Joined: Sep 10, 2006 Posts: 14 Location: over the rainbow
Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 10:36 am Post subject: Open-minded skeptic seeks opinions.
Hi, my name is Alison Smith and I'm the founder of Skeptical Analysis of the Paranormal Society (SAPS). The goal of the society and our site (located at: http://www.skepticalanalysis.com ) is, pretty much, to question everything. SAPS doesn't make calls on what is true and what isn't, only posts interesting tidbits. For example, if a paranormal show is getting a whole lot of attention, we start posting the questionable or negative side of it in the hope of bringing balance to the situation.
Because of this, SAPS has started a campaign seeking the opinions of both believers and skeptics in a forum that has absolutely no commentary. The opinions will stand entirely on their own. They will not be altered, edited, or commented upon. Comments will be re-printed in full. You can be credited in any way you like, and a link will be posted back to your own personal web site should you so desire.
The question is simple: If you believe in the paranormal, why? Have you had an experience?
If you don't, why? Did you ever? If so, what did you believe in?
If you would like to respond, please post here and add the words "publish me" somewhere within your post. If you would prefer to respond via e-mail, the e-mail address is founder@skepticalanalysis.com
Be sure to add what you would like to be credited as, and your site, if applicable.
Thanks for helping out! With any luck whatsoever, I'll have the wonderful opportunity of representing more than one side of things.
glad to see you decided to join us! i'm still in the process of writing mine since we last spoke (juggling this between a school project is not the easiest thing ). I'll get it to you as soon as i'm done, though! _________________ The opinions and ideas stated in the above post by ponyboy do not necessarily reflect the opinions and ideas of the Ghost Hounds organization, it's members, or it's founder. Please take them with a grain of salt.
www.historicghost.com www.Ryan-Eldridge.com
Joined: Jul 11, 2006 Posts: 659 Location: Riverdale, Ga
Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 11:48 am Post subject:
Hi Alison, Welcome to our site. I believe the majority of us are here because we believe and I do think that those of us who believe, do so because of personal experiences; though some here may just be curious, while a few may find it down right crazy. Being skeptical is the right way to be, and I would like to use the guys at TAPS for example. Every time they come across something unusual, they try to debunk it and recreate it if at all possible. When they are unable to debunk, they merely say they have no explanation. That is not to say that someone else might not be able to find a logical explanation later, but they put it out there for anyone to try or not and to also educate people to the possibility. Skeptisism will only help to better prove to the world of the existence of spirits in my own opinion because the more and more people get involved, the more attention gets brought to the subject, the more researchers and scientists will be tempted to investigate and experiment and in the end, there will be only one reachable conclusion, and that is that in this mast,hugh universe we are not alone. Again welcome and explore the site and I am sure lots of us will explore yours. "Publish Me" Loretta Brown (ebbsmom)
Last edited by ebbsmom on Sun Sep 10, 2006 3:45 pm; edited 1 time in total
I agree with Emom here, many believers are also major skeptics of claims of hauntings, ghosts, etc....
It is only wise to be skeptical when dealing with the paranormal, fraud hurts the study immensely and invalidates experiences that bring paranormal believers to their conclusions in the existance of the paranormal....
Keeping ones integrity is especially important when you are a paranormal believer, and exceptionally so when you choose to investigate paranormal incidents....One poory placed conclusion can in fact invalidate your opinions and findings greatly.....Which then adds to the idea that paranormal occurances are nothing more than either fraud, silliness, or insanity.....This would hurt many paranormal believers desires to prove that these things exist and in the end make it more difficult to discuss ones own experiences.....
Well I suppose if I say publish me that I should explain a bit about my own reasons for belief in the paranormal....Since I was a child I saw, heard and felt things others didn't seem to or at least didn't admit to. I have always had this underlying belief in something beyond and to date I have not questioned that there is, but merely what it is. As a child my belief system was so strong that my step father asked me questions about it and why I felt so comfortable with it at the age of 9...At 9 I did not have the answers he was looking for only that I felt it was right.....
I have attempted for possibly as much as 20 years to allow Doctors and specialists try to explain my experiences scientifically which turned out to be a disaster to my life. The only constant in my life being the experiences I have had that were not evident to others in the same area at the time. When I finally stopped looking at medical reasons for my experiences and started to accept myself as I was my life became much easier and the experiences less difficult. I finally looked for people who were like minded (just a few months ago) and found this place....I am extremely grateful that I did because now I feel less alone....
Fay
Last edited by Fayelle on Sun Sep 10, 2006 10:42 pm; edited 1 time in total
Joined: Jan 14, 2004 Posts: 1895 Location: Georgia
Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 2:29 pm Post subject:
Hiya Alison!
I told you there would be responses to your request from the Hounds! This site really does have IMO the most level-headed paranormal investigators on the web and I'm very proud they post here. _________________ Patrick Burns
Founder and Director, Ghost Hounds
"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed." - Albert Einstein
I would consider myself to be a believer, but the further i delve into paranormal research the more i question my own beliefs every day. I first became interested after seeing an apparition in my home which i was not able to explain. Years later, I'm skeptical of my own experiences I have had in the past due to the knowledge about the phenomenon I have now. I definately believe in paranormal phenomenon, though I can't say that I am aboslutely certain of anything we deal with in this field of study. Although, I am a believer, I will only base my own beliefs on my own personal experiences. If I was not present for an experience or I did not capture an image with my own camera I do not accept it as anything more than an interesting picture, and perhaps as grounds for further investigation into the location.
hope that's adequate. _________________ The opinions and ideas stated in the above post by ponyboy do not necessarily reflect the opinions and ideas of the Ghost Hounds organization, it's members, or it's founder. Please take them with a grain of salt.
www.historicghost.com www.Ryan-Eldridge.com
Last edited by ponyboy on Sun Sep 10, 2006 3:10 pm; edited 1 time in total
one of us.... one of us.... _________________ The opinions and ideas stated in the above post by ponyboy do not necessarily reflect the opinions and ideas of the Ghost Hounds organization, it's members, or it's founder. Please take them with a grain of salt.
www.historicghost.com www.Ryan-Eldridge.com
Joined: Jun 18, 2005 Posts: 1228 Location: Georgia
Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 10:12 pm Post subject:
"publish me"
Hi RemieV to ghosthounds!!
Seeing is believing. Since I was a young girl I have been able to see apparitions. I have seen them in different forms and under a variety of circumstances. I never know when it will happen and I cannot see them at will. I have also been physically touched by something unseen on one occasion.
I have only been doing actual paranormal investigating for about one year. I wanted to see if I could get something physical to support what I know to be there. I have got some good results thus far.
I believe it is vital that any findings be scrutinized honestly and that every attempt be made to find natural causes for them. To seriously study the paranormal, and possibly find any correlations, we dont want to waste time looking at something that isnt paranormal in nature.
Ghosthounds plays an important role in my study of the paranormal. Many of the people here strive for the same integrity in their findings as I do. We share our findings, our ideas, and most importantly, we share our experiences and knowledge. I have learned so much here in regards to ruling out false positives. When you are a beginner, you often mistake natural things for something paranormal. An example would be dust or moisture in the air. Being able to discuss our pictures openly and getting opinions helps us learn to rule out those things. Thru others we also learn about taking better pictures, getting better recordings, how to use equipment properly; So many things.
I think, for the most part, people want to know if what they got is truly something paranormal. But, to be a good investigator, you really have to be able to accept it when something you were so excited about initially, turns out to be something that can be explained by natural causes. Its really disappointing sometimes!! We always need to keep that skeptical view first and foremost in this field to keep it pure!
One other reason I am very interested in studying the paranormal is because, since I do see apparitions, I am very curious as to why, and if there is some reason or purpose to it. I want to determine if I am supposed to use that ability for something, or is it just a random occurence, when certain criteria are met, that I am able to get a glimpse of the other side?
Joined: Sep 10, 2006 Posts: 14 Location: over the rainbow
Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 11:48 pm Post subject:
Thanks so much for your responses, everyone! The Ghost Hounds Forum section of the opinions area is up. Cruise the whole thing for a look at opinions of every possible kind.
Joined: Nov 27, 2005 Posts: 328 Location: Sugar Hill, GA
Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:36 pm Post subject:
Hi Alison!
It's great to have someone like you on the boards! As a matter of fact, wasn't there an article in the paper about you a few months back? Your photo looks very familiar and I think that's where I saw it! If so....congrats!!!!
Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2006 12:03 am Post subject: Hi Allison,
I just joined this group ,so that is why this post is late. I used to be very skeptical. Then I had some strange thing happen that I could not and still can not explain. It made me become more open minded and I started wanting to explore and investigate paranormal things. I don't believe evry thing that people claim to be paranormal is. And somethings that have been presented in times past as paranormal have been exposed as frauds. It has hurt the ones of us that are trying to actually capture real proof. As some other people have said it is best if you believe you have paranormal evidence to try and debunk it before you sign off on it as paranormal. Like TAPS they admit if it is something that can be recreated.And they don't call everything paranormal and really haven't called many places they visit as haunted. I believe if every investigator would be that way it would go a long way towards giving the paranormal fields better ground in the eyes of the public. Thanks Ghost_Diver
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). I'll get it to you as soon as i'm done, though!
"Publish Me" Loretta Brown (ebbsmom)
This site really does have IMO the most level-headed paranormal investigators on the web and I'm very proud they post here. 
