Comprehensive coverage

Illusion detection kit - 10 warning signs

Below are characteristics common to many claims, discoveries, methods and treatments that have not stood the test of reality.
Any claim that is characterized by one or more of the following signs - you should check very carefully before investing additional time, money or energy in it.

If you did not recognize this bone - it is an unidentified bone
If you did not recognize this bone - it is an unidentified bone

Since the dawn of history, people have emerged claiming special, "supernatural" powers, revolutionary diagnostic and healing methods, inventions based on new laws of physics. Often the claims are wrapped in one or another "scientific" or "philosophical" guise, which makes it difficult for us to recognize the illusion they are trying to sell us: the story sounds intriguing, exciting, seductive, stimulates the imagination, inspires hope. We are often very They want to to believe That's right.

but preferences and hopes within our minds it's one thing And the reality is out there That's another thing.
Again and again it turns out that when the same people / methods / treatments are put to a simple but carefully planned test, the magic disappears and fades like never before.

below Common characteristics For many claims, discoveries, methods and treatments that did not stand the test of reality.
Any claim that is characterized by one or more of the following signs is worthwhile check carefully before investing additional time, money or energy in it.

  • The warning signs do not promise/prove Of course, a certain claim is not true, but you only reduce the likelihood of it being true significantly (this is what history teaches). Each claim must be checked specifically.

The warning signs:

1)     In contradiction to all existing scientific knowledge / the known laws of nature.
The scientific knowledge that humanity possesses today is fruit joint enterprise son Hundreds of years, of tens of thousands of scientists from all over the world. Every new significant discovery is tested by other scientists (partners or competitors).
The laws of physics underlie all the advanced technologies we are surrounded by. A deviation from the correctness of one of these laws, even the slightest, would cause all the devices around us to stop working immediately.
Even when talking about revolutions in science (something that happens once every few decades), a distinction must be made between expansion or corrections, and throwing the theories in the trash and returning to the starting point. After all, every new theory has to reconcile with everything that has been found to be true to date (the facts do not change, only the "story" behind them).
The chance that the laws of nature that we know are fundamentally wrong is simply zero. Therefore, any claim regarding the existence of a phenomenon that contradicts the known laws is suspect from the beginning.
Examples: Yoga flyers who claim to overcome gravity, perpetual motion machines that contradict the principle of conservation of energy, the effect of thought on physical events in the outside world (spells, summoning events, moving objects, etc.).

2)     Lack of support by professional studies, and use of pseudo-scientific terms.
Have the claims been investigated? If so at what level? Have the studies been published in professional journals (after being reviewed by other scientists in the field)? Can I have a link to the article please? Or maybe it was only published in the media? Only in commercial advertising material?
Examples of pseudo-scientific terms in relation to alternative therapies: "life energies", "psychic frequencies", "detoxification", "chemical balance", "releasing blocking energies", "bringing into harmony with nature" etc. What exactly spoken? Use of concepts that cannot be measured Allows infinite freedom of maneuver in the interpretation of the results, no matter what actually happens.

3)     Relying on anecdotes and personal testimonies as the main proof of the correctness of the claim. 
There is probably no more solid data on which to base the claims. In many cases the anecdotes are the exception rather than the rule, and/or have natural explanations.
Examples: In cases of medical anecdotes - it may be cases of natural recovery, a mistake in the original diagnosis of the disease, ignoring other treatment given at the same time or cheating.

4)     Using emotional manipulations.
Examples: turning to fear and anxiety - Intimidation, sensationalism, screaming headlines with multiple exclamation points.
An appeal to hope and despair - Far-reaching promises, "self-fulfillment in two weeks", "the weight loss method that really works, and easily", "a solution to all marital problems in one concentrated session", etc.
She turned to vanity - Sentences such as "You know what's best for you better than the doctor", or "The fact that the medicine didn't work on others doesn't mean it won't work in your case - you are unique and special", "Your will will affect the cosmos", "There is no limit to what you can achieve - If you only want it enough."

5)     The smell of conspiracy and paranoia in the air.
The therapist / inventor / power holder claims that the scientific establishment is trying to suppress his work, or that this is part of an even larger conspiracy that involves elements in industry and/or the government.
Examples: "The government/pharmaceutical companies/medical establishment are trying to push the method, to prevent its distribution, for commercial or other considerations".
It just doesn't make sense. If it works, there will be a commercial motivation for all those parties to research and promote the issue. It may also save them or their loved ones from those very serious illnesses.

6)     lack of consensus. The claim depends culture / period / school
If a claim is universally true, without borders of race, religion and nationality, it does not make sense for each group to arrive at a different truth on the subject. Either everyone is wrong, or only one group is right, and if so, who is it?
Examples: situations in which different experts in the same field do not agree among themselves: regarding the future, medical diagnosis, personality diagnosis, etc.
Phenomena that are prevalent mainly in certain countries: ghosts in England, abductions by extraterrestrials in America.

7)     Secrecy.
The solution was kept "secret" for thousands of years and was revealed to the general public only recently. Or is still held as a private secret by one or another person, who sells it to the public. The discoverer/developer arrived at the invention/method completely himself.
Real scientists share their knowledge with others as part of scientific development. Charlatans keep their methods secret, to prevent others from demonstrating that they are Do not work. Nowadays, there are almost no examples of breakthroughs that are done alone. Usually it is a collaboration of many scientists.
Examples: "Secret" medicines and treatments - If the treatment in question really works and cures incurable diseases, the discoverer will gain tremendous publicity, a lot of money and immense satisfaction if he shares his secret with the rest of humanity. Why wouldn't he?

8)     Sounds too good to be true.
What sounds too good to be true is almost always not true (but self-deception or deception of others).
Examples: a simple solution to all transportation/energy problems (A bulb that will illuminate all of Ramat Gan). A surprisingly easy medical/mental solution Which is not requires a special effort on the part of The therapist / patient (for example Therapeutic Reiki in which the patient is not aware that he is being treated and the therapist watches television during the treatment). "One session and we're done". "One basic rule for a healthy and happy life". "cure for all” – effective against a wide range of unrelated serious diseases. "without side effects","Safe for everyone".

9)     Hundreds of years in the area, and still has not reached the status of solid truth with proven daily uses.
Based on the myth that hundreds or thousands of years ago people possessed knowledge that modern science is still unable to understand (those people who did not know about blood circulation and that bacteria cause diseases for example).
If the solution is so successful, why is it still on the margins? Here are possible answers from the claimants:

A. "Kept a secret to this day" - see secrecy.

B. "Conspiracy" - see conspiracies.

third. "Unequivocal" - the findings always remain on the border of "undetectable": debates that continue for decades between researchers in the field as to whether the phenomenon even exists or not. If things are so ambiguous What are their practical uses? To what extent can they be trusted to bring any benefit in life?
Examples: Evidence of extraterrestrial visits, photographs of ghosts, various monsters and phenomena of paranormal perception. Despite decades of intensive practice, and in some cases even organized research, to this day there is not a single unequivocal evidence of the existence of any of the above phenomena.

d. "It is true that many methods have failed in the field to date, but this method is different. This time it works!”
Most likely, this claim is also no different from its predecessors.
ExamplesHundreds Failed types of diet / end-of-the-world prophecies that did not come true / diagnostic and healing methods that did not give miraculous results / methods to reach happiness and fulfillment and people are still desperate and searching...

10) It cannot be disproved by any experiment.
A distinct characteristic of pseudoscientific claims. "It is impossible to test such things", "it is forbidden to test such things", "the mere testing of such things causes them not to work", etc. A simple test in which the claim will turn out to be falseIf indeed is not true.
If someone claims that he can diagnose certain diseases, discover water underground, move objects, predict the future - it is very easy to check this. But history shows that every time such a test is carried out, the examinee fails to prove his goods, and then the various excuses appear, which move the claim to the "irrefutable" department.
And if the claim is refutable (like any scientific claim), has the claimant tried to disprove it? how? What were the results? Has anyone else tried to disprove her? What were the results?

And now it's your turn!

1. Do you know something that you believe it is Right, but was Fails In one of the above tests?

2. Do you know something that you believe which is not true, but was Passes all the above tests successfully?

3. Do you have an example of something that you believed in, turned out to be untrue, and such a kit, if it hung on the refrigerator, would save you a lot of heartache?

40 תגובות

  1. Burzinski was not convicted!
    Actually a winner!! Of all the lawsuits that Big Pharma sent against him
    The FDA just now finally approved one of his drugs

    But it is certainly difficult and sometimes ferocious to stand alone against these capital-rule money machines

  2. A very important article, and it should be slapped in the face of all the charlatans.
    There is only one very big problem - those who are discouraged enough with life and want to believe in all the wonders of the Thousand and One Nights - will close their ears to the facts - and this is how all the inventors of lies know that their desperate people pay their mortgage.

    I wish there was a regulated legal law to prevent charlatanism of all these types, because there are a lot of victims.

    The children of the woman who died of Corona, who were orphaned because she believed nonsense and did not get vaccinated - are only the tip of the iceberg of the terrible crimes committed by all the conspiracy inventors and charlatans.
    And their mother will not return,
    But the anti-vaccines continue not to vaccinate and their lives are in danger.

  3. Indeed there are commandments between us. I think one of the secrets of pest control is to rise above "black and white" thinking. In addition - finding a common point of agreement from which to start the discussion. In addition - the agreement of each of the parties to admit that he does not know everything.
    There, we both now have some interesting material to read about the placebo.

    Feel free to send me an email (you'll find it on my blog).
    monument

  4. monument,

    We do even agree on 3 - and maybe this is the beginning of negotiations 🙂

    In my opinion, there is a lot of bullshit in the alternative, and maybe I have no right to judge because there are people for whom exactly what I perceive as bullshit, works for them. At the moment it is very individual because the scientific basis does not exist - due to lack of cooperation and bickering between the two camps - there is currently a lot of distrust and credibility on both sides.

    Regarding the placebo enhancers as you called them - it seems that this is indeed part of the matter and my theory is that when you are in a control group and receive a placebo and you believe - without doubt - that this is the real drug, some mysterious factor enters here (you can try to define it, as consciousness, belief or acceptance without doubts , and my opinion is that this is some kind of neurological activity) that enables healing, sometimes better, and with fewer side effects than the real medicine.
    The same mysterious factor is the one that the alternative people try to evoke when they come to "heal" - that's why a different method will suit each person according to their belief system/worldviews. But in my opinion, in the end, healing is always self induced. Perhaps this is why skeptics and people with rational logical thinking will have lower healing rates with these methods because their worldview does not allow that agent to create the appropriate neurological (?) activity.

    But here there is a problem, if we start talking about consciousness, acceptance without doubts or faith, this is a minefield that very few scientists will be willing to enter with their eyes open, and even if they do, preliminary work will be needed to define the concepts - which are very vague today - in a scientific way. It seems to me that we are very far from that.
    Unless it is, there is indeed a more or less distinct neurological pattern that is reflected in the placebo healing cases that will save you this headache.

    And another word about the alternative-scientific - many medicines were developed following alternative grandmother's medicines that many underestimated until the tools were found to study them and characterize an active ingredient.
    My mother said that her mother always told her not to bring Paul into the house when there is a baby in the house (Iraqis do...) and my mother always laughed and sneered until they discovered the G6PD deficiency syndrome that killed babies with the defective gene, Iraqis have it in higher percentages than the Ashkenazi population. Today it is a mandatory test for every newborn (those with the syndrome are sensitive to Paul, the harmful substance in which may cause them to hemolysis).

    So does the credit belong to science? for an alternative? Maybe to my grandmother? It doesn't really matter - the knowledge was there, science came and established it and developed the tools to deal with it. This is what is important and good for science to have a pool of knowledge to draw ideas from, but there is no doubt that the scientific research method is the one capable of characterizing and quantifying and developing the necessary tools - of course within the limitations of the scientific tools available at the time. And you have to admit that scientific methods are sometimes limited - and it's enough to mention Zemlvis here and the tiny animals that cause diseases that were only understood when the microscope was invented. Until then, Zemlvis was considered very alternative...

    And sorry for the digging, it would be nice to have a face-to-face discussion with you, you are one of the only ones from the "science" side who is willing to comment point by point (after softening :-)). Maybe good things will come out of it.

  5. The other me, I will try to explain to you what I think Gilad meant.

    Bottom line, "alternative" healing offers a good percentage of the placebo and therefore there is no point in investigating it but the placebo which is the real phenomenon.

    I'm pretty sure (I haven't read research in recent years) that the placebo only works if there is something to believe in (a sugar pill, Reiki or a red thread). Believe it or not, but the immune system in the body (which can measure various parameters objectively) can cure quite amazing things, cancer and AIDS. In my opinion, Gilad's problem (and this is also my problem) with spellcasters is that they claim greater effects than the placebo when no objective test has shown it. There are many problems with the scientific method that I see no point in bringing up here (because this is not the discussion), but the basis is important and correct. Every theory, no matter how far-fetched it may be or how reliable it may be, needs to be examined by an objective test that can disprove it. "Alternative" healing is not willing to offer an objectivity test to meet it and the standard test of medicine (is the healing more effective than the placebo) it fails.

  6. You said yourself: "I have a theory, but without serious scientific research it will be difficult to get to the research of the matter."
    I have a lot to add.
    I sent you links of serious people who study the placebo effect.
    There is no such thing as "alternative-scientific". There is science, and there is no science.
    And I will explain: I am not talking about the contents. I agree with you that the placebo effect deserves to be investigated in depth. It's at the content level.
    The question is - what is the technique to know. What is the method of investigation?
    There is the "it feels like it's working" method. Sometimes this is really true, many times not. So this is not a good method.
    And there are more controlled methods that clean up the various biases. These are better methods. Maybe not perfect, but the best that man has developed to date (including advanced statistical tools).
    Fact - there are not many who argue about the existence of the placebo effect, that is, the effect of a person's belief that his condition will improve, on feelings of pain and even an objective physical condition.

    Almost all the people from the so-called "alternative wing" that I have spoken with to date (and quite a few Internet discussions have accumulated in recent months), do not operate according to the scientific method, do not understand the scientific method at all, deny the possibility that they are wrong, are only impressed by anecdotal personal experiences, claim Because science at all cannot test such things, or alternatively they wave scientific findings that in their opinion (but not in my opinion) are related and somehow confirm their claims, etc. In short, it is ignorance for its own sake. I have no other name for it.
    Salvation will not grow from them. Knowledge will not come from there. Their knowledge comes from such and such delusional ideas that people wake up with, or from direct communication with entities (everyone and their private entities). Other sources are rumors passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years. For some reason, I have no idea why, there is this myth that the older something is, the more true it is. Or the more people believe in something, it is a sign that it is also true. Let's stop for a moment to think how many people believe in a god that is not acceptable to us, to understand that this argument is very weak.

    I will give a parable (and I am very large here, that is, I assume that we are talking about cases where there is an effect of some kind of improvement, let's say in a medical condition. In many fields there is no such thing - see astrology, or all the other "cold reading" practices): they are busy leaving stones , to see how they fall (placebo) and explain that invisible rubber strings pull them down, that invisible magnets push them from above, that people's desires knock them down, that little minds lead the stones to their destination, that extraterrestrials who live here in other dimensions fly the stones in their invisible spaceships, or Any other explanation, unfounded, unmeasurable.
    So it may be that stones are really falling (the placebo effect) but everyone is immersed in their own system of illusions around the subject, and refuses (or probably is unable) to do basic research on the subject.
    Even when I suggest that they check one thing or another in a simple way - everyone suddenly evaporates with all kinds of excuses, probably out of fear (even if not really aware) that their system of illusions will be shattered. Suddenly it's not interesting to them to test it at all, they don't need proof - they know it works, it's impossible to test such things (not true!) etc.
    So we agree on some important things, it seems to me:
    1) There are interesting phenomena that require further research - placebo for example
    2) The scientific tools are suitable for research, whatever it is.
    3) It is very likely that phenomena like placebo explain a multitude of "alternative" treatments in a simple way (a single explanation, even if still incomprehensible), without requiring all those conceptual systems ("energies" / "entities", etc.). All the rituals around are only "placebo enhancers".

    You may not agree on 3, but on 1 and 2 I think so.

  7. I also wanted to add that my deep conviction in the alternative stems from personal experience. I cured myself of a chronic illness that I was told I would suffer from for the rest of my life and I did it in three weeks of focus work - all documented in blood tests. Since then I have freed myself from many other things, using the same methods of focus.
    In my circle of close friends, there are people who have been cured of tumors in various stages of development, people who have cured themselves of chronic pain conditions, people who have changed their lives and freed themselves from mental suffering - all through methods of observation and focus (and without external help from healers or rabbis in these cases).

    Since I have done it myself and consistently in several cases and seen the results for myself, no one will be able to convince me that it is bullshit. For me it works. point.
    But it is not perfect, because there are cases where the results are not perfect or it takes a long time, and I have a strong need to understand the mechanisms and limitations of the method, why does it work in certain cases and not in others? When yes and when not? How can it be improved? I have a theory but without serious scientific research it will be difficult to get to the research of the matter.
    It doesn't seem to me that those who tested the alternative from the scientific side did so without bias - everyone tried to prove a point (but of course they won't admit it). It is enough to see the parties playing here in the comments to understand that the truth is not really interesting to anyone - despair.

  8. monument,

    Again, this bickering... I never wrote "better than placebo" what I was trying to say is that the same mysterious effect of healing by "something" that is not chemical is possible and works both with placebo and alternative - from shiatsu to rabbinic amulets.

    You yourself wrote "we still don't know for example who placebo will work on in a certain situation and who it won't" don't you think this is a question that needs to be resolved? And maybe if it is solved we will get not only a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of healing in a person but also a much better understanding of why the alternative works on certain people and not others, and how and when and why and why such a method is better for this person and another for that. - and maybe out of all this an "alternative-scientific" method for medicinal chemistry will emerge, which you also have to admit is far from perfect.

    And here is the distillation that you have been looking for in the alternative - a real understanding of the processes and the distillation of a much better and more effective method or methods, because of the scientific backing. Call it whatever you want alternative or medical, it doesn't really matter who takes the credit as far as I'm concerned.

    And thanks for the links, I'll take a look.

  9. A 10-minute Google search brought up the tip of the iceberg (I saved it for future reading):
    http://www.placebo.ucla.edu/publications/
    http://cumc.columbia.edu/dept/cme/neuroscience/neuro/topics/placebo-effect/
    13 interesting minutes of recorded conversation: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1248703513
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15630827

    Now it's your turn. Can you point to a serious study that shows that some alternative method works better than a placebo? A study that was also confirmed in other laboratories (regarding the exact same effect that was tested in the first one)?

  10. You know Gilad, the problem is the one-sided view that so many have (both on the side of the "scientists" and on the side of the "scrutinizers"). You claim that the chaos in alternative medicine is only growing and lacks the same element of refinement that is in science, but you only want to see what fits your perception. You are not unusual, almost all humans are affected by this, even scientists.
    So there are many different alternative methods, there are also many drugs from different companies that treat the same disease - so what? A slightly different medicine is suitable for each person, fewer side effects here, a more effective effect there. In this aspect there is no difference between the two examples except for the fact that alternative is a derogatory word in your eyes.

    True, there is a lot of bullshit in the alternative fields, there is also a lot of scientific bullshit (as evidenced by the Ig-Nobel prizes). Does this negate the benefits in either area? No. Because there is also a lot of refinement and practical knowledge on both sides. Practical in the sense that it works, different methods and different medicines for different people - otherwise none of the fields would have existence in the field.
    As I wrote - a one-sided view (and this is what happens when you generalize, in any subject) only indicates small-mindedness and narrow-mindedness.
    Read the book "The Holographic Universe" and maybe also the book "The Field" and you will discover that there is a place where the people of the alternative meet the people of science. Only good comes out of it - for all parties.

    You know what? Let's start with serious research on the placebo effect - research that will get to the roots and explanation of the phenomenon and we will continue from there. Do you know something like this?

  11. point
    Must note that the point you raised is interesting...
    Carbon... in hundreds of thousands of dollars!
    (:))
    Sabdarmish Yehuda

  12. Perceptual biases are biases that make us think that a certain thing is happening, while something else is happening (or nothing is happening).
    The research methodologies have evolved to circumvent the same perceptual biases: a control group - so that we can compare with something similar, a random selection of people for the experimental and control group - to clean up as much as possible all the other factors that differentiate between the people, double blinding and the use of blood therapy - to clean up the effect of expectation , of both the therapist and the patient - about the state of affairs, etc.
    In addition, of course - a critical examination that this is not a fraud of any kind. Repetition in other laboratories by other researchers, to neutralize systematic errors of certain laboratory equipment, or personal motives of researchers.
    In short, "the scientific method".

    After we have activated all these mechanisms, we check - does the phenomenon still exist?
    Sometimes yes => probably a real phenomenon that exists in reality.
    Sometimes not => probably it was an experimental or perceptual artifact, or a deliberate deception.
    There are countless examples throughout history, of phenomena that were discovered to not really exist. Feel free to browse my blog, it's been there for a while now.

    A phenomenon that has survived these filters is often not understood. This is where different theories begin to be developed in an attempt to explain it.
    If, for example, it was discovered that there was some connection between the state of the stars and human life, there would be room to delve into the question - how exactly do they influence. what is the mechanism Since no such connection was found, there is no need for explanations. The phenomenon simply does not exist (outside the interpretive mind of the believer).

    Regarding the placebo, I am convinced that it is one of the main components in the perceived effectiveness of many alternative treatments. Retrospective interpretation is another important component and there are several others.
    The difference between the alternative and the "evidence-based" is that evidence-based treatments give a greater effect than a placebo, not equal to it: a drug that has no difference in its effectiveness compared to a placebo is not used.

    If there are 1000 different alternative healing methods, each with its own theory, its own rituals, its own textbooks, its own courses, its own trainings, its own newspapers, its own conferences, and in the end it turns out that all those 1000 methods are the same thing, i.e. placebo effect + interpretation In retrospect + a few more biases are known, so I would like to know this, and throw away all those ineffective theories that invent unnecessary concepts, and focus mainly - on the same placebo effect. We still don't know, for example, who a placebo will work on in a certain situation and who it won't - after all, you have a worthy research field!
    And if we find a moral way to use placebo as treatment - please! Let us discuss the moral implications.

    But to continue making delusional claims that are not supported by reality seems so unnecessary to me.
    Science has repeatedly given up on concepts that have been found to be useless, see "Hatar" for example.
    The beauty of science is its refining process. Something you don't see in all New Age fields. on the contrary. There the creatures only multiply, and great chaos celebrates. Everything is acceptable, everything "goes", everyone is right, even if they say contradictory things, everything is possible. In short - chaos. The opposite is information.

  13. Human stupidity is simple and is expressed in the fact that:
    People are ready to buy plastic "sunglasses" for a thousand NIS, carbon for hundreds of thousands of dollars, gold for thousands of dollars.

    At the same time, they do not understand what a miracle it is and what mental effort the best human minds have invested in the last hundred years to develop and produce a computer processor or any other technology that they buy for a few hundred shekels.

  14. monument

    Who will define the difference between "a phenomenon that exists but is not explained" and "phenomena that do not exist" (but only appear to exist because of perceptual biases, etc., etc.)? This is the root of the problem. Each side holds a biased view in one way or another.

    I did not write that placebo is better or less than alternative medicine or vice versa - I wrote that it is possible that the same effect works in both.
    And of course - placebo should not be underestimated - and on the other hand, maybe alternative medicine should not be underestimated if it provides the same results?

  15. I did not understand how placebo "contradicts" the above list.
    There is a difference between "a phenomenon that exists but is not explained" and "a phenomenon that does not exist".

    The list above tries to help filter out the phenomena that do not exist (but only appear to exist, due to perceptual biases, self-deception or charlatanism for example).
    Regarding the phenomena that exist but are not explained - this is where science comes in and investigates.
    I am convinced that the placebo effect will be thoroughly researched for decades to come.

    If you can show me that some "miracle cure" works better than a placebo, that would certainly be interesting.
    As far as I know it hasn't happened yet. In all the studies of such and other alternative treatments, the effect is no better than placebo. Of course, this does not mean that the placebo should be underestimated, but it implies that there is nothing to do with all those rituals - they all activate the same healing mechanism, which science is investigating and will continue to investigate.
    Science explores many fringe areas. Sometimes a new real phenomenon is discovered, but usually not.

  16. Really, really trying not to react... oops... I missed it...
    Come on... enough examples have been brought up here that there are very many exceptions to these rules, so many that one is probably looking for the coin under the lamp here. This means - the rules are only applied to the "nonsense" of the believers in "chartology" as the enlightened commenter above responded. But what about the other side?
    There are so many incomprehensible things and unexplained but well-documented phenomena in scientific studies - placebo for example - has been documented in almost every scientific study in a control group. How can it be explained that a sugar pill yields any results and sometimes better results than the chemical drug in the experiment? How can it be accepted as a fait accompli (but without a sufficient explanation) on the one hand and on the other hand deny the "experimental" and well-documented healing cases as "charatology"? Isn't it possible that the same effect works in both places? (See the book The Holographic Universe where there are many examples of unexplained healing backed up by x-rays and various test results).
    It must be admitted that the above rules "scientists" like to apply only to what they do not think fits their world view.
    Perhaps if the examination was impartial, scientific explanations that expand horizons would be revealed instead of a pointless war between the "scientists" and the "gertologists" - where there is black and white there is small-mindedness and narrow-mindedness.

  17. Examples in section 1: "The effect of thought on physical events in the outside world",
    In quantum theory, there is no effect of thought on the outside world?
    (unless it means only what is indicated in parentheses such as witchcraft, etc.).

  18. generation,
    I would be happy if you read what I wrote about seeing halos and photographing halos, and respond with additional information.
    If you know someone who can see an aura, and claims that it exists outside of their imagination, I would be happy to conduct an experiment with them to test the matter. without cynicism.
    On seeing halos: http://wp.me/p1K6uX-4D
    About taking pictures of halos: http://wp.me/p1K6uX-4Q

    Note,
    Obviously there are things that are contrary to what is known today in science that can be true!
    Every now and then there are sensational discoveries. It's OK. But for every 1000 claims for something that contradicts what is known so far, only one claim turns out to be true. That's what I mean. These are warning signs only.
    A person with powers? For 150 years, parapsychology researchers have been looking for such a person and have not found one. At some point they got tired of all the charlatans and started investigating "normal" people.

    For decades there have been prizes totaling 2.5 million dollars around the world for those who will come and demonstrate their special powers, whatever they may be. But no one has yet risen who fulfills the following two conditions:
    1) Be prepared to demonstrate his powers in a controlled manner.
    2) was able to demonstrate his powers in a controlled manner.
    All famous superpowers avoid demonstrating their powers in a controlled manner, for some reason.
    Every once in a while some eccentric comes along and fails.
    (Typical excuses for failure - in section 10).

  19. All parapsychology and the rest of charatology exist because there are enough (in fact - too many...) insane people who believe in them blindly. And the question arises, why does this public believe in this nonsense?
    There are many reasons to be discussed and here are three main ones:
    1. The blind faith in a "healer" infuses the patient with new mental powers, after all - a healthy mind in a healthy body and vice versa. This phenomenon can help in his recovery (besides, he paid money, so he won't say that he paid in vain...).
    2. Since this public does not know the accepted sciences at all (physics, mathematics, medicine, etc.), it has no problem accepting the pseudo-sciences. This public receives reinforcement for its faith from the abundance of famous books on the subject (which I am sorry to mention - of course do not include even one formula...).
    3. This public does not know the scientific doctrine that requires that every experiment be possible to repeat in any laboratory in the world and still get the same results. Therefore, a story about someone who managed to be healed by a pagan doctor or someone who heard from someone who saw one or another supernatural phenomenon - constitutes proof for them.

    And it's a shame that this is the situation in the second decade of the twenty-first century!!!

  20. generation,
    Can you direct us to an orderly documentation of the phenomenon you mentioned? In your opinion, is there anything that cannot be influenced through thought or is this wonderful ability found only in "Eastern martial artists" (what style by the way?) and only when trying to lift (?)
    How do you think they do it? Is it by making them gain weight? Or by creating an energetic shield between them and the person trying to uplift? What do you think?
    You think?

  21. Dor, how is your claim about preventing lifting through thought proven? Millions of times a day? Atma Will one of the millions of experts think with all his might while a crane lifts him in the air?

    There is also a limit to the flourishing of nonsense in this forum.

  22. The ability of eastern martial artists to prevent their lifting through thinking is proven and does not correspond to anything based on science, and is performed millions of times a day by hundreds of thousands and millions of martial arts experts. Seeing halos is contrary to science and arbitrary and exists and there are many more such things, so statement 1 is not true.

    Not only that, all the new things discussed in the article are things that are contrary to science. A person who has supernatural powers according to his opinion already falls under section 1. This section basically means, there is no such thing - supernatural - and as such he falls for example in what I brought up at the beginning.

  23. Yes, just today I read chapter 4 of Dan Arieli's new book - "Irrational but not terrible" - which deals with our attachment to the ideas we come up with.

    It is somewhat ironic that it was Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, who was an ardent believer in the affair of the fairy photographs at the beginning of the last century, photographs that were later revealed to be hoaxes by the two girls involved (who themselves admitted this many times):
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cottingley_Fairies

  24. Gilad, people believe in these fields because it is convenient. Einstein believed (was sure) that the theory of relativity could solve all problems in physics, Orsted (I think) was convinced that there is no such thing as atoms until his last day and there are many more examples. Human nature is to contradict the facts we feel so that we can live in peace with our beliefs. If that weren't the case, Sherlock Holmes wouldn't be a very interesting character.

  25. Many patents disappeared from the market due to unsuccessful marketing, the death of the inventor or the pressure of a large company with Aganda.
    Examples: the electric car - whose development was stopped more than half a century ago.
    The cannabis mentioned above.
    We are reminded of the paste to remove hair in one application, which Gilt keeps in the box after she bought it for a lot of money from the inventor
    ...
    There are also conspiracies such as companies that have developed viruses or malware for their stock, and offer software to eliminate the problem for a fee. Who said there aren't other cases that are less famous.
    ...
    Some of the least contradict a lot of previous knowledge.
    Examples: Viruses cause cancer
    Cose-periodic crystals
    The earth revolves around the sun
    Sometimes it takes time to flood the world with data that settles the contradictions compared to what they know.. Even Galileo and Copernicus took decades until there were enough proofs and explanations why people see the sun moving while the earth moves.

  26. Bet-yeah - very soon I will also address this topic on my blog. You are welcome to follow 🙂

    [Although with a wise long-term investment (23-30 years) you can make a lot of money in the stock market. The problem is that most of us fail to meet the conditions of "wise investment" for simple psychological reasons. Somehow when it comes to the stock market we buy things at high prices and sell cheaply, or in a more hidden way - we get rid of stocks that have gone down and buy more of those that have gone up, instead of the opposite].

    Yey - there are exceptions to every single section, and maybe even to a couple of sections, as readers commented above.
    What I'm saying is, if you encounter 3 or more of these warning signs together, it's starting to get really suspicious. I'm not saying it's not true, not only that it should be checked thoroughly, before investing one's career in the subject, giving up on medical treatments that work (at least to some extent), etc.

    There are many areas I can think of where 5 or more of these sections can be found together. The vast majority of them have been proven wrong over the years (and somewhat mysteriously many people still resolutely adhere to them).

  27. The most common illusion in the world is investing money in the stock market for profit! Why does no one warn against this temptation for easy profit? This is the area where you lose the most money.

  28. Personally, I do not agree about 5, there can certainly be a "conspiracy" on one scale or another and there are no shortage of examples of drugs that pharmaceutical companies do not produce in order to make a living, directions that are not researched because they are not commercial, inventions that were not accepted because they underestimated the scientist/wanted him to give They have rights to its development, governments that prohibit the use of materials because of industrial considerations.
    Examples:
    - Cannabis was banned by the US government under pressure from the textile manufacturers and the US promoted a global ban on cannabis.
    - Dr. Shalva Mardi developed an ointment that is applied to prominent moles (not all types) that there is a risk of skin cancer from them and what happens is that there will be a kind of wound on the skin that falls together with the mole and this is instead of liquid nitrogen treatment at the health fund and for some reason market forces did not accept its development Although it exists and works and is not even particularly expensive.
    -I don't have a specific example in mind about not developing drugs because there is no economic viability but we all know it's true
    - A pharmaceutical company is a commercial entity and their interest is to have diseases, so only a naive person would think that they are doing everything to eradicate all diseases.

  29. I start from the assumption that this is also a conspiracy theory, since the aliens, if indeed they transferred technology to the governments, have the power to bypass the governments.
    Secondly, in all the examples I've heard of alien technology, there was not one that was ahead of its time and could not have been developed by reasonable scientists and engineers (not even particularly talented), it is true that they will say that humanity is being taught gradually, but such a thing would have been difficult to hide, because surely they would have messed up in something and take shortcuts without noticing.
    And besides, when any excuses are used, this is evidence of a conspiracy theory.

  30. I will refer to section 5.
    I accept the fact that you emphasized that these are only warning signs.

    But one very detailed, documented and current example completely refutes the basis of the reasonableness of section 5.

    The chronology of Dr. Burzynski's cancer cure

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0ibsoqjPac

    Regarding the issue of practicality in section 9 C:
    Specifically regarding the matter of UFOs, the group leading the disclosure - hundreds of security personnel, the military and intelligence from the Disclosure Project
    Breaking the silence, not to say 'there are UFOs', but that we have a reverse Hindu technology of these tools that can change the world - but it is shelved by those in power and prevailed.

  31. to R.H
    My pressure difference theory for explaining the movement of galaxies claims that the collection of all particles moving through the universe should be treated as a gas with all that implies.
    The fact that people want to ignore something that is a fact (I did not invent the particles that move in the universe)
    Zebsham
    For those who have not yet listened to the exhaustive explanation, there is a 14-minute YouTube explanation at your disposal

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAo5BQQpBqQ

    And by the way, it would be worthwhile to check the dark mass and energy if they meet the above ten principles
    And I would add another important section to check
    11. Are the measured results corrected or changed so that they fit the formula.
    Here I responded gently
    good week
    Sabdarmish Yehuda

  32. Most reminiscent of the theories of Yehuda Svardamish. Except for section 9, but it's also a matter of time. 🙂

    Yehuda, please respond gently

Leave a Reply

Email will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismat to prevent spam messages. Click here to learn how your response data is processed.