Where did the paranormal go?

Cycling home from work yesterday over my 4.5 mile commute I must have looked over my left shoulder 50 times.
I could have sworn there was something behind me and it felt so real rather like another cyclist trying to undertake me.
Lysander would probably think it's a dead cyclist haunting me but I know it was me going mad.
 
Gerard said:
Yeah seen the report on it earlier, still seems a bit of a weird story to concoct for whatever reason.
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Religion. It's roughly the right area for the Abrahamic religions and it ties in with the myths of them. Since there's no evidence of it, special forces is the best framing for the story as they're generally secretive.
 
ethan said:
Understandably not every experience might be true either but It's been said time and time again on this forum that absence of evidence isn't necessarily evidence of absence.
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Damn, then maybe I do actually stick badgers up my arse? You got me @Hotwired

SexyGreyFox said:
Cycling home from work yesterday over my 4.5 mile commute I must have looked over my left shoulder 50 times.
I could have sworn there was something behind me and it felt so real rather like another cyclist trying to undertake me.
Lysander would probably think it's a dead cyclist haunting me but I know it was me going mad.
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Adrenaline mixed with our mammal instincts perhaps? Did something happen earlier on the ride?

I've had similar where I swore something kept touching my neck in the car... was a tiny spider in my hair hah :D

I had an ex who'd wake up panicking that something was holding her down and trying to strangle her...:eek:



;) :P
 
NVP said:
Damn, then maybe I do actually stick badgers up my arse? You got me @Hotwired

Adrenaline mixed with our mammal instincts perhaps? Did something happen earlier on the ride?

I've had similar where I swore something kept touching my neck in the car... was a tiny spider in my hair hah :D

I had an ex who'd wake up panicking that something was holding her down and trying to strangle her...:eek:
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis

Quick summary - a person may be in a mixed state of awake and asleep. They're conscious but have no voluntary control of any muscle. As a result, it's very common to feel as though something is holding you down (since you're trying to move and can't) and strangling you (since you're trying to breathe and can't). It's generally very frightening. It's also common to somehow sense a malign presence of some kind, even to hallucinate its existence to some extent (your body is still partially in a sleep state, so very open to hallucinations). I've had it once and I was in a right old panic. I thought I'd had a massive stroke and was dying that way rather than any malign spirit being responsible, but I guess that difference is just a matter of how a person's mind in a highly stressed state creates an explanation for something. I'm strongly inclined away from superstition. Some people would interpret it as aliens, some as ghosts, whatever their highly stressed mind decided fitted the circumstances.

If you're still in touch with her, it might be nice to let her know about sleep paralysis. It's probably much less frightening if you know what it is. It's not dangerous, since your autonomic system will handle stuff like breathing just as it does when you're fully asleep. It won't last long (though it will probably seem much longer than it is).
 
ethan said:
Allegations of experiences that are for the most part personal and anecdotal, randomised and non repeatable. Not every paranormal experience is untrue just because it's unprovable. Understandably not every experience might be true either but It's been said time and time again on this forum that absence of evidence isn't necessarily evidence of absence.
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I don't doubt for one moment that people experience things that are 100% supernatural, paranormal or inexplicable - to them.

In most cases it's due to a lack of scientific knowledge, sometimes it's because small yet important details are often left out.
 
Angilion said:
If you're still in touch with her, it might be nice to let her know about sleep paralysis. It's probably much less frightening if you know what it is. It's not dangerous, since your autonomic system will handle stuff like breathing just as it does when you're fully asleep. It won't last long (though it will probably seem much longer than it is).
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She's fully aware of it, never speaking to her again. Nutcase!


Edit: oh no! The memories! Same girl swore she saw a ghost of an old lady at the top of the stairs and wouldn't let her past. Told you, nutcase!
 
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Really? A YT video by someone called "TruthSeeker"?

Yeah, I'm out.

If you think you can prove that all Theists believe God is responsible for everything that happens - and your proof is a YT video - then we really have little to discuss :p
 
FoxEye said:
Really? A YT video by someone called "TruthSeeker"?

Yeah, I'm out.

If you think you can prove that all Theists believe God is responsible for everything that happens - and your proof is a YT video - then we really have little to discuss :p
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Theists believe that a god exists and intervenes with the daily comings and goings of humanity. Deists believe a supreme being created the universe and left it at that. This is what the names mean.

Does that save you the bother of watching a short and informative video?
 
Curious how deeply that badger is stuck, in your mind @NVP

You sent me a notification that you're talking about it in a totally different time and place.

Let the badger go.
 
something daft already!! said:
Theists believe that a god exists and intervenes with the daily comings and goings of humanity. Deists believe a supreme being created the universe and left it at that. This is what the names mean.
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Even if I accepted that definition (I don't, as it doesn't agree with definitions from more authoritative sources), that still does not equate to "God wills some children to be abused."

Yes some people might believe that, but not all theists and certainly not all who believe in God.

It's just wrong to try to apply that belief so broadly as you have done.
 
enkoda said:
I don't doubt for one moment that people experience things that are 100% supernatural, paranormal or inexplicable - to them.

In most cases it's due to a lack of scientific knowledge, sometimes it's because small yet important details are often left out.
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This is also my view. I haven't had time to address Anglion's comments though it is true the explanation he has given is invariably more complicated than he has said.
 
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FoxEye said:
Even if I accepted that definition (I don't, as it doesn't agree with definitions from more authoritative sources), that still does not equate to "God wills some children to be abused."

Yes some people might believe that, but not all theists and certainly not all who believe in God.

It's just wrong to try to apply that belief so broadly as you have done.
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May I ask what religion you follow? Or are you simply being devil's advocate?

I'm mostly assuming one form of the Abrahamic religions. Born again Christianity was the one which was forced down my neck as a child by the extremist headmistress and is one reason I'm an atheist now/. These people follow the bible, old and new testaments. The ten commandments being within the first book which are rather odd as they do not condemn ownership of people and many other unpleasantries. This gives rise to information on how long you can keep your slaves for and how much you can beat them as long as they don't die within a day or 2. It also instructs you on how you can fool your slaves into being your property for ever by giving them a wife as women slaves can be kept for ever. Exodus 21.

I've probably rambled off topic slightly...
 
something daft already!! said:
May I ask what religion you follow? Or are you simply being devil's advocate?
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I used to attend JW meetings as a child/teenager, so I have a background knowledge of the Bible.

But as with everybody else I talk to people who express a Christian faith. I've never heard anyone say they think God wills things like child abuse to happen.

As I said, I'm sure there might be some who do hold that belief. But I wouldn't say it's common, among Christians.

By far the most common question people raise is "Why does God allow x,y,z." Not why does he will it to happen.
 
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