How Certain Are You That Psi Exists?

How Certain Are You That Psi Exists?

  • 0%

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • more than 0% but <1%

    Votes: 3 12.0%
  • 1%-25%

    Votes: 2 8.0%
  • 26%-49%

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 50% (the perfect fence-sitter)

    Votes: 2 8.0%
  • 51%-75%

    Votes: 4 16.0%
  • 76%-99%

    Votes: 10 40.0%
  • more than 99% but <100%

    Votes: 1 4.0%
  • 100%

    Votes: 3 12.0%

  • Total voters
    25

brooke

New
I know we did one of these on the old forum, but people change, feelings change, opinions change. The discussion about agnosticism and certainty got me curious about how the forum would respond to this poll, so there you go. I hope a lot of people will participate and I'm very curious to see how it ends up.

For the sake of this poll, I am using the broad definition of Psi from - Harvey J. Irwin, Caroline A. Watt. (2007). An Introduction to Parapsychology:

"
Psi is the unknown factor in extrasensory perception and psychokinesis experiences that is not explained by known physical or biological mechanisms."
 
I'm also curious to hear about how your opinions have changed over time (particularly for resident skeptics here on the board) and I encourage everyone to share what they answered as I think it will be enlightening for all.

I, for one, joined this forum a few years back, and was in the 0%-1% camp, but after reading the research and the books (from all sides of the debate) and listening to the many smart people here on the forum, both the researchers and the psychics, I'm now in the 51%-75% camp, which I think is pretty amazing and a testament to the power of this forum and Alex's dedication.
 
While 100% may seem bold, I can say I'm that certain not bc of research but bc of a couple unasked for telepathic personal experiences. I realize most would want to question my certainty, somewhat understandably, as I might want to do with others who say 100%, but to explain the occurrences any other way would be silly to me.

Also, if one steps back far enough, I just don't think the idea of psi or believing in it is really that big of a deal.
 
Grew up hyper religious, turned to militant atheist. Got challenged by a friend to actually research the topic before I derided it. Spent a couple of years studying, reading, attended some PA seminars and now I think psi is a likely hypothesis behind the effects we find in parapsychology.
 
Dream telepathy seems like it's worth looking into again.

I'm not sure what to do about the meta-analysis stuff though as others have said it seems like there should be more work on getting better results rather than re-confirming the same possible hits.
 
In my early 20's I went through an exploratory time for a few years. I met people whom claimed special abilities. I attended seances, practiced psychometry... It turns out the thing I discovered to be the truth is these people had a need to believe in the numinous as do most of humanity.
 
It turns out the thing I discovered to be the truth is these people had a need to believe in the numinous as do most of humanity.

Doesn't that suggest that there is something to fill that need?

Humans need water. It exists.
Humans need food. It exists.
Humans need connection to other humans. Relationships exist.
Humans need the numinous. .......................?
 
In my early 20's I went through an exploratory time for a few years. I met people whom claimed special abilities. I attended seances, practiced psychometry... It turns out the thing I discovered to be the truth is these people had a need to believe in the numinous as do most of humanity.
i think there may be a need to search. but if one finds, then there is no longer a need to keep searching.
 
In my early 20's I went through an exploratory time for a few years. I met people whom claimed special abilities. I attended seances, practiced psychometry... It turns out the thing I discovered to be the truth is these people had a need to believe in the numinous as do most of humanity.

You've reached your 20's??

[Sorry - couldn't resist ;) ]
 
Doesn't that suggest that there is something to fill that need?

Humans need water. It exists.
Humans need food. It exists.
Humans need connection to other humans. Relationships exist.
Humans need the numinous. .......................?
It suggests there's a need that's all.
 
It suggests there's a need that's all.

Seriously though - this is the wishful thinking argument again, isn't it? Or the fear of death variant?

I readily admit that I have a great fear of dying. Yes, I do need to seek for answers. But two things:

a) My fear does not cause me to accept any old comforting story. In fact the opposite is true - if there is evidence, it has to be extremely convincing. I don't want to be fooled, I want to know for sure.

b) The evidence has changed the minds of people who were previously convinced otherwise, many of whom were possibly not afflicted by this fear.
 
i think there may be a need to search. but if one finds, then there is no longer a need to keep searching.
Seriously though - this is the wishful thinking argument again, isn't it? Or the fear of death variant?

I readily admit that I have a great fear of dying. Yes, I do need to seek for answers. But two things:

a) My fear does not cause me to accept any old comforting story. In fact the opposite is true - if there is evidence, it has to be extremely convincing. I don't want to be fooled, I want to know for sure.

b) The evidence has changed the minds of people who were previously convinced otherwise, many of whom were possibly not afflicted by this fear.
I would say most folks don't spend much time thinking deeply as you do, they go with their gut feelings.
 
I put myself in the 51% - 75% category. I have never had any personal psi experiences, so all I can go on are the accounts of others and the research itself. I used to be more certain, and would have probably put myself in the 76% to 99% group, but intellectual honesty demands that I learn more before I come to a more firm conclusion.

I know it's not a proper "psi" experiment, but I am eagerly awaiting the results of the AWARE study. If good evidence comes out that there is awareness during cardiac arrest, when leading-edge global workspace theories suggest that there shouldn't be, then I think that that will be a very exciting result, indeed. If it could be confirmed by other researchers it would be very strong evidence that physicalism is false. If not, then physicalism seems a whole lot more likely to me, and I would have to revise accordingly, probably in the 1%-25%.
 
I know it's not a proper "psi" experiment, but I am eagerly awaiting the results of the AWARE study. If good evidence comes out that there is awareness during cardiac arrest, when leading-edge global workspace theories suggest that there shouldn't be, then I think that that will be a very exciting result, indeed. If it could be confirmed by other researchers it would be very strong evidence that physicalism is false.

Physicalism may be compatible with the existence of psi phenomena, since "physical" is a label that could be extended to almost anything.
 
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