touchy subject i know...

[loopylou6]

but what does everyone think about what the dream pyschic has to say about madeleines dissapearance?

I think I'd be failing in my duty as a s(c/k)eptic if I didn't continually ask for evidence for any supernatural claim.

Well, I don't expect people to give me evidence. But equally I don't think it is reasonable to expect people to simply say, 'if you say it is so, then it must be so'.

the whole world wants evidence uqd.

i read the fortean times which is quite good if you want so real meaty articles.

some real haha

Tying in to the OP, though, assessment by results would be a good place to start.

Get a hundred "psychics" in a room, ask them where a missing person is. With no external help. Get then to write/draw their answers. See if they even agree. If there is a consensus, look in the place the majority suggest.

As a control experiment, you'd need a hundred people who claim no supernatural abilities in another hall, and ask them to write down/draw their ideas too.

This is a pretty good way of testing other claims, too. Prayer, for example.

For the last time because I am getting too annoyed with this now.

I am not asking anyone to believe.

I don't care if you ask for evidence, that is your right. If you will get it is another matter.

What I object to is generalisation.

Some priests have been proven to be child abusers therefore all priests are child abusers. Untrue and unfair as no doubt anyone who shouts down DC will agree.

Some Muslims are terrorists therefore all Muslims are terrorists. Again, untrue and unfair.

I could go on.

Why can the same respect not be accorded to people who have other beliefs?

That is all I am asking but apparently no matter how many times I say it, no one wants to listen.

If I could just add my tuppen'worth, UD - my dp is a scientist. He is a hard and fast scientist. Yet, when he reads my mind, he believes that he has had a psychic episode.

(and he does it too regularly for it to be a coincidence, or random thoughts, or just knowing the way I'm thinking)

He cannot do it to order. If I ask him what I am thinking, he can't "see" it, but he will answer unasked questions, and playing quiz games with him is a real challenge, as he can read the answer out of my mind.

I repeat, he is a scientist

Nobody is accusing people who think they are psychic or think other people are psychic of being criminals. What I and other people think - with good reason - is that there is no such thing as psychic ability. Not ever.

To say you don't think there is any such thing as psychic ability is not a personal insult you know. It really isn't.

I didn't say it was Aloha. Please read my posts again.

SG, i understand your point. Generalisation or mental filtering so that 'some/a few/lots of' becomes 'ALL'

The emphasis here is on the 'all', not the 'psychics'. 'All psychics are nutters etc...' is an irrational and unfalsifiable statement in this context.

UnquietDad, the example you gave about the moon and its cheesiness is a good one. If you had stopped at the point of cheesiness.

"ahhh, but I BELIEVE it is and I have personal expereince of lunar cheesiness " This is belief, in my experience. No right, no wrong. Which is what i think SG is trying to say. And i agree with.

Sometimes people can't accept what they can't understand or feel for themselves.

I remember being told there was no such thing as love at first sight. There argument was that they'd never experienced it so therefore it didn't exist. It seem similar here. I've never experienced true psychic feelings, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

My gut tells me this particular guys a fake though.

Thankful round of applause for squidette.

How did I know this would end up like this?

Please stop putting quotation marks around psychics and calling things so-called religions - it f*cking rude. The religions have been around a lot longer than many others and deserve the same respect.

It is attacking beliefs whatever. If someone I met truly believed to have been abducted by aliens, then although I might not be convinced, I wouldn't laugh at them and call them insane, liars, etc. Just go my own way.

But every time this topic comes up, there are the same players waving their flags and treating those of us who believe differently like shit.

TV psychics - It is a gift, and I am wary of anyone who uses it for publicity. What would happen if for some reason they got no messages one night? How does that work? There are also a disturbing number of people with jewellery in some hidden box somewhere. I'm not saying they are all dodgy, it just feels uncomfortable.

Dream psychics - who knows? It could be genuine, it might not... at the end of the day if police are investigating all the sightings they end up with (and the 1000s of calls from odd men/women saying they have snatched/murdered/turned to ice the missing person), a few psychics could be worth following up too.

But a general ARGH at this thread and the taking the piss - yet again.

oh dear im sorry, i certainly didnt expect to cause a riot by this thread, i was just genuinly curious to see peoples views, from reading through all these messages i feel that every one should respect others beliefs, wether u believe or u dont is entirely your own choice but its not right to call people who have/believe they have a gift... anyway swiftly moving on i ahve had mixed opinions about the dream bloke but apparently he did post these things on his site on the 1st of feb, is there anyway we can find out if he did actually post them on that date coz if that is the case then i would be inclined to fully believe him, dont forget he doesnt get paid for this and hes been doing it for years so maybe he is genuine?

lol - we end up having the same arguement every 6 months or so

Sorry loopylou, the argument did sort of go off track from your OP.

My 1st post was in reply to your OP though:

"Where is the proof that the drawings were done before the event?"

I don't know of anyone who actually saw this stuff on his site before the case hit the news. I don't have the technical knowledge to find out upload dates or whatever (if that is even possible).

The 'validations' he has on his site are somewhat strange as well.

I've still not seen the bloody site!

3rd post on this thread flamey.

Firstly for somehow missing that!!

and second ...I copied the link... and pasted it into the address bar with \link{ before it and then wondered why it didn't work!!!

Snort. Gawd I love you flamey. Just thought I'd tell you that.

I've had something sat here for you for months now One day you might recieve it

Ooooh, all intrigued now.

VVVQV can attest to my crapness at remembering to post parcels

Damn! And now I've just remembered I was supposed to post something to expat today as well.

lmao - I don't have much of an excuse because I'm posting nappies all the time ... MustRunMore was also promised stuff months ago, so you're not alone