Comments on: Testing a medium: Results

By: Kaz Dragon

Kaz Dragon — Mon, 11 May 2009 16:23:01 +0000

@ MsG
> Being psychic can never be proven in my opinion, it’s not a stable thing if it exists.

Why is that? Is our sense of smell unstable? Is our sense of touch unstable? Only to the extent that they’re reproducable, verifiable senses.

There are ways telepathy could work: if humans evolved (or invented) internal radio transmitters and receivers, or other complex non-verbal communications mechanisms (pheremones, etc.). However, they would all be natural phenomena.

And that’s kind of the point of the Randi challenge: any controlled test will only yield natural events because, you know, a supernatural event that happens in this universe is not a supernatural event: it’s natural by definition, in the same way that alternative medicine that is proven to work becomes just “medicine”.

By: ScreamingGreenConure

ScreamingGreenConure — Sun, 10 May 2009 00:59:26 +0000

Goddamn. Mary needs to take that challenge.

By: ricoculous

ricoculous — Sun, 10 May 2009 00:40:34 +0000

“mary Says:
maybe the energies werent right for her that day. loffle.”

Oh, that’s wonderful. You predicted that excuse two days in advance.

Take a look – http://skeptic.org.uk/news/2009/1513

By: Elessar

Elessar — Thu, 07 May 2009 23:05:52 +0000

I think the whole point is that a controlled environment eliminates the ability to use various techniques to mimic psychic ability. If someone claims there are abilities or phenomena that only work in an environment in which they can also be faked, I think that is just cause for a large amount of scepticism.

I suppose one possible test, albeit a slightly subjective one, would be to compare the accuracy of a \’psychic\’ and a self-confessed cold-reader in a variety of environments, to see if there\’s ever a point at which the psychic is significantly more accurate than the cold-reader. You\’d have to pick a psychic and a cold-reader that had equal accuracies in a completely uncontrolled environment, and then gradually increase the controls to see if there\’s a point at which the psychic’s ability cannot be accounted for purely through cold-reading.

You\’d need a fairly large sample size to get reliable results, I suspect. And the counter-argument that mediums cannot work in controlled conditions will remain impossible to completely refute, as it is by definition undisproveable (but also unproveable).

By: rhett

rhett — Thu, 07 May 2009 20:09:13 +0000

This still proves nothing, a lot of mediums are fakes. I have had a 100% spot on medium who doesnt get paid ONE PENNY for their readings- they are the ones IMHO who I trust more, this particular medium was not general AT ALL, and told me things that only I could know- it was something so “out there” there is no way on earth it could be a lucky guess etc

IMO there is something out there, more than we will ever find out- I dont think we are meant to find out to be honest- and to me that is fine, we all will find out soon enough if there is an afterlife or not, why not wait and see? lol

By: ReliegiousMarie

ReliegiousMarie — Thu, 07 May 2009 17:10:09 +0000

@Ms G…thats very intruiging what you said…

By: Siobhan

Siobhan — Thu, 07 May 2009 14:45:42 +0000

Sigh… everyone knows that the spirits won’t respond in controlled conditions, thats why we can never test the Mediums… tricksy ghosts

By: jameshogg

jameshogg — Thu, 07 May 2009 14:18:22 +0000

Maybe our evolution will get to a point where we really will grow these abilities inside ourselves. We can adapt somewhat to the mood of a dinner party and seem to catch onto what’s being talked about without actually hearing about it. Maybe we are touching on it there?

…or have I been watching Heroes too much?

By: ScreamingGreenConure

ScreamingGreenConure — Thu, 07 May 2009 12:59:49 +0000

Good catch, KatM! Is she knowingly faking all of it or just acting subject to reporting bias, do you think?

By: Peyote Wishcard

Peyote Wishcard — Thu, 07 May 2009 12:49:30 +0000

Good on her for trying
the truth is out there!!!
I am very into this stuff but havent found a psychic that i can 100% believe in
But if we could find such a person then we wouldnt bother using or own brains would we!
Plus you skeptics would have no one to have a go at!
Though in saying that Gary Minnion, i mean Mannion still sits uncomfortably within my mind…
I would like to see him put to the test properly…
HUGZ to all you Browners xXx