APP's Answer
Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 2:26 am
Can the Paranormal Be Proven?
SHORT ANSWER
First you have to narrow it down. The paranormal is a wide subject with many topics that are wildly different. But in general, YES if something exists then it can be (eventually) proven. Keep in mind that proving an event is happening is the easy part. More difficult is proving that the cause of the event is paranormal. You'd have to scientifically exclude all "normal" things. With paranormal there are three obstacles to that: It can take a fair amount of effort. People often don't want to take the time to play by science's rules. Sometimes people don't know any better.
Read on for a longer explanation.
WHY DOES PARANORMAL BELIEF PERSIST?
Science, the keeper of all mankind's knowledge, says that the paranormal doesn't exist. Why do so many people still believe it? Because things really ARE happening. However, science has come to the conclusion that it's not ghosts, aliens, bigfoot, or any other paranormal thing.... that all the "paranormal" happenings are really just normal things ranging from mental illness to misunderstanding natural phenomena.
WHERE SKEPTICISM FALLS SHORT
Why don't people completely agree with science? How can regular people disagree with science? Science is supposed to mean "true facts" so how can anyone disagree with facts? True, even paranormal experiencers will often start a story with "I'm skeptical but..." Perhaps the answer is that people aren't applying skeptical answers correctly. Or possibly the skeptical answers run out but the event is still there.
For example, a shadow.
Skeptical answers are typically: overactive imagination, bad air quality causing hallucinations, mental illness, or if it is there, something from a housemate, pet, insect close to a light source, or the street outside. Possibly a light bulb is on the fritz, or a power surge.
The problem with all those neat little answers, is that most/some people aren't that stupid. Yes of course some people will jump to paranormal conclusion without looking too hard for normal explanations, but not as many as skeptics portray. In a lot of paranormal reports, practically every box is checked of skeptical explanations, it seems. Very often in paranormal anecdotes, people will list off all the "normal" explanations they can figure, then say the paranormal event defied each normal explanation.
Where people fail, is to document it properly. Therefore science and skeptics can just dismiss it all and move on. No progress is made by the smartest segment of the human race, because they don't even believe a real problem exists.
WHERE PARANORMAL FALLS SHORT
If you keep doing the same thing, you will keep getting the same result. So when skeptics are able to dismiss paranormal claims again and again, they eventually conclude that there's nothing to any of it.
Lots of paranormal experiencers are already TRYING to debunk things. What's missing is documentation and controls, though those things aren't really difficult. Perhaps people don't know what more to do. As of now, there aren't any really good step-by-step guides for "scientific debunking of unexplained" activity. For the record, APP plans to put out such a resource later in the year, with assistance from skepticism's leading "debunking" expert.
BALL IN PARANORMAL COURT - MOVING FORWARD
What can be done with this impasse? Science has already made its conclusion. Until new evidence comes into play, science will not change its collective mind. Technology in the 21st century should allow better evidence to be collected by paranormal experiencers.
With better evidence, people can find answers to their mysteries.
Or science could be spurred to add a new chapter to its book.
QUICK LINKS - The Impasse
Previous: Why Does Science Reject the Paranormal?
Current: Can the Paranormal Be Proven?
Next: What is "Good" Science?
.
SHORT ANSWER
First you have to narrow it down. The paranormal is a wide subject with many topics that are wildly different. But in general, YES if something exists then it can be (eventually) proven. Keep in mind that proving an event is happening is the easy part. More difficult is proving that the cause of the event is paranormal. You'd have to scientifically exclude all "normal" things. With paranormal there are three obstacles to that: It can take a fair amount of effort. People often don't want to take the time to play by science's rules. Sometimes people don't know any better.
Read on for a longer explanation.
WHY DOES PARANORMAL BELIEF PERSIST?
Science, the keeper of all mankind's knowledge, says that the paranormal doesn't exist. Why do so many people still believe it? Because things really ARE happening. However, science has come to the conclusion that it's not ghosts, aliens, bigfoot, or any other paranormal thing.... that all the "paranormal" happenings are really just normal things ranging from mental illness to misunderstanding natural phenomena.
WHERE SKEPTICISM FALLS SHORT
Why don't people completely agree with science? How can regular people disagree with science? Science is supposed to mean "true facts" so how can anyone disagree with facts? True, even paranormal experiencers will often start a story with "I'm skeptical but..." Perhaps the answer is that people aren't applying skeptical answers correctly. Or possibly the skeptical answers run out but the event is still there.
For example, a shadow.
Skeptical answers are typically: overactive imagination, bad air quality causing hallucinations, mental illness, or if it is there, something from a housemate, pet, insect close to a light source, or the street outside. Possibly a light bulb is on the fritz, or a power surge.
The problem with all those neat little answers, is that most/some people aren't that stupid. Yes of course some people will jump to paranormal conclusion without looking too hard for normal explanations, but not as many as skeptics portray. In a lot of paranormal reports, practically every box is checked of skeptical explanations, it seems. Very often in paranormal anecdotes, people will list off all the "normal" explanations they can figure, then say the paranormal event defied each normal explanation.
Where people fail, is to document it properly. Therefore science and skeptics can just dismiss it all and move on. No progress is made by the smartest segment of the human race, because they don't even believe a real problem exists.
WHERE PARANORMAL FALLS SHORT
If you keep doing the same thing, you will keep getting the same result. So when skeptics are able to dismiss paranormal claims again and again, they eventually conclude that there's nothing to any of it.
Lots of paranormal experiencers are already TRYING to debunk things. What's missing is documentation and controls, though those things aren't really difficult. Perhaps people don't know what more to do. As of now, there aren't any really good step-by-step guides for "scientific debunking of unexplained" activity. For the record, APP plans to put out such a resource later in the year, with assistance from skepticism's leading "debunking" expert.
BALL IN PARANORMAL COURT - MOVING FORWARD
What can be done with this impasse? Science has already made its conclusion. Until new evidence comes into play, science will not change its collective mind. Technology in the 21st century should allow better evidence to be collected by paranormal experiencers.
With better evidence, people can find answers to their mysteries.
Or science could be spurred to add a new chapter to its book.
QUICK LINKS - The Impasse
Previous: Why Does Science Reject the Paranormal?
Current: Can the Paranormal Be Proven?
Next: What is "Good" Science?
.