Ridecamp: Re: [RC] [RC] Critical Thinking/The six rules of evidential reasoning /was pet communicators

> I would not say I am a believer in the paranormal, just not willing to
rule
> it out. They have found and proven that folks who are prayed for heal
sooner
> even if the person praying or being prayed for is not religious. Why is
> that, no one knows.

Actually, this is quite false. Evidence supports a small placebo effect,
which is all "faith self-healing" boils down to when put to the test with
proper scientific controls.  Faith healing by outside individuals (i.e.
family members trying to "heal" a sick child by praying) has shown to be
completely lacking in any basis whatsoever. If you have the independent and
duplicated studies published in any reputable scientific journal to show
otherwise, I'd be happy to review them, as would the majority of the
scientific community.

Further, it is important to note that in science one deals with evidence -
not proof. Proof is for good liquor and courtrooms. Evidence is what is used
to establish facts and theories.

And for your consideration, one of the most common fallacies that people
delude themselves with is observational selection, also called the
enumeration of favorable circumstances, or as the philosopher Francis Bacon
described it, counting the hits and forgetting the misses.  Let's give you
the benefit of the doubt and assume you really did visualize your pet and
then later found your pet in the exact same spot you visualized.  How many
times in the life of your pet have you visualized your pet in a certain
situation? I for one can be quite a worrier when away from home, and
visualize all sorts of catastrophies. Of course, my pets are safe and sound
upon my return - but you can bet the ONE time they aren't fine - I will
remember very clearly the "worry" that this would happen. I would wager that
this is what you experienced. A coincidence. Remarkable coincidences do
happen - simple statistics virtually guarantees it. But it is not evidence
for paranormal activity.


~Shere



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