I'm not saying anyone who experiences unexplained events is stupid, gullible or even crazy. I'm saying that it is infinitely more likely that there's a rational explanation for everything, and it's your interpretation of thing around you that is making you think you're seeing something paranormal.
Look at it like this…all of us have had the experience of seeing a shadow or a shape in the dark and think it's moving or a person only to find it's a coat on a bedpost or something. That's because our brains take shapes and try to "fill in" the gaps to interpret them into something we recognize.
That's why people see the devil face in the smoke from the Trade Towers. It's why some folks see Jesus in a water stain or Mary in a grilled cheese sandwich. These are not necessarily stupid, gullible or crazy people … but they are people more likely to accept paranormal explanations before being more rational about it.
Now with the folks who hear voices or see invisible people, it could be that your brain is filling in gaps at a level beyond normal. This can cause one to perceive things that aren't actually there.
Is that insanity? I don't know, I'm not a professional analyst. In my very unprofessonal opinion, I think sanity is more of a sliding scale, and that none of us are completely without perception problems of one sort or another.
But if you're afflicted with any of these conditions, I think it's very important to assume that there's a rational reason your brain is seeing or hearing things that aren't there (as opposed to believing that the objects or sounds are real, and the rest of the population is just "not attuned" to what you perceive.)
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Comic Talk and General Discussion *
Am I Going Insane?
you have to think that psychiatry is a relatively young practice, just like how early surgery was labeled as barbaric in its infantile state. only 50 years ago they lock people up in institutions because they couldn't control their emotions and hallucinations. They had perform everything from draining blood out of the head to excessive shock therapy.
I think this would be something excessively important to point out. Modern Psychology, Psychiatry and Sociology have only been around a very short time in the grand scheme of things. It was only in the last five or six years that people started realizing that 90% of children display a majority number of the six most common symptoms of ADD and ADHD but aren't actually truly affected with either of those conditions, they're just children is all. In fact, with all social-behavioral disorders people will display some of the symptoms. They're called social-behavioral disorders because they affect and interact with the normal behaviors of humans. To actually be diagnosed with such a disorder, you have to display an acceptable percentage of the symptoms. Just because a person displays behavior of withdrawal, aggression, and anger or sadness doesn't mean that they are manic-depressive or anti-social, it can just mean that they are experiencing something as a result of an influencing factor in their life at that time. In order to make sure that you should be diagnosed as having a disorder, you need to know the symptoms and have an outside observer to examine and see what symptoms you exhibit. That's what a psych visit does.
We've gone from poking holes in people's brains to let out demonic spirits to watching their daily interactions with others and their environment to discover what self-destructive or unknown behaviors they might have. It's more to the point of making them aware of their behavior and allowing them to change actions which are potentially self-harming than trying to make people "normal". Psychology isn't about trying to get a person to operate by an accepted normal behavior and neither is Sociology. When they refer to the word normal, they're just referring to the behavior most often undertaken by the greatest number of people, not a standard of behavioral measure.
Congratulations, you just proved you're closed minded. Considering I don't go visiting psychics, as I have met only one, perhaps two, real psychics, that's not a valid argument.
Not even close. Because later I said:
(tongue in cheek there I recognize that there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of in that philosphy, though please seek some medical attention to rule out physical problems, with my multiple concussion syndrome I experience many of the same phenomena)
I also noted that the denial thing was a circular argument. To paraphrase from Catch-22
You can't be grounded for saying you're crazy, because you have to be crazy to fly. By saying that you're crazy you are expressing concern for your sanity which proves you're sane, so you have to fly.
That's some catch, that Catch-22
The best there is.
The same argument is often used with denial about mental illness.
I am glad you sought medical attention for your eyes. I have a friend who has a similar condition. It got so bad (shadows, auras etc.) he couldn't concentrate on simple activities so he had to be put on medication to reduce the phenomena or at least allow him to ignore it. He's grateful that he can concentrate on his writing again as he writes for indy comics and various websites and recently been published again.
If you can live with your condition go for it. I'd kind of like it if you went to a university that studies this kind of phenomena so it can be studied as it could assist the study of poltergeists if you see unseen hands move things that do move. That is a connection of provable physical with psychic phenomena unlike the flim-flam of psychics and New Age philosophy. (see James Randi, Martin Gardner and Joe Nickell among others.)
You see though I often pooh-pooh the paranormal, but my tongue is in my cheek and I believe it is worthy of scientific study not just blind denial.
My therapist and my psychiatrist both allow for my experiences with the paranormal without labeling me as suffering from delusions because of it. My biologically depression and anxiety are real and treated and any voices I hear is my creativity. I call her my muse, though I wish she looked like Selma Hayek as opposed to just being a sub-conscious voice.
I love watching people argue about gods and the supernatural. Both sides always make themselves look like jackasses.
To people advocating the paranormal: Shut up. The more you keep talking about it, the angrier other people will get, and the more frustrated you'll get. The supernatural is just like religion in that it can't be proved or disproved, and people don't like it when you try to force a religion on them. Unfortunately, even when you're simply discussing religion, there are some people who will see it as you being preachy.
To the people opposing the paranormal: Your posts are goldmines of irony. You talk about how everything has a solution and act like you're the reasonably ones even though you aren't listening to a word your opponent is saying. Also, I have spotted a few holes in your arguement. Here's one that's been bugging me:
No paranormal theory has ever been proven in the history of the world, which although not an ironclad argument (can't prove a negative and all that) it certainly carries the preponderance of evidence that paranormal is just another word for "wild imagination."
Although this makes perfect sense, I feel compelled to point out that if a paranormal theory were ever proven, it would probably stop being considered "paranormal". I imagine a fair few of scientifically accepted facts were once considered paranormal.
Case in point: Long ago it was widely believed that evil spirits caused diseases. Superstition to us, completely sensible to the people back them. Then somebody one day said: "hey, what if diseases are actually caused by tiny little invisible creatures?" Naturally, this would be considered ridiculous by society, and people who believed such things would be labeled as crazy and superstitious.
Case in point: Long ago it was widely believed that evil spirits caused diseases. Superstition to us, completely sensible to the people back them. Then somebody one day said: "hey, what if diseases are actually caused by tiny little invisible creatures?" Naturally, this would be considered ridiculous by society, and people who believed such things would be labeled as crazy and superstitious.
there is an enormous difference between the scientifically provable causes of diseases and "evil spirits". that people before the age of science believed irrational things is understandable. that some still prefer to think in irrational terms is also understandable, but unhelpful. Believing The paranormal theory ends the study of it and Therefore works completely opposite a scientific theory. where one seeks a "simple" solution (evil spirits), the other is just The first step to finding the truth.
I didn't read anything since I posted last, nor will I. Here's just another thing to add to what I was saying.
When I made my initial statement, bam, my statement is "evidence" that I'm mentally unbalanced because I deny that I am. Isn't that what we call "Damned if you do, damed if you don't!"? It's a fucking trial by ordeal with these people. I'm in denial for saying I don't have a mental disability, but by saying I have a mental disability, I deny what I see and am unbalanced, which is not the case either way.
There's a difference between what I experience and a hallucination. So, of course I explain how I've had everyone from "psychics" (and I use the term VERY loosely) and regular people have told me they say a something when I was witnessing an event. I further explained how if you don't see and hear the things I do, I'm not surprised if someone would call me a liar or unbalanced.
As I said, I've had optometrists tell me my eyes are "different". My last exam, which was in July 2008, resulted in the same thing. My eye doctor said, "I don't think I've seen eyes like the back of yours." My mother, father, brother, and other family members have all witnessed these somethings in the past at the same time. Now, let me not forget to mention people all over the world experience similar things all the time.
What did this result in? I was told my family probably has a "genetic disposition for getting crossed signals due to a problem with our optical sensory perception." Does that make anyone else a little pissed and sick to their stomachs? So many people talk about how they believe in evolution and change with humans, but the moment something might be part of that change it's hated on, discredited, and even made to seem less than human.
I don't go around talking to myself, seeing "ghosties" floating around the world all the time. Usually when I hear something, I listen for a while and find the source. Eight times out of ten something can be easily explained, and I find the reason behind it. It's those two times that will blow your mind and you must label it paranormal, as we don't currently have the science to explain it.
I have experienced hallucinations induced from a concussion and from lack of sleep before. Because I see and hear these things, I know the difference rather well. When I stayed up for 75 hours straight I would often see shadowy figures moving about, just out of dead center vision, or crawling about the floor quickly. When I had a bad concussion I would hear music, ringing, and voices. When I'm engulfed in electromagnetic fields I think something is around me, chatter, and see strange shapes moving. Guess what? I know what causes these and what they were, so I'd never label them paranormal.
Let me help you understand how I understand the difference. I'll be using video games because they're an easy source of screen shots and comparisons. Now, imagine if you will, when people turn on their video game consoles, they always only see this:
The previous picture is considered normal and common. This is what everyone expects to happen when you turn on the video game console.
Now, imagine when you turn on your video game console, you often get this:
When you tell people about it, because they only see the first one image, they tell you what you're seeing isn't what you're saying, and it's a problem with you. What they claim you are seeing is this:
They have never actually seen anything to this effect, so they are going off of what they believe the science says. The previous picture is a serious problem with the video game console, and your TV, which means you should get help immediately. However, you know you aren't seeing the previous picture, because when you had a problem with your video game console or your TV, you saw this:
Because you know the difference, you know when someone has switched your video game console out.
I know this is all kind of a lame example, but it's the best I could come up with showing a comparison. Another way to compare it, without images, is saying when you look out your window, there is a rose bush. The roses on the rose bush are red. Every so often you catch a glimpse of a yellow and red mixed one. You are told you are seeing things, because it's a red rose bush, and the light is reflecting off of the yellow rose bush across the street when the wind blows. You know what a yellow rose bush and a red rose bush looks like, so you know when you see a mixed rose of yellow and red, but no other people have never seen it.
Just because someone can see or hear things you cannot, does not make them crazy or mentally unbalanced. There are people out there who are wired differently than normal, but that only means they have a skill/ability most do not. Using some of the models presented to me, Einstein should be considered crazy for thinking of the scientific theories he did or Michael Phelps shouldn't be a real person for setting the world record he did, because the body isn't supposed to do the things these two people did.
When I walk into a building and tell the person I'm with I don't like a certain area, they often ask my why. An example would be a bordered up building. I told the person I was with I didn't like the rear of the building and when I looked in the front window, I got the "bulk" of the feeling over in a specific area. The person of course asked me where exactly and why. I told the person, "It's right before the kitchen. There used to be tables there or something, I think, and I get this faded image of a person over it. Like they had hung themselves." I was asked what the person looked like, so I told them. I ws then asked how long I lived in the town and I told them I had only been there a month. Not too amazingly I was told an old bartender had hung himself over the pool tables in that area and looked as I described. The place had been closed three years before I arrived and I knew nothing about it, as I had only even passed by the town once when I moved into the state two years ago.
The brain is still a mysterious thing to doctors. If you don't understand something, don't chastise it right away. It's because of people like those who called me unbalanced we have things like the Witch Trials and the like, not the other way around.
I didn't read anything since I posted last, nor will I. Here's just another thing to add to what I was saying.
I actually did bother to read your post and you were repeating yourself. There are more things than are dreamed of in our philosophies and an open mind is necessary to achieve wisdom. I can understand your anger and frustration. If I came off as close-minded I apologize and I had hoped that my second post had clarified my position.
Knowledge is worthless without wisdom. I am neither knowledgeable nor very wise, but I try.
I love watching people argue about gods and the supernatural. Both sides always make themselves look like jackasses.
And anyone who starts a debate by calling another a jackass is an even bigger ass. ;) Do you read Skeptical Inquirer? That "paranormal" definition comment was in a recent article.
As far as claims of the paranormal: prove it. But if it happens and you can't explain it, it may just mean we haven't found the explanation yet. It doesn't mean that the supernatural is responsible.
I know enough to know that I can't know everything and in fact that I don't know much. Which I am certain I have just conclusively proven.
Congratulations, you just proved you're closed minded…
Hmm…except I'm not being closed minded…
I didn't read anything since I posted last, nor will I.No offense man, but that seems a little hypocritical. You want everyone to believe that when something can't be explained, it's paranormal. But you refuse to listen to anyone that says that it doesn't have to be.
I hear voices too. I was tested for psychosis for about eight months, but the people I talked to came to the conclusion that it was medically unexplained. My friend keeps saying it's OCD related. But I don't know.
Sometimes they just can't help you. But it's a good idea to get in there and see if they can anyway.
You might go through a lot for just nothing, but it's a weird experience anyway.
On my 19th birthday I had my arms full of needle marks from the various attempts at drawing blood from them. It was a blast. lol. It wasn't at the time because the first time it got done my vein collapsed in m hand but afterwards I got to sit down and play videogames all day. Lol.
Good thing was, I didn't go through THAT for nothing… At least I think I did.
Just because someone can see or hear things you cannot, does not make them crazy or mentally unbalanced.So i guess that strange guy that i sometimes see talking to himself and yelling on the train is really just a normal guy that has special powers. How cool!
sorry, but I think Croi is right. there's medical explanations for such things that doesn't label the person as being mentally unbalanced, much less crazy.
It could easily be damaged/infected eardrums which causes you to hear some weird stuff, etc.
Hell, once in a rare while I keep on seeing glowing fireflies everywhere I see for a couple of seconds, and they're not actually there. The reason why I sometimes see them is due to an eye condition where you can move your eyeballs in all sorts of angles that most humans can't do. even the rolled-back eye trick where people can only see your eye whites, but not your pupils. This can cause flashing lights or fireflies to appear if I happen to move my eyeballs in certain directions too fast, or when I stand up too fast.
those are conditions which has completely nothing to do with an person's mental state, and they still count as hearing and seeing things that aren't there.
Hell, once in a rare while I keep on seeing glowing fireflies everywhere I see for a couple of seconds, and they're not actually there. The reason why I sometimes see them is due to an eye condition where you can move your eyeballs in all sorts of angles that most humans can't do. even the rolled-back eye trick where people can only see your eye whites, but not your pupils. This can cause flashing lights or fireflies to appear if I happen to move my eyeballs in certain directions too fast, or when I stand up too fast.
I also have to watch for those fireflies and flashes as I once had a detached retina and multiple concussions.
My mother hears the ringing and I hear the barely discernable voices. My brain wants to organize the sounds into words, though I know there's nothing there. With all the loud noises I've been exposed to it was only a matter of time before I developed the condition. Tinnitus.
I've had the psych exams that ruled out psychological problems and then purusued the physical problems. Of course I know about Catch-22. (great book, one of few I felt was worth reading more than once) Show concern for your sanity and you're not insane. Deny you're crazy and get defensive over whether you're insane and more than likely you are. ;)
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