PSY 429. Paranormal Phenomena and Experience

1. PSY 429. Paranormal Phenomena and Experience Andrew D. Dewald

2. What are we going to do? • Social Science + Natural Science • Religion + Philosophy Importance of skepticism, scientific analysis, and valid logic when evaluating fringe science/paranormal claims

3. What do I call you? • Dr. Dewald? • Mr. Dewald? • Professor Dewald? ANDY!

4. The Books

5. Penn and Teller Penn and Teller are bad men… They say bad words…. If you are easily offended by the “F” word, and other brilliant profanities….don’t watch. ….its the law…they have to talk like jerks.

6. What do you have to do? • 1. Midterm • 2. Final • 3.Reading Responses • 4. Paper • 5. SPEAK UP! • There is no attendance, but you must be present on the day that responses are do….somebody else may NOT hand them in.

7. Reading Responses • Based on Chapters in the book • You do it…you get credit • Write a short description of your reaction to the reading, anything you have in your life that relates and 1-3 questions. • We will go over them in class and discuss.

8. The Paper • 1. Pick a Paranormal Topic • 2. Explain the history and current information about it. • 3. Using techniques learned in class, explain why this is a paranormal belief and the tactics used to convey it’s reality. • 4. Show evidence against the proposed phenomena based on science and empiricism. • October 3rd: Due date for proposed topic.

9. Examples • Big Foot • God • Creationism • Aliens • UFO’s • Psychics • Monsters. • Faith Healing • Levitation • Ghosts • Conspiracy theories

10. Extra Credit • Experiments: • 2.5 points for participation • No more than 3/ semester • Local Publication coverage of paranormal events • Must be a local and current. • Cut out/ print, bring in and present. • 3 points • (cat example)

11. What we are not going to do • This class is NOT a witch hunt. • We will not bash other beliefs • One person’s “weird” thing could be another’s cherished belief! • We will be thinking about things in an empirical and skeptical manner, NOT ripping on, making fun of, or taunting others. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrzMhU_4m-g

12. What are we going to do? • Baruch Spinoza • Dutch Philosopher • “I have made a ceaseless effort not to ridicule, not to bewail, not to scorn human actions, but to UNDERSTAND them.”

13. However… • Some things are just absolutely insane…. • We can have a chuckle at their expense, but be sure to respect the views and feelings of your peers in the class so as not to make enemies. • Discuss……don’t Argue!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

14. About me… • Pennsylvania native

15. About me My Flat!!!!!!!! • Undergrad: • Lebanon Valley College (PA) • London Metropolitan University (UK)

16. About me • Hershey Inc…..

17. About me… • Guitars, Guns, Baseball ….

18. Lets talk…. • Name: • Year: • Where you from? • Why did you take this class?

19. What are some things you have heard of? • Has anybody experienced anything paranormal? • Have you known anybody who has made these claims? • What is the general consensus in the United States about this sort of stuff?

20. What will we cover? • Ghosts • Afterlife • Channeling • Near-death experiences • Psychics • Psychology and all it’s BS! • UFOs and alien abductions • Creationism vs. evolution • Religious miracles

21. How will we cover? • 1.Reviewing the myriad of events that are considered to be paranormal • 2. Addressing the public’s interest in paranormal phenomena • 3. Evaluating and dispelling the myths surrounding paranormal events • 4. Encouraging scientific rigor when examining paranormal events • 5. Reviewing the consequences of erroneous belief systems.

22. Psychology? • Unknown to most people • Information concerning human behavior and the unconscious • Most who are considered to be in the field of psychology (as determined by the general population) are far from it. • SO WHAT?!

23. Psychology? • Requires critical thinking skills!!! • More so than any other science. • Example: Chemistry • Hydrochloric Acid and Aluminum Foil: Predictions? Example: Psychology Josh’s parents get divorced when he is 7….when he turns 25 he will be __________________

24. Skeptic? • What is a skeptic? • Do you know of any?

25. Skeptic? • Skeptic • Greek: “thoughtful or full of though” • 2500 years old! • Plato and Socrates • “all I know is that I know nothing”

26. Skeptics? • Modern Skepticism: • Science based movement • First “Pop” skeptic: James Randi (the amazing) • 70’s and 80’s-debunked many psychics and spiritualists on the Tonight Show.

27. Skepticism • Embodies in the scientific method • Skepticism is a METHOD leading to conclusions • A skeptic is “one who questions the validity of a particular claim by calling for evidence to prove or disprove it” • “That’s nice…prove it”

28. Skepticism • 1.Universal Skepticism: • “The reality of the senses and the validity of rational inference should be mistrusted.” • Philosophy: this has led to Extreme Solopsism: • “The reality of the external world and even one’s existence are doubted.” Nothing is real?!

29. Universal? • Problems? • Overall, it can be seen that “Universal Skepticism is negative, self-defeating, and contradictory

30. Skepticism • 2. Selective Skepticism • If a finding seems scientifically valid, it is accepted, until a better theory comes along to replace it. • there are NO absolute laws !!! • …a bit better I exist…for now

31. Science? • What the heck is science?

32. What science is NOT • 1. Not defined by subject matter • Bio, Chem, Psych, Physics…..what about selling cars? • 2. Not defined by use of particular instrumentation and tools. • Do I have to blow stuff up?

33. So what is it then? • You tell me…… • A way of thinking!

34. Science! • Science and Skepticism • “a set of methods designed to describe and interpret observed or inferred phenomena, past or present, and aimed at building a testable body of knowledge open to rejection or confirmation.” • What are some VERY important words here?

35. Scientific Principles • Induction • Forming a hypothesis from existing data • Deduction • Making specific predictions based on hypothesis • Observation • Gathering data, driven by our hypothesis that tells us what to look for • Verification • Testing the predictions against further observations to confirm or falsify the initial hypothesis.

36. Scientific principles • Via the scientific method we can come to the following conclusions: • 1.Hypothesis • A testable statement accounting for a set of observations • 2.Theory • A well-supported and well-tested hypothesis • evolution • 3.Fact: • A conclusion confirmed to such an extent that it would be reasonable to offer provisional agreement. • The earth is not flat

37. Rationalism • Basing conclusion on logic and evidence • How do we know the world is round? • Dogmatism: • Basing conclusion on authority • Parents said so • I said so • Textbook says so

38. Scientific Principles How to ALWAYS think about explaining the universe… Systematic Empiricism Production of Public Knowledge Examination of Solvable Problems

39. Systematic Empiricism • Empiricism? • Relying in observation…good enough? • STRUCTURE!!!! • My car is scratched: Who did it?

40. Production of Public Knowledge • “No man is an island” • Must be public and repeatable. • Why is this necessary? • Findings must be presented to the community in such a way that they can be replicated, criticized or extended by anyone

41. Cold Fusion? • What is it? • Pons and Fleischmann • Faulty measures • Required Special Instruments

42. Empirically Solvable Problems • Predict Control Explain • What are some questions? • What are NOT some questions? • Pinker: Mysteries to Problems? • Jefferson and Sally?! Mystery back then…Problem now!

43. Pseudoscience/ Paranormal • Characteristics: • 1. non-falsifiable or irrefutable hypothesis. • What does non-falsifiable mean? • No evidence can show the hypothesis to be wrong.

44. Falsifiability? • Scientific theories must be presented in a way so as that they can be shown to be false. • What “SHOULD” happen and what will “NOT” happen • Predictions on Josh: He SHOULD develop some sort of behavior related to the divorce of his parent, how it manifests itself is TBD. • Josh will NOT develop the power to kill a deer from 40 yards with mind bullets, on account of his parents divorce.

45. Lets try one… • I, Andrew D. Dewald: am God • I created all of you • I control all of you • And you all have no free will. • I determine everything

46. Characteristic 2 • Unwillingness to look closely at the phenomenon they claim exists. • Need for hard data completely ignored. • We never landed on the moon

47. What if science can’t explain? • If science can’t fully explain the phenomena COMPLETELY, reasonable explanations are ignored or dismissed and the proponent concludes that pseudoscience is supported. • Why is this dangerous?

48. Santa? • Who has seen him? • NASA Apollo 8 saw him • Santa produces • Who does the burden lie on? • The proponent or the Skeptic? • -shifting the burden to the Skeptic is NOT a legitimate means of defending unattainable hypothesis.

49. Because I’m a nerd…. • 2 Billion Children in the World • (Muslim, Hindu, Jewish and Buddhist children no need to apply) • = 378 Million Children (Assuming they are good) • 31 Hours to work= 821.6 visits per second • 1/1000th of a second/ kid • 650 miles per second, 3000 times the speed of sound =14.3 QUINTILLION joules of energy per SECOND

50. Conspiracy Theories • Not paranormal in nature but pop up in the belief systems of proponents of claims. • Who knows some? • Biggest Problem? • HUGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE TO NOT COME FORWARD!