Supernatural/paranormal activity and the power of suggestion

I am hesitant to write this because it makes me look like a complete wuss.Recently, I have been reading "creepy/scary" stories. I have never quite been one who is scared of the dark, even as a child. I was never one that believed in boogie-man or any of that shit. I still don't. However, since I have been reading this stuff, I am getting these.....fears, if you will. When I walk by a car at night in my parking garage, I feel as though something is in there looking at me. I get the same feeling when I walk by a dark room or dark corner. The thing is: I know full well that the shit is ALL in my head. What I think I see (the images in my head) are simply what is conjured up from the shit I read. For example: this past week at work I was the only one there, as the rest of the company was on shut down. Whenever I would walk the halls to go smoke outside, I constantly had chills run down my spine when I thought about what could be around the corner or behind that closed door. I have to repeatedly remind myself that I am being an idiot and the shit in my head is just that: my mind playing tricks on me.So, this all has got me thinking. It seems very apparent to me, now, that all the stories of paranormal activity, all the stories of people seeing supernatural activity all must be the mind playing tricks. I have no doubt that what people claim to be seeing, they "really" see it. It is very real to them. It's just that some are more open to suggestion than others. I am apparently one of those people, at least to some extent.We all know how powerful the mind is and there is, as of yet, no definitive proof or evidence of anything supernatural outside of the minds of those involved.I have a few more thoughts about this but I don't yet know how to put them into words that would make sense so hopefully they will get hashed out if this thread takes off. I would like for this to go on the science side so we don't get bogged down with "faith" or "belief" as this thread is intended to target exactly that.Edited by hooah212002, : No reason given.

Not a topic of interest, I presume....

Adminnemooseus

The science section is predominantly regarding the evolution/creation debate, and this is really only tangentially relevant to that debate I think. Faith and Belief might work on the grounds that it is about the objective/subjective divide and arguments pro and against the objective reality of God (and I suppose other things people have faith in too, if we're being loose), though you've said you want out of that.That really only leaves Free for All and Coffee House. The latter, I think, being preferable.

After looking through the sub-topics just now, you are correct in saying that it doesn't really fit anywhere "neatly". I will request, though, that we can attempt to refrain from, for lack of better terminology, "feelings". I guess the best example I can think of and exactly what I do NOT want this topic to be about is "jesus/YHWH/god/allah is factually real because I feel it/I saw it/I have a personal relationship with it". Secondly, this isn't solely about supernatural entities of a religious nature. I included that because I think the two go hand in hand. I'm hoping that is why you suggested the Coffee House and not because it's me proposing the topic.As I said in the OP: I haven't exactly hashed this whole thing out yet because this is the only place I have brought it up. I am hoping that in engaging with people who have had somewhat similar experiences, I can begin to piece together more of my thoughts on the subject.

I'm confused, I thought you wanted to discuss the scientific basis for certain feelings viz 'the heeby jeebies'. Surely feelings are going to be discussed. If it is to be a debate, what position do you expect your opponents to take if not 'I had a feeling there was a spirit/deity/whatever therefore there was'? If you want to propose a debate to argue against that position, surely some people should be permitted to argue for it?I appreciate you might not want to go down that rabbit hole, but I'm having difficulty picturing what else you are expecting. Do you just want this to be a discussion about the scientific account, rather than a debate? I suggested Coffee House because it doesn't fit elsewhere comfortably, it was not meant as a personal slight or anything. Are you still opposed to it going there?Since the question of fingerprint analysis made it over to it, I suppose we could squeeze into the Is It Science? forum. There we can discuss whether scientific explanations for the spooky feelings you discuss are really scientific or something.

Yea, that's why I said "for lack of better terminology" because the very topic IS about feelings, but I want to examine why it is we have those feelings. I don't want it to go into "well those feelings mean it's real" if that makes any sense. yes, the sensation is real, but it says nothing about there actually being something real (i.e. physical/not a product of your imagination) causing that sensation. Either/or. Nope. That is fine. That would be even better. I hope I have made clear why I would prefer we stay out of the faith/belief section.....

Thread copied to the Supernatural/paranormal activity and the power of suggestion thread in the Is It Science? forum, this copy of the thread has been closed.