Featured How should we handle claims involving the supernatural?

[AgnosticBoy]

I’d be interested in how you go about looking at a claim of the supernatural.

This would be a good topic.

For debate...
How should we handle claims involving the supernatural?

 

[AgnosticBoy]

How should we handle claims involving the supernatural?

In general, I accept that all intellectual matters should be handled with logic and evidence. If something can not be disproven, then I remain agnostic. Also, to be practical, I don't limit myself to science just as historians don't limit themselves to science. The events involved with the supernatural are often beyond the scope of what scientists can deal with (replications or repeated occurrences, lab controls, etc) so limiting yourself to science sets you up to fail. This all-or-nothing approach by some (it has to be confirmed by science or its dismissed) leaves us in ignorance about a matter that most of us wants to know about. So to be practical, I think it is necessary to adopt some less-than scientific standards for the supernatural. Even in using science we are settling for a lesser standard when you really think about it. The ultimate standard for validity is having absolute truth/certainty. Even scientists can't offer us that, but we still use science to acquire about the Universe for practical reasons.

This reminds me of how governments and skeptics have dealt with UFO claims. The government needs to know about them but because of a stigma and limited scientific options for it, we tend to just leave it alone. But recently that has changed since some experts are starting to accept the existence of UFOs based only on scientific observations, as opposed to accepting it after it goes through the other scientific processes (i.e. experimentation, replication, etc.)

 

[Multicolored Lemur]

So to be practical, I think it is necessary to adopt some less-than scientific standards for the supernatural.

Yes, I tend to agree, because the supernatural is likely to be occasional.

Okay, I’d be interested in how rocks falling from the sky moved from urban legend (and/or rural legend!!) to accepted scientific fact.

And maybe compared to UFOs, which merely means unidentified— But which is usually taken to mean aliens from other planets.

And then frankly, it conflicts with my world view. Because why would teenage aliens be interested in frequently buzzing our planet right at the edge of us being able to see something?

In any case, I think there is a good contrast-and-compare between meteorites and UFOs.

 

[William]

Yes, I tend to agree, because the supernatural is likely to be occasional.

Okay, I’d be interested in how rocks falling from the sky moved from urban legend (and/or rural legend!!) to accepted scientific fact.

And maybe compared to UFOs, which merely means unidentified— But which is usually taken to mean aliens from other planets.

And then frankly, it conflicts with my world view. Because why would teenage aliens be interested in frequently buzzing our planet right at the edge of us being able to see something?

In any case, I think there is a good contrast-and-compare between meteorites and UFOs.

I once was having a cigarette and a cuppa on my front porch. It was a half hour before dawn. In the sky at about 30 degrees angle, there suddenly appeared a white light that looked slightly brighter [and bigger] than the brightest star in the sky. As soon as it appeared [seemingly out of nowhere] it began to slowly move toward the right [north] of my position and continued to do this for many seconds.

After moving for about a foot [from my perspective] across the dark backdrop of the sky, the light suddenly disappeared, and as I was marveling at this thing I had witnessed, Lo! Another light exactly the same as the first light, appeared in exactly the same spot in the sky as the first light had appeared a minute before.

I thought to go get my camera but then laughed at myself for being so foolish as to think the light would still be in the sky when I returned, and for the next 10 minutes I watched as the light-object moved and continued on toward the north - its shine/size slowly growing smaller until my eye could no longer distinguish it, as the suns early morning rays hued up the canvas of the sky.

The sky contains freaky things. Perhaps even more freaky than what the oceans contain.

Q: What are these UFO's [and the supposed extraterrestrial occupants] most likely to be, and why have they been accompanying human beings since the ancient prehistoric times?

Certainly they do appear to behave in a similar manner as adolescent humans...even in biblical terms...just ultra intelligent ones - based on what we know about intelligent advances re our own technology.

To Add To That

 

[Multicolored Lemur]

. . . and as I was marveling at this thing I had witnessed, Lo! Another light exactly the same as the first light, appeared in exactly the same spot in the sky as the first light had appeared a minute before. . .



To Add To That

Ah, so it sounds like the mystery remains.

 

[William]

Yes

 

[2Dbunk]

So to be practical, I think it is necessary to adopt some less-than scientific standards for the supernatural. Even in using science we are settling for a lesser standard when you really think about it. The ultimate standard for validity is having absolute truth/certainty. Even scientists can't offer us that, but we still use science to acquire about the Universe for practical reasons.

Science gives us an objective set of verifiable truths. The lesser standard that you are suggesting is subjective or merely opinion, based on one's personal experience and/or standard. I don't think a universal standard can be applied here.

I agree we should be open to new experiences, but we should also take care to account for hallucination and other temporary psychological phenomena that may explain-away weird happenings. I suggest this standard for the unexplainable: if it happens just once, your senses may have been duped; if it happens often (outside of science), either seek help or investigate through the Scientific Method.

In William's case of his witnessing an ultra-bright light before dawn, I too have experienced such a light. I've finally concluded that it was probably a meteorite coming directly toward me.

 

[William]

In William's case of his witnessing an ultra-bright light before dawn, I too have experienced such a light. I've finally concluded that it was probably a meteorite coming directly toward me.

If you read my story carefully, you should be able to work out that your explanation of my experience is faulty, as it fails to consider the whole description.