Do You Believe in Psychics? Do Atheists?

[hehatedme]

Originally posted by: Isla
Well, my husband is agnostic and he believes in me.

It might be because growing up, I had a visual handicap that forced me to pay more attention to information coming from my other senses... nothing really all that supernatural to me, just that I can pick up on things most people can't pick up on. Sort of like animals who are sensitive to vibrations--- there isn't anything mystical about it really. I'm also an empath... I feel others deeply, so much that for a long time, I had a hard time developing a strong sense of ego.

Here's the thing: Because of my 'extra' sensitivity, I have had many, many experiences (both dreams and waking visions) that gave me information that I had no logical reason to have access to. Including things that were yet to happen years in advance. And yes, often the information is given to me by family members who are no longer living (and even were dead long before I was born). My great grandfather from Asturias, Spain was known to also be 'visionary' in this way.

So, in real life, my friends and family have this experience of me. It is who I am to them... the family bruha, I guess. But it is not who I am publicly. I do USE this gift (or curse as it often seems to be) to get ahead in life and I like having the advantage of having a 'nose' for people instinctively. I like being successful at my job because I can pick up on people's thoughts, needs, and feelings so well that it's almost like reading minds (but not really). It's also comforting to get occasional visits from loved ones who have died because it reminds me that death is nothing to fear--- it's just a change of form for the energy that is me.

Anyway, I don't think there is anything other than the fact that my brain is more developed in some ways than most people's are. I perceive what for most is imperceivable. Whether or not anyone 'believes' in me isn't an issue.

BTW, when I was 7 years old I was given a battery of IQ tests. I was off the charts (4 standard deviations above average). But what I remember was sitting there and having answers just 'pop' into my head, and every time I answered another question right, the administrator would just get more freaked out looking. After that, a thesis paper was done on me by a woman getting her PhD. She spent a week or so testing me (IQ tests mostly). I don't know what the results were, but it was neat to be a part of the research.

James Randi has a million dollars with your name on it if you can prove that you have "extra" sensitivities. Hell, I'll even throw in some money if you can prove it.

 

[Ichigo]

Originally posted by: Isla
Well, my husband is agnostic and he believes in me.

It might be because growing up, I had a visual handicap that forced me to pay more attention to information coming from my other senses... nothing really all that supernatural to me, just that I can pick up on things most people can't pick up on. Sort of like animals who are sensitive to vibrations--- there isn't anything mystical about it really. I'm also an empath... I feel others deeply, so much that for a long time, I had a hard time developing a strong sense of ego.

Here's the thing: Because of my 'extra' sensitivity, I have had many, many experiences (both dreams and waking visions) that gave me information that I had no logical reason to have access to. Including things that were yet to happen years in advance. And yes, often the information is given to me by family members who are no longer living (and even were dead long before I was born). My great grandfather from Asturias, Spain was known to also be 'visionary' in this way.

So, in real life, my friends and family have this experience of me. It is who I am to them... the family bruha, I guess. But it is not who I am publicly. I do USE this gift (or curse as it often seems to be) to get ahead in life and I like having the advantage of having a 'nose' for people instinctively. I like being successful at my job because I can pick up on people's thoughts, needs, and feelings so well that it's almost like reading minds (but not really). It's also comforting to get occasional visits from loved ones who have died because it reminds me that death is nothing to fear--- it's just a change of form for the energy that is me.

Anyway, I don't think there is anything other than the fact that my brain is more developed in some ways than most people's are. I perceive what for most is imperceivable. Whether or not anyone 'believes' in me isn't an issue.

BTW, when I was 7 years old I was given a battery of IQ tests. I was off the charts (4 standard deviations above average). But what I remember was sitting there and having answers just 'pop' into my head, and every time I answered another question right, the administrator would just get more freaked out looking. After that, a thesis paper was done on me by a woman getting her PhD. She spent a week or so testing me (IQ tests mostly). I don't know what the results were, but it was neat to be a part of the research.

:roll:

And for the record, women are better at flirting because they have boobs. Nothing so complicated as reading body language required.

 

[raildogg]

Love the openmindedness here on ATOT. Just because you have not grappled the idea of something being a bit out of the ordinary doesn't mean other people have not either. Check out the many many forums online that have people going there. These people don't talk about powers or anything. These are normal people who play close attention to their surroundings, which something most of you probably never do. If you sit still for hours, completely still in a public area, you will start to see patterns and slowly you start to pick up things. Your sensitivity level goes up and other things slowly kick in. Basically, your senses heighten. Often times, when a person does not have one of their senses, you will notice that their other senses pick up the slack. I don't think this has anything to do with psychics. They are different.

 

[ElFenix]

this is just screaming for a 'Do you believe in Physics? Do Christians?' parody

 

[Xonoahbin]

I'm agnostic and wouldn't believe in psychics if I didn't have personal psychic experiences. Often I see things (often not very long) before they happen, I get de ja vu, etc. I could see how somebody could have more of it than I.

 

[reverend boltron]

Originally posted by: NuclearNed
At first glance I thought the title was "Do you believe in physics?"

Heh, me too.

 

[biggestmuff]

I'm going to start wearing a cup. I heard we have psychics around here.

 

[JulesMaximus]

No, psychics are a bunch of freaks.

Atheists are just highly enlightened people who move amongst us and wish the stupid no ill will.

 

[FelixDeCat]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
No, Atheists are a bunch of freaks.

Psychics are just highly enlightened people who move amongst us and wish the stupid no ill will.

Hmmm.....

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: hehatedme

Originally posted by: Isla
Well, my husband is agnostic and he believes in me.

It might be because growing up, I had a visual handicap that forced me to pay more attention to information coming from my other senses... nothing really all that supernatural to me, just that I can pick up on things most people can't pick up on. Sort of like animals who are sensitive to vibrations--- there isn't anything mystical about it really. I'm also an empath... I feel others deeply, so much that for a long time, I had a hard time developing a strong sense of ego.

Here's the thing: Because of my 'extra' sensitivity, I have had many, many experiences (both dreams and waking visions) that gave me information that I had no logical reason to have access to. Including things that were yet to happen years in advance. And yes, often the information is given to me by family members who are no longer living (and even were dead long before I was born). My great grandfather from Asturias, Spain was known to also be 'visionary' in this way.

So, in real life, my friends and family have this experience of me. It is who I am to them... the family bruha, I guess. But it is not who I am publicly. I do USE this gift (or curse as it often seems to be) to get ahead in life and I like having the advantage of having a 'nose' for people instinctively. I like being successful at my job because I can pick up on people's thoughts, needs, and feelings so well that it's almost like reading minds (but not really). It's also comforting to get occasional visits from loved ones who have died because it reminds me that death is nothing to fear--- it's just a change of form for the energy that is me.

Anyway, I don't think there is anything other than the fact that my brain is more developed in some ways than most people's are. I perceive what for most is imperceivable. Whether or not anyone 'believes' in me isn't an issue.

BTW, when I was 7 years old I was given a battery of IQ tests. I was off the charts (4 standard deviations above average). But what I remember was sitting there and having answers just 'pop' into my head, and every time I answered another question right, the administrator would just get more freaked out looking. After that, a thesis paper was done on me by a woman getting her PhD. She spent a week or so testing me (IQ tests mostly). I don't know what the results were, but it was neat to be a part of the research.

James Randi has a million dollars with your name on it if you can prove that you have "extra" sensitivities. Hell, I'll even throw in some money if you can prove it.

lol I was going to post that.

 

[raildogg]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
No, psychics are a bunch of freaks.

Atheists are just highly enlightened people who move amongst us and wish the stupid no ill will.

And I declare this post to be really "cute". Ever met a psychic? Meet a few before you call them names. I know it is normal for ATOT to automatically lump all people in at once, but still. I doubt psychics will get a lot of defenders here anyway. And guess what, some atheists are pricks. So I guess not all are enlightened? In fact, on the first page, some of the so-called Atheists are automatically dismissing even the possibility of a higher level of sensitivity or awareness. People who have a higher awareness have it because they concentrate on it. Even you could have it. Pay attention to your surroundings, notice stuff that doesn't always come easy to the eye. This is totally different from psychics. I have no idea about psychics and their exact specialty but I have met a person who claims to know a lot. Anyway, people with a heightened awareness are not weird at all. Your next door neighbor might be an empath and you may never know. They are totally normal but they can feel a bit more. You can have it too.

 

[CKent]

Don't believe in psychic ability, no. Madame Cleo may work her wiles with others, but not me I think there are a lot of factors in finding and apprehending criminals, and I think many psychics truly do believe they're doing it with some mystical ability. And while they may be gifted, I think this gift lies in subconsciously putting together clues to deduce facts or come up with odds. On the other hand, some may simply be frauds getting tips without police knowledge while others may be just extremely lucky.

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: raildogg

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
No, psychics are a bunch of freaks.

Atheists are just highly enlightened people who move amongst us and wish the stupid no ill will.

And I declare this post to be really "cute". Ever met a psychic? Meet a few before you call them names. I know it is normal for ATOT to automatically lump all people in at once, but still. I doubt psychics will get a lot of defenders here anyway. And guess what, some atheists are pricks. So I guess not all are enlightened? In fact, on the first page, some of the so-called Atheists are automatically dismissing even the possibility of a higher level of sensitivity or awareness. People who have a higher awareness have it because they concentrate on it. Even you could have it. Pay attention to your surroundings, notice stuff that doesn't always come easy to the eye. This is totally different from psychics. I have no idea about psychics and their exact specialty but I have met a person who claims to know a lot. Anyway, people with a heightened awareness are not weird at all. Your next door neighbor might be an empath and you may never know. They are totally normal but they can feel a bit more. You can have it too.

Oh I can feel general vibes about people. I can feel if they're in a good mood or not, therefore I have special mind reading powers..

 

[Buck Armstrong]

Well, I won't say its impossible...but IMO the vast majority of cases are bvllsh*t.

 

[iamaelephant]

Of course there are people who have the ability to pick up things about people beyond what normal people can do - sensing body language and that sort of thing to tell a lot about a person without ever having heard them speak. I have no problem with any of that. But when I hear about "seeing the future" or "seeing things before they happen" that sets off my bullsht alarm big time. Try reading a few books on spacetime, relativity and physics in general and you'll see that the very notion of seeing the future is complete nonsense.

No, I don't believe in psychics. Show me a tiny ounce of proof (not annecdotal evidence, not circumstancial evidence, but cold, hard, repeatable tests) that phychics are for real and I'll change my mind. I believe in experiment. I believe in repeatable, falsifiable, empirically derived facts.

 

[SlitheryDee]

Dunno, I'm really skeptical when it comes to things I can't see. And the only real experience I've had with a psychic was on a hotline with a woman who was chewing bubble gum and telling me that tomorrow I would have breakfast or lunch or dinner with someone with brown or red or blonde hair named harry or roger or jack or melvin or kevin or sam or john or jerry or heidi or jessica or miranda or katie or kim or cassandra.

I'll be damned if it didn't happen...

 

[dighn]

Anything supernatural that lacks proof is highly suspect in my book. Believe me I want to believe in them. But the more amazing something sounds, and the longer it goes without any kind of proof, the less likely it is true.

 

[sandorski]

Undecided about them, it''s possible. Even if there are some psychics, it really shouldn't matter to an Atheist one way or the other. Psychic ability does not mean there's a god or beings on another dimension.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
No, psychics are a bunch of freaks.

Atheists are just highly enlightened people who move amongst us and wish the stupid no ill will.

I'd say the percentage of atheists who actually fit that definition is somewhat comparable to the percentage of Christians who love everyone equally, and try their utmost to help their fellow man with no hope of reward.

 

[vegetation]

They've done countless studies on psychic detectives and found the most successful ones did, get this, actual investigative work.

 

[Willoughbyva]

I believe in them. I have had personal experience that I know for certain that things like this are real. It might not be exact, but it can be pretty darn close. I have had some experiences with this type of stuff in my past.

btw: I am not athiest.

Perry

 

[Ninepepper]

Originally posted by: Isla
<snip>

After that, a thesis paper was done on me by a woman getting her PhD. She spent a week or so testing me (IQ tests mostly). I don't know what the results were, but it was neat to be a part of the research.

If the Doctoral Candidate attended a Public University you should be able to obtain the thesis from that School's library.

 

[TBone48]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
i believe in atheists but not psychics
well i believe people call themselves psychics, i mean they exist, but i don't think people can read minds or see the future or figure out stuff without means

Yeah, me too.

 

[Smartazz]

Originally posted by: NuclearNed
At first glance I thought the title was "Do you believe in physics?"

me too, lol.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

The term "psychic" has too much mythical baggage attached to it. In reality, everyone is a psychic to the extent that we all perceive the future and we all receive "unofficial" information from our dreams and similar "waking" extensions of consciousness. Of course, this is how the universe naturally operates, so it has nothing to do with gods or devils or magic.

Because of the nature of our finely tuned physical senses, however, we are taught to largely ignore the "unofficial" information. Our cozy world of facts tends to lack the proper context to give such information meaning. We would not be able to focus our senses so precisely in the moment if we were not so adept at disregarding the peripheral realities. Persons identified as "psychics" or "empaths" have usually learned how to process the "unofficial" information and translate it into "official" data. The nature of probabilities makes rigorous scrutiny of such phenomena next to impossible, however, so the skeptics are basically justified.