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Addressing Supernatural/Spiritual Claims

I was just wondering how someone should address supernatural/spiritual claims. I've had people tell me all sorts of crazy stuff. For example, I had one person (someone quite close to me actually) tell me they had a book which taught them how to get in peoples heads, and that by using the book they were able to get in someones head and see through their eyes and things like this. Supposedly the person they did this to said he was creeped out by it because apparently they knew things about him that they couldn't have known without getting in his head. I've also had people claim other sort of supernatural and spiritual things and I really don't know how to address them. I can pretty well take on people who claim to have personal relationships, but outside of those types of claims I have no idea. Of course I could ask for proof, but there is no way for them to prove it, essentially I'd have to have been there seen everything myself, but anyway, how could I go about addressing this stuff? I know there is an explanation for it, and I don't want to just flat out say the person is lying because often times I think people are genuine and things really did happen which aren't explainable to them so they attach supertnatural explanations since they know no other way of explaining it, and then they exaggerate things to make sound more remarkable than it actually is.

Tags: claims, spiritual, supernatural

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Permalink Reply by Dennis Michael Pennington on March 12, 2013 at 9:06am

I have had many supernatural and paranormal experiences in my lifetime. Of course, you cannot prove them. That is because the phenomena comes from within you - not from outside of you. This makes it all superstition and covers all phenomena including God and religion, demons, etc. If I knock on wood and ask,"Hey, Splitfoot, are you there," it proves that I believe already. Therefore, anything that follows is predetermined by my mindset. This is why Oral Roberts saw Jesus 70 foot tall in Oklahoma, and nobody else did. In other words, it's all bullshit!

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Permalink Reply by michele ricketts on March 13, 2013 at 9:30pm

My experience of synchronicity has been beyond being able to fob it off by a bias in perception. Sometimes too specific ;always related in a pivotal way to my intrinsic self , in hindsight. I apologise for rambling when i try to express astrale body connection.But it's definitely over-looked especially by yoga, believe it or not. Outside these two things - there is alot of delirium hidden in the mind. I think it SUPRISES people, which is why they will swear blind it's true.
Being an "agnostic" to the paranormal , and preferably not having wacky experiences, I think is more healthy for the mind and imagination than a closed circuit of rationality and deduction. Children have it. It's an epee as well as a gullability.But of course that kind of openess ( imagination ) leaves the mind open to alot of nonsense too.

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Permalink Reply by Luara on March 17, 2013 at 7:45pm

James Randi is a magician who has for years offered a million dollar prize for anyone who could demonstrate a paranormal ability under rigorous conditions. Nobody has ever won this prize, although the people who volunteer for the Million Dollar Challenge are convinced they have paranormal abilities. There are many videos of these challenges online.

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Permalink Reply by Madhukar Kulkarni on March 22, 2013 at 4:28am

Its all bullshit alright! All supernatural claims are descriptions of miraculous events and miracles are used to mislead and even fool others. People cannot be made to believe untruths like religions without deception.

In India, rationalists like Dr.Kovur challenged god-men professing to show miracles to prove them but none ever came forward,

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Permalink Reply by kara on March 22, 2013 at 9:06am

Smile politely and back away slowly.

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Permalink Reply by Charles Cassels on March 22, 2013 at 11:39am

lol thanks for all the responses guys, never expected this to be so popular.

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Permalink Reply by Dennis Michael Pennington on March 22, 2013 at 2:14pm

People even confuse dreams, which do have meaning by the way. Dreams are not paranormal, but some may take them that way. My most recent dream was of being chased by silverback gorillas running on all fours, and they were as big as cars. The only safe place for me was at my now long dead grandfather's house. The meaning is simple really. I'm having some problems lately that seem bigger than life (really they are exaggerated) and the safest place for me in my lifetime was when I lived with my grandparents. The meaning is plain for those who can see it. Face your problems as an adult. You can make it all bigger than it really is.

*Have I seen strange objects in the sky? Yes. Does it mean these objects have intelligent design? No. Do I think beings are piloting any of these objects? No. Why do I think this way? At the turn of the century UFO's were seen as cigar shaped slow flying objects often with propellers, etc. In time they got faster and the design changed into rocket like craft, evolving into the "Star Trek" (and beyond) images seen today. Obviously the evolution that has taken place here is in the human mind.

*Spirits and ghosts are similar to the above. Have I had experiences? Yes. Does that make it real? No. IF you are asking for something to show itself, then you believe already. It is a mindset similar to the religious experience. All phenomena is likely to follow.

THE MIND creates all things whether in a dream state or in what we know as the real world. For some of us (depending on your upbringing) ideas are projected differently, or seem to cross over from mind to a real state. This becomes real only if you make it real.

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Permalink Reply by Luara on March 22, 2013 at 3:24pm

A lot of us are annoyed by people pushing irrationality of some kind.

Around here it's irrationality of a medical nature - anti-vacc, naturopaths, NAET for allergies etc. etc. They can really get in your face!

But yes, how do you cope, can you possibly say anything that will make a difference to the believers, is an important issue.

James Randi's Million Dollar Challenge makes an effective point. He's telling the paranormal believers: Look, come here and pick up LOTS of money, if you really can prove you have paranormal powers!

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Permalink Reply by Anthony Jordan on April 8, 2013 at 12:48pm

I would just plainly tell them: For me, seeing is believing. Don't tell me, show me. Supernatural claims have it backwards, they claim believing is seeing. If they tell you that you have to accept it on faith in order to see it they are mistaken.