Can we have a proper 'woo' topic?

[IndigoBarbie]

Dear MNHQ, I fully believe in freedom of speech and experiences, and as such I go out of my way to assist those who are asking more angelic/psychic etc questions, since this is my real life in a nutshell. Getting sooooo fed up of threads becoming all about others who don't believe and blatantly attacking those of us on thread who want to actively discuss and share and I think a lovely new topic of 'woo' or something you feel is an appropriate title could be provided for us to have proper sharings and discussions.

People are free to talk about alternative therapies or "woo" subjects. Sticking all woo in one spot won't stop people from commenting if they think posts are factually incorrect.

But I don't object to having a topic for it, just don't expect free reign to spout crap.

I'd definitely be be up for that, it would be nice to discuss sincerely held beliefs and related topics without certain other posters coming on and rather rudely dismissing them..
I think that some people don't realise or care that 'woo' can actually be a part of someone's religious beliefs. Dismissing that is hugely patronising and really bloody annoying.
As fashionable as atheism is these days, there should still a place to at least talk about things like this without having several posts merely saying 'bollocks'.
If we have our own woo topic could we please ban anybody from bringing up that million pound prize as well? That would be nice

But who has the right to say what and what isn't crap?

I don't believe in religion.. All of this worshiping some invisible deity makes no sense, so in my opinion it is crap.

However

I don't go on religious threads and subject believers to the venom that happens on anything remotely 'woo' though.. just seems that some things are fair game on here and it's tiresum.

Oh I love talking about neuroscience. Save me a seat in the new topic

That's precisely what I mean Gamerchick, a good debate as discussion about a subject is fab and usually I do learn something but the sheer venom and sneering on woo threads is something else and it really is tiresome.
There seems to be real hatred aimed at anyone who believes in anything remotely supernatural on here.

"who has the right to say what and what isn't crap? "

People.

Those who have a bare minimum understanding of physics, chemistry, biology (i.e. the real world), to be specific.

Reality isn't subjective.

I don't mean you personally btw, it was a general comment x

I'm glad those who are regulars on the woo threads are here ramping up the sneering it's totally proving the point of why we want a dedicated topic.

If you correct a mathematical calculation, is that because you hate the person who has made the mistake? With real venom, no less.

Or could it be that you just want to correct it because it is wrong?

Where is the sneering, gamerchick?

Us who believe want to be able to talk about it without having to constantly fend off people who don't. I don't understand why that is so hard to see? it's not hard.

I suppose my shorthand "spout crap" was a little lazy and unfair.

What I actually mean, and I'm sure you were able to understand that, is that you can't expect to stop people debating the validity of your statements just because you've got your own topic.

"who has the right to say what and what isn't crap? "

People.

Those who have a bare minimum understanding of physics, chemistry, biology (i.e. the real world), to be specific.

Reality isn't subjective.

THIS ^

'Body/Mind/neuroscience' would be a totally inappropriate description of any thread I've read on 'woo' though. That would surely come under the P/R/S topic?

A more apposite description of the woo threads everyone enjoys so much would be 'The Unexplained'. Suitably non specific, but sums up the kernel of the discussion - describing, discussing, hypothesising on that we can't explain.

Good name suggestion, Bruno.

I agree, gamerchick, this thread proves the need for a discrete topic perfectly.

Personally, I'm very highly educated, Cote.

But why does it affect you personally (again not aimed at anybody specifically) if another person has a different belief or experience to you? It can get hugely personal on woo threads, usually with a side order of 'point and laugh' when sometimes people just want to talk. It's why although I do openly state that I'm Pagan on some threads I would never share actual experiences on here, my life and beliefs are not a target for Atheists and the like to laugh at.
A dedicated topic might be good for some of us.

"Current research areas for neuroscience"?

Oh no your free reign comment was perfect.. its exactly the attitude that illustrates the tiresum part of these threads.

People can chat amongst themselves about invisible gods that don't exist unmolested so why can't we talk about what we believe in?

Why the urge to get neuroscience into the name?

I think it's hugely misleading and would end up pulling in the kind of posters you're aiming to avoid me who will be disappointed at the lack of science content.

gamerchick, you can talk, but why should people not debate what you say?

Are religion and woo out of bounds for rational examination?

A representative sample from googling "current research topics in neuroscience":

interstitial cells of cajal and the autonomic nervous system

enabling technologies for very large-scale synaptic electronics

mechanisms of neuronal migration during corticogenesis

I'm guessing that's not what you have in mind?

I didn't know neuroscience had been adopted as a term by the woo - when I did my psychology degree it was all about visual perception and consciousness - hardly appealing to the paranormally inclined I would have thought.

If you did a psychology degree, Tabby, you must be aware of recent volte-faces on transcendental meditation, mindfulness and optimism.

There's also research going on in the areas of out of body experiences, near death experiences and whether psychic phenomena are related to altered brain states like depression. I did a psychology degree too.

Would the topic be science focused? If not, I'd avoid the word "neuroscience".

Picking up on some things a couple of posters have mentioned, there is no such thing as a proposition such as 'angels exist' (or whatever) being true for some people but not for others. A claim is either true or not true and I don't understand why people are shying away from public discussion if they really care about whether their beliefs are true.
If it is being proposed that 'woo' has a separate thread - in which the kind of discussion which occurs in the philosophy section is discouraged, belief in woo is accepted without questioning and 'woo believers' are generally protected from the objections of those who don't ascribe to the same irrational beliefs- then I question the integrity of some people's epistemic enquiry.
I understand that some people aren't so bothered by whether their beliefs and experiences are objectively true and may want somewhere to discuss the subjective, spiritual side without others dismissing their experiences entirely but please don't disguise it as truth or knowledge as it is neither.
Critical discussion and an environment where debate is encouraged is in my eyes is much more valuable to all parties than a complete separation of woo from criticism.
By all means have a separate woo topic but also have a separate religion topic and separate topics for different philosophical approaches and everyone can just believe more or less what they already believe and not feel threatened by people who don't see things the same way.

"People can chat amongst themselves about invisible gods that don't exist unmolested"

Have you ever been on a religion thread? They get lots of "molestation". (Strange choice of word to describe dissent and debate).