Scientific Method

[Phoenix-09]

Now, I'm sure that many of you, probably most of you, cringed at reading the title for this post. Science? HERE!? GET OUT!!! Right?

Allow me to explain myself, in the best way as possible, as I'm not really writing this as a prepared and influential essay, though I do want it to be influential.

The scientific method. What is it, and why is it so important in a place like this? Simply put - it's observation. Observing things under a hypothesis and then drawing a conclusion whether the hypothesis is true or false.

Now, why is it so important? Because we need to tackle and weed out pseudoscience. Pseudoscience and spirituality and mysticism - the three are all different. Don't get me wrong - I do believe in quite a few spiritual things, and that is why I am here, to warn others against falling for things that are dangerous.

Pseudoscience's hypotheses are infallable. If anybody tries to say that it's wrong, or anybody tries to say "Well the evidence is crummy," everyone jumps to hush that voice.

And is it really that dangerous? Yes. Consider it like this. You can pray to God to save a loved one, or you can give him 500 milligrams of medicine once every 12 hours. Which one works? Which one is more sure to work? Careful now, Phoenix, you might be stepping on people's beliefs and toes, and that's not morally correct. Yes, but it's morally incorrect to stand by and do nothing when someone is making a danger to themselves and to others.

Scepticism is vital to spirituality.

I don't know how relevant this argument is to the Astral Pulse - this is the first time I've been here in a looong time, and I'm not sure of the atmosphere of attitudes around on the AP. But let me just say this - scepticism, used correctly, is a friend, not a foe.

Scepticism helps us decide which beliefs to try on for size and which ones are dangerous. There are a lot of beliefs out there that cater for our spiritual needs - we want to be told we are special, that we have a special place in the universe, that there is something divine for us. To an extent I believe this, but I cannot believe things that promise being able to walk through walls or being able to heal disease from 2000km away, of course, all for a price.

So that's where the scientific method comes in. It's all well and easy to believe something, but it's harder to see if your belief is wrong. Observe, and do not place so easily trust in the fact that the hypothesis is absolute. Doing otherwise is to close your mind. And I realise how strong the credo is here - to be open minded.

Science is not closing your mind. In fact, if anything, science and spirituality can go hand in hand to combat beliefs that are dangerous. Beliefs that lead to cults and beliefs that stray us away from longevity and higher standards of living.

I would also like to say that I also agree with the phrase "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence." We cannot simply say that psychics don't exist because there is no evidence to say that their abilities are real. But we can say that there is evidence of frauds, so that if there are real psychics (and I believe there are) then you must be VERY careful to avoid the frauds. We cannot simply say that astral projection doesn't exist because science hasn't proved it. Science didn't prove that the Earth was round for quite some time, but then the answer - and the truth - was found.

All I'm trying to say is be careful. It is far too easy to place your beliefs and trust in something that tells you what you want to hear. I believed in many ridiculous things and it lead to a lot of bad things - but it could have been worse. There is a religion today known as Christian Science which apparently (I'm not sure if this is true) denies the germ theory of disease...if prayer doesn't work in healing their child they would rather have it die.

Spirituality has a dark side. Science has a dark side. But pseudoscience and pseudoreligion - science and spirituality's common enemy - are always dark. Be careful.

~Phoenix

[intergalactic]

The only bad thing about science is nobody wants to use it.

[Phoenix-09]

Nobody wants to use it yet they use science's creations on a daily basis.

I'm sure most of the people out there that are anti-science would not be alive to this day if it weren't for antibiotics or medical care. Most of those people wouldn't be able to protest with microphones if science never existed. Yes, nuclear weapons exist, yes, there is pollution - that is why I strongly believe that spirituality and science need to coexist for wise decisions to be made.

I just get annoyed that people constantly drive themselves down dangerous paths of beliefs that get them nowhere. Often times it is harmless, but then there are people that won't listen to science at all and then end up hurting people, such as our good friends who disagree with the germ theory of disease, and would rather have their child die if prayer did not cure them.

Some things will never be possible, no matter how much you believe them. I agree there are unexplained things, and I have had personal experiences with astral projection and psychic phenomena. But stuff like curing diseases and communicating with aliens is far more doubtful.

Observation leads to answers, and answers lead to the truth. We cannot make progress if we forego that vital step of self-doubt.

~Phoenix

[NickJW]

Well said Phoenix, I agree with you on every aspect. People need to realize that science is always the most logical route to the truth and to deny, not appreciate or not believe in certain things science has done for us is just... not smart.

[thesickmoon]

Now, I'm sure that many of you, probably most of you, cringed at reading the title for this post. Science? HERE!? GET OUT!!! Right?

Wrong!

[NickJW]

Deffinitly wrong! This forum needs more people like you.

[jalef]

You are definately right.

Like there are people who would rather die than to say that science is wrong there are people who would do the same for believes that are also wrong.

Being 'open-minded' doesnt mean to deny science because i think there are at least some truths coming from science and some amount of scepticism is always healthy...

[Sorlac]

One of the things Robert Monroe said in his books is that beliefs are just that, beliefs.  You cannot truly know something until you have experienced it.

For instance, I'm sure there are many here who believe, KNOW rather, that they have been healed from great distance, or have sent the healing and known of the results.  There are people who believe them, there are people who doubt them.  Is this truly healing from elsewhere, channeled via good intentions and/or skill, or is it simply a placebo effect that healed them?

As with any path, there are stumbling blocks in addition to road signs pointing in the wrong directions.  If people never question their path, they run great risk of being on the wrong one.  Closed-mindedness (if that's a word) is indeed a danger, especially in a forum such as this one.  Personally, I think no metaphysics forum is truly complete without a few scholars of science in its midst to point at the road signs the majority follow and ask why.

[CFTraveler]

Phoenix wrote:

You can pray to God to save a loved one, or you can give him 500 milligrams of medicine once every 12 hours. Which one works? Which one is more sure to work?

Or you can give him 500 mg BID and pray to God.  You forgot that alternative.