I do believe in the existence of the paranormal/supernatural (UFOs and extra-terrestrials, ghosts & spirits, ESP, etc.). However, I believe that that the best way to approach the supernatural is through a scientific and structured approach, both to ourselves discover more about these anomalous incidents and to raise the study of these phenomena beyond the level of disdain it currently finds itself in.
So let us list those cases that should be discarded from discussion or consideration due to the very high possibility that they were hoaxes/frauds. In the next thread, however, we will post those cases that - on the other hand - are most convincing of the existence of paranormal phenomena.
I want to begin with the case of the Enfield Poltergeist:
>the young girl at the center of the case - Janet - was caught in trickery a number of times (a camera once caught her manually bending spoons, and she was once discovered banging the end of a broom-handle on the roof while investigators spoke to her mother).
>Janet would not allow anyone into the room when she became "possessed" and spoke in the gruff voice of the supposedly disembodied entity named 'Bill', and on the few occasions that investigators were allowed, they were instructed to look away and/or cover their faces
>one of the Society for Psychical Research' investigators named Maurice Grosse once admitted that the children had used trickery to achieve a number of effects, though he also claimed that there was to be found some "legitimate" paranormal phenomena among the trickery
>at one point, Janet and her sister agreed to have a still camera timed to snap a picture every few seconds installed in their bedroom; subsequent photos captured Janet in mid-air, obviously using the bed as a trampoline and in a position indicative of her having jumped (though she claimed she was levitating by aid of a spirit, and other investigators claimed psychokinetic energies were at work).
I agree with you on how investigations should be concluded and went about. I haven't really heard of many iffy stories but I have never looked for them. Anyone else have some other stories like this?
>>17801920
The 'Russian Homonculus'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YmLWnQGZhQ
In the video we clearly see the man seal the egg in an 8-12oz plastic deli container, with no gas permeable membrane.
While a chicken egg may seem closed, it is actually porous and needs exposure to atmosphere for metabolism of the chick.
While the rate of this metabolism is a hard figure to track down, we do know it takes approximately 21 days for a normal chick to hatch, at this time all of the sugar content of the egg would be consumed. This gives us a rough estimate of how much oxygen would need to be in the container to sustain gestation of the homonculus.
After the O2 percentage of air is taken into account, we find the (assuming 12oz) container would have .106 grams of O2. This works out to .007 mol of O2.
1 mol of glucose is metabolized with 6 mol of O2. There is only enough air in the container for .001 mol of glucose to be metabolized.
When the molar mass of glucose is applied, we find out there is enough O2 content to metabolize only 0.342 grams of sugar content 30.5%. This is not even taking into account the volume of air displaced by the egg.
Given a normal chicken egg takes around 21 days to hatch, the 'homonculus' would run out of O2 and die somewhere before 6.3 days into gestation. More than likely sometime during day 4, as the egg shell would inhibit gas transfer to the homonculus. It would definitely not survive the 40 days claimed in the video.
While I am reasonably sure it is a fake, I still have yet to find a convincing explanation as to how it was faked. Many youtubers claim it is plastic and the movement is done with magnets, however he uses stainless steel forceps to interact with it. Thus making magnet use unlikely.
>>17801930
Just follow the trails of Ed and Lorraine Warren. They were sensationalists, and ghosts/demons popped up wherever they went.
Another case that was in most probability a hoax/fraud (and which the Warrens exploited) was the Amityville case:
>the original book claimed the Amityville home had been built over a Native American burial ground: however, local Native American leaders rejected the claim
>the book claimed that the Lutz family had seen 'cloven footprints' on the snow on a specific date: however, this claim was rejected on the fact that weather records showed that there had been no snow in the vicinity of Amityville on that date
>despite claims of extensive physical damage to the locks, doors and windows pf the house due to paranormal phenomena, the subsequent owners of the house after the Lutz family refuted these claims
>An investigation of the house feature showed that the "Red Room" was nothing more than a small closet in the basement, and had been known to the previous owners of the house because it was not concealed in any way
The entire Amityville case was a fiasco, considering all the inconsistent accounts given by different people.
Gef the Talking Mongoose
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gef
>>17802014
just a wire
>>17802014
It was probably some invisible fishing line, we use it in special effects all the time in film school. Thanks for the in-depth analysis, though.
>>17801920
I love how the Conjuring 2 just glossed over all this evidence as 'demons trying to convince us that there are no demons'. I liked the movie, but come on, James Wan...
>>17801920
Anyway, I'm gonna contribute with the (in)famous 'psychic' Uri Geller, who was known worldwide for his alleged abilities, until James Randi began a campaign of sorts, stopping wherever Geller did a show and proving that anyone could use simple magic tricks to replicate what Geller had claimed to be genuine psychic phenomena. These shows included supposedly bending keys with his mind, and traditional 'guessing games'. There was not a single trick that Randi couldn't achieve through science.
>>17801920
Today, OP was a pretty straight guy.
I've been of this mindset for a long time now, glad to see someone else here that agrees. I don't spend much time trying to find the cases that are BS (since a majority are). Just about anything from the sensationalized ghost hunting shows I think would apply (ghost hunters, ghost adventures, paranormal state, etc.).
>>17802014
Most grades of stainless steel are non magnetic
Any insights on the Elisa Lam case, OP?
>>17801920
To be honest I always become very suspicious of people who go to the press with their shit or try to sell their stories. No matter if it's aliens, ghosts, bigfoot or whatever.
>>17802152
Uri Geller is such a piece of shit. He's probably going to track me down and sue me for this post.
anyone else remember that woman who claimed to channel Ra? The name escapes me right now.
Or the zeta reticuli lady who posted on glp claiming to channel aliens?
>>17803404
You mean Ramtha? That's JZ Knight...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5C4jl6x_w4
"magic" starts at 1:44 mark...geez. How Merv Griffin kept a straight face...
>>17803138
I think the Elisa Lam case is intriguing, and although something 'odd' certainly occurred, it doesn't automatically mean something supernatural played a hand.
>>17803302
>To be honest I always become very suspicious of people who go to the press with their shit or try to sell their stories
This is one of the better indications that the a case may be a hoax. On the other hand, when individuals refuse to meet with media and live in privacy is much more convincing.
>>17803347
Yes, Uri Geller is a piece of trash. What a hack.
>>17803404
>anyone else remember that woman who claimed to channel Ra? The name escapes me right now.
>Or the zeta reticuli lady who posted on glp claiming to channel aliens?
Aren't those tripfags?
>>17803138
Not OP, but I'd say she was drugged. Someone slipped something into her drink at the hotel bar, lost track of her somehow, and she eventually decided to take a midnight swim in the water tower.
>>17802958
That's what the anon said, what is your point?
>>17806177
Certainly possible, but still curious nonetheless, especially considering what it took to get in.
I agree with OP. Faith is Faith, but parapsychologists are not priests. They are supposed tog be scientists and should behave as such.
The case of the SS Ourang-Medan seems like a hoax/fraud to me:
>no registration has ever been found of a ship called 'Ourang-Medan'
>no photos of the ship or the corpses supposedly found inside
>the name of the ship that supposedly found the Ourang-Medan was never revealed
>>17803404
http://www.lawofone.info/
that?
not sure about the 2nd one. theres still that crazy thread with the guy that claims he's an alien and he's been answering people's questions for over 10 years now.
>>17803432
Nigga just saw Ghostbusters and thinks Gozer was hot shit
>>17808478
Here on 4chan?
>>17803138
She was doing self stimming behaviour and her tox screen came back negative for drugs. Including those she was prescribed for her schizophrenia.
>schizo isnt on drugs
>starts acting up
>building maintenance is lazy and leaves stuff unlocked/unchecked
Death by misadventure
>>17808934
Oooo, I overlooked that a negative toxology could indicate someone skipping on their meds. Well played.
