Is it possible to agree that paranormal researchers are pioneers, not scientists?

Question

As a paranormal researcher it troubles me that people often call us "unscientific". Most of us consider ourselves pioneers in the field, not experts. We are searching and learning every day. The experiments we devise are not always as strict as would be found in a laboratory, we do however follow certain guidelines that our experience has led us to. We are dealing with an area outside of known scientific parameters, it is not possible to prove something that science disavows using only known methods of science to date.

Of course, some of our contraptions and ideas may seem silly or downright stupid to some people, but it is a process of trial and error. Until the day that we are able to prove life after death, all options are open to us. No idea or research should be scoffed at. If the early explorers had listened to the idea that the world was flat we wouldn't be where we are today.

Answer 1

Well a researcher is only half part of what a scientist does, if paranormal investigators have some science background in Physical science, Physics, are specifics like electromagnetism, particles, etc and make theories and experiments based on that knowledge then no.

Eri says "science is testing reality", but I don't agree with that little philosophy respectfully. Science is seeing how reality works. When you know everything from a position of science, there are no more doubts. Because everything is understood through universal laws that never change. You know absolute reality to the fullest degree. In any situation where total understanding appears to be unattainable in a scientific way, it means the science is incomplete. T R would also give you good answer.

Answer 2

Well not every culture believed the Earth was flat and quite a few within cultures that did spoke out against that silly belief.

I wouldn't call paranormal researchers scientists.  Pioneer is possible though I doubt it will get anywhere.  

Ideas are all well and good but must be backed up by some serious verifiable and repeatable evidence not to mention put up for review by our greatest minds alive today.  Otherwise it's not worth much at all.  No evidence like this exists to date from a long history of paranormal investigation and study.  With the leaps and bounds of technology especially from a third of the way through the last century I find it amazing that with all our accepted knowledge of science over many fields that is put up for peer review and all of our highly sophisticated equipment for so many different kinds of analysis that not one little bit of so called proof has thus far been accepted into mainstream science.

Until such a time I simply can't see paranormal investigation as a serious scientific field, it really has had a long while now to come up with anything and has failed.  I'm all for seeing it continue though - who knows what will happen with future technology.  I do love a good ghost story and have done a good deal of paranormal research myself.  It's all very fascinating and even though I have seen a few very strange things myself, including a couple of plain as day apparitions of two old men who definately could not have been in my house I have a good understanding of optical illusions and how the mind can be quite easily tricked.  Couple optical illusions with fear of the unknown and you can cause a h**l of alot of mischief with your senses while your mind is trying to figure out what you believe you have seen.

There is so MUCH B*LLSH*T out there though which does not help you guys whatsoever.  So many hoaxes and frauds, attention seekers and so on, that lends a terrible image to your field of study unfortunately.

Having said all that I wish you the best in your chosen field of study and while I'm a non believer I certainly keep within me a long held hope that something paranormal may be proven and accepted by science.

Answer 3

Before anyone can research anything there has to be some evidence for it.  Would you suggest that people spend a lot of time researching whether a celestial teapot orbits the earth, for example?

And the point is that everything for which there is evidence, *especially* if it is out of the ordinary, *is* thoroughly investigated.  Why?  Because scientists and others throughout the world could claim massive fame and fortune by demonstrating the truth of any paranormal ability, or the existence of any paranormal event, whatsoever.

For example: if *anyone* can demonstrate to me any ability whatsoever to predict the future, or to move objects by non-physical means, I guarantee that I will represent their cause, because both of us will become multi-millionaires.

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Answer 4

I'd have to disagree strongly.

What about all of the paranormal researchers who are actually scientists?

I think that there are some researchers out there who'd get more than a little annoyed if you told them that their post-grads in physics etc didn't make them scientists? Especially those who research in fields such as anomolistics which is a zero hokum zone.

What about skeptical researchers? Are you saying that a skeptical researcher who uses only recognized mainstream methods isn't a scientist?

Answer 5

what the h**l is a paranormal researcher

Answer 6

I could believe you are all also scientist, choose to believe, but do you not use scientific methods?  I see a lot of words within quotation marks in your qualifier, and in the answers.  I understand the pioneering bit, it's all a little levity in the face of what's true, what's claimed, and what's known.

As far as I'm concerned, the so called scientist are barking up the tree that's about to come down.  True science fell with incoompatible philosophy around the turn of the 20th century.  All at once, the path was clear but the high road was misdirected was misguided.  William of Occam ruled the day, and we all got it wrong.  Today, science is just boring, except for the things that pioneers do.  Science is fascinating, to quote my favorite Vulcan.

Answer 7

I think pioneer would be a great term.If you were investigating something new.The fact is these things have been investigated for thousands of years.With exactly 0 results.I wish you luck,I really hope you find something.I think "paranormal researcher" is the best term.

Answer 8

Yeah, it's obvious scientists are idiots and don't know anything, unless they are testing ghosts and magic, then they are reliable.

Answer 9

I gave up trying to do something official about paranormal research.  I work with orbs and EVP.  I do not do it to prove it to any one.  As far as I am concerned, something is out there.  I just ghost hunt and work on the paranormal for me.  That takes a lot of the stress out of it.  I don't care who believes it and who doesn't (though it is nice to talk to someone who knows what I'm talking about).  And EVP is very good evidence that something is out there.  It can not yet be explained by science.  It has not been debunked.  And it never will be for me.  Whether any one likes it or not, something is out there that can not be explained.  The question becomes:  are you willing to accept that possibility?

Answer 10

I see the same thing a lot from practitioners of 'alternative medicine'.  When a new drug fails to do anything under clinical trials, we throw it out and try again.  When homeopathy fails to do anything under clinical trials, the homeopathists decide that 'science is not sufficient to test homeopathy'.  In other words, it doesn't work.

Science is reality - making sure something works, something actually exists.  If you can't use science to test your claim, you have nothing to back it up.  Science is testing reality.  If you can't use science to test it, it's not real.

Do all the testing you like, and put up with the scoffing and lack of funding.  If you're right, you win big.  And if not, well, we told you so.  People have known the world was round for thousands of years (ever seen a lunar eclipse?), and if you felt the need to bring that up, that usually puts you in the crackpot category.  But I'm willing to wait for your results.