Supernatural or Other Easily Explainable Phenomena?

[Huntn]

Regarding that knot your wife was trying to untie in the earlier part of the thread...

Funny how you revived this thread at about the same time in the wee hours that someone had emailed me a link to a piece that's written in layman's terms but addresses use of algebraic topology to analyze brain structure and function.... and algebraic topology's categories include, yes... knot theory....

Now knot theory itself deals with mathematical versions of knots that are a little different from the ones we use to secure one thing to another, not least in that the ends of the mathematical ones are permanently joined.

Still, I sure got a kick out of the conjunction in my late evening of your thread revival and a link that relates to "knot theory" popping into my mailbox. (a complete coincidence,,,, ROFL)

Anyway that piece I was mailed a link to was pretty interesting. By the time one reads it and grasps the implications of an eleven-dimensional, transient structure that a human brain may construct in order to address some task set before it, one could begin to see how that knot on your wife's blouse may have got around to undoing itself even as she figured she was giving up on it and turning to something else. Maybe as the "sandcastles" of that particular structure her brain built to solve the problem began to dissolve, parts of it were still guiding her to finish the task, even as she consciously turned to doing something else. There sure seems a lot left to discover...

Brain Architecture: Scientists Discover 11 Dimensional Structures That Could Help Us Understand How the Brain Works
​

"It is as if the brain reacts to a stimulus by building then razing a tower of multi-dimensional blocks, starting with rods (1D), then planks (2D), then cubes (3D), and then more complex geometries with 4D, 5D, etc. The progression of activity through the brain resembles a multi-dimensional sandcastle that materializes out of the sand and then disintegrates," he said.

Henry Markham, director of Blue Brain Project, said the findings could help explain why the brain is so hard to understand. "The mathematics usually applied to study networks cannot detect the high-dimensional structures and spaces that we now see clearly,” he said.

"We found a world that we had never imagined. There are tens of millions of these objects even in a small speck of the brain, up through seven dimensions. In some networks, we even found structures with up to eleven dimensions."​

This is very intriguing! I've not read the article yet, but the quote references building and razing a tower of multidimensional blocks. Is this a referring to a thought process?

Later in the quote tens of millions of these objects in a small speck of brain? What kind of objects?
[doublepost=1497554349][/doublepost]

If you experience " supernatural" things,you should probably stop drinking or using drugs.

That's a solid maybe, if any of the stories are to believed. Unless we experience it ourself, we are put in the position of having to believe or disbelieve another person's testimonial. A large factor is if you are open minded or if you kneejerk reject the story.

The most convincing story I've heard of, if this counts as super natural concerns reincarnation of Police Oifice Robert Snow- Carrol Beckwith. I've mentioned it a couple of times in this forum (Link Post 1021).

 

[LizKat]

This is very intriguing! I've not read the article yet, but the quote references building and razing a tower of multidimensional blocks. Is this a referring to a thought process?

Later in the quote tens of millions of these objects in a small speck of brain? What kind of objects?

The multidimensional "sandcastles"... tens of millions of them in just a teeny speck of brain; formations of precisely shaped neural "cliques" around an empty space in order to to address a task proposed by a stimulus to the brain, and then vanishing when no longer needed. The missing link between function and structure needed to enable it.

"Algebraic topology is like a telescope and microscope at the same time. It can zoom into networks to find hidden structures—the trees in the forest—and see the empty spaces—the clearings—all at the same time," study author Kathryn Hess said in a statement.​

 

[VulchR]

I love ghost stories, but ... physics. Either ghosts interact with matter, in which case we should be able to get physical measurements from them, or they do not. If the latter, what ties them to one location on earth, given the planets rotates on its axis and orbits the sun, which, in turn, is travelling relative the the centre of the galaxy etc.?

I've seen a lot of weird things, sometimes drunk, sometimes not. All I know is that one doesn't want to be drunk in a cemetery when fox-fire lights up.

 

[LizKat]

I love ghost stories, but ... physics. Either ghosts interact with matter, in which case we should be able to get physical measurements from them, or they do not. If the latter, what ties them to one location on earth, given the planets rotates on its axis and orbits the sun, which, in turn, is travelling relative the the centre of the galaxy etc.?

I've seen a lot of weird things, sometimes drunk, sometimes not. All I know is that one doesn't want to be drunk in a cemetery when fox-fire lights up.

Why, does foxfire sort of limn the outlines of wooden coffins [as they open up...] ?

There are cemeteries around here with some headstones from the era of our Revolution. Always wonder if there are ghosts come out sometimes now meaning to protest at what they may think we've squandered of the sacrifices they and their families made. Or if they think what has been accomplished after King George's lot departed has turned out pretty well.

 

[Number-Six]

If you experience " supernatural" things,you should probably stop drinking or using drugs.

Are you suggesting that religious people are alcoholics or drug addicts?

 

[HEK]

This is the most suspicious. My wife was really taken back by the the knot. As far as I'm concerned it is undetermined. It was tied tight, it was not a bow where you can pull it through. I don't see it just falling apart on it's own. She verbally complained and the next thing she knew it had untied itself without her help. Tightly tied knots just don't fall apart.

Could you do me a favor and have your wife complain about the lack of funds in my bank account........couldn't hurt, right?

 

[obeygiant]

Are you suggesting that religious people are alcoholics or drug addicts?

You can see god if you drop acid!

 

[HEK]

You can see god if you drop acid!

Man....that's a trip

 

[VulchR]

Why, does foxfire sort of limn the outlines of wooden coffins [as they open up...] ?
...

It depends on how much you have to drink.... and whether you know that fox-fire even exists...

 

[0098386]

Genuinely torn on paranormal stuff. On one hand I don't believe in a god or higher power or magic powers or ghosts. And even on the other hand I don't believe in any of that stuff either. But a few weird things have happened to my family and myself over the years. The big ones that come to mind-

On falling asleep (in 2004 I think) I noticed a light in the corner of the bedroom. I was half asleep and thought I had left the laptop on, but as I realised everything was switched off I panicked (maybe thinking it was a fire?) and woke my partner. In front of us was a bowling ball sized blue light, static in the air and then vanished.

Another night much more recently my partner shot awake thinking there was a spider on a pillow. For some reason I knew this was about to happen and opened my eyes maybe 10 seconds before it happened ready to calm them down. (From this I took a "fear is all the mind" lesson from it and dropped all unnecessary fear and anxiety)

There are loads more little weird things including a strange house but typing on an iPad isn't as nice as using a real physical keyboard.

To sound silly I believe and hope in science, so maybe a lot of weird things have happened to people will eventually be explained as dimension hopping frogs or summot.

 

[HEK]

Genuinely torn on paranormal stuff. On one hand I don't believe in a god or higher power or magic powers or ghosts. And even on the other hand I don't believe in any of that stuff either. But a few weird things have happened to my family and myself over the years. The big ones that come to mind-

On falling asleep (in 2004 I think) I noticed a light in the corner of the bedroom. I was half asleep and thought I had left the laptop on, but as I realised everything was switched off I panicked (maybe thinking it was a fire?) and woke my partner. In front of us was a bowling ball sized blue light, static in the air and then vanished.

Another night much more recently my partner shot awake thinking there was a spider on a pillow. For some reason I knew this was about to happen and opened my eyes maybe 10 seconds before it happened ready to calm them down. (From this I took a "fear is all the mind" lesson from it and dropped all unnecessary fear and anxiety)

There are loads more little weird things including a strange house but typing on an iPad isn't as nice as using a real physical keyboard.

To sound silly I believe and hope in science, so maybe a lot of weird things have happened to people will eventually be explained as dimension hopping frogs or summot.

About fifteen years ago, I was at work and had a sudden feeling of overwhelming dispare. It came over me all at once for no apparent reason. It was associated with my father. I knew I had to call him immediately. It was as if a voice had said to me "call home now" This feeling was very strong and occurred from no where. I had been occupied with work and there was no underlying issues to explain my feeling.

I phoned him immediately and learned that minutes before, as I was experiencing the highly emotional state he had received a phone call from one of his brothers in Poland. The call informed him that his eldest brother had died suddenly.

The timing and intensity of this emotion to call my father has always left me feeling strange. I have no doubt that in some way there was a connection, an emotional transfer whose mechanism has remained unexplained.

 

[0098386]

About fifteen years ago, I was at work and had a sudden feeling of overwhelming dispare. It came over me all at once for no apparent reason. It was associated with my father. I knew I had to call him immediately. It was as if a voice had said to me "call home now" This feeling was very strong and occurred from no where. I had been occupied with work and there was no underlying issues to explain my feeling.

I phoned him immediately and learned that minutes before, as I was experiencing the highly emotional state he had received a phone call from one of his brothers in Poland. The call informed him that his eldest brother had died suddenly.

The timing and intensity of this emotion to call my father has always left me feeling strange. I have no doubt that in some way there was a connection, an emotional transfer whose mechanism has remained unexplained.

Ooh! I had one of those once too. I was walking home from college and was maybe an hour still from my destination. I felt a huge, silly to say, disturbance in the force. When I got into my village a kid got off a school bus and some other one just ran towards him and started pummelling him. I broke it up, walked the injured kid him and told his mum what happened. Never felt anything like that since. No idea what any of it was.

Have you had any more of these?

(And after reading some recent posts here I'm neurotypical and not on any medication)

 

[Apple fanboy]

This hotel in Florence had a slot by the door to place your room card. When it is in, some items in the room is powered, but it seemed to have no effect on the tv or the lights by the bed. In other words, they always have power regardless if the card is in the slot or not. I can't explain that. I turned off the lights and went back to bed. We were there 5 nights. It only happened one night. I woke up about 1am.

The cob web feeling on your face has physical reasons this could be occurring, so it's not too suspicious imo.

This is the most suspicious. My wife was really taken back by the knot. As far as I'm concerned it is undetermined. It was tied tight, it was not a bow where you can pull it through. I don't see it just falling apart on it's own. She verbally complained and the next thing she knew it had untied itself without her help. Tightly tied knots just don't fall apart.

I used to be a magician and escapologist. Let me tell you they do

Also we have bedside lamps that you touch rather than have a switch. They are very sensitive, so a slight spike will cause them to come on. Turning the lights on in my daughters closit also causes them to come on. But that has less to do with supernatural forces and more to do with I'm no electrician!

 

[Huntn]

I love ghost stories, but ... physics. Either ghosts interact with matter, in which case we should be able to get physical measurements from them, or they do not. If the latter, what ties them to one location on earth, given the planets rotates on its axis and orbits the sun, which, in turn, is travelling relative the the centre of the galaxy etc.?

I've seen a lot of weird things, sometimes drunk, sometimes not. All I know is that one doesn't want to be drunk in a cemetery when fox-fire lights up.

Well, I was watching Ghost Hunters* where they picked up an infrared image of something looking around a corner!

*In the realm of supernatural shows, Ghost Hunters seems to be credible based on articles I've read. And some of their shows are boring, with at best personal experiences.

Foxfire sounds cool, I've never seen it.
[doublepost=1497805220][/doublepost]

Genuinely torn on paranormal stuff. On one hand I don't believe in a god or higher power or magic powers or ghosts. And even on the other hand I don't believe in any of that stuff either. But a few weird things have happened to my family and myself over the years. The big ones that come to mind-

On falling asleep (in 2004 I think) I noticed a light in the corner of the bedroom. I was half asleep and thought I had left the laptop on, but as I realised everything was switched off I panicked (maybe thinking it was a fire?) and woke my partner. In front of us was a bowling ball sized blue light, static in the air and then vanished.

Another night much more recently my partner shot awake thinking there was a spider on a pillow. For some reason I knew this was about to happen and opened my eyes maybe 10 seconds before it happened ready to calm them down. (From this I took a "fear is all the mind" lesson from it and dropped all unnecessary fear and anxiety)

There are loads more little weird things including a strange house but typing on an iPad isn't as nice as using a real physical keyboard.

To sound silly I believe and hope in science, so maybe a lot of weird things have happened to people will eventually be explained as dimension hopping frogs or summot.

It might have been ball lightning or a spectral entity. I have a childhood friend who said they saw a ball of light, that he called ball lightning, travel down a a telephone wire on poles by their house, and on another occasion, one come though a wall, travel across this bed room and exit through another wall.

 

[Huntn]

The multidimensional "sandcastles"... tens of millions of them in just a teeny speck of brain; formations of precisely shaped neural "cliques" around an empty space in order to to address a task proposed by a stimulus to the brain, and then vanishing when no longer needed. The missing link between function and structure needed to enable it.

"Algebraic topology is like a telescope and microscope at the same time. It can zoom into networks to find hidden structures—the trees in the forest—and see the empty spaces—the clearings—all at the same time," study author Kathryn Hess said in a statement.​

Neural cliques equals a network, electrical connections?
[doublepost=1497808747][/doublepost]

I used to be a magician and escapologist. Let me tell you they do

Also we have bedside lamps that you touch rather than have a switch. They are very sensitive, so a slight spike will cause them to come on. Turning the lights on in my daughters closit also causes them to come on. But that has less to do with supernatural forces and more to do with I'm no electrician!

I've seen those, but as I recall these lights had switches.

 

[LizKat]

Neural cliques equals a network, electrical connections?

You should read the linked piece, it's not a scientific journal although it does link to one. There's some illustration as well.

but yes, neural connections established temporarily in specific and highly complex patterns around a space, in response to specific stimuli. Suggesting that at least some of our brain architecture is continuously and dynamically function-related in space and time, rather than being a more static set of networks representing developed responses to human experience over time.

​

 

[Huntn]

You should read the linked piece, it's not a scientific journal although it does link to one. There's some illustration as well.

but yes, neural connections established temporarily in specific and highly complex patterns around a space, in response to specific stimuli. Suggesting that at least some of our brain architecture is continuously and dynamically function-related in space and time, rather than being a more static set of networks representing developed responses to human experience over time.

​

When you linked to a description of 11 dimensions, I was thinking 11 directions not dimensions. This seems astounding considering we believe we exist in a 3 dimension physical reality. I wonder how they determined that, maybe a subjective or calculated conclusion. Impressive image:

 

[A.Goldberg]

My dog died 2 years ago and she was the best dog I ever had. Super smart, emotionally aware, and incredibly loyal black lab. We got her when I was in high school so as I was around the most, she bonded to me the closest but continued to live with my parents while I was in college and after moving out.

She got old, developed cancer and a breathing issue, so she had to be put down.

Immediately after she passed my mom called to tell me. Immediately after hanging up the phone, standing in the alley behind my apartment building, this bright yellow buttery fly landed on the wall of the building front of me. I have never seen a butterfly in my neighborhood in the years living there, or since that moment. It definitely stood out against the monotone of black asphalt and grey brick and stone.

Now what's weird is that my brother would to call my dog פרפר "par par" which means butterfly in Hebrew. Secondly, in symbolism butterfly represents life or transcendence and in the old world represents a spirit of the dead. Thirdly, I hadn't heard my dog called "par par" in ages as my brother had passed several years earlier.

I'm not particularly superstitious, or religious, etc, but this coincidence definitely made the hairs on my neck stand up.

 

[Huntn]

My dog died 2 years ago and she was the best dog I ever had. Super smart, emotionally aware, and incredibly loyal black lab. We got her when I was in high school so as I was around the most, she bonded to me the closest but continued to live with my parents while I was in college and after moving out.

She got old, developed cancer and a breathing issue, so she had to be put down.

Immediately after she passed my mom called to tell me. Immediately after hanging up the phone, standing in the alley behind my apartment building, this bright yellow buttery fly landed on the wall of the building front of me. I have never seen a butterfly in my neighborhood in the years living there, or since that moment. It definitely stood out against the monotone of black asphalt and grey brick and stone.

Now what's weird is that my brother would to call my dog פרפר "par par" which means butterfly in Hebrew. Secondly, in symbolism butterfly represents life or transcendence and in the old world represents a spirit of the dead. Thirdly, I hadn't heard my dog called "par par" in ages as my brother had passed several years earlier.

I'm not particularly superstitious, or religious, etc, but this coincidence definitely made the hairs on my neck stand up.

It's enough to make you wonder. Although I can't put my finger on it, I believe there are things happening behind the grey screen of this world that we don't understand, or are unaware of, just having an inkling of and tend to believe (right or wrong) that there is more to our existence than a 70 year mortal life, and this could include cherished pets.

 

[JackieInCo]

I've had a lot of things happen in my house to make me know that when we die, it's not the end.

I own the house that my parents both passed away in. My dad died on Fathers day 2001 and my Mom passed away on January 17, 2006, My dad smoked all his life and had emphesema and on that Fathers day when he woke up, one of his lungs literally burst in his chest causing him to collapse just outside of his bedroom. My mom had arthritis almost all her life and one of the drugs that she was taking the last year of her life, caused her to develop pnemonia. Her dear certificate listed as the cause of her death, necrotizing pneumonia is what it said.

Anyways, shortly after my dads death, I had been sleeping on the couch in my apartment that I was renting at the time and I was suddenly woken up because I felt that I had been thrown off the couch onto the coffee table in front of the couch. I had bitterly fallen on top of the coffee table with a loud crash at sometime after 3AM. I always think it was my dad who did that, trying to knock some sense into me knowing that I would only have a few more years with my mom.

One Monday morning, I woke up knowing I had to take my mom to one of her weekly doctors appointments. I got up and felt something like someone had put their fist into my head to put this message into my brain to tell me my mom would pass away within the year. Seriously, it was a physical feeling that someone reached into my brain to put that knowledge there. I believe that was early summer and of course my mom passed the following January.

Im March, I was sitting down playing on the computer, and I began to feel like someone was lightly touching my right arm. A short time later, I went into the bathroom and saw that the medicine cabinet had opened about two inches, just enough to make me notice it was open. I closed it and went back in the other room and sat down. I started thinking how my moms things were still in that cabinet and how I never saw that cabinet open on it's own before. I thought to myself, mom if that was you who opened that cabinet, do it again so I know it's you. I went back in an hour later and it was open again. I was so surprised, I said what the F@@@. That cabinet simply doesn't open on it's own. There have been two other times it's opened, one at about 8:30PM on my days birthday, and about three years ago on Christmas Eve, just before I went to work. I've now lived in this house for 11 years and those are the only times it's opened. My moms things are still in there today and always will be.

There were several other times I would be laying in bed and would feel those light touches on my right arm again. There was a few weeks when I would start feeling like a fingertip touching my right upper lip. One day I was taking to my brother about the things I was experiencing at this house and I hadn't told him about the touched to my upper lip when he told me that sometimes he felt like someone was touching his right upper lip. I started crying because it was like confirmation because we were experiencing the same thing. I was 100% convinced it was my mom. He lives in his own house just a few miles away.

Another night, I went into the bathroom and brought my iPhone to listen to a song to two. I started to hear this low garbled voice coming out of the shower stall. By the time I turned down the volume on the music, the voice had stopped so I had no idea what it may have been saying. It sounded very much like that fathers garbled voice in creeps how when he says I want my cake. The reason I brought up that my dad died when his lung(s) burst in his chest, I believe that garbled voice I heard in the bathroom was him trying to say something to me.

Another time in that bathroom, I started hearing the sound of soft clothing moving around in the shower stall. It was so distinct that I even went outside to check to see if maybe an animal had been moving around in the window well that sits inside the shower stall but the well has an iron grate covering it.. There were times when I would hear what sounded like someone punching the wall from inside the shower stall. The sounds were so frequent that I went in there one day and said that whoever was there, I didn't want it to be there and that only my parents were allowed inside the house. Surprisingly, the sounds have pretty much stopped and it's been 3 years or more since I went in there with my announcement.

The last thing I'll write about happened about an hour after I got home from work ao it may have been about 1AM or so. I was laying in bed watching TV and I heard what could have only been someone picking up one end of the couch and the dropping it. It bounced three times. I was so afraid to go up there and look. I went up the next morning and everything was just as it should have been.

There have been many other things happening here to but I'm not writing a book.

 

[ActionableMango]

I once woke up but could not move, and I simultaneously felt an evil or malevolent presence. I don't believe in ghosts, but the most accurate way that I can convey to others how it felt is to say that I was pinned down by an evil ghost. I am guessing that it lasted about 30 seconds.

Yes I am 100% sure that I was awake and that I was not dreaming.

Anyway, a quick Google search later and it turns out that this is a relatively rare but fairly normal occurrence called sleep paralysis. Basically the body and the mind normally sleep or wake up somewhat simultaneously, but in this case the mind woke up before the body so I couldn't move but I was fully conscience (and really damn scared).

The article states that the feeling of an evil presence is normal with sleep paralysis. Strange stuff.

I am fortunate enough to live in a time with easy access to a simple explanation via Google. I feel bad for people experiencing this in earlier periods of human history. It's quite a bad feeling--I'm sure it's part of human superstition and wouldn't be surprised if it led to panic, witch hunts, and the like.

 

[Gjwilly]

In the house we used to rent there were two doors to the kitchen at opposite ends -- one to the living room and one to the laundry room. The laundry room had a door into the office -- the office had a door into a short corridor that opened back up to the living room and then led to the bedroom. The layout was basically a rectangle where you could go from living room to kitchen to laundry room to office and back to living room.
One evening I was in the kitchen and went to the office where I saw our cat sitting on our futon. I proceeded through the office to our bedroom where I saw my wife on the bed with our cat.
I was taken aback but justified it by thinking that the cat must have gone the long way around and beaten me although the cat would have had to go about 100-feet to my 20-feet.
Later that same week my wife told me that she though the house was haunted.
My wife believes in fairies and the like so this was a neutral, matter-of-fact announcement and not one of fear.
I asked her why she thought this and she told me that on a number of occasions she'd seen various ghost cats in the house. I shared my earlier experience and she said that was the same type of thing that she'd experienced.
We knew from talking to the landlord that the previous owner, her ex-husband, had died in the house but the next time we saw her we asked if he'd had any pets.
Her answer, of course -- cats.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I once woke up but could not move, and I simultaneously felt an evil or malevolent presence. I don't believe in ghosts, but the most accurate way that I can convey to others how it felt is to say that I was pinned down by an evil ghost. I am guessing that it lasted about 30 seconds. Yes I am 100% sure I woke and was not dreaming.

Anyway, a quick Google search later and it turns out that this is a somewhat rare but fairly normal occurrence called sleep paralysis. Basically the body and the mind normally sleep or wake up somewhat simultaneously, but in this case the mind woke up before the body so I couldn't move but was fully conscience (and really damn scared).

The article states that the feeling of an evil presence is normal too, with sleep paralysis. Strange stuff.

I am fortunate enough to live in a time with easy access to a simple explanation via Google. I feel bad for people experiencing this in earlier periods of human history. It's quite a bad feeling--I'm sure it's part of human superstition and wouldn't be surprised if it led to panic, witch hunts, and the like.

Happens to me from time to time.

 

[ActionableMango]

Happens to me from time to time.

Did you feel the "evil presence" too, or did you just have the paralysis?

 

[Apple fanboy]

Did you feel the "evil presence" too, or did you just have the paralysis?

The paralysis. I'd not describe it as an evil presence, but it's a hard feeling to describe.