[Pantalimon]

I am a skeptic. I don't rule any of the paranormal out but there would have to be pretty persausive proof for me to believe.
The funny thing is when you test a random set of people the belivers score higher than chance (positive psi) and the skeptics lower than chance (negative psi). Niether should have happened, in parapsycology belivers are called sheep and non-belivers goats.

[saintjon]

yeah man, I've read stuff about chi. Thing is, when you try to sell the idea to physicists, that chi allows you to do more than muscle development alone can account for (because as you said, they're tied together) well, usually they're not very keen.

When you get reading historical bits about martial arts (even fairly recent ones) some of the stuff they do is pretty crazy. I loved reading about O-Sensei displaying his stuff at tournaments :).

What do you guys think of this one from Tao of Pooh? There was a guy who died in the thirties named Li Chung Yun. The Chinese government officially and irrefutably recorded (which was verified by thorough independent investigation) that he had been born in 1677. When he was over the age of 200, he did a series of lectures on longevity at a chinese university. The people who saw him said he looked like he was in his fifties. This was because he took it easy and tried not to worry about stuff, did was needful (Taoist). Which makes a lot of sense to me. How else do you explain George Burns? For all his habits, the guy was very laid back.

[Hereford Eye]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by saintjon
[B]
Thing is, when you try to sell the idea to physicists, ....well, usually they're not very keen.

As said earlier in the thread, everyone has their own mysticism to work out or words to that effect. Physicists have to deal with the consequences of believing in gravity even though they don't know what it is. Worse, they have complementarity and the inter-connectedness of everything that QM produces. And then there are a bunch of them that think a unified field theory (another name for the explanation of everything) is just around the corner. It's not easy to be a physicist.

[Llama]

>>Crossing Over with John Edward has started airing recently in Australia, and I believe he's for real.


Might wanna revise the tag under your avatar then, Milamber. There was a pretty good article in the press lately about how they tape the show -- where they only air the segments that appear to work, but not those where he makes a complete ass of himself, which apparently is often. And then they also spoke to skeptics who noted that with an audience that "wants" to believe you can get a high response by saying pretty much anything at all. Which is nothing new, of course, but it seems to bear repeating every few years, every time another one of these extortionists comes on the scene.

It's so sad, because this is EXACTLY the sort of thing that nineteenth century seance hoaxers used to do, and do well, often depriving credulous families of their savings in the process. Those who forget history, etc.

[saintjon]

Originally posted by Hereford Eye
[QUOTE]Originally posted by saintjon
As said earlier in the thread, everyone has their own mysticism to work out or words to that effect. Physicists have to deal with the consequences of believing in gravity even though they don't know what it is. Worse, they have complementarity and the inter-connectedness of everything that QM produces. And then there are a bunch of them that think a unified field theory (another name for the explanation of everything) is just around the corner. It's not easy to be a physicist.

Never said it was. My hat's off to the scietific community, especially when the fuel cell's done.

[Aik Haw]

saintjon:-
Can you please cite the source of the legend of Chun Yung, since I have never heard of it myself. Sounds very interesting. One must note that if you are using 1677( I assume it is AD, not Buddhist year ), than you are talking about the change between Ming to Qing. Records during early Qing was rather haphazard as the Qing Dynasty started closed door policies, and tried to eliminate all foreign records or details of foreign records locally. I am on good standing that records from 1645AD till 1689AD is completely unreliable, even by Confucianistic standards.

I am aware of a similar legend from early Shang, when a Taoist sage was reputed to live till 300 years old, though no formal record of such person can be found in the Annals ( though most of it was destroyed, so we can't be sure ).

[Nero]

Originally posted by milamber_reborn
Crossing Over with John Edward has started airing recently in Australia, and I believe he's for real. The rest of my family automatically assume it's a con.

Hmm, I'm going to have to go with your family on this one, milamber. I vaguely recall an episode in which John made a presumption that this kid liked teddy bears, but it turned out he was killed by a bear while exploring in a forest with his friend. Then, with the same kid, he said he wanted his mom to know that he was sorry for getting bad grades in school, when his mom said that he got straight A's. I noticed John was a little nervous.

:p :D

[kahnovitch]

In response to the original thread... Chi (as I know it) is essentially inner strength that comes from years of training and discipline in focusing the mind and body.
I've done several martial arts and they all touch on the same basic philosophy of the subject.
It seems to me to be the ability to focus energy and strength to perform (what under normal circumstances) would be considered superhuman.
The Shaolin monks are famous for displays of such feats and are legendary in the martial arts world.
Essentially I think it's the ability to achieve more than looks physically possible.

[Ladijen]

Yes, I think that you are right, kahnovitch. In my opinion, the existence of chi is not a matter of belief or disbelief; I've seen Master Kim perform some incredible feats. Once a year, our Taekwondo studio holds the promotional testing outside in a park (BBQ and party afterward) and the black-belts give a demonstration. The highlight of this is always whatever Master Kim decides to do, more as a personal test for himself than for a show, I think. Some of the things he has done do not look possible.

[Pantalimon]

Originally posted by Nero


Hmm, I'm going to have to go with your family on this one, milamber. I vaguely recall an episode in which John made a presumption that this kid liked teddy bears, but it turned out he was killed by a bear while exploring in a forest with his friend. Then, with the same kid, he said he wanted his mom to know that he was sorry for getting bad grades in school, when his mom said that he got straight A's. I noticed John was a little nervous.

:p :D

I don't know who this John Edward's is but all these people who put themselves up for close scrutiny in a show biz way should expect to get knocked down.

They think they have managed to narrow the skill of interpretaion, but all these skills are weak effect types and rarely get ultra sharp results unless the person has a "real" emotional connection with what they are seeking.

Pleasing a studio audience is not the usual "crisis situation" where psi effects usually manifest.