.

 

[Mr. 5020]

If that is the case, then there is no compelling reason to take any supernatural/paranormal claim seriously.

If millions of people tell you that they felt something, but they can't prove it [other, of course, than the testimony of millions of people], that is not a compelling reason?

 

[Nathon Detroit]

Hey Gerald, guess what! TAPS, a paranormal investigation team, has video footage and sound of the paranormal. They have several excellent examples of beings (ghosts) cuaght on tap using heat sensitive cameras.

Heat sensitive cameras??? Those are either ghosts... or more likely flatulence caught on tape.

 

[Gerald]

If millions of people tell you that they felt something, but they can't prove it [other, of course, than the testimony of millions of people], that is not a compelling reason?

No, it isn't. All it demonstrates is that "millions of people" claim to have "felt" something (I presume we're referring to folks "feeling a sinister presense" or some such). Problem is there's no way to demonstrate whether that "sinister presense" is or is not in the person's own head.

Heck, I've gotten a case of the creeps on a number of occasions in my own house; interestingly enough, they usually show up if I've recently read a scary story.

I'm pretty confident, though, that it's just my subconscious mind playing tricks on me, and that I don't have any spooks in the house.