What is the Paranormal?

[Reeve]

Not sure if poking fun or legit. After all, "para-" appears in very diverse meanings. But here goes anyway.
Originally "beside", "alongside" or "next to" (parallel).
In the same vein, also "auxiliary" (paraprofession), "derivative" or "similar to" (parody).
But, along with "beside" it can also mean "beyond", which gives rise to "opposite", "outside", "to the margin" or even "against" (paradox, paranoia).

Paratrooper derives from parachute. "Para", in that word doesn't come from the Greek root for "beside", but the Latin verb parare (to guard; notice the English derivative "prepare").
Paramedic is a paraprofession: a job to assist professionals in one field while not having themselves the professional license. Paramedics are not medics themselves but work closely related to them; usually in emergency assistance. They resemble and are auxiliary to medics.
Parameter differs from meter (measure) in assisting the measure rather than being the measure itself. Originally in geometry, parameters were side data for reference (specifically in second grade curves).
Paralegal: I didn't know this was a thing.

I was joking around.

But yes, paralegal is a thing. And it's interesting how that single prefix is used for so many different meanings.

[Revi]

I must say it's a very personal experience for the people involved, Revi, and when it happens, right there, in the moment, you definitely just know.

I've seen stuff too. I've had hallucinations from hypothermia and from lack of sleep. I just know that it's more likely that my brain is playing tricks on me than the laws of nature being suspended before me.

I think things like these are only exaggerated by how malleable memories are, if you think back on something you believe you experienced as a kid or at least many years ago, you can easily exaggerate and even completely change those memories based on your beliefs or theories you have now.

[Puupi]

I've seen stuff too. I've had hallucinations from hypothermia and from lack of sleep. I just know that it's more likely that my brain is playing tricks on me than the laws of nature being suspended before me.

I think things like these are only exaggerated by how malleable memories are, if you think back on something you believe you experienced as a kid or at least many years ago, you can easily exaggerate and even completely change those memories based on your beliefs or theories you have now.

I've never had hallucinations. I don't believe they are real. (I guess that sounds a bit George W-ish)

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I also hate all movies/tv-series that involve a character hallucinating. It's so god damn bullshit.

[Raetary]

You die. Everything ends. There are no ghosts. Period.

and you know that because you know more than anyone else on the world! right?

[Hraklea]

Since I remember, I always listened to random sounds in my home when I'm alone. I used to get really scared when I was a kid because of that.

...then an engineer explained me why this things happen, and I realized how stupid I was. Don't worry, you'll get there too.

[Revi]

I've never had hallucinations. I don't believe they are real. (I guess that sounds a bit George W-ish)

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I also hate all movies/tv-series that involve a character hallucinating. It's so god damn bullshit.

Huh? Hallucinations are not supernatural or something, it's just your brain making you see and hear things that aren't real. No medical professional would argue they aren't real, there's even a whole classification of drugs that induce them.

Signs and Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of hypothermia may include:

Skin that is cold to the touch
Shivering at first, then not shivering
Lethargy, drowsiness
Weakness, clumsiness
Irritability, combativeness
Confusion, delirium, hallucinations
Slow reflexes
Seizure, stupor, or coma
Slowed, shallow, or arrested breathing
Slowed, irregular, or arrested heartbeat
Hunger
Nausea

Beginning to hallucinate is among the more common symptoms of sleep deprivation. A hallucination is the perception of something that is not really present in the environment, as opposed to an illusion, which is the misinterpretation of something that is present. For example, seeing a cat where there is nothing is a hallucination, but mistaking your coat rack for a person is an illusion.

Depending on the length of sleep deprivation, approximately 80% of normal people in the population will eventually have hallucinations. Most of these are visual hallucinations. In contrast, people with schizophrenia often have auditory hallucinations, hearing things that are not there.

Just go without sleep for a night or two, take mushrooms or lay down in the freezing snow for a few hours. It's pretty freaky, but it's interesting.

I do not actually recommend getting hypothermia, it's not fun.

[Independent voter]

I used to have to walk a mile or two to school every day, classes starting at 7am. One morning was very foggy and dark. There were loud noises, like heavy thumping. The fog was so thick I could see. Giants? Trolls? On the way back home that afternoon I saw that horses where moved in, they were the ones making the sound.

[Khaza-R]

Hallucinations are definitely real. And will often make you think you see things like ghosts

I suffer from some pretty terrible hypnagogic hallucinations. Nearly every night I wake up "seeing" a figure some kind standing in the corner of my room. It can be pretty terrifying. Especially more so if you also suffer from sleep paralysis and cant move while seeing said figure. That said, they are just hallucinations in your head. The mind is scary thing.

[Puupi]

I've stayed up for very extended periods of time, no hallucinations. Never had hallucinations during high fever. Never when drunk/smoked pot. Haven't done mushrooms and have no intention to try them.

Guess there is something wrong with my brain then. I also never turn into a retard when drunk or change my character or behaviour. Also I'm always very "present", so to speak; eg. I could never fall asleep while watching a movie and I can spot things and pay attention to details others easily miss.

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Hallucinations are definitely real. And will often make you think you see things like ghosts

I suffer from some pretty terrible hypnagogic hallucinations. Nearly every night I wake up "seeing" a figure some kind standing in the corner of my room. It can be pretty terrifying. Especially more so if you also suffer from sleep paralysis and cant move while seeing said figure. That said, they are just hallucinations in your head. The mind is scary thing.

Aliens are abducting you.

[Endus]

Personally, I hate these terms. There's no such thing as "paranormal" or "supernatural". That doesn't mean, necessarily, that I'm dismissing the evidence, it just means that if the evidence supports the "paranormal/supernatural" conclusion, then it's just "natural". The two words basically exist as a way for people to pretend they're something "more" than the natural world, but really, we can rephrase "natural world" as "reality". And if it's beyond reality, then it's just not real. It's a figment of your imagination. Pareidolia. An attempt by your brain to make sense out of partial data, rather than accepting that it just doesn't have the whole picture. And, particularly, an undue amount of trust in the reality of your own experience.

If you see a ghost, and nobody else around you does, it isn't because you're "sensitive" or some poppycock, it's because you're hallucinating. You're ill.

[Dezerte]

I think we humans have a very wild imagination.

[Beazy]

If you see a ghost, and nobody else around you does, it isn't because you're "sensitive" or some poppycock, it's because you're hallucinating. You're ill.

Or using LSD.

[Revi]

Personally, I hate these terms. There's no such thing as "paranormal" or "supernatural". That doesn't mean, necessarily, that I'm dismissing the evidence, it just means that if the evidence supports the "paranormal/supernatural" conclusion, then it's just "natural". The two words basically exist as a way for people to pretend they're something "more" than the natural world, but really, we can rephrase "natural world" as "reality". And if it's beyond reality, then it's just not real. It's a figment of your imagination. Pareidolia. An attempt by your brain to make sense out of partial data, rather than accepting that it just doesn't have the whole picture. And, particularly, an undue amount of trust in the reality of your own experience.

If you see a ghost, and nobody else around you does, it isn't because you're "sensitive" or some poppycock, it's because you're hallucinating. You're ill.

The terms do have a useful meaning. If you believe there is something out there that we can't explain with our current understanding of the world you'd call it supernatural or paranormal. Purely based on the roots of the word it might not be correct, but that's how they're used most of the time.

As long as they're used to mean "not in our understanding of reality" instead of "not reality", they're perfectly fine.

[Deleted]

Most paranormal stories are:

1.) myths
2.) false perceptions based on psychological problems or situations

or

3.) sourced in psychological afflictions

Still there is a billion dollar industry which lives from these myths. Which have been debunked by scpeticists as like people like James Randi. He never found someone to win the million dollar challenge for a proof for parapsychological phenomenoms.

[Puupi]

I don't believe in the existence of ghosts, but....
20 or so year back, me and a friend were traveling back from a Jimmy Page gig at Newcastle town hall (uk). It was the early hours of the morning as we travelled north along the A1. As we were traveling along a figure appeared from around the central reservation, ran about 3/4 across the carriageway and then vanished. The figure was in silhouette and looked to be dressed like a royalist from the English civil war era. We both seen the same thing and I have never been able to explain this. Our brains filling in the blanks and constructing a ghostly figure? Maybe. Joint hallucination? Again maybe, either way was a spooky experience that I've never really understood.

Joint hallucination, definitely.

[purebalance]

The James Randi foundation has a One Million dollar prize for anyone that can prove any paranormal claims. Here's what they say...



To date, no one has passed the preliminary tests.

Think about it, if you were a ghost, and you had eerie powers, wouldn't you want to help someone you loved make a million bucks?

I think that's a better topic for discussion; Assuming Ghosts do exist, then why are they such selfish assholes?

Either I'm having Deja Vu or your entire post not just the quoted part is a copy and paste from someone else's post to try and look like you actually said that and look like a cool kid.

[Endus]

The terms do have a useful meaning. If you believe there is something out there that we can't explain with our current understanding of the world you'd call it supernatural or paranormal. Purely based on the roots of the word it might not be correct, but that's how they're used most of the time.

As long as they're used to mean "not in our understanding of reality" instead of "not reality", they're perfectly fine.

Even then, it's not a distinction of class, just a measurement of human understanding. Which doesn't seem helpful. Is a new fossil that throws out an existing model "supernatural"? Was the live Coelacanth those fishermen caught "paranormal"? It just doesn't seem like a useful distinction, used that way.

We couldn't explain gravity for a long time. That didn't mean we were being held to the Earth by eldritch supernatural powers.

[Deleted]

and you know that because you know more than anyone else on the world! right?

No. I know it because we all know that humans are morons, and humans make up stories, and humans believe in dumb shit, and humans have made up stories and believed in dumb shit for tens of thousands of years, and because all paranormal stories are so obviously made up by moron humans.

That's how I know. That's how we know.

[Puupi]

We couldn't explain gravity for a long time.

We still can't.

[Yvaelle]

Our brain is capable of naturally producing hallucinogenic compounds, notably DMT, what the point of this compound is in our brain is unclear - maybe our brain simply has an, "I'm bored, let's trip" button somewhere. Maybe it's meant to ease our fears of death - and provide "afterlife / white light" experiences.

Research into DMT experiences provide an oddly consistent account of humanoid forms, "Machine-elves", "Dwarves", "Aliens" - perhaps also Ghosts. Conceivably, much of our folklore, or religious visionary experiences may also be the result of endogenous DMT.

The best explanation for virtually all paranormal activity, to my mind, is that our brain decided to inject us with an extremely potent hallucinogenic. It may also be the case that there is some kind of trigger for when DMT is to be released in our brain - in which case shared experiences may also be the result of simultaneous triggering (ex. some kind of rare spore exposure, or sleep deprivation, or fear, etc).