Mod+ 251. PATRICIA PEARSON, MAINSTREAM MEDIA JOURNALIST TACKLES SURVIVAL OF CONSCIOUSNESS

As much as I find these conversations interesting, I think it's important to remember that most journalists are not well versed in philosophy, and they probably don't spend that much time worrying about the weight of words like belief. They aren't writing for scientists. philosophers, or skeptics... they are writing for the average person who probably hasn't even heard of most of what gets talked about in this forum.

Many people have psi experiences. They don't admit to them very often because they think the default position science takes is that there is something pathological about psi experiences. But with the increased visibility of books like Pearson's, as well as the many NDE stories out there, more people are going to know it's OK to come forward and admit to having these perfectly normal human experiences. It won't be about the science, or the skeptics, it will be about regular people figuring out that there is nothing wrong with having such experiences because their neighbor had one, and so did a brain surgeon, and so did a president or famous actor. And those people won't be having these great debates about philosophy or language. They will just be relieved that they can finally talk about these enormously important experiences openly.
 
As much as I find these conversations interesting, I think it's important to remember that most journalists are not well versed in philosophy, and they probably don't spend that much time worrying about the weight of words like belief. They aren't writing for scientists. philosophers, or skeptics... they are writing for the average person who probably hasn't even heard of most of what gets talked about in this forum.

Many people have psi experiences. They don't admit to them very often because they think the default position science takes is that there is something pathological about psi experiences. But with the increased visibility of books like Pearson's, as well as the many NDE stories out there, more people are going to know it's OK to come forward and admit to having these perfectly normal human experiences. It won't be about the science, or the skeptics, it will be about regular people figuring out that there is nothing wrong with having such experiences because their neighbor had one, and so did a brain surgeon, and so did a president or famous actor. And those people won't be having these great debates about philosophy or language. They will just be relieved that they can finally talk about these enormously important experiences openly.

I agree with you. But there will always be a faction that will take that word experience and drill down to the Nth degree, calling into question perception, memory and every other facet of the nature of an experience. That's kind of the ultimate knee-chopper, right? You can't trust your own experience. You don't really know what you experienced. It would terrifying at some level to realize that experience is really all there is on the one hand and then to have the current god "Science" telling you that you have no idea what it is you really experience.
 
I agree with you. But there will always be a faction that will take that word experience and drill down to the Nth degree, calling into question perception, memory and every other facet of the nature of an experience. That's kind of the ultimate knee-chopper, right? You can't trust your own experience. You don't really know what you experienced. It would terrifying at some level to realize that experience is really all there is on the one hand and then to have the current god "Science" telling you that you have no idea what it is you really experience.
And that faction is currently giving science a bad name.

Sadly, most people associate that kind of scientism with science, which is why people don't trust scientists.
 
And that faction is currently giving science a bad name.

Sadly, most people associate that kind of scientism with science, which is why people don't trust scientists.

I'm not sure that scientists are always the problem. Many times they may just be drilling down into the physical aspects of perception for example. I think the greater problem lies with the people who create the lens through which science is viewed. To me science seems kind of like statistics. Each "side" can twist the end product to reflect their own party line. Like how some of the "skeptics" here post science stories about neurophysiology thinking it will drive the stake deep into our silly believing hearts. But neurons are a fact. Scientists study them. One would be a fool to reject the findings of science itself. I think what we need to be careful of is when we start to try and find meaning in the findings. Then science becomes a kind of inkblot test and we can all see exactly what we want to see.

I'd much prefer to rely on my own actual experience of the world. What do I experience? That can be a tricky question. But I think there is a great deal of truth there as well.
 
I'm not sure that scientists are always the problem. Many times they may just be drilling down into the physical aspects of perception for example. I think the greater problem lies with the people who create the lens through which science is viewed. To me science seems kind of like statistics. Each "side" can twist the end product to reflect their own party line. Like how some of the "skeptics" here post science stories about neurophysiology thinking it will drive the stake deep into our silly believing hearts. But neurons are a fact. Scientists study them. One would be a fool to reject the findings of science itself. I think what we need to be careful of is when we start to try and find meaning in the findings. Then science becomes a kind of inkblot test and we can all see exactly what we want to see.

I'd much prefer to rely on my own actual experience of the world. What do I experience? That can be a tricky question. But I think there is a great deal of truth there as well.
I agree.

Most scientists don't know about the hard problem of consciousness. They are not even required in most undergraduate degrees (or even in graduate school) to take a single course in the philosophy or history of science. They just work in their own little area of expertise. And for the most part they are not the problem. It is those that claim to represent science, but who are instead forwarding a dogma that disregards basic human experience and common sense, that are the real problem. Sadly, that group is over-represented in this forum.
 
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