Parapsychology

[MrSkeptic]

ESP, telekinesis, and all that woo stuff has pretty much been debunked, which is why it's not accepted in normal scientific circles. I'm surprised that anyone can actually get a degree in it, but about the only job you'll be able to get is hunting for ghosts on the SyFy channel.

I do believe that people are at times able to read other's thoughts, but not through any form of magical woo like ESP. If you live with someone long enough you get to know what they're thinking as they're thinking it. Visual clues that you don't realize you're reading have a lot to do with it. This is why the idea of ESP was invented. But in controlled laboratory conditions, it's always shown to not work.

I believe this is the primary explanation for so called ESP. As Thomas stated when you live with someone or know someone so well, you can pick up (often subconsciously) visual clues as to what that person is thinking.

As for telekenisis, I think that is pure hogwash. Using the laws of physics it is impossible for the human brain to generate the energy required to physically move an object. Yes the brain generates a small electric current but as I say not anywhere near the level required to move even the smallest of objects, the shortest of distances.

True Mind-reading? Anyone who claims to have such abilities could just as easily be using such techniques as cold/hot-reading, Barnum statements, relying on the person being read to make connections that aren't there, etc.

The James Randi prize offered a million dollars to anyone who could conclusively prove the existence of ESP and other parapsychological phenomena in a laboratory setting with repeatable results, and every attempt has failed. You'd think with a million bucks on offer it would have been proved by now....

[Doubting Thomas]

Even in "controlled" studies they find ways to cheat. For example, when they use those "psychic ability" cards, with a square, circle, star, wavy lines, and a plus sign, if they get lucky and guess right on a hot streak for a while, they'll count that as evidence. But if they get on a cold streak for a while, they'll take a break and claim that their abilities have gone cold for a moment, and they don't count all those misses. Therefore, when you only look at the results of the hot streak with a vast majority of hits, it looks like they're guessing correctly well over what you'd expect by chance. Add in all the misses and their "ability" comes in at no better than chance. The proper way to do it would be to have a set number of cards, say 100 or so, and count every hit or miss. But when you have so-called psychics working with others who want to believe in psychic ability, they don't mind fudging the numbers.

[The Grand Nudger]

Sampling bias.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selection_bias

[MilesTailsPrower]

I was talking to my psychology teacher today and he was telling us about how powerful the mind is. He said something about if we drive to the mall (or any other places) and just think or believe that there will be a front parking lot, there will always be one. I wasn't exactly sure what it was called. I then out of curiosity asked him for his opinion on stuff such as telekinesis and telepathy. He told me there is a whole field of study about it called parapsychology and people even get degree in it. He said that it isn't accepted in science (he said the reason why but my mind wandered off) but it doesn't mean it isn't true.

So what is your opinion on it? Just a bunch of BS or is there more to it?

I believe that is called The laws of attraction, which is pseudoscience.

[The Grand Nudger]

Wait, wait, it sounds like this asshat was recruiting....."You know class, the mind is a powerful thing...would you like to know more?"

[Epimethean]

That was the feeling I got out of, too.

[Doubting Thomas]

"Because we only use 10% of our brains."

No, dipshit, YOU only use 10% of your brain.

That claim has long been debunked anyway, and is a corruption of the original finding that we only use about 10% of our brain at any given time. It doesn't mean that we only use a small 10% all day long, and the rest just sits there. No, we use about 10% here, 10% there, depending on what task we're doing and what we're thinking about. If we used 100% of our brain at once, that would probably be like a grand mal seizure.

But that doesn't keep the ESP/telekinesis believers from spewing this garbage as "proof" that our minds are more incredibly powerful than what we use them for.

[RW_9]

It's all bullshit. Reading people, suggestion, and magic tricks are awesomeness. But claiming any of the stuff you mentioned is actual phenomena is ridiculous. It's just wish fulfillment on the part of people wanting it to be true, and con artistry by the people screwing them over.

And as far as I know, parapsychology degrees at respected universities are similar to theology degrees. Studying a variety of beliefs, their followers, and their history. They are not practical degrees in the sense that you frolic to class everyday to learn how to levitate something.

[frankiej]

There's always an open parking spot up front.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sORXJLqvlLk

[thesummerqueen]

It sounds like your teacher read "The Secret" while sitting in Starbucks one day.