Your experiences and interpretations of paranormal?

[cloudyday2]

Just curious what others have experienced of paranormal and how they interpreted those experiences. Paranormal is a problem for atheism IMO, and I have difficulty sweeping it under the rug unfortunately. (Of course I also have difficulty understanding what paranormal implies regarding metaphysical and religious theories.)

 

[Adstar]

Paranormal happenings give a proof of a spirit realm beyond this Universe that can reveal it'self in our universe.. That world can sometimes come through as it where a portal to show it;self in this world.. So paranormal activity gives proof of a Spiritual dimension... Yes for a Atheist it most definitely is a problem.. to maintain an atheist position all paranormal phenomenon must be rejected as fake or based on some reasonable physical universe explanation..

If a Atheist accepts paranormal activity as being paranormal they cannot maintain their Atheist Position..

Of course paranormal activity is a problem to Christians because unless it is an Angel of the LORD paying us a personal visits ( an extremely rare event ) then it is demonic or fallen angel activity and that's something that Christians do not want to be happening around them..

 

[jacknife]

It's not a problem in the slightest, how many of these events are just retelling by someone's flawed memory. If you want to impress me study it, collect data on it and evidence on it. If you think paranormal events impact the physical world then you should be able to study them like anything else.
And lets pretend for a moment the spiritual world is in fact there, is that really evidence for a deity's existence?

 

[awitch]

Just curious what others have experienced of paranormal and how they interpreted those experiences. Paranormal is a problem for atheism IMO, and I have difficulty sweeping it under the rug unfortunately. (Of course I also have difficulty understanding what paranormal implies regarding metaphysical and religious theories.)

Despite the weird noises at the Elks lodge years ago (I told that story a few times already, I think), I don't believe in ghosts, demons, cryptoids, extraterrestrial visitation, or psychics.

 

[cloudyday2]

...
Of course paranormal activity is a problem to Christians because unless it is an Angel of the LORD paying us a personal visits ( an extremely rare event ) then it is demonic or fallen angel activity and that's something that Christians do not want to be happening around them..

That last point is very true and somewhat surprising to me. I was watching a Christian show called "Francis and Friends" on Jimmy Swaggart's Son Life TV. The topic of demonic manifestations came up, and I was surprised that only one of the panelists believed they were possible. All the other panelists were giggling and making jokes. These are Pentecostals who believe in the KJV only, literal interpretation of the Bible, etc., but they were giggling just like any other skeptic about the possibility of hauntings and so on.

It seems to me that skepticism and belief in paranormal is independent of religious belief. If a person has personally witnessed these types of things or has a close person who has witnessed them, then he/she is less likely to giggle. All others giggle reflexively it seems.

 

[Adstar]

That last point is very true and somewhat surprising to me. I was watching a Christian show called "Francis and Friends" on Jimmy Swaggart's Son Life TV. The topic of demonic manifestations came up, and I was surprised that only one of the panelists believed they were possible. All the other panelists were giggling and making jokes. These are Pentecostals who believe in the KJV only, literal interpretation of the Bible, etc., but they were giggling just like any other skeptic about the possibility of hauntings and so on.

It seems to me that skepticism and belief in paranormal is independent of religious belief. If a person has personally witnessed these types of things or has a close person who has witnessed them, then he/she is less likely to giggle. All others giggle reflexively it seems.

Those giggling Pentecostals is simply confirmation that most Christians do not read the Bible... Any Christian who believes the Bible and is well read believes in demons and fallen angels.. it is all there in the Bible.. Jesus cast out a lot of demons that where possessing people in the gospels..

I do know that some people giggle because they are uncomfortable about the topic and they simply want others to stop talking about it because they fear it...

 

[Solomons Porch]

Everyone can believe whatever they want and I by NO means am trying to change ones belief of the "paranormal/supernatural" but we are actually sharing a little bit about what your speaking of here on this thread what has been your most SUPERNATURAL EXPERIENCE?

 

[timewerx]

Just curious what others have experienced of paranormal and how they interpreted those experiences. Paranormal is a problem for atheism IMO, and I have difficulty sweeping it under the rug unfortunately. (Of course I also have difficulty understanding what paranormal implies regarding metaphysical and religious theories.)

If it's not an external event, it came from you, which one is scarier you think?

Seriously, that's what I think based on my experiences with the paranormal.

I have a scientific theory however that might sabotage my reputation as a "man of science" and even possibly a Christian here.

 

[Solomons Porch]

Those giggling Pentecostals is simply confirmation that most Christians do not read the Bible... Any Christian who believes the Bible and is well read believes in demons and fallen angels.. it is all there in the Bible.. Jesus cast out a lot of demons that where possessing people in the gospels..

I do know that some people giggle because they are uncomfortable about the topic and they simply want others to stop talking about it because they fear it...

 

[Rajni]

Just curious what others have experienced of paranormal and how they interpreted those experiences.

When I was more fundamentalist in mindset, I used to believe that anything paranormal was automatically demonic.

Now, I just think that reality isn't as solid as it appears. I've seen and read enough about it to conclude that there's more to it than what appears on the surface.

Some of the things I've experienced I consider more likely perinormal than paranormal, and others I just can't explain.

 

[Cearbhall]

If a Atheist accepts paranormal activity as being paranormal they cannot maintain their Atheist Position..

Do paranormal beings require a deity? Someone would have to prove that to me before it would be a problem.

 

[Robban]

Just curious what others have experienced of paranormal and how they interpreted those experiences. Paranormal is a problem for atheism IMO, and I have difficulty sweeping it under the rug unfortunately. (Of course I also have difficulty understanding what paranormal implies regarding metaphysical and religious theories.)

None what I know of,
because I don,t know what paranormal means.

Does it mean something running parallell to the normal?

Then what is normal?

Silly word to my mind.

 

[cloudyday2]

If you think paranormal events impact the physical world then you should be able to study them like anything else.

That is one of the problems I have with fully believing in paranormal experiences. How can they exist and somehow evade the scientific radar again and again? I can't quite dismiss them, but I can't quite believe them either. It makes no sense.

And lets pretend for a moment the spiritual world is in fact there, is that really evidence for a deity's existence?

IMO, yes. As soon as a person starts believing in spirits and metaphysical things, then you basically have gods by the polytheistic definition. Also you start wondering if you might have a spirit and what might happen to your spirit after death. It's not evidence for any particular religion of course.

 

[awitch]

That is one of the problems I have with fully believing in paranormal experiences. How can they exist and somehow evade the scientific radar again and again? I can't quite dismiss them, but I can't quite believe them either. It makes no sense.

Like that bit from the X-Files (except applied to all paranormal stuff):

Deep Throat: Mr. Mulder, why are those like yourself, who believe in the existence of extraterrestrial life on this Earth, not dissuaded by all the evidence to the contrary?

Mulder: Because all the evidence to the contrary is not entirely dissuasive.

Deep Throat: Precisely.

 

[jacknife]

That is one of the problems I have with fully believing in paranormal experiences. How can they exist and somehow evade the scientific radar again and again? I can't quite dismiss them, but I can't quite believe them either. It makes no sense.


IMO, yes. As soon as a person starts believing in spirits and metaphysical things, then you basically have gods by the polytheistic definition. Also you start wondering if you might have a spirit and what might happen to your spirit after death. It's not evidence for any particular religion of course.

Whats to stop the spiritual from being something that just exists? A system that keeps itself going, I just don't see why a deity has to enter the picture of all of a sudden.

 

[timewerx]

That is one of the problems I have with fully believing in paranormal experiences. How can they exist and somehow evade the scientific radar again and again? I can't quite dismiss them, but I can't quite believe them either. It makes no sense..

My unique theory about it concerns intelligent phenomenon emanating from subatomic particles and I believe it's the same underlying process giving rise to properties of a "Quantum object".

We simply don't have the technology to study things at that level yet in great detail.....Maybe the detectors at CERN or LHC may catch something.

And why it does that, I can't say. It would probably contradict many long held beliefs in our religion. Jesus only said it once ever, not enough "Biblical proof" to stand on. It could also implicate the much greater accountability we all have in every action that we do and things we believed in and the implications are very scary.

 

[Zoness]

I've not seen that the paranormal requires a specific religious framework to believe in. Though I generally do not believe in paranormal happenings.

 

[Chesterton]

Well my only experience with the paranormal was this one time, it was a Saturday afternoon and I was just sitting around drinking beer, and this friend of mine calls me up. He says "Watcha up to?" and I says "nothing just sitting around drinking beer". And you will never believe what he says next. He says to me, he says "I knew you were probably sitting around drinking beer". I was stunned. Sent chills up my spine. He actually said those exact words. To be honest he does know me pretty well, but still.

 

[MehGuy]

Well my only experience with the paranormal was this one time, it was a Saturday afternoon and I was just sitting around drinking beer, and this friend of mine calls me up. He says "Watcha up to?" and I says "nothing just sitting around drinking beer". And you will never believe what he says next. He says to me, he says "I knew you were probably sitting around drinking beer". I was stunned. Sent chills up my spine. He actually said those exact words. To be honest he does know me pretty well, but still.

Spooky.

 

[SnowyMacie]

Just curious what others have experienced of paranormal and how they interpreted those experiences. Paranormal is a problem for atheism IMO, and I have difficulty sweeping it under the rug unfortunately. (Of course I also have difficulty understanding what paranormal implies regarding metaphysical and religious theories.)

I think 99% of paranormal activity can be explained, however, I do think there are some things that cannot be. I've experienced a bit of paranormal activity, not automatically meaning ghosts and stuff, just things that don't have an easy of a rational explanation. Here's a few stories...

My friends' house was rumored to be haunted, and while some it can easily explained, there's one I'm not sure about, their computer. Their family computer was in the guest room, and in the middle of the night, it sounds like someone is typing at the computer, I've heard it, it's super freaky.

The second one is a long story, so I'm putting it in the spoiler. It's just copied from an old post about angelic activity...

Spoiler: "Jonathan"

I think I may have met an angel once. I transferred schools before my senior year of high school, and at the beginning of school I always ate lunch outside since I had never gotten to do that before in school. I went back and found an old message in which I told the story to a pastor friend of mine:
"...by day three of school this year, i could tell it was usually the same people that joined me on this patio. Well Thursday came, and I randomly looked at the door for no reason, then looked down to get a bite of food, then looked back up and there was guy about five, ten feet from me walking towards me (the door is at least 150 ft away.) Well the guy greeted me, ask me for my name, i told him and that i was new to X and that I used to go to Y. He was then thrilled that I was a Christian, and then asked him for his name, which is Jonathan, it never got personal again. He asked me questions like "How has God blessed me?" " How has revealed Himself to me?" it felt like I was being interviewed.
Then yesterday he had a friend with him who said nothing, stared at me the entire time, and was ignored by Jonathan. Jonathan then asked question what I thought of people, what I thought they were thinking, really deep questions, then I turned the tables on him and asked him the question: "What do you think about him" and pointed to a random guy in a yellow shirt. Jonathan looked at him for maybe thirty seconds, then gave a complete description of the guy's inside that lasted probably a minute. "

A few days later I continue the conversation:
"Anyway, so it got weirder. He started asking about "how does satan tempt me?" and all these questions about satan's power with one's heart/spirit/mind, etc. In fact he qouted the satan can even come as an angel of light. Also, he had changed. Last week he seemed like a Christian who wasn't stuggling with anything, then today he appeared as if everything had fallen apart. (he was saying how he didn't feel saved and how he thinks he's blasphemed the holy spirit and kept asking me about that verse), Then there was a different mood, I don't know if I was just being suspicious but the mood was gloomy and uncomfortable for me. Lastly when lunch was over, I saw him actually dissapear. We walked down the hall together, he turned left, to go up the stairs i paused for a second, then looked and he was no where in sight, when any direction he went i would have seen him"

I missed a day of school apparently: "...anyway I missed yesterday, and today at lunch, Jonathan didn't ask me a single question about missing yesterday"


After I got too weirded out, I very strongly said I was done with this. I never saw him again. So... (also from the conversation) "I checked with the school myself about Jonathan because he has been missing for about three weeks now, and get this: there is no student enrolled by that name at ________, so he either wasn't human or moved that unexpectantly"

Yes, he could have moved unexpectedly and it could have just been bad angles on the appearance and disappearance. Here's the thing, I never saw him talk to anyone else besides his friend, and I never knew anything about him other than his name and where he was from. There was no relationship, it was entirely spiritual conversation. Even the most spiritually minded people I've met don't act like that.