Doug's anomalous experiences

Or, to quote a former friend of mine, "I make it up as I go along" 

I’m afraid I’m not creative enough to do that. On the positive side I don’t have an ideology to abandon when it conflicts with reality so starkly I can no longer support it. 

I was thinking more of the “observer” in quantum physics but it’s a long while since I was up to date on the subject lol. I may be confused.

As far as idealism is concerned I guess if the shoe fits...

I’m no philosopher.

Sorry, I forgot about the Copenhagen Interpretation... However, I believe many physicists don't accept it as a fair description of what's really happening in double-slit experiments, or otherwise prefer to avoid dealing with its implications. In any case, I think the kind of connection between consciousness and the physical world implied in the Copenhagen Interpretation is a far cry from what Idealism implies. I could certainly be wrong, however, as my previous bout of forgetfulness amply demonstrates.

Thanks Doug, for taking the decision to share with us, perhaps not an easy move, but I'm sure weighed carefully before doing so.

Shoelaces. I can't explain it, but the background context made it clear that there was an intense focus on the shoelaces, by Doug and also his brother. Doug described having ceased to verbally remonstrate over this, but that may have simply fuelled even greater unexpressed and pent-up emotional intensity. Something which was not just a momentary disagreement on that day but which had been for a number of years. The ages of the people places it in the zone for poltergeist activity, which is usually associated with adolescence.

To me this is the thing which makes real-world experiences more powerful than the barely-measurable results typically observed in a laboratory. I don't think it is possible to in any way replicate the seething torrent of emotional energies which occur in everyday situations, in order to try to reproduce such phenomena in a lab.

Very interesting Doug. You know what you saw so I certainly wouldn’t accuse you of lying. 

Could you be mistaken? It’s possible of course and it’s possible that you either misremember it or missed some mundane cause at the time but as with a lot of reported phenomena I think it’s best for the reader to keep an open mind. Very curious experience indeed. Thanks for sharing.

I'm not sure that mundane causes are applicable here. Shoelaces standing on end and tracing out a conical path? Bows twisting and untwisting? The only way that it didn't happen as described would have to mean some sort of collective hallucination. Given that objects flying off shelves or whizzing across a room are reported by others, it seems within the range of poltergeisting in terms of physical forces required. I think we can take it that there was a real physical event, and one not susceptible to mundane causes. Though adolescent angst is commonplace enough, so maybe it was mundane in that respect.

Doug, I don't know if you can answer this. Obviously when this happened it bewildered you and I expect nothing remotely close had ever happened to you before, but I wonder if you are able to go back introspectively and measure somehow if you were more open, on an emotional or preconscious level, to this sort of shock to "reality", than the average person?

Thanks for the question, Ian. I hope I won't run amiss by interpreting it as asking if was I more open to having psi experiences than the average person. I think the answer is definitely "yes". This is because I had a weird, neurotic childhood, with a low level of nearly constant trauma from my dysfunctional family and neighbors. It has been recently demonstrated that trauma in childhood can lead to a higher incidence of health problems later in life, but also to enhanced mediumship capabilities (see the text beneath the header …Disease and Trauma in Mediums at http://www.windbridge.org/for-practitioners/). While I claim no mediumship abilities, I don't believe it's too much to assume that psychic abilities are similarly enhanced by trauma in childhood.  

I'm asking because I wonder if people experience mind-bogglers to the extent that their "blogger threshold", as Obiwan put it, is low enough (or is it high enough? anyway, you get my meaning). Or do you have any other ideas as to why an experience like this, along with the others you've had, would happen to you, and not your neighbor? Or is it just a giant mystery to you.

Another good question, but one about which I don't feel competent enough to speculate.

I'm not sure that mundane causes are applicable here. Shoelaces standing on end and tracing out a conical path? Bows twisting and untwisting? The only way that it didn't happen as described would have to mean some sort of collective hallucination. Given that objects flying off shelves or whizzing across a room are reported by others, it seems within the range of poltergeisting in terms of physical forces required. I think we can take it that there was a real physical event, and one not susceptible to mundane causes. Though adolescent angst is commonplace enough, so maybe it was mundane in that respect.

I agree. A mundane cause might be some sort of trick. From what Doug wrote I’d say that wasn’t likely. What is the consequence of accepting Doug’s description?

"What is the consequence of accepting Doug’s description?"

Consequence with regard to who or what?

Consequence with regard to who or what?

If, as I understand what you’re saying, there is no mundane explanation for Doug’s experience as related and you accept it at face value, what do you think it is reasonable to conclude?

If, as I understand what you’re saying, there is no mundane explanation for Doug’s experience as related and you accept it at face value, what do you think it is reasonable to conclude?

I take that to mean you ask what I personally conclude.

That Doug has had some remarkably interesting experiences, I suppose. Other than that I'm not sure what you're getting at.

I dare say the question might be directed more broadly to others to offer their own views. Though I'm always personally cautious about opening up personal experiences, which after all reflect on family life and personal issues, to the same sort of debate one might have about a research project.

Can't really comment cuz time but why does everyone insist that there must be a difference between the mundane and paranormal in their minds? It's all mundane to me.