Part of “Pseudoscience A to Z”, a series of articles in the Skeptics Canada newsletter about topics that have not been subjected to much critical thinking by their promoters.
Tags: Glossolalia, Pseudoscience A to Z —
The Mackenzie House legend
If you’re in search of ghouls and spooks this Halloween you may want to bypass Toronto’s reputedly haunted Mackenzie House. You would have a ghost of a chance finding a believer among those who work there.
Tags: Mackenzie House —
The ghost in the story, Part II
I presented in Part I a personal ghost story of growing up in a haunted house. This second and final installment will examine the “forces” at work in the haunting experiences that were recounted in that essay.
The ghost in the story, Part I
I grew up in a haunted house.
Well, like most good ghost stories, this is an exaggeration. I didn’t actually live full-time in the house. The house was the residence of my maternal grandparents. I was just there nearly every weekend…and on holidays…and over the summer.
The Baritone Ghost of Darnley Mill
As far as I can determine, Darnley Mill really is haunted by something just beyond the range of human senses. (more…)
Tags: Darney Mill —
E-rays: Erdestrahlen or Earth Rays
Part of “Pseudoscience A to Z”, a series of articles in the Skeptics Canada newsletter about topics that have not been subjected to much critical thinking by their promoters.
Tags: E-rays, Pseudoscience A to Z —
Dowsing for fun and profit: A test of a $1-million claimant
The “Holy Grail” of the paranormal world must surely be the US$1 million prize offered by the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) “to anyone who can show, under proper observing conditions, evidence of any paranormal, supernatural, or occult power or event” (http://www.randi.org).
Divination: A mancy for every fancy
Part of “Pseudoscience A to Z”, a series of articles first appearing in the OSSCI newsletter about topics that have not been subjected to much critical thinking by their promoters.
Tags: Pseudoscience A to Z —
Cryptozoology: Science or pseudoscience?
Part of “Pseudoscience A to Z”, a series of articles first appearing in the OSSCI newsletter about topics that have not been subjected to much critical thinking by their promoters.
Tags: Pseudoscience A to Z —
Mental defence mechanisms and controversy (or, Why debating fails)
« Newer Posts — Older Posts » The strategies of mental defence mechanisms are learned during childhood, when the child needs a way to escape from the debilitating effects of fear. At the time, the fear is simple and “childish” — the boogie man, the monster under the bed and so on. Yet these threats are reasonable enough to the child, given his or her limited knowledge of the world. However, the anti-monster techniques are used later by adults who don’t want to think about real-world problems such as war, famine, torture and so on.
Tags: Argumentation —