Science and the supernatural - thoughts and opinions wanted

freshstart

I definitely support science, I think that the entire field is fascinating. The things that have been discovered and that will be discovered in the future is mind-boggling. I do wonder, however, if there is some things that science can't explain. I mean, I have had things happen in my life that really make me wonder about supernatural occurence. I made a post the other day about things that were supposedly demonized according to Witnesses, but I don't think that the things that happened to me had anything to do with demons. To me the idea that evil spirits have nothing better to do than mess with me because I bought a used candlestick is just dumb. But I wonder if there really are spirit entities (or something else we don't quite understand) that are also in existence and can sometimes make their presence known. Does that make any sense? I'm afraid I'm just rambling but hopefully you understand what I'm getting at. Anyway, I really want to know what other people think about that, and if you have had any such experiences yourself. You don't necessarily have to say what it was that happened to you if you don't want, but if you'd all like to share that would be cool too.

00DAD

In many cases today's "supernatural" is tomorrow's science.

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. - Arthur C. Clarke

yknot

I don't know..... I wish there were fairies like in Louisa May Alcott's Flower Fables.

I spent hours trying to see the Marfa Lights....got nothing when others were seeing something.

I think people have enate senses we attribute to 'gut' or 'intuition'.

I think people feel/see things when they desire to see something.....been to a lot of "haunted" places got nothing but a moment of my own irrational fear which my dubbie brain auto-corrected.

I want to understand well-witching....just haven't figured it out yet fully.

Generally speaking...today's supernatural is tomorrows science explained, I mean technically didn't Jah want humans to have 'accurate knowledge'....so kinda leaves little room for supernatural over science

cofty

freshstart - it would be really exciting if something like what you describe could be confirmed. Ever since we began to apply the scientific method to investigating these sort of reports every occurrance of the "supernatural" has turned out to be not magic.

As Douglas Adam's said - "Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?"

darthfader

Arthur C. Clarke: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

Finkelstein

In reality supernatural spiritualism has only existed in the subconsciousness of human imagination.

If one throughly studies where spiritualism originated, it becomes clear that it was a result of human ignorance of the world we live,

here on earth as well in outer space, as it still does to this day.

cantleave

NewChapter

Things happen that science can't explain at the moment. It doesn't make them supernatural though. There is no scientific evidence for the supernatural. Our brains crave answers, and if we can't have them, we are sometimes willing to fill in the void with whatever is at hand.

SweetBabyCheezits

^ Yep, what NC said. And who wants to have the reputation of being premature? Not this guy.

Best to wait until the evidence is in before labeling unexplained as "supernatural".

00DAD

su·per·nat·u·ral, adj

: of or relating to an order of existence beyond the visible observable universe; especially : of or relating to God or a god, demigod, spirit, or devil
: departing from what is usual or normal especially so as to appear to transcend the laws of nature - [Emphasis added]

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supernatural

One problem is that this word, supernatural, is used in two superficially similar, but profoundly different ways.

The first definition is clearly outside of the domain of science. Science and religion are Non-overlapping magisteria (NOMA).

The second definition is problematic in that the word "supernatural" is often used to describe things that appear to transcend the laws of nature when in fact they are just examples of phenomena not then/yet understood. Said phenomena are not truly supernatural, but only appear to be by those that do not understand them.

If you showed ANYONE this particular phenomenon even a few years ago (maybe even less) they would likely think it was supernatural:

Quantum Levitation

Hence, as I quoted Arthur C. Clark in my initial response to the original post and to which DarthFader agreed:

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

Science and the supernatural - thoughts and opinions wanted

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