I'm going to sulk... nothing interesting and inexplicable EVER happens to me.
What have I got, spirit lurgees?
I know some people have stuff that happens to them, and I've had a 'thing' too (past-life flashback). However, I know as amazingly intense and precise my 15" in the 8th Century was, I can't exclude it being purely imagination so it IS explicable.
1/ All events indicating external supernatural entities are anecdotal
2/ All events indicating internal supernatural abilities are anecdotal
3/ Given that, there are things that can be hard to explain unless one assumes they are all lying or have incorporated a fantasy into their memory as a real event.
4/ Either 'powers' are not that great and controllable, or having 'powers' aligns you with the 'good side of the force'. Otherwise we'd have some bad-ass supercrims using 'powers'.
5/ Unless they are REALLY powerful and that's why we don't think they exist.
I guess my stance is very similar to the god thing;
"Lovely idea, but the fact you can't prove it seems to indicate it either doesn't exist the way we think it does, or that if it does, it's not that important; if it existed or was important it would not be an issue where 'belief' was required as there would be 'evidence'."
Sirona; does the 90% of these experiences that are "probably exaggeration or hallucination" apply to you too? If you're going to be impirical you have to be consistant, or you're not being impirical!. You seem to have developed some methodolgy for determining any possible external reality to these experiences, but isn; that a bit like an ice-skater awarding themselves points?
Sentinel;
I never doubt when someone says they "see or hear" things,
In that case you are too trusting. There are many people with dellusions in this world, and if you apply no filter to seperate the possibly credible from the plainly whacky, you will include pure fantasy in your belief structure.
or when unexplainable events occur.
For every inexplicable event I'll bet there are a dozen that are only inexplicable because the right mundane non-supernatural explaination hasn't been found.
We live within certain dimensions, and we sometimes catch a glimpse of another. Likewise, those beings or energy forces, existing in their dimension, come through to ours. There is so much energy associated with the life force and that energy continues on and on.
This incorporates some of the latest ideas in physics (multiple dimensions) which makes it sound very credible. However "catch a glimpse of another", "those beings or energy forces, existing in their dimension, come through to ours" and "There is so much energy associated with the life force and that energy continues on and on" are pure supposition, grafted onto a pseudo-scientific structure. It might be like that, but you've not a shred of proof, have you?
When a human being dies, the soul can linger around before departing into it's next experience. Usually the soul seeks the comfort of the familiar "human" and wants to be there; but many times I believe the "stranded soul" lingers outside and stays instead in familiar places, buildings, objects, etc. Eventually, that energy is transferred, otherwise the soul does not complete it's mission towards perfection. Perhaps there is some truth in a "stranded soul" needing a guide (of sorts) to get them back on track.
Again, supposition, a veritable smorgasboard of different beliefs blended into a pleasing whole. I prefer Teryy Pratchetts idea that DEATH is a skeleton with a sythe, and what happens to you in the after-life is what you expect. There is as much evidence for Terry Pratchett's fictional DIscworld multiverse as there is for the afterlife.
And, yes, there is also always the opposite of the light, the good, and that is the dark side. We should always try to work toward good in our life, so that the dark and the bad that resides there, will not find a place to dwell in or around us. Good and evil exist side by side, but one who choses good, will progressly move forward. If lessons are not learned, we are doomed to live them again and again. Souls are not perfect and they can become damaged along the way. In their journey towards total perfection they can become infected with desires that are opposite those designed by the universal creators. Damaged souls infect the humans they dwell in. I believe there is such a thing as an evil soul, possibly damaged beyond redemption. This is the sinning soul that will eventually die an everlasting death. Humans are the objects which the souls live and travel in; they have a genuiene love for their host. Striving to live in tune with one's soul is something that we should work towards, as we will have good benefits.
But for those infested with a totally evil soul, they are beyond saving. These are hateful humans that will never fit into society. They think and behave differently, and have no conscience.
And this is where problems begin really. Start investing too much belief in something you cannot prove, and the next minute people are tacking entire belief structures to it - look at the wording used;
- evil soul
- damaged beyond redemption
- one who choses good, will progressly move forward
- journey towards total perfection
- infested with a totally evil soul, they are beyond saving
.... publish it bi-weekly, bingo; cult!
Obviously you can believe what the hell you like, but how do you really feel about moving from the JW's belief structure to one that retains the non-provable elements of their (or come to think of it) any other belief structure?
