Comments on: The Truth is Out There http://www.methodinit.org.uk/methodinit/2007/07/19/the-truth-is-out-there/ Blogging on Philosophy and Politics Thu, 08 Jul 2010 09:59:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: El Sordo http://www.methodinit.org.uk/methodinit/2007/07/19/the-truth-is-out-there/comment-page-1/#comment-322 El Sordo Fri, 20 Jul 2007 10:50:43 +0000 http://www.methodinit.org.uk/methodinit/2007/07/19/the-truth-is-out-there/#comment-322 What value has parapsychology? It is an attempt at a scientific study at reported paranormal phenomena. Some scientists reject the methods out of hand, others believe it occupies a fringe and framework that renders it a pseudoscience. My academic field finds it valuable in one particular sense though, in an academic context parapsychological research does provide a historical narrative of various reported paranormal phenomena, which it doesn't accept uncritically but does report the alleged phenomena in such a way. What value has parapsychology?
It is an attempt at a scientific study at reported paranormal phenomena. Some scientists reject the methods out of hand, others believe it occupies a fringe and framework that renders it a pseudoscience.
My academic field finds it valuable in one particular sense though, in an academic context parapsychological research does provide a historical narrative of various reported paranormal phenomena, which it doesn’t accept uncritically but does report the alleged phenomena in such a way.

]]> By: El Sordo http://www.methodinit.org.uk/methodinit/2007/07/19/the-truth-is-out-there/comment-page-1/#comment-321 El Sordo Fri, 20 Jul 2007 10:43:54 +0000 http://www.methodinit.org.uk/methodinit/2007/07/19/the-truth-is-out-there/#comment-321 You should be :) The radical end of one of my courses deals with the theory behind parapsychology. It is an extremely popular field, and thankfully for the purpose of balance very interdisciplinary. It would be interesting to do a comparative study of what religious beliefs are held with those who have paranormal beliefs. I would hazard a guess that maybe only 1/3 of the paranormal believers hold religious beliefs, and perhaps 1/5 of religious believers vice versa. But what is interesting is the overlay, how many who believe in the paranormal who have 'left' religion, or whose parents 'left' religion, is rather large. I guess this brings us to the statistic problem. How would they identify themselves with regards different strength brands of religious affiliation? You should be :)
The radical end of one of my courses deals with the theory behind parapsychology. It is an extremely popular field, and thankfully for the purpose of balance very interdisciplinary.

It would be interesting to do a comparative study of what religious beliefs are held with those who have paranormal beliefs. I would hazard a guess that maybe only 1/3 of the paranormal believers hold religious beliefs, and perhaps 1/5 of religious believers vice versa.
But what is interesting is the overlay, how many who believe in the paranormal who have ‘left’ religion, or whose parents ‘left’ religion, is rather large.
I guess this brings us to the statistic problem. How would they identify themselves with regards different strength brands of religious affiliation?

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