Biggest challenge to my denial of the supernatural yet

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Xamonas Chegwé
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Re: Biggest challenge to my denial of the supernatural yet

Post by Xamonas Chegwé » Thu Dec 09, 2010 3:18 am

I have to say that there is more to Tarot cards than mere woo - if you learn a few of the standard interpretations and feign sincere interpretive skillz, you can gain access to the bedrooms and even knickers of impressionable young women... or so I've heard. :shifty:
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Re: Biggest challenge to my denial of the supernatural yet

Post by my_wan » Thu Dec 09, 2010 5:26 am

Xamonas Chegwé wrote:I have to say that there is more to Tarot cards than mere woo - if you learn a few of the standard interpretations and feign sincere interpretive skillz, you can gain access to the bedrooms and even knickers of impressionable young women... or so I've heard. :shifty:
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Re: Biggest challenge to my denial of the supernatural yet

Post by Thinking Aloud » Thu Dec 09, 2010 8:37 am

electricwhiteboy wrote:I’m probably prey to confirmation bias, which is why I’m doing the whole diary thing. The last thing that I want is to start making counter intuitive decisions based on what the cards told me.
Back when I used to read horoscopes daily (I know. :oops: ) I eventually noticed that I was expecting things to happen, based on what I'd read, and was starting to be miserable. So I changed tactic, and read each day's horoscope at bedtime. And then it was easy to see it for what it was. Of course, the horoscope is fixed and printed long before the day it refers to, rather than shuffled there and then, so it was easy to see the disconnect.

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Re: Biggest challenge to my denial of the supernatural yet

Post by TheGreatGatsby » Thu Dec 09, 2010 5:39 pm

electricwhiteboy wrote:The cards in my experience do funny things. I've had very few completely spurious readings, which are still possible despite the ambiguity of the meaning, and none in the last 18 months or so. Certain cards have cropped up with an odd frequency, seemingly signifying future events. The most I can say is that they are for me a useful tool, almost like a very old friend giving me advice on a situation. In reality that “advice” is simply me thinking around a problem from a different angle. I’m probably prey to confirmation bias, which is why I’m doing the whole diary thing. The last thing that I want is to start making counter intuitive decisions based on what the cards told me.
To answer a previous question, any system of symbolism with philosophical advice tied to it randomly accessed would to my mind yield similar results.
Can this unnatural frequency be accounted for by mere confirmational bias (i.e. you are more likely to remember times when it occurs) or does it show up in recorded data?
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Re: Biggest challenge to my denial of the supernatural yet

Post by electricwhiteboy » Fri Dec 10, 2010 7:54 pm

Xamonas Chegwé wrote:I have to say that there is more to Tarot cards than mere woo - if you learn a few of the standard interpretations and feign sincere interpretive skillz, you can gain access to the bedrooms and even knickers of impressionable young women... or so I've heard. :shifty:
I don't read for other people on point of principle that I don't want to spread woo or give people bad advice that they then act on.
TheGreatGatsby wrote:Can this unnatural frequency be accounted for by mere confirmational bias (i.e. you are more likely to remember times when it occurs) or does it show up in recorded data?
My theory is that it's simple quirk of chance. Going back to what zilla said, from an objective point of view every reading is spurious. I do not doubt for a second that I am the one imposing a pattern where one does not exist.

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Re: Biggest challenge to my denial of the supernatural yet

Post by Gawdzilla Sama » Fri Dec 10, 2010 10:43 pm

electricwhiteboy wrote:My theory is that it's simple quirk of chance. Going back to what zilla said, from an objective point of view every reading is spurious. I do not doubt for a second that I am the one imposing a pattern where one does not exist.
Excellent, now take it one step further. Get rid of the cards and to the reading in your own mind. You'll have better cards, more interesting cards, and you won't be stuck with a two-dimensional surface or a sequential time line.
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Re: Biggest challenge to my denial of the supernatural yet

Post by Randydeluxe » Fri Dec 10, 2010 10:52 pm

I just had a huge coincidence a few minutes ago. One of those one-in-a-million chances.

But it was the only such moment in the last million moments of my life, so I figure it's on par.

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Re: Biggest challenge to my denial of the supernatural yet

Post by Xamonas Chegwé » Sat Dec 11, 2010 3:15 am

electricwhiteboy wrote:
Xamonas Chegwé wrote:I have to say that there is more to Tarot cards than mere woo - if you learn a few of the standard interpretations and feign sincere interpretive skillz, you can gain access to the bedrooms and even knickers of impressionable young women... or so I've heard. :shifty:
I don't read for other people on point of principle that I don't want to spread woo or give people bad advice that they then act on.
But I wasn't giving them bad advice. I was asking them to fuck me! :biggrin:


Oh... I get your point. :shifty:
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Re: Biggest challenge to my denial of the supernatural yet

Post by mistermack » Sat Dec 11, 2010 4:39 pm

Gatsby, the greatest challenge to your denial of the supernatural is your own lack of scepticism. Extaordinary claims require extraordinary proof. Some ramblings by some old loony tenuously matching the sinking of a sub doesn't qualify as extraordinary proof.
You need a sceptical attitude to cope with all the false claims and fantasies that constantly wash around.
At present, you seem prepared to see woo in anything, without proof.
You need a 180 degree change of course.
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Re: Biggest challenge to my denial of the supernatural yet

Post by electricwhiteboy » Sat Dec 18, 2010 12:06 pm

electricwhiteboy wrote:What? Someone entertained this pile of tosh? I have personally experienced a load of weird shit, from unnervingly accurate tarot readings and incredibly unlikely statistically repeating patterns in the cards, to full on group sightings. But I have never once thought there isn’t a rational and fully cohesive sceptical explanation, even for some of the things I still can’t fully explain rationally beyond “meaningful coincidences occur.”
Oh and two incidences of me seemly controlling the weather. But I wont go into that one because it's obviously bollocks.

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Re: Biggest challenge to my denial of the supernatural yet

Post by Thinking Aloud » Sat Dec 18, 2010 12:58 pm

electricwhiteboy wrote:
electricwhiteboy wrote:What? Someone entertained this pile of tosh? I have personally experienced a load of weird shit, from unnervingly accurate tarot readings and incredibly unlikely statistically repeating patterns in the cards, to full on group sightings. But I have never once thought there isn’t a rational and fully cohesive sceptical explanation, even for some of the things I still can’t fully explain rationally beyond “meaningful coincidences occur.”
Oh and two incidences of me seemly controlling the weather. But I wont go into that one because it's obviously bollocks.
When I was a kid, I used to be able to make all the TV departure screens at the local railway station flicker. :levi:

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Re: Biggest challenge to my denial of the supernatural yet

Post by Gawdzilla Sama » Sat Dec 18, 2010 12:59 pm

Thinking Aloud wrote:
electricwhiteboy wrote:
electricwhiteboy wrote:What? Someone entertained this pile of tosh? I have personally experienced a load of weird shit, from unnervingly accurate tarot readings and incredibly unlikely statistically repeating patterns in the cards, to full on group sightings. But I have never once thought there isn’t a rational and fully cohesive sceptical explanation, even for some of the things I still can’t fully explain rationally beyond “meaningful coincidences occur.”
Oh and two incidences of me seemly controlling the weather. But I wont go into that one because it's obviously bollocks.
When I was a kid, I used to be able to make all the TV departure screens at the local railway station flicker. :levi:
You were Magneto? :shock:
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Re: Biggest challenge to my denial of the supernatural yet

Post by DRSB » Mon Jan 03, 2011 10:18 am

"Clairvoyant - legal profession in Romania" :coffeespray: (at least they are going to pay taxes on their income)

"The occupations of astrologer and clairvoyant will become official in Romania as of January 1, 2011, according to a Government's

Decision published on December 30 in the Official Gazette.

The Decision on the approval of the Classification of occupations in Romania includes, at 'other workers in personal services' section, also 'astrologers, clairvoyants and related workers' category, along 'attendants and valets', 'undertakers and embalmers'. Driving instructors are entered in the same section.

Moreover, the classification adopted by the Government in its December 23 sitting includes the 'models and similar workers' category of employees within the 'Other workers in sales' section.

The text of the normative act adopted by the Government reads that the document takes into account the regulations of the European Commission regarding the standard international classification of occupations."

http://www.actmedia.eu/2011/01/03/top+s ... ania/31376

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Re: Biggest challenge to my denial of the supernatural yet

Post by BrettA » Mon Jan 03, 2011 3:55 pm

Deersbee wrote:"Clairvoyant - legal profession in Romania" :coffeespray: ...
When last I spoke to your great, great grandmother - in 1998 - she told me you'd make fun of us this year.
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Re: Biggest challenge to my denial of the supernatural yet

Post by DRSB » Mon Jan 03, 2011 4:04 pm

Acatually, this is a huge industry there, fair enough to tax this income.
I wonder whether they will organise trade unions, pension funds, 2nd pillar, things like that.

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