Random Information

[spectabillis]

James Randi's weekly update at the JREF. It's here: http://content.apa.org/journals/psp/77/6/1121.

Paranomal, pseudoscience, and supernatural? That was a... surprise.

Thanks for the info, will paste that into my random to-do list.

Metacognition is a more specific term than either of the two you suggested. It refers to the ability to understand one's self. I think the closest you'd get in layman is "self-discernment."

Know what it means, but not sure too many laymen would understand what discernment means.

And percentile means "percentage of scores at or below." So if you get the 12th percentile, twelve percent of people who take the test score at or below the level you did. So 95th percentile means ninety-five percent score at or below, five percent score higher. It's a fairly standard method of measuring relative scores.

got it.

[Ranger Genius]

The JREF is a very useful resource in studying such matters, and all forms of false beliefs, really. And they have something to hold over the heads of people making all of those types of claims: and it's the unclaimed one-million-dollar JREF Paranormal Challenge prize.

[spectabillis]

The JREF is a very useful resource in studying such matters, and all forms of false beliefs, really....

Going over it right now.

[spectabillis]

The JREF is a very useful resource in studying such matters, and all forms of false beliefs....

From http://www.randi.org/jr/020405will.html

What the ghosts first look like are, lets see.......go in a dark room with some moon light not -heavy light- and release 5-10 fruitflys or standard flys and focus on a painting in front of you, you see the flys to your right and left...you almost double take cause of them cutting the darkness with their streak of motion and yet there is no image.

In this presentation after 10 minutes or so they (the ghosts) will become more able to be seen, they are like a fuzz, like the predator-the movie- when he is transparent you know its there but its clear...

(1) The ghosts will line up single file and One by One they will kneel in front of the 3 Judges. They are slightly transparent but still able to be seen...look like fuzz...But with the single file they will take the place of the person in front of them and Like my old Nintendo they will burn the image [of their presence] into your perception cause they keep repeating it with there single file kneeling. They have no eyes but you will see the outline of their head as they will be 1 foot away from you looking into yours.

(2) I will get them to Physically rub your leg.

I have no qualifications in psychology nor in psychiatry, but in my opinion this young man is delusional, perhaps dangerously so. He is mistaking garbled sensory input for actual images of reality, and taking any impression he picks up as peripherally-sensed "ghosts." Joan of Arc, Padre Pio, and other "visionaries" probably suffered from the same delusions.

too much, thanks for starting my morning off right with this.

[Ranger Genius]

You're welcome. I'm happy to have turned another thinking mind onto it.