Do you think that whether paranormal phenomenon is true depends on if you think the posters on here are?

Question

telling the truth ..or lying?

If you could give them a lie detector test and it proved they were telling the truth...and a psychiatrist said they were sane...would you possibly be able to believe that their experience was true?

Answer 1

There are liars and frauds out there making money on the paranormal and perpetuating a lot of nonsense (i.e. the "flying brick" investigation team).  However, it's my opinion that most people who report seeing ghosts aren't lying.

Also, lie detector tests are not 100% accurate.  They measure breathing and heartbeat, not the veracity of claims.  If a person thinks he saw something when in fact he didn't, technically he won't be lying if he says he saw it.

In addition, sanity is really a legal status.  There is a whole spectrum of mental illnesses, problems and disorders that a person can suffer from while living a relatively functional life.  (See for example the members of the Westboro Baptist Church.)

P.S. Happy birthday!

Answer 2

Although I don't discount the possibility that some people ask questions just to yank some chains, I think the majority of the paranormal believers who ask questions in here are being sincere about what they thought they saw or experienced.

And if I could know for a FACT that these people are telling the truth and that a psychiatrist says they are sane, this doesn't really change things. Perfectly sane, honest people can see visual illusions, can panic, can spook themselves, can be subject to the power of suggestion, can have waking dreams or sometimes have a difficult time discerning dream from reality after the fact, etc. There is nothing insane in any of this. Being deceived by the senses is something that happens to honest, sane people all the time, and just because someone is being honest about what they thought they experienced doesn't necessarily mean that whey they experienced actually happened as they perceived it. But could they have actually had a paranormal experience? Perhaps, but other more probable explanations usually abound which should be considered first.

Answer 3

No, I know that a lot of people have had paranormal experiences.   People I trust have told me about what has happened to them.  There is written evidence going back many centuries of people having had paranormal experiences, and not just in religious texts.   My belief that  all these people are not just lying, crazy or deluded does not depend on whether the people on Yahoo! Answers are telling the truth.   Nor does it depend on whether I think they are interpreting their experiences correctly.  There is a lot of ambiguity, obviously, but we should not stifle discussion and free exchange of ideas because of it.

Answer 4

You have to remember that the shows that you are watching have been edited and made for viewers to get caught up in the hype.I myself personally think that these shows cause more harm to the paranormal fields or research than good.Does anyone remember "Miss Kloe"the famous psychic from jamacia,who really was from Los Angles?What gives any of these shows the right to determine what is real an what is fake is beyond me?I have been doing research for years,an mocking,taunting,paranormal things can an will remind you that you know nothing.God is the only one that really knows whats going on....!I never attempt anything without his blessing or without Jesus.So every time you  watch  or wonder whats real or whats not.....?Ask yourself "who's running the show,and whats in it for them?"Who has the right to tell anyone its real or not!"Unless you've been effected by it,most people will use religion or skepticism to avoid the situation....when fear is really why they do or dont believe...........................Blesse... be...........!

Answer 5

I don't think most people are lying when they say they have seen a ghost. And there's not many folks on here that are completely barking mad so it's not entirely a question of sanity.

It's mainly a matter of interpreting what you have perceived, you see the flicker of a shadow, feel a cold spot and smell some perfume and say- A Ghost!

Someone else interprets the data differently, a shadow, a draught, and the neighbours using stinky soap again.

Anyway - so their experience is true for them but it is not the truth.

(In my not so humble opinion)

Answer 6

There are those who believe that they are able to percieve the truth by using critical thinking, rational thought, and logic as a guide.  There are others who believe that even these rigorous practices are not enough to overcome our personal biases and our tendencies to see things through our own personal filters.  And there are still others who believe that truth is only a concept that is interpreted differently for each individual.  Each of these groups believe that their perspective is self-evident, and they often have trouble understanding that somebody may see things from a different perspective.

The "skeptics" that I have seen on this forum are usually as biased and "religious" about their perspective as some of the so-called "believers".  Does that make them wrong?  No.  Just because some one believes they can find truth through the scientific method does not make them wrong, just as it is not wrong for somebody else to believe they can find truth through meditation.They are different perspectives and different techniques, and each may be effective tools for the different individuals.

So, many people may say that an individual who professes to have experienced paranormal phenomenon is either lying or decieving themselves.  The same could be said about people who use other techniques to find the truth.  I'm not saying that all people using the scientific method are decieved or that all people who have paranormal experiences are right.  What is believed to be the truth has changed over the years.  What was once considered science is now considered folly, and what was once considered untenable hog-wash (like Relativity) is now considered science.

We all need to stay open to the possibilities that we do not have all of the answers.  Researches have to consider and try to use established methods in their research, but they must also unbiasedly consider all of the evidence presented (including new evidence which is found regularly) without pre-judging the results.

In other words, just because somebody is speaking about a paranormal experience in this forum does not mean that they are lying or decieving themselves.  But, just because somebody is being honest and truthfull about their experiences does not mean they truly had an experience with a non-physical force.  We must all make our own decisions about our experiences, and, in this forum, I hope we will all continue to have respect for each other's opinions.  Thanks for the question Dee.

Answer 7

Oh heck no!!!  I know that Paranormal phenomena are true even if ALL the people who answer on here are lying!  I have experienced it myself....I don't need convincing from someone else..  

I guess this question was aimed at those who deny its existence?? ♥

Answer 8

Folks reporting ghosts demons and things that go bump in the night.I have no doubt most are honest and truthful.People who claim psychic powers are all boasting. I've no doubt they are being untruthful.Being human our memories are not exact recordings.Things get distorted and exaggerated over time.So they count for nothing as evidence.

Part of the reason I have so much trouble believing is the number of"true"paranormal events.With so many claiming to have seen proof.So many others claiming to have powers telekinesis,astral traveling etc.Why can't one of them come up with some proof.With so much hard feeling directed at those of us who think it's silly.Why doesn't someone step up and rub our faces in it.

Edit.By the way 50% of Psychiatrists graduated in the bottom half of their class.