Paranormal.

Dujo:

http://www.randi.org/joom/challenge-info.html

Quote

At JREF, we offer a one-million-dollar prize to anyone who can show, under proper observing conditions, evidence of any paranormal, supernatural, or occult power or event. The JREF does not involve itself in the testing procedure, other than helping to design the protocol and approving the conditions under which a test will take place. All tests are designed with the participation and approval of the applicant. In most cases, the applicant will be asked to perform a relatively simple preliminary test of the claim, which if successful, will be followed by the formal test. Preliminary tests are usually conducted by associates of the JREF at the site where the applicant lives. Upon success in the preliminary testing process, the "applicant" becomes a "claimant."

To date, no one has passed the preliminary tests.

Maybe it's just your brain playing tricks with you? Most of the examples here start with "It was dark...", "Before I went to bed...", "I was alone...", "Someone said something about this house...", "Someone died (stress)..."...

Maybe some things just aren't meant to be explained.

Dujo:

Maybe it's just your brain playing tricks with you? Most of the examples here start with "It was dark...", "Before I went to bed...", "I was alone...", "Someone said something about this house...", "Someone died (stress)..."...

It very well could be. Paranormal is unexplained/unexplainable phenomenon occurring with little to no scientific evidence to back the claims up.
Not everything in the world has an explanation or proof. Take God for example. Some believe, some don't. Some have experienced things, some haven't. There's always those who believe and always those who don't. Ghosts, aliens, etc. I could go on.
And usually this kind of thing can't be proved which is what makes it so controversial.

Seriously, if I had paranormal powers, I wouldn't go and get tested. It's like I can talk to spirits/see ghosts/do paranormal stuff. I am the real deal. I don't need one million dollars, I don't need to prove anything to anyone.
But maybe that's just me.

There are still plenty of things left unexplained in our world.

Dujo:

http://www.randi.org/joom/challenge-info.html

Quote

At JREF, we offer a one-million-dollar prize to anyone who can show, under proper observing conditions, evidence of any paranormal, supernatural, or occult power or event. The JREF does not involve itself in the testing procedure, other than helping to design the protocol and approving the conditions under which a test will take place. All tests are designed with the participation and approval of the applicant. In most cases, the applicant will be asked to perform a relatively simple preliminary test of the claim, which if successful, will be followed by the formal test. Preliminary tests are usually conducted by associates of the JREF at the site where the applicant lives. Upon success in the preliminary testing process, the "applicant" becomes a "claimant."

To date, no one has passed the preliminary tests.

To be honest, that rather reminds me of the guy who was asking for proof that the moon exists.
Link.

I watch this show called Gjost Hunters and it's totally ligit. Their job is to debunk anything paranormal- not look for anything paranormal. Yet, they have found, beyond a reasonable doubt, evidence of paranormal activity.

I'm not saying that everything that people say here is true, but some of it definitely can't be explained.

Science can only go so far...some things can't and aren't meant to be explained.

I recently went to Gettysburg on a school trip. We visited the most haunted inn in the country and, arguably, the world. I'm not usually one for ghost stories, but when I walked in...there was something there. You could tell.

I also saw two things that night. A little boy, who the guide later told tales about, and my great grandmother Gianna. A lot of people say that inn is a fake, but I don't see how they'd be able to do anything like that.

druscilla; downpour.:

To be honest, that rather reminds me of the guy who was asking for proof that the moon exists.
Link.

Ok, let me quote that guy.

Quote

You can see it. But think about it – without the help of so-called "experts", how do you really know what you’re looking at? It could be a hologram, projected from various government installations throughout the world. It could be a large, crudely painted balloon, held in place by helium and propelled by tiny sails and rudders (which is why it moves across the sky so slowly). Or, most likely, it could have been different things at different times and different places, depending on the technology available to the conspirators and the culture and beliefs of the population being deceived.

Does it matter what it is? It's still there, even if it's a "large, crudely painted balloon", it still exists :mrgreen:

Dujo:

Ok, let me quote that guy.

Quote

You can see it. But think about it – without the help of so-called "experts", how do you really know what you’re looking at? It could be a hologram, projected from various government installations throughout the world. It could be a large, crudely painted balloon, held in place by helium and propelled by tiny sails and rudders (which is why it moves across the sky so slowly). Or, most likely, it could have been different things at different times and different places, depending on the technology available to the conspirators and the culture and beliefs of the population being deceived.

Does it matter what it is? It's still there, even if it's a "large, crudely painted balloon", it still exists :mrgreen:

But the moon doesn't exist then. A balloon does. It would be like if you had a food on the table that looked like a pie, but wasn't. It is there, but pie isn't. It's a substitute.

Mrs. Melting Crayons:

I recently went to Gettysburg on a school trip. We visited the most haunted inn in the country and, arguably, the world. I'm not usually one for ghost stories, but when I walked in...there was something there. You could tell.

You think "something" would still be there if you didn't know where you were?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placebo

Dujo:

You think "something" would still be there if you didn't know where you were?

I saw a demon. My house is not haunted. There are no ghost stories about my house, let alone that town, that I know of. I've hallucinated before and this was absolutely nothing like the hallucination I previously experienced. Can I prove it? No. Does that necessarily mean it wasn't real? No.

druscilla; downpour.:

But the moon doesn't exist then. A balloon does.

We call that "balloon" the Moon. So "the Moon" exists.

Dujo:

druscilla; downpour.:

But the moon doesn't exist then. A balloon does.

We call that "balloon" the Moon. So "the Moon" exists.

The idea of it exists. But the actual moon they tell us about, with rocks and craters an American flag. It doesn't exist. It's a lie. A balloon is the reality in it's place and the moon isn't real.

I saw the moon through a telescope. :shifty

And I went to a museum and they had a piece of the moon in a glass. And it was like a rock... not like a balloon.

druscilla; downpour.:

A balloon is the reality in it's place

That's cool with me. As long as there's "something" there, I'll be sure it exists.

druscilla; downpour.:

I saw a demon. My house is not haunted. There are no ghost stories about my house, let alone that town, that I know of. I've hallucinated before and this was absolutely nothing like the hallucination I previously experienced. Can I prove it? No. Does that necessarily mean it wasn't real? No.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis



Looks familiar?

Dujo:

druscilla; downpour.:

I saw a demon. My house is not haunted. There are no ghost stories about my house, let alone that town, that I know of. I've hallucinated before and this was absolutely nothing like the hallucination I previously experienced. Can I prove it? No. Does that necessarily mean it wasn't real? No.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/Fuseli_nightmare.jpg/280px-Fuseli_nightmare.jpg

Looks familiar?

Not really. I wasn't sleeping, I wasn't on my back, and nothing sat on me.

druscilla; downpour.:

Not really. I wasn't sleeping, I wasn't on my back, and nothing sat on me.

But you saw a "balloon", not the real thing.

druscilla; downpour.:

Can I prove it? No. Does that necessarily mean it wasn't real? No.

Do we have any logical reason to believe without proof? At this moment can I say for certain that there isn't a purple unicorn dancing in my closet? No, I'm not in there. But does that mean we should all start believing in purple closet unicorns? No, because there is no logic, we have no legitimate reason to believe or evidence. Just because you can't prove something doesn't exist doesn't mean we should assume that it does.

Dujo:

druscilla; downpour.:

Not really. I wasn't sleeping, I wasn't on my back, and nothing sat on me.

But you saw a "balloon", not the real thing.

I've hallucinated. It was nothing like a hallucination.

Dujo:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis

o_O

Dude. That article was on the money. I'm black (half my family as well, the other half has never mentioned this) and I have always referred to it as "the witch is riding you" and I didn't know the scientific term for it. We've always believed (and I've always been taught) that it was caused by an excessive amount of sin or guilt in your life. I still believe that though. That article may have been accurate but it didn't make me change my thoughts on why it happened.

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As for my beliefs on paranormal things happening, I mean... I guess I believe in it. But I don't really believe so much in spirits as I do in angels and demons walking the Earth. I've never experienced any paranormal activity but I don't completely doubt that it exists.