OUR BLIND SPOTS
I consider myself a naturally skeptical person, but I—like everyone else in the world—have accepted things as true without sufficient evidence. We all have rational blind spots. Even some of the biggest world governments have spent millions of dollars on so-called remote viewing, psychic warfare, and dowsing rods to search for oil, water, and bombs. No individual or global power is immune from the appeal of superstition, but that doesn’t change the fact that none of these supernatural forces have evidence to support them that is both verifiable and scientifically valid.
I don’t think having false beliefs makes you a bad person. The fact is that we’ve all been gullible at some moment in our lives—we’ve all been wrong before. To me, it’s what you do next, once you’ve discovered you’re wrong, that’s most important. Do you seize the opportunity to educate yourself further, or do you reject the new information out of hand? If you used to hold a belief you now see is false, whether it’s a religion or just a widespread urban legend, do you now feel stupid for having been duped? Or do you see that time as more of a learning experience? Maybe both? My recommendation is that, when you feel dumb about a belief you hold or once held, don’t run from it; embrace it. That feeling should call attention to new knowledge you can acquire.
No matter how long you have been a skeptic, it is possible for irrational beliefs and behaviors, including those you held dear in the past, to influence your thoughts. You might be convinced of a new false idea by a source you find reliable, or perhaps an old superstition will rear its head in the form of an urge to pray or read a horoscope. This stuff happens because that’s how we are wired. It’s just a part of life—part of our evolutionary development. But it’s also exciting because, when it does occur, we get to see first-hand how powerful the human brain actually is. We not only get to observe how the mind is able to create patterns, emotions, hallucinations, and more without any external force whatsoever, but we also get the opportunity to correct our faulty thinking in a meaningful way. With enough practice, we often have the ability to “logic away” our unsubstantiated ideas with nothing more than the power of critical thinking.
Because our subconscious brains have the ability to find patterns in meaningless data, understanding reality is easier when we challenge ourselves with questions. If you think you have evidence for any supernatural force or unsubstantiated idea, for instance, you might think, “Is coincidence more likely?” Usually, it is, and that’s a more logical answer. It may further help to ask yourself what separates your story from those of millions of others. Does yours have some sort of physical or otherwise verifiable evidence? Do you have any way to determine the validity of your supernatural experience using the scientific method? Because until you do, it’s still just a story.
Asking ourselves questions is hugely beneficial, but what if you want to challenge someone else’s claim without conducting extensive scientific studies? We can get closer to the truth regarding others’ ideas by giving momentary credence to even the most ridiculous of notions, and following the logical thought process to debunk them. Imagine a colleague arrives 10 minutes late to work and says, “You’ll never believe what happened to me this morning! I was driving down the road, minding my own business, and a bunch of office furniture fell out of the delivery truck in front of me. Chairs were bouncing off my windshield and, because I swerved to avoid the falling items, I ended up hitting an embankment! Sorry I’m late, everyone.” You could (and probably would) take your coworker’s word for it, but if you wanted to dig deeper, just assume everything is true and compare the expected results with reality. If chairs were bouncing off the windshield, there would likely be some scratches on the glass or the hood of the car. Are there? Likewise, hitting an embankment could cause some damage. What do you observe? With this type of an accident, what else would you expect to see? There is probably a police report, there may be photos taken afterward, or there may even be something on the local news! All you have to do is use your reasoning skills to make conclusions based on the claims at hand and then see how the real results measure up.
THE “OPPOSITION”
Unfortunately for me, speaking out about false claims—especially those (like the ones put forth by religions) that are entirely unsubstantiated yet wildly popular in the United States and around the world—hasn’t always been well received. It’s interesting (to say the least) being an activist when it comes to such controversial topics because I get to learn new things about people and their beliefs every day, but also because I get a significant amount of hate mail. And when I get those angry messages, the sender often has a special false belief, a sacred cow they haven’t discovered yet and are currently dealing with. The most exciting part for me is that, sometimes, I get to be part of their journey to facts. I also do my best to entertain each piece of these potentially constructive criticisms as if they are well intended and possibly accurate. It can get tiresome considering each and every insult as if it were grounded in fact, but it’s worth it to be able to occasionally improve my behavior or change my ideas when I find it’s necessary to do so. As German astronomer and mathematician Johannes Kepler said, “I much prefer the sharpest criticism of a single intelligent [hu]man to the thoughtless approval of the masses.”
Those who do oppose me on a personal level should note that their concerns probably aren’t related to my core message: people should analyze their beliefs carefully and hold no idea above criticism. Contrary to what some suggest, I don’t want everyone in the world to believe the same things as me; that would be pretty boring! If people think clearly and look for evidence supporting their own beliefs, then that’s good enough for me. I hope even my most dedicated critics can see that I have good intentions. Even if you disagree with me, I hope you can understand that I truly want to promote evidence-based thinking above all else, and that it is a good thing. If you think I’m wrong about a particular subject, perhaps your sacred cow or my own, it doesn’t change the fact that scientific skepticism in general is the best way to determine what’s real. I have a lot of people who disagree with me daily on everything from religion to reptilian overlords, but I see it as a good thing because the people who don’t share my views are those from whom I can learn the most.
Some people disagree with my work merely because I don’t accept their stories as facts. In some cases, it seems as though the believers—in religions, ghosts, unfounded conspiracy theories, or anything—think everyone should all be as easily convinced as they are, and they get upset because scientific skeptics aren’t. It’s perfectly fine that they are persuaded by an ancient text or by a man saying things on a video, but not all of us believe everything we were raised to—or everything that sounds pleasing to us. If there is real scientific evidence and/or legitimate documents and a paper trail that proves a point, that’s what I’m interested in.
OUTGROWING THE SUPERNATURAL
It’s the Bible, in 1 Corinthians 13:11, that says, “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.” I would say this is not only a piece of valuable advice that the Bible has to offer (although the idea itself is likely much older), but it’s also one that can be applied to religion, the supernatural, and bad thinking in general.2
As a child, people likely told you all sorts of untruths to make you feel better or make difficult explanations easier. As we grow and learn, we discard these “answers” in favor of what’s real—but many people hold on to the falsehoods as adults, often utilizing them as a sort of security blanket and occasionally causing real damage. This harm is what I fight against. However, just as a skeptic need not give up the sense of awe often associated with spirituality, it’s not required—or advisable—to crush the curiosity inherent in children by not exposing them to “false” ideas and ancient traditions. In fact, I see the rituals surrounding holidays and other cultural superstitions and fables as especially good introductions t
o larger myths. I think it is possible to teach kids about the Tooth Fairy and Santa and other childhood “white lies” by casting them as games instead of truths. I would do what I could to instill a sense of wonderment and excitement around the cultural celebrations while making it clear that they aren’t really magical; after all, children are great at using their imaginations. Greek mathematician and philosopher Hypatia of Alexandria once said that to teach superstitions as truth is “a most terrible thing.”
“Fables should be taught as fables, myths as myths, and miracles as poetic fancies. To teach superstitions as truths is a most terrible thing,” she wrote. “The child mind accepts and believes them, and only through great pain and perhaps tragedy can he be in after years relieved of them. In fact, men will fight for a superstition quite as quickly as for a living truth, often more so, since a superstition is so intangible you cannot get at it to refute it, but truth is a point of view, and so is changeable.”
WHAT WOULD THE WORLD BE LIKE?
A lot of people ask me why I’m so desperate to show that supernatural forces don’t exist, but I think this question itself is a result of the asker’s biases. In fact, there are a lot of things I hope I’m wrong about. I personally would love for some paranormal entity to be discovered (and, consequently, measured and defined) in a groundbreaking study. At very least, the verified existence of gods or ghosts or psychics or any form of “afterlife” would change the way we look at science and give us something entirely novel to study. At most, if the discovery was properly utilized, it could change the world as we know it. Jonathan C. Smith argues that undeniable proof of a single superstition or phenomenon that can’t possibly be explained scientifically means “that the worldview of science has a defect.”
“This in turn could require a new physics, a new astronomy, and perhaps even a new appreciation of the ultimate mysteries of the universe,” he wrote. “Yes, if your rabbit’s foot worked, really worked, everything could change.”
As you can see, I really do want these supernatural ideas to be true. The problem is that my hopes can’t be used in place of evidence, and I must therefore separate my desires from my beliefs. No matter how much we want something to be true, our feelings won’t change the facts. And the facts are what I use to decide what’s real and what’s not. As Carl Sagan said, “I don’t want to believe. I want to know.”
We’ve spent a lot of time showing why supernatural and divine forces probably aren’t real, so now it’s time to turn the tables. Let’s peer into our crystal ball and see what the world would look like if supernatural claims were verifiable and supported by evidence. Here’s a story I wrote about a typical day in that world, one in which many superstitious, religious, and paranormal claims are true:
MY CRYSTAL BALL
THE DARK-HAIRED LADY’S VOICE WAS LIKE A GLASS OF WARM MILK, AND I COULD FEEL MYSELF DRIFTING OFF TO SLEEP. I TRIED TO FIGHT IT. I HAD TO STAY AWAKE TO SEE WHAT THIS PSYCHIC SAID I HAD IN STORE, BUT HER HYPNOTIZING TONES, SOFT MUSIC, AND CANDLE-LIT ROOM MADE THIS A DIFFICULT TASK. I DISTRACTED MYSELF BY PLAYING WITH THE CORNER OF A TABLECLOTH, THE SHINY SILVER FABRIC ON WHICH HER CRYSTAL BALL SAT CLOUDY AND OMINOUS. THE SEER’S HANDS MOVED FROM THE TABLE TO THE CRYSTAL, HER FINGERS BRUSHING IT GENTLY AS THEY GLIDED BY. THE CLOUDS IN THE BALL BEGAN TO SHIFT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, LIKE A STRONG WIND WAS BLOWING THEM AWAY AND REVEALING A CLEAR BLUE SKY. AT THIS POINT, I WAS NO LONGER STRUGGLING TO KEEP MY EYES OPEN. I WAS WIDE AWAKE AND LOOKING FOR THE TRICK. DID SHE HAVE A HIDDEN BUTTON BENEATH THE CLOTH? WAS THIS A SPECIAL CRYSTAL BALL WITH AN INTERNAL PROJECTOR? YOU PROBABLY WON’T BELIEVE WHAT I EXPERIENCED NEXT, AS THE CLOUDS WERE SWEPT AWAY AND THE VISION BECAME CLEAR, BUT I’LL TELL YOU ANYWAY. I WAS TRANSPORTED INTO ANOTHER WORLD, ONE INSIDE THE CRYSTAL BALL, AND EVERYTHING BECAME SO … REAL.
I WOKE UP IN MY BED, WITH NO MEMORY OF HOW I GOT THERE. THERE WAS NO PSYCHIC LIGHTING HER CANDLES ONE BY ONE, NO CRYSTAL BALL, AND NO SILVER CLOTH. MY EYES WERE OPEN FOR FEWER THAN FIVE SECONDS WHEN I HEARD A YELL THAT WAS UNLIKE ANYTHING I’D EVER HEARD BEFORE. I JUMPED OUT OF BED AND GRABBED THE NEAREST THING TO ME, MY ALARM CLOCK, AND THROW IT AT A MAN RUSHING INTO MY ROOM AT TOP SPEED WHILE SCREAMING. MY THROW WAS PERFECT, BUT OF NO USE, BECAUSE THIS WASN’T A MAN AT ALL. THE CLOCK WENT DIRECTLY THROUGH THE CREATURE’S STOMACH AND CONTINUED THROUGH THE OPEN BEDROOM DOOR AND DOWN THE STAIRS, BUT THE ANGRY BEAST WASN’T DETERRED. HE WAS LESS THAN 10 FEET FROM ME WHEN, OUT OF NOWHERE, HE STOPPED IN HIS TRACKS. HE DIDN’T CHOOSE TO STOP, THOUGH; HE WAS STOPPED BY SOME SORT OF BARRIER. IT WAS LIKE WATCHING A BIRD FLYING DIRECTLY INTO A CLEAR GLASS WINDOW. STUNNED, THE SPECTER STUMBLED AROUND FOR A MOMENT UNTIL A FAMILIAR-LOOKING MAN WEARING SOME HIGH-TECH GEAR STEPPED INTO THE DOORWAY. HE PLACED A LITTLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE ON THE GROUND, AND THE TERRIFYING YET TRANSPARENT MAN WAS QUICKLY SUCKED INSIDE OF IT. THE THREAT WAS GONE, BUT I WAS STILL TREMBLING AS I ASKED MY SAVIOR, “WHAT IS GOING ON?”
“MY NAME IS ZEKE BALDWIN, AND I’VE BEEN TRACKIN’ THIS GHOST FOR ALMOST TWO WEEKS. I DIDN’T WANT TO WAKE YOU, SO I JUST SET MY SALT TRAP THERE AND WAITED FOR HIM TO COME RUNNIN’ THROUGH THAT DOOR,” THE MAN SAID, POINTING DOWN AT THE PREVIOUSLY UNSEEN LINE OF SALT ON THE FLOOR. “MY APOLOGIES FOR DISRUPTIN’ YOUR SLEEP, BUT HE WAS A NASTY ONE AND WE HAD TO GET HIM.”
“YOU … MEAN TO TELL ME THAT SALT STOPPED THAT THING?” I STUTTERED. “WAIT. AREN’T YOU THAT GHOST HUNTER GUY FROM THE REALITY TV SHOW?”
“TV SHOW? NO, SIR! NOTHING GLAMOROUS ABOUT MY REALITY. I WORK FOR SPIRIT CELL,” BALDWIN SAID, NOTICING THE BEWILDERED LOOK ON MY FACE. “YOU NEVER HEARD OF SPIRIT CELL? WE ARE NUMBER FIVE ON THE FORTUNE 500 AND WE ARE GROWING MORE EVERY DAY! I’M THEIR TOP CATCHER.”
I FELT LIKE I WAS IN A BAD DREAM, BUT I HAD ENOUGH COMPOSURE TO ASK THE MAN FOR MORE DETAILS. AFTER A FEW SECONDS OF SILENCE, I SAID, “WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU CATCH? WHAT WAS THAT? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH IT?”
“THIS WAS A CATEGORY FOUR GHOST, MY FRIEND. STRONG ONES LIKE THIS AREN’T SO COMMON, WHICH IS WHY I HAD TO TRACK HIM TO YOUR HOUSE,” BALDWIN EXPLAINED, ADJUSTING HIS UTILITY BELT. “WE CATCH ‘EM IN THESE POWER BOXES AND THE ENERGY FROM THEIR ATTEMPTS TO ESCAPE POWER, WELL, JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING. WHAT DO YOU THINK RUNS THAT ALARM CLOCK YOU THREW OUT THE DOOR?”
I STILL FELT AS THOUGH THIS HAD TO BE A DREAM, BUT I STARTED TO PUT THE PIECES TOGETHER NONETHELESS. I WAS IN A WORLD IN WHICH GHOSTS WERE REAL, AND GHOST HUNTERS WEREN’T TV SHOW GIMMICKS. IN FACT, THIS ONE WAS EMPLOYED BY A MULTIBILLION-DOLLAR COMPANY THAT HARNESSES AND SELLS ENERGY FROM APPARITIONS. I THANKED THE MAN FOR HIS HELP, AND HE EXITED THE ROOM, GHOST IN HAND.
“I’LL BE BACK NEXT TIME ONE OF THESE PUPPIES DECIDES TO CALL THIS PLACE HOME! YOU ALL SEE THEM AS A MENACE, BUT THIS HERE IS GOLD,” BALDWIN SAID AS HE WALKED OUT THE DOOR.
I THOUGHT THE WORST WAS OVER, SO I PUT ON SOME CLOTHES, GRABBED MY KEYS AND WALLET, AND WENT TO THE BATHROOM TO BRUSH MY TEETH. TO MY SURPRISE, THERE WERE GOVERNMENT-ISSUED WARNINGS ON MY MIRROR. ONE READ, “DO NOT REPEAT ‘BLOODY MARY,’ ‘CANDY MAN,’ OR ANYTHING SIMILAR WHILE USING THIS DEVICE. SIDE EFFECTS CAN BE FATAL.”
CONFUSED, I SAID ALOUD TO THE EMPTY ROOM, “WHY CAN’T I SAY BLOODY MARY? I MEAN AFTER THE MORNING I HAD I COULD USE A BLOODY MARY!” I LAUGHED TO MYSELF WHILE I BRUSHED MY TEETH AND RINSED IN THE SINK. “HA, BLOODY MARY,” I SCOFFED AS I TURNED TO LEAVE THE BATHROOM. I DIDN’T GET FAR, THOUGH. BEFORE I COULD EXIT, I HEARD A LOUD SHATTER AND A SCREECH THAT SOUNDED LIKE A MILLION NAILS ON A MILLION CHALKBOARDS. I GRABBED MY EARS AND TURNED AROUND TO SEE A HORRIFYING, GHOSTLY WOMAN COVERED IN BLOOD AND EMERGING FROM THE NOW-BROKEN MIRROR. I IMMEDIATELY SPRINTED OUT OF THE BATHROOM, OUT OF THE BEDROOM, DOWN THE STAIRS, AND STOPPED ZEKE’S TRUCK AS HE WAS PULLING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY.
“HELP! THERE’S ANOTHER!” I SCREAMED AS I POUNDED ON HIS WINDOW. THE CATCHER CALMLY GOT OUT OF THE TRUCK AND SAID, “I’LL TAKE CARE OF THIS. YOU JUST GET OUT OF HERE.”
I GOT IN MY OWN CAR AND TURNED THE KEY, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. WELL, NOTHING EXCEPT AN ERROR MESSAGE ON THE DIGITAL DISPLAY. IT READ: “
YOU DID NOT CHECK ROUTE. YOU MUST CHECK ROUTE USING AN APPROVED METHOD.” I GLANCED AROUND MY CAR AND SAW A BIG BLACK EIGHT BALL RESTING ON A STAND THAT SIMPLY SAID, “SHAKE ME.” I HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS GOING ON, BUT IT REMINDED ME OF MY CHILDHOOD GAMES, SO I SHOOK THE BALL AND CHECKED ITS RESPONSE. IT SAID, “YOU ARE LIKELY TO ENCOUNTER DANGER.” THE CAR’S DISPLAY LIT UP AGAIN, THIS TIME SAYING, “CAR CANNOT START DUE TO FORESEEN DANGERS. PLEASE TRY AGAIN LATER.”
I STARTED TO LEAVE THE CAR WHEN I FELT IT RISING OFF THE GROUND, SLOWLY. I HESITATED A MOMENT, UNABLE TO IMAGINE WHY MY CAR WOULD BE LEVITATING, AND ROLLED OUT WHEN IT WAS ABOUT THREE FEET HIGH. I LOOKED UP TO SEE A HUGE METALLIC FLYING SAUCER WITH MESMERIZING LIGHTS. THE CRAFT’S RED TRACTOR BEAM WAS LOCKED ON MY BLUE SEDAN, MAKING IT APPEAR PURPLE AS IT ROSE ABOVE THE GROUND. THE CAR WAS BARELY MOVING AT FIRST, BUT, AFTER ABOUT 10 SECONDS, THE SHIP SUCKED IT UP IN ALMOST AN INSTANT AND DISAPPEARED JUST AS QUICKLY. I HAD NO VEHICLE, NO HOUSE, AND NO IDEA WHAT WAS HAPPENING. JUST AS I STARTED TO WONDER IF MY CAR HAD ALIEN ABDUCTION INSURANCE, I LOOKED UP TO SEE AN ENORMOUS GORILLA EATING BERRIES FROM A BUSH 100 FEET AWAY. IT MUST HAVE HEARD MY GASP BECAUSE IT TURNED TO FACE ME INSTANTLY. THE GORILLA STARTED BARRELING TOWARD ME, BUT NOT ON FOUR LEGS. IT WAS RUNNING LIKE A PERSON. THIS GORILLA WAS A SASQUATCH AND HE WAS NOT HAPPY THAT I INTERRUPTED HIS MEAL. I RAN AS FAST AS I COULD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION, DODGING MAGICAL PIXIES AND JUMPING OVER A DEAD ANIMAL IN THE ROAD THAT MAY HAVE BEEN A CHUPACABRA. I FOUND MYSELF AT THE END OF THE ROAD, GASPING AND TERRIFIED, WHEN I LOOKED BACK TO SEE BIGFOOT HAD GIVEN UP HIS PURSUIT. I WASN’T ALONE, HOWEVER. I SAW SOMETHING FALLING—NO, FLYING—DOWN FROM THE SKY. I WAS TOO TIRED TO RUN AGAIN, SO I STAYED, AND IN A MATTER OF MOMENTS IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE OBJECT WAS A PERSON … A WOMAN ON A BROOMSTICK. THE WITCH LANDED GRACEFULLY AND POINTED AT ME, BUT I WASN’T STICKING AROUND FOR MORE. I SPRINTED BACK TOWARD HOME, KEEPING IN MIND THE ANGRY BIPEDAL APE WHO WAS RECENTLY IN THE AREA. I ALMOST REACHED THE SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE WHEN I SAW THE STREET HAD BEEN SPLIT OPEN FROM END TO END AND THERE WAS FIRE POURING OUT. ASSUMING THERE WAS SOME SORT OF AN EARTHQUAKE, I GOT A RUNNING START AND LEAPED OVER THE HOLE IN THE EARTH. I WAS IN THE AIR, ALMOST TO THE OTHER SIDE, WHEN I FELT SOMETHING GRAB MY ANKLE. I FELL FACE FIRST ON THE PAVEMENT, BUT I WAS BEING DRAGGED INTO THE CREVICE BY WHAT LOOKED LIKE A DEMON OR DEVIL. I KICKED THE CREATURE’S HAND WITH ALL MY MIGHT, LOOSENING ITS GRIP AND ALLOWING ME TO ESCAPE. I SCOOTED BACKWARD A FEW FEET BEFORE I TURNED TO SEE ZEKE, WHO WAS WALKING OUT OF MY HOUSE SMILING AND HOLDING A SMOKY POWER BOX, WHICH I CORRECTLY ASSUMED CONTAINED MY OLD FRIEND BLOODY MARY.
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