What's the worst that could happen?

[GhostsandMore]

When I say I am a scientist, I work as a scientist. I have a science background and I try to apply science to what I experience. Most of the orbs on the site are actually captured by others. I maintain that orbs are just light refractions or dust reflections.

The team that invited our group along was the one that wanted to use the ouija board and that is why we have started to look into it. I think my response to your post with video of the science of scams was perfectly reasonable and actually thanking you for putting forward one or two points I hadn't even thought of. Your response to it did seem overly rude (I understand your name is UglynRude so it didn't surprise me) and quite frankly has caused me to lose respect in what you have written.

I state I am still open minded about the whole thing and that is why I want to find out more about it. My experiments I am trying to carry out are going to be controlled and if they do turn out to disprove spirits then I will accept that as it is what I have discovered. With Derren Brown, he makes his money from his illusion shows. He isn't any different to shows such as Most Haunted where they actively fake stuff to keep up the ratings. Derren is very clever and can recreate some of the paranormal activity. It doesn't necessarily mean it only happens that way.

Sorry if I have offended anyone with what I am trying to find out. I do value opinions that differ from my own as it makes for a debate that can be constructive. Direct personal/team criticism that pretty much is insulting isn't constructive and does nothing towards people wanting to contribute their own opinions.

[Fiona]

Quote:With Derren Brown, he makes his money from his illusion shows. He isn't any different to shows such as Most Haunted where they actively fake stuff to keep up the ratings. Derren is very clever and can recreate some of the paranormal activity. It doesn't necessarily mean it only happens that way.

That's a really good point! I was thinking that only the other day when I watched Derren Brown.... Just because he can find ways to either recreate or fake a phenomena, it really doesn't mean it's the only way that particular phenomena can happen. He can find a way to send a table flying across a stage.... but that doesn't mean a spirit has never moved an object across the floor...Surely the point is not to see how something can be reproduced, but to look at the possibilities of spirits producing such things.

Who knows.... maybe with Ouija Boards 90% of it might be explained away naturally, but like anything else, could something (if there is indeed something out there!) use it to gain communication?

[GhostsandMore]

Thing is so many people fake things or use science to do things to claim they have special powers etc, when this gets debunked, anything that could have happened due to paranormal phenomena is instantly classified as a fake.

The reason I want to experiment is that you can't trust anyone to do these things for you - TV shows openly claiming they faked it or ratings, people recreating similar effects to provide a fantastic show of illusion - then others claiming to be 100% genuine with the footage/report - who knows what to believe unless you try and figure it out for yourself?

[UglyNRude]

But you implied you use science to look for answers in your paranormal field. I asked questions as to the data you are or aren't collecting on the Ouija board. I also wonder what data you are collecting as far as Seances. Now using a scientific background I wonder why you would not educate your team members that present orbs on your team web page? I looked your page over and the seances, Ouija sessions, and all the personal experiences have destroyed any credibility I have toward your team. Do you know that most of the top rated teams will do 100's of investigations and debunk the claims. Paranormal is rarely found, unless of course we look at television or your team. Your scientific background in the vision field should teach you human flaws in out of the corner of eye phenomenon, and other mistakes between our eyes and our brain.

[GhostsandMore]

Thank-you for your reply.

The team of the website is newly formed. The page was free and I wanted to write about something I took part in and a team has slowly formed from that.

I want the site to be more of entertainment read than a whole site of scientific data that means nothing to anyone. After all, not many people would be that interested otherwise. Personal feelings on investigations are interesting. The homepage says we aren't professional and the locations we investigate are generally known "haunted" locations - and our team is yet to host our own investigation - only accepting invites from the two teams we are affiliated with - which makes data collection restricted to what the hosting team allows.

As my background in the visual field I do check for motors/EMF hotspots to ensure that it isn't causing excessive movements on the natural saccading of the eye (which would involve corner of the eye phenomenon). I also allow sufficient time for eyes to adjust to the darkness - random electronic firing of the rods and cones in the eye do happen and can be first thought of as light anomalies. Many elderly people claim to see people walking around their home. 9 times out of 10 I find out they've had rapid sight loss and that has induced Charles-Bonnett Syndrome (a condition which science is still actually baffled by). Visual field defects and poor eyesight are also things to consider.

The team will be moving forward and a few other developments are being made as to become more scientific, but the website, as it stands started off as a project to help me learn how to develop a website. We don't fabricate any evidence (you may recall that a location wanted to sue us because we wouldn't fabricate a report for them...they wouldn't have had a leg to stand on, but still, we wouldn't aim to purposely deceive). I'd like to be fortunate to have the high-end kit and work with people who have been investigating for years - just to make sure we cover everything, be as accurate and reliable as we can.

We're still young, I'm sure we'll get there eventually!

[UglyNRude]

I don't want this to get off topic it is about ouija boards. We are all here for the same reason looking for answers. I have sent you a PM that i think might help you advance.

[prairieson]

My personal jury's still out regarding Ouija boards, but this thought has been nagging at me regarding this thread since I started following it... Isn't the thread title, "What's the worst that could happen?", second only to, "Hey y'all, watch this", in statements you probably don't want to experience the answer/result to?

I'm just sayin', lol.

[Fiona]

I know what you mean, Prairieson.... I think the reason I asked the question that way was because I was tempted to use the Ouija Board only if I thought the worst outcome was something not too bad, something I could easily deal with.

Having read some of the answers, I don't think I would handle negative experiences too easily.. it depends. I'm always stuck in the middle with this.

[There'sNoQ]

It really does come down to not only your own belief in general, in abstract things, but also in what you're told by people who post replies.

- total parroting "I've heard/read": you know they open doorways to Hell/Pauly Shore's apartment...
- third (or more) -hand/friend-of-a-friend: my sister's boyfriend said his cousin used one...
- secondhand: my aunt used one and got X result
- firsthand: I used one and all my underwear turned beige

Not only do you have to decide how much stock to put in these people's claims, and judge their honesty, but also their mental stability, and their rationality and ability to look at things with reason and not jump to conclusions or make assumptions filtered through religious or superstitious eyes, which you might not have - then, past first-person, you have to estimate their ability to do that with the people whose stories THEY are relating to you, and THEIR qualities.

[Goonis38]

(07-31-2010 10:06 PM)Big Chief Wrote:  Actually, the item you use as a planchette may be to heavy for a spirit to move. Some people use glass cups and get no response and when they use a lighter item they get a response but sometimes slow. Different people have different energy around them, that's why the board works better for some people and not others. Some spirits are weak and others are strong just like in life with humans. Some spirits may move the planchette faster than others in the same session. Its your energy and there's that they're using to move the planchette. Try to use lighter objects as a "planchette" if you want better results. You can even use paper as a planchette and have the spirit move it without you touching the board or paper. Example:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQRC62qy_fY

I have waited on this for some time. I agree with the chief here on this point way to heavy, first thought that came to mind first time I saw that shoot glass. The thing that comes with the board is meant for it... All spirits do not have that kind of force, for that heavy sticky glass, by goodness. And thank God for that I am glad they don't have that kind of strength aren't you guy's? I'm sure there are some out there that do, but lets pray they don't come our way.
Ok the more people you have on these boards, unless they are very close, and there minds can vibe together well. I would have to go with most likely one of the little burgers are pushing it. I mean one of the people in the group. When I was a kid I played with this and me and my friends, would push that thing around to scare each other all the time... (Kids) Well we have big kids too... lol

Now this is real though make no mistake there are spirits, there are demons, there are Angels. And they are every where. Why can't everyone make contact. I have no clue. They didn't with me for some time, and now I'm off the charts. Maybe it's are mind sets, or something, maybe they pick and choose, maybe our ability hasn't grown enough to understand or see it. But make so mistake it's real, and it's right there in your face.