Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site loral.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!houxm!houxz!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!hplabs!sdcrdcf!sdcsvax!sdccs6!loral!simard From: simard@loral.UUCP (Ray Simard) Newsgroups: net.philosophy,net.sci,net.misc Subject: Re: Mind and Brain Message-ID: <294@loral.UUCP> Date: Tue, 24-Jul-84 16:21:25 EDT Article-I.D.: loral.294 Posted: Tue Jul 24 16:21:25 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 28-Jul-84 19:50:45 EDT References: brl-vgr.507 <569@ihuxj.UUCP>, <93@mouton.UUCP>, <1135@rti-sel.UUCP> <3328@brl-tgr.ARPA> <1556@sun.uuRe: Mind and Brain Organization: Loral Instrumentation, San Diego, CA Lines: 51 Rich, et al: It seems that there is a kind of pseudo-science at work here that is based on the premise that "nothing exists until its existence is proven". Beg to differ! A true scientific approach would be that until proven ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, a suspected entity or phenomenon MAY exist. We just plain don't know! There is much too much evidence of PSI events and experience (mixed with plenty of misinterpretation, fraud and swamp gas, admittedly) to stubbornly deny, simply because a suitably rigorous scientific procedure has not yet proven its validity. This only means that PSI lies in the gray area between the certainty of its validity and the certainty of its nonexistence. A recent NOVA program presented a pretty interesting (and balanced) view of the history of PSI research. It included plenty of room for accepting the fraud or imprecision of those studies and observation where such were present, and still came out with a rather convincing case for something real at work. It surprises me that anyone beating the drum of 'scientific method' would not take a glance at the history of scientific research of all kinds and note the myriad statements of "can't be - impossible" that turned out to be nothing of the kind. Think about it... Just suppose that there are phenomena active that are manifest in PSI-type experiences. These need not be separate from the physical universe, but merely aspects of it that we do not yet understand (what self-respecting scientist would deny there are plenty of those?). Over human history, these unexplained and perhaps disquieting events are 'explained' by those experiencing them (and those close to them) in whatever way they can believe (since a bad explanation is less terrifying than none at all!). Since mental states of concentration, relaxation and confidence (in religious terms, faith) are necessary for the experience to occur, repeatability may be difficult to achieve. Also, the subconsious may easily find reasons to block the surfacing of a PSI-type event to consiousness and the subject will be totally unaware of either the event or the cause of its blockage. To those who have had these experiences, they stand proven thereby. To others, an scientific approach can only be (at this time, anyway) that "I may not be willing to pronounce this certain, but neither can I pronounce it impossible". -- Ray Simard Loral Instrumentation, San Diego {ucbvax, ittvax!dcdwest}!sdcsvax!sdccsu3!loral!simard