Is it worth believing in supernatural powers? Does the supernatural exist? Does the supernatural exist?

Law of energy conservation

Even the most inveterate skeptics and materialists must remember the law of conservation of energy, which never disappears into nowhere. All the information that a person accumulates throughout life, all his feelings and emotions - this is energy. As we used to say, soul. And after death, the human soul, as a clot of energy and information, finds itself in an energy flow that is around the earth. But, as we all know, the stronger the information, the stronger the feelings, the stronger this energy. Therefore, it often happens that even after death, a person is felt on this earth. Everything is explained very simply: he is either too attached to one of the living and his feelings are so strong that even after death energy remains, or before death he experienced severe stress and emotions, so the energy also increased significantly in size and became tangible.

Non-materialists believe that human energy does not just exist, it also has a mind. That is, the soul is, in fact, the person. And the body is just a shell, like any earthly clothing. Their opinion is confirmed by the appearance of the dead in their dreams, visions and so on. On the other hand, it is difficult to say that such manifestations of otherworldly essence can absolutely confirm the presence of reason in the so-called soul. Perhaps, when we see and feel something, it is our subconscious that simply draws energy from the global flow of information. But nevertheless, the fact that human energy and energy does not disappear into nowhere, and in special cases it can even become visible, is still worth recognizing. In addition, the reality of the appearance of otherworldly entities called souls is confirmed by a huge number of people. Moreover, some of them believe in otherworldly forces, while others are skeptical. Therefore, people describe what they see in different words, but the meaning always remains the same - the dead come to them, moreover, as relatives and friends, as well as completely unfamiliar personalities, about whom they, even with great desire, could not draw information from the energy shell of the earth.

Mythical undead

There are many stories, myths and legends about various otherworldly creatures and substances. Each of us has been familiar with goblin, brownies, mermaids, werewolves, vampires and so on since childhood. But are these creatures a product of folk fantasy or are they really real? Firstly, it is worth thinking about the fact that every nation of the world has its own legends and myths. But if you do not pay attention to the different names of creatures and some differences in their descriptions, all stories about the other world describe several dozen such creatures. For example, in any mythology there are stories about a creature that is very similar to our brownie or goblin. In the lakes of all countries and peoples, beautiful girls must live, bringing death to those who catch their eye. And if such a large number of people from different parts of the world describe such creatures, then perhaps they still exist, because thousands of people cannot fantasize in the same way.

In addition, unlike the dead, people see similar entities much more often. Almost every one of us has experienced at least one story related to some otherworldly creatures throughout our lives. In fact, as psychics say, such entities also have energy. They appear at the moment when there is a strong surge of energy. Let's say some kind of mass murder happens, many people experience pain and fear, and so on. In this case, at the place where the incident happened, a strong energy imprint is formed, as it were, which does not disappear for many years and frightens people. Of course, this bunch of energy can be not only bad, but also good. If you constantly imagine a certain entity, like, for example, your angel, endowing it with the qualities of a helper and protector, in the end, you can really have a positive energy substance near you that will protect you and help you achieve what you want.

But if all this is just energy, then why do people see similar creatures? Perhaps the point here is that such entities once had real prototypes. After all, it is not known what was on our earth before. There are suggestions that there was an intelligent race with the remnants of the representatives of which our distant ancestors met. Perhaps this race possessed certain technologies that were mistaken for supernatural powers, perhaps they mutated, so our mythological characters look like women with fish tails and men with a horse body. Of course, this is just a theory, but it may well have the right to life, if you look at the supernatural from a more materialistic point of view. And that is why the descendants of those first people see supernatural entities in similar images. They simply select the most suitable images from their past and connect them with energy entities that have always existed on any planet and in any dimension. Due to the fact that a large number of people begin to give this or that entity a certain image, over time it really begins to look they just mix.

That is why, returning to the question of belief or disbelief in otherworldly forces, one thing can be said: the energy and energy of everything that is on this earth is very powerful. It simply cannot fall into nowhere and be dispersed in the world, since there is such a thing as memory. In the meantime, we remember who we are, our energy simply cannot crumble into a thousand pieces and scatter throughout the universe. In addition, human memory can endow energy with tremendous power. It is the memory of a blunder that becomes the core for the creation of various negative entities. So, to believe or not to believe in the other world is your choice.

Incredible Facts

Scientists have proven that the human brain can function at 100% even when solving the simplest tasks. The question arises: what are the possibilities of the human mind? At times, interesting and ambiguous reports appear about phenomena that we do not understand, as well as about people who, in their opinion, have unusual abilities.

In most cases, scientists and various kinds of researchers only state data, and it depends on us whether to believe in a person's superpowers or not .

healing

A healer is a person who is able to see and understand all forms of illness, whether it be physical or psychological deviations from the norm. Such people feel the pain of others.

Almost all traditional healers enjoy biokinesis(ability to manage alien organism) , which allows them to control organic tissues. Thus, they heal themselves and others.

The downside to this ability is that some healers can become so sensitive to others' ailments that they themselves become ill with the same ailment. In addition, one folk healer, having cured his "colleague", may lose his gift forever.

There are many people with such abilities. They usually become doctors or nurses. But still, most people who are able to heal without the use of medications and surgical interventions go into the so-called alternative medicine.

Important! Remember that not all diseases can be cured through the methods of traditional medicine, while the delay associated with late diagnosis and improper treatment can cost the patient his life!

Brazilian healer

Joao Teixeira is a Brazilian healer who treats thousands of people every day. The cure takes place in an extremely interesting way: the healer performs complex surgical operations without medication, while the blood is practically invisible.

Juan is able to cure serious diseases with the help of psychological suggestion. According to the healer, his abilities are due to the intervention of higher beings who use the body of Juan. He believes that he is mediated by the souls of the once deceased healers, doctors or hypnotists.

Russian healer

Juna is a well-known Russian healer, psychic and recognized phenomenon. Her superpowers were investigated by Soviet scientists, who failed to explain this anomaly.

Juna has an extremely strong energy, with the help of which she affects biological field person, fills him with energy and heals the body. Her healing operations are based on non-contact massage (keeping hands at a distance from the body).

american healer

Edgard Casey was probably the most amazing person of the twentieth century. This is a great healer and clairvoyant, thanks to which many people in the world believed in forces and phenomena that are inexplicable from the point of view of science.

All diagnostics and predictions were made by Casey in a state of trance. According to the healer, during a hypnotic sleep, he got into the "Akasha Chronicles" - the energy-information sphere of the Earth, where all the present, past and future of a person are recorded.

Xenoglossia

Xenoglossia is a phenomenon due to which some people can understand foreign languages ​​without having previously studied them. There are people who born with such a gift, while many can spend a lot of time and energy on learning foreign languages.

lightning strike

Nikolay Alexandrovich Lipatov from the Vologda region in 1978 he was struck by lightning and miraculously survived, but the miracles did not end there. Unexpectedly for himself and those around him, he became fluent in three European languages.

After the car crash

Gennady Sergeevich Smirnov from the Tula region in 1987, being a pensioner, he was pressed by a truck trailer to the fence, and when he was clamped, he hit his head hard. The very next day he began to speak german, who was completely unknown before.

Clairvoyance

Clairvoyance is the ability to see the unknown. Such people can be in one place and know what is happening in a completely different place at a very great distance.

Clairvoyants see the future, the past, and the present. As a rule, their psychic abilities based on the vision of any episodes from the lives of other people.

Notable clairvoyants

Lev Tolstoy - Russian writer, mystic and clairvoyant, whose desire for holiness and truth became an example for many.

Vanga - the world-famous Bulgarian clairvoyant.

Gurzhdiev - a famous Russian clairvoyant, mystic. He worked for several intelligence agencies at the same time during the Second World War.

Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev famous for his chemical table, which is now used by the whole world. However, the story of the creation of this table, which he saw in a dream, is no less interesting.

Important! Today, even the most zealous skeptics do not exclude the existence of the gift of clairvoyance. However, before you go to the clairvoyant, think about the fact that you can be easily deceived, because it's no secret to anyone that in the modern world, various kinds of fortune-telling and predictions are a profitable business, and most of the "sorcerers", "magicians" and "fortune-tellers" are ordinary charlatans.

empathy

An empath is a person who feels the emotions of another. This ability is more common in children. , who are very perceptive to the world and the people around them. This power may disappear with age, but there are people who manage to hold the ability all their lives.

As a rule, empaths aspire to become teachers and consultants, since their calling is to help other people. In essence, an empath can be compared to a good psychologist, and if you add logic to the ability to understand people, then many of us can confidently be called a kind of empath.

Most empaths constantly worry periods of depression caused by the negative emotions of other people taking over them. People with such abilities must learn to block the emotions of others so as not to absorb the negativity of others, and also surround themselves with positive people.

Energy vampirism

Energetic vampire- this is a person who, when in contact with other people, uses their energy (feeds on it), while he does this most often unconsciously.

Such people try to surround themselves with as many friends, acquaintances and colleagues as possible in order totakethey have life force. They are able to read the thoughts of others, which they can use for selfish purposes.

All this makes the energy vampire able to dominate others.

P.S. Today, every second person can be called an energy vampire, because modern life is filled with negative emotions and communication with people that we do not always like. In addition, we have forgotten how to enjoy everyday things: the smile of a child, the bright sun overhead.

pyrokinesis

Pyrokinesis is the ability of a person to cause fire with the power of thought. Also, these people can amplify an already burning flame.

There are two main forms of this power.

fire like heat

A person with this type of pyrokinesis can provoke fire outbreak. Moreover, for each such person, the created fire has an individual visual form. The created flame can burn anyone except the one who creates it.

This very dangerous force which has become widespread in recent years. People with pyrokinesis have difficulty managing their emotions and may become angry for unknown reasons.

fire like light

This form of pyrokinesis is a fireball of energy that generates light. People who create such energy know how to control their emotions. This energy flow similar to the light of the sun or the light of a light bulb.

Spontaneous combustion in Australia

It should be noted that cases of spontaneous combustion of people are not uncommon. Similar phenomena are regularly recorded that cannot be explained from the point of view of science or physiology.

In the Australian city of Brisbane in 1996, a naked girl ran out into the street screaming wildly. When she calmed down a bit, she said that she had come with her boyfriend to this city for the weekend.

Her friend went to take a bath and she went to bed. Then he went out, lay down next to her in bed and suddenly lit up turned to dust in a minute.

Spontaneous combustion in Peru

The rector of the church in the city of Orellano (Peru) in 1993 read a sermon to his flock. When he began to read about the fiery hyena that awaits sinners in Heaven, he screamed terribly and turned into fire club.

Parishioners in horror rushed to flee from the church. When they returned, they found a completely intact priest's clothes, in which there was only ashes.

Spontaneous combustion in Spain

A resident of Madrid, Roberto Gonzalez, listened to a toast at his own wedding in 1998, flared up suddenly and in less than a minute turned to ashes. Hundreds of people witnessed the tragedy, but the elements of fire did not affect anyone else.

The nature of such phenomena studied by scientists has not been established to this day.

Illusionism

An illusionist is a person who can change the structure of molecules in objects. This can be used to mask something.

Some illusionists use consciousness, to create an illusion while others prefer specific items, rather their movement in space. Many people compare illusionists with magicians, since both of them are artists whose main goal is to capture the attention of the viewer and believe in the impossible. But! Illusionists use the subconscious delusions of a person to achieve their goal, and conjurers use sleight of hand. As a result, neither one nor the other (according to scientists) have nothing to do with magic and supernatural abilities.

As a rule, the best illusionists use their gift for personal enrichment and glorification (an example is David Copperfield), or find use for their abilities in psychiatric institutions, trying to help people with mental disorders.

Levitation

Levitation is an ability that allows a person to raise his body above the ground, that is, to fly (such a gift requires a great concentration of strength and energy). However, examples of objects levitating are more common.

medieval levitation

Messages about this mysterious phenomenon have been known since the dark Middle Ages. So, Joseph Cupertinsky, a member of the French Order, was mentioned as "often rising and hanging in the air", causing shock to the public.

Levitation in Mexico

There is information that such "flying people" can suddenly move long distances. So, in October 1953, a man in military uniform appeared on the street in Mexico City, speaking with passers-by in a foreign language.

Later it turned out that this was a Filipino who, in a few seconds, was transported from Manila, where he was guarding the governor's palace. The locals were delighted with the balloonist and gave him a warm welcome.

Levitation in India

Such flights did not always end successfully. So, a worker of the Portuguese colony in India in 1655 instantly flew to his homeland in Portugal. For the fact that he violated the "order given by God", the Inquisition decided to burn him at the stake.

Interesting Facts! according to some scientific research, levitation is explained by the ability of individuals to reduce their own weight in a way unknown to science. The only thing that scientists cannot understand is how this can be done.

Suggestion

The art of suggestion is the ability to control the minds of others. This is a very dangerous power, because people who possess it are able to influence the actions of others with the power of thought.

Wolf Messing

In order to inspire a person with a certain thought, verbal contact is not necessary, since it influences a person’s thoughts at a distance. This technique was mastered by the hypnotist Wolf Messing.

He could keep a person under hypnosis while being over long distances from it, hundreds of kilometers away.

Thanks to his extraordinary abilities, Messing gained fame as a magician and wizard. They tried to use his talent powers that be for your purposes.

It was because of his hypnotic sessions that he managed to anger Hitler, and even so much that he promised huge money for the capture of the magician.

Wolf Messing said that he acquired the ability of hypnosis through long training. The hypnotist was sure that all people have the ability to inspire thoughts, you just need to develop such abilities in yourself.

Regeneration

Regeneration is a person's ability to heal himself in a short time. Known cases tissue regeneration in sick people without the use of methods of treatment of modern medicine. At the same time, they experience physical pain in the process of regeneration. This ability is explained by the fact that the brain can influence the process of repairing body tissues.

Some sources describe amazing, but unlikely cases of immortality of such people, who allegedly can be killed in only one way: by cutting off the head so that their brain cannot restore the body. Of course, these are all rumors, but as they say, "there is no smoke without fire." Therefore, the question of the existence of people capable of regenerating themselves remains open.

see spirits

Gift see spirits actually very common, but not everyone uses it. Distinguish between harmless spirits and evil spirits. Some mediums can physically interact with ghosts, which is not always safe.

Some people who have this ability are afraid of spirits, others use this and contact with them.

The best mediums

Edmund Gurney (1847-1888) - the author of the book "Living Ghosts", was sure that the soul of a person can appear to other people 12 hours before death and the same amount after. He claimed that such visions are the final astral flight of the dying person.

Sir William Barrett (1844-1925) was 37 years professor of physics at the Royal College of Science in Dublin. He said the following: "I am absolutely convinced that those who once lived on earth can communicate with us."

Oliver Lodge (1851-1940) known for his studies of life after death. He began studying this phenomenon in the 1880s. From 1901 to 1903 he was president of the Society for Psychical Research. Oliver Lodge is also the author of Raymond, or

Life and Death", which deals with contacts with the spirit of his son Raymond, after his death at the front.

Lycanthropy

Lycanthropy is a paranormal phenomenon that causes metamorphosis in the body, due to which a person turns into another creature (most often a wolf). Many werewolves change into only one specific animal.

But! Scientists call lycanthropy a special mental state in which a person, although he considers himself a werewolf, actually is not one, because he does not modify his physical form. At the same time, the lycanthrope is extremely dangerous for society, since it shows aggression and indomitable strength.

werewolf stories

According to legend, in the middle of 1760, in one of the central parts of France, a certain beast frightened the locals. Cattle and people began to disappear every day. Witnesses described him as a large wolf, giving him the name Lou Garou . They tried to shoot him, but the werewolf turned out to be immortal. It all ended with the hunters killing him with a silver bullet right in the heart.

Robert Fortney from Michigan in 1938 encountered creatures that looked like werewolves. As he claimed, five animals attacked him at once. He even shot one of them, but he was seized with horror when the most ferocious beast stood up on its hind legs and looked at him with a grin.

Let's take a relatively recent case. Truck Driver Scott On August 27, 2005, he reported a strange incident on the radio, and the director of the company, Jan Punnett, had already told everyone about what had happened. Moving along the highway, the driver saw some animal tormenting a dead deer on the side of the road. According to him, the beast was not like any known: a mixture of a wolf and a monkey.

To date, such a wide popularity of lycanthropy is facilitated by a huge number of films about werewolves and vampires.

Telekinesis

Telekinesis is the ability to move objects with the power of the mind. This ability requires an understanding of energies, which few people can learn.

These people concentrate on the object, which encourages it to move without being touched. People who know how to learn telekinesis practice a lot and do not stop there. They can even do this all their lives and not really master this ability.

Telekinesis in France

The recorded case of telekinesis occurred with a French woman Angelique Cotten at the age of 14. On January 15, 1846, she and three of her friends were embroidering. Suddenly, the embroidery fell out of the hands of the girls, and the lamp flew into a corner.

Her friends did not hesitate to blame Angelica for what had happened, since strange events often occurred in her presence: furniture moved away or chairs flew around the room.

Telekinesis in Russia

The most famous case of telekinesis in the history of Russia is called the "Kulagina phenomenon". In the sixties of the last century, experiments were carried out with the participation of Ninel Sergeevna Kulagina , which made objects move and changed the trajectory of their movement.

For 13 seasons of the Supernatural series, we enjoy the company of charismatic brothers surrounded by various wickedness, angels and demons. And where there is mysticism in the plot, there will definitely be something interesting in the shooting itself, stories and the real life of the actors. For fans of the series, we have collected the most interesting facts about Supernatural.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org / BeatlesOriginals

Filming

As planned by Eric Kripke, the series was supposed to last no more than 3 seasons. After the overwhelming success, the end was pushed back to the 5th season, where the storyline seemed to bring to a logical conclusion. But the continuation followed and at the moment we are talking about the release of the 14th, final season. The series will consist of exactly 300 episodes.

2. 16 instead of 22

The third season of the series was released in 2007. This is the only season where there are not 22 episodes, but only 16. This happened because of the writers' strike, demanding higher deductions from the trade union.

3. Kripke is the head of everything

The first idea of ​​the producers was a storyline - a couple of journalists collect urban legends and publish them in the newspaper column "Unnatural". But with the arrival of Eric Kripke, the storyline turned into a travel tape. According to his plan, each small town tells its own story. And after the director and and - there was no doubt - the duo must be brought to the fore.

Thanks to Kripka, the famous "Supernatural" appeared, the Winchester family and their faithful companion -.

4. Why Kansas?

The writer/producer chose Lawrence, Kansas as the home of the Winchester family because of the town's proximity to the legendary Stull Cemetery. After all, a lot of interesting legends collected by Kripke over the course of 10 years are connected with him.

5. Who would have thought

Before approving the script already known to us, for the pilot series, the following options for starting the story were offered:

- the brothers were raised by an uncle and aunt;

- Sam's girlfriend became a Demon;

- Dean was a serial killer and killed his father (according to Sam, that's why he left to study);

The brothers' father dies in Jessica's house.

6. I demand rock!

In addition to music written specifically for the series, the show uses a large number of original recordings of rock bands. It was expensive, because their use is not cheap, and Kripke was tempted to leave if he was not allowed to use them. Some tracks are taken from Kripke's personal collection. A fan of his work, what can I say.

7. Kripke is not forever?

After the release of the fifth season, Eric left the project. This fact terribly upset the fans of the series, although the screenwriter promised that he would continue to participate and suggest interesting ideas to the new team.

8 The Real From Supernatural

All the sites that took place according to the plot of the series were created by the authors in real life. Now from all these addresses there is a redirect to the official resource of the film studio. Dean's real phone number was also used. He could be seen in the Ghost Rider series. You could call there and hear the message left by Ackles, the same as in the movie.

9. Book cult

Based on the plots of the series, 12 books were written from 2007 to 2013. These are novels written by different authors.

10. Anime

In 2009, one season of the anime series was filmed at the Japanese Film Studio, it has 22 parts. Padalecki voiced Sam in English in all episodes, Ackles was able to take part only in the last couple of episodes.

11. Exorcism

The series uses actual lyrics for exorcisms. They are taken from the texts of Psalm 67 (68) and the Romanesque ritual, banned in the 14th century, although some parts of this ritual are taken from the Bible.

Characters

12. Fathers and sons

In real life, the actor D.D. Morgan, who played the father of the Winchester brothers, is only 12 years older than his “serial” eldest son Ackles. But the difference between the “brothers” both in the plot and in life is the same, 4 years.

13. Winchesters or Harrisons

Kripke is a fan of Harrison Ford and wanted the family of hunters to have the last name Harrison. However, the real Sam Harrison lived in Kansas and the legal aspect forced her to change her last name. Not everything went smoothly with the Winchesters either, Jack Winchester was found alive (that was the name of Sam and Dean's father), the character had to change the name, and John Winchester appeared.

14. When the result exceeded expectations

Many of the characters we love were intended to be episodic. These include:

- Bob Singer - was supposed to appear in one episode;

- Crowley (Mark) was considered a guest character until season 10;

- Misha Collins did not even dream that Castiel would last so long and be included in the main team;

- Mark Pellegrino - Lucifer, included in the main team only in season 12.

15. King of Hell

Crowley is the only mystical character who is not one in real life. Aleister Crowley is a real person, occultist, researcher and, according to many sources of Kabbalah practices, the creator of the TARO THOT deck. Of course Alistair was in the most famous occult organizations. Therefore, his British persona came in handy for the role of the colorful king of hell.

16. Sam or Dean

Initially, Ackles auditioned for the role of Sam, but after rereading the script, he decided that Dean was closer in spirit to him. Ackles took part in the casting of actors for the role of Sam.

17. Castiel (Castiel)

There is no mention of such an angel in Christian scripture, but there is in the Kabbalistic one, where Cassiel is the strongest angel and is not able to appear before a person in his true form, because it kills mere mortals.

creatures

18. Demons

All demon characters (except Crowley mentioned) are mostly taken from occult, cabalistic and esoteric writings, some are taken from Christian writings, mythology of different countries. In particular, Kabbalah, the Book of Enoch, the Old Testament, the myths and legends of Scandinavia, Greece, Rome.

19. Leviathans

According to Scandinavian mythology, leviathans are huge sea monsters that live at the bottom of the Mariinsky depression. In other words, the snakes of Jörmungandr, carrying the end of the world. In the series, they were slightly stylized, but the essence of their existence survived.

20. Monsters

Most of the monsters are taken from legends, tales, mystical, occult books. But there are those whose origin is the work of the authors of the series.

21. Inhabitants of heaven

Among those known to us from the Bible are the Archangel, Angels, Seraphim, Nephilim. Apparently, reapers can also be attributed to divine beings, who collect souls and direct them to their destination for distribution.

22. Other entities

Among the many creatures that the brothers met on the way, there are various fairy-tale characters, ghosts, lost souls and entities from other cultures of our big planet.

I would like to note that the series "Supernatural" is not just an entertainment show. He introduces us to the mythology of different countries, eras and religions.

Photos from open sources

Mysterious and incomprehensible events constantly occur in all corners of the planet. (website)

However, not all of them are world famous. Only the most amazing supernatural cases become the subject of conversation among the inhabitants of all countries. So, everyone knows about the American Area 51, where the military studied an unidentified flying object shot down by them with an alien corpse on board, or about the Egyptian pyramids, near which trees grow several times faster, and the water clears itself.

Undoubtedly, in such a large and eventful country as Russia, there were also many paranormal events that struck the imagination not only of the Russians themselves, but of all earthlings. Therefore, many of us may ask a natural question: what supernatural phenomena that happened directly to our people are best known abroad?

Tunguska meteorite

This amazing event took place in the days of the Russian Empire. On the morning of June 30, 1908, in the region of the Siberian river Podkamennaya Tunguska, there was a colossal explosion with a capacity of fifty megatons of TNT equivalent, which is comparable to the power of the largest hydrogen bomb. As a result of the explosion, trees were knocked down on an area of ​​over two thousand square kilometers, and windows flew out in houses within a radius of several hundred kilometers from the epicenter.

Photos from open sources

The event, accompanied by an intense glow of the sky, was recorded by all the observatories of the planet. According to the official version, it exploded over Siberia, but for some reason its fragments were not found. Many experts suggest that it was not the meteorite that was to blame, but Russia's testing of secret weapons, or the experiments of the legendary physicist Nikola Tesla, or the tricks of aliens. To this day, this incident is shrouded in a veil of mystery, and world scientists are still breaking their heads over it.

Soviet cosmonauts, as pioneers of space research, had a hard time, because due to the imperfection of the equipment, emergency situations arose very often. Space flights were further aggravated by the fact that our stargazers suffered from aliens who flew up to them at close range. Many Soviet cosmonauts who returned from orbit reported that unidentified flying objects were approaching their ships.

Assume that the supernatural exists and consists of beings/forces that can interact with our natural universe in ways that are contrary to the natural laws of that universe (at least as we know them).

Take any general or historical example of the supernatural such as miracles, spiritual/supernatural revelations, sixth senses (in some contexts), angels/demons, various explanations of God/gods, vampires/werewolfs, etc. What do you like or is your favorite . In general, you just need a being that exists in another dimension/plane of existence and can at least one-way interact with ours in a way that "violates" the laws of nature.

What evidence can exist or can be obtained for these beings/forces/events being truly supernatural? Is it possible that they can be scientifically tested or proven? To what level or extent?

Any supernatural event that can be observed (such as faith healing) can have witnesses that provide some amount of legal/historical evidence, but is there a way to expand this into a more rigorous scientific test? For example, if we could know that a supernatural event was going to happen at a certain point in time, and capture whatever data we want, could that ever reach a higher level of evidence than courtroom-style evidence?

Note: this probably applies to many other similar questions such as proving one of the many ambiguous hypotheses, proving free will/dualism, etc. I think this might also work for proving alien encounters...

Court Ammon

What do you define as "truly supernatural?" I have found with this particular topic that the "supernatural" treatment gets dominated by the discussion that follows. As one trivial example, if supernatural means "not explainable by natural means" and science seeks to prove everything by "natural means", science will never prove the supernatural because it is defined as doing otherwise.

Philipp Klöcking ♦

Supernatural = not in nature, transcending it. Proof = relation to / explanation by a fact in nature (taken as the sum of all facts, fields of science and experience, etc.). So supernatural by definition means unprovable. Unprovable means that it is meaningless unless it is transcendent to something provable. Only 2 Kantian cents.

LightCC

@virmaior Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it philosophical to think about how one proves what is real and what is the basic nature of reality?

Philipp Klöcking ♦

@LightCC: If this is your only question, first read the already answered questions on this topic, they are to the right of "related" and were already highlighted to you when writing this question.

Answers

Court Ammon

I think your question is hard to answer, is that it depends on the meanings of several words:

• supernatural
• Proof
• witness
• proof

Many of them are notoriously difficult to identify on their own. Trying to define them together often leads to trivial results.

For example, it is trivial to demonstrate that there can be no evidence for the supernatural. Any supernatural effect would have to be unpredictable by our existing empirical models. His exploration will lead to one of two outcomes:

• It defies scientific analysis, and in this case it is not scientifically proven
• He submits to scientific analysis, in which case he becomes part of "nature". (See Quantum Mechanics for an excellent example of positive whimsical results woven into the model, empirically defended through experimentation, and now considered "natural")

In contrast, religion constantly claims the existence of the supernatural and offers its own supernatural history as evidence. This proof is clearly not scientific (although some try), but it is considered proof for them. In order to dismiss their claims, we must define "prove" in a way that excludes their claims. Many definitions have been proposed, but most of the criteria for "non-scientific proof" do not correspond to what we tend to call "proof", just as scientific "proofs" generally do not correspond to what mathematicians call "proof".

There have been dozens, if not hundreds, of attempts to prove the supernatural by conducting statistical studies of "witnesses" to try and determine criteria for credulity for them. Generally speaking, the witnesses have proved unreliable in this regard.

To delve deeper into this area of ​​philosophy in these vague terms. Epistemology is the study of what can be known, and has many terms that are more suited to the enterprise: deduction, induction, and abduction are particularly useful examples of terms. It even serves as an effective approach to the concept of "witness", which at first glance seems more complicated. If you look at epistemology, you will recognize approaches and words that can be used to frame your question in a way that will get you a less trivial answer. This is a good line of questions, it's just a question that's hard to handle in the Stack Exchange Q&A format unless you acquire the local language first.

LightCC

I freely admit that I am a philosophical layman and do not know all the necessary terms. I agree that it is possible to trivialize the answer by the definition of the term. For me, this is usually (but not always) just a way to avoid the original question. But there are cases where this is clearly not the case. Thanks for the reply - I'm always willing to learn but often lazy about learning the best technical vocabulary for queries like this...

Philipp Klöcking ♦

@LightCC: Well, philosophy is essentially the development of a more technical vocabulary for learning and explaining the logical scheme of terms. Otherwise, every native speaker can be a "philosopher" only through the ability to use the language correctly. Especially Philosophy.SE encourages asking and answering with specific technical usage of specific philosophers.

LightCC

Also, I'm not sure that expanding the natural realm to contain any future evidence of the supernatural is always the destruction of the supernatural. This has certainly been the case in many cases in recent history (the last 400 years or so). But let's say we find a way to transfer ourselves to another dimension that has "angels/demons" and a different set of "laws of existence". It would seem to expand our natural world to include this new multiverse and say that it is no longer "supernatural"... I'm not sure if the word for that is pretentious? Deceptive? Just wrong?

LightCC

@ PhilipKlöcking I'll step up my game then! :)

Court Ammon

@LightCC What if we transfer ourselves to a dimension where the inhabitants of that dimension can demonstrate telepathy or even run right through solid walls like they're not even there? Some may even exist in regions where you can prove that no one can survive. Will we include them as "natural law" or will they be seen as unnatural because you had to leave the world you know to get there? The study of the supernatural essentially leads to the study of the natural. (By the way, these behaviors are anthropomorphisms of the usual behavior of quantum mechanics.)

Nelson Alexander

Yes, sure.

You can *scientifically prove** what is considered supernatural. But once you do, they are no longer supernatural. They are "natural", as the methods show natural Sciences.

However, you are probably wasting your time with the various hobgoblins and creepy powers you list. We do not see such phenomena, werewolves, resurrections or mind control that require a scientific explanation. First you need to demonstrate them publicly and repeatedly, which in most cases is indefinable.

As Hume noted, by "miracle" we mean precisely that which cannot be predicted, controlled, or replicated experimentally. We now fly, cure the plague, transmit voices for miles, and do other previously "wonderful" things. But they are no longer "miracles" except metaphorically.

Likewise, magnetism, séances, ghosts, and the like have often interested hopeful scientists and philosophers. William James, with his tolerant epistemology, for example, "liked to dim the lights to give miracles a chance," as Oliver Wendell Holmes put it. The search never ends, the possibilities are never completely ruled out.

Thus, it is possible that some of the machinations of the strange world that you mentioned can be brought to science. We have never seen X-rays before, so perhaps meaningful "auras" will be found. We've never worked with machines with direct neural input, so it's possible that such powers could somehow be telepsychically engineered. We've never created genetically monstrous mice or glowing rabbits, so maybe werewolves are right around the corner.

The thing is, you're wrong about the categories. Everything can become the object of the scientific method. But once it has been adequately demonstrated, contextualized within existing theoretical frameworks, experimentally tested, and test results repeated "at will," we will no longer call it "supernatural." And, of course, there is the issue of research funding...

LightCC

Thanks to Nelson, but I want to point out that I did not limit the discussion to scientific research or evidence (although scientific evidence is not limited to the scientific method and can only include empirical data). I find it interesting (and actually quite funny) that you can replace "supernatural" in my question with something like "aliens" and you can pretty much leave the same question unchanged... and have those same answers.

LightCC

So, thinking about it a little more, the gist of your answer is that the body of evidence shows that scientific research has responded to a natural explanation for what people who lived before the age of reason would call "supernatural", that the bar of evidence is so high that not can be met?

Nelson Alexander

I don't know what a bar is "high". Science is simply a method of determining, falsifying, predicting, experimenting, etc., ending in a hypothetical consensus that is always open to revision given new evidence. Of course, there are many things we don't know. Many may contradict or revise our current "laws of nature." But it is assumed that the things we call "supernatural" do not belong to the realm of "natural science." They may simply be intermittent, unmanageable, random, perceived by only a few. As such, they are not "provable" in the "scientific" sense.

Alexander S King

I think you need to divide the supernatural into two categories:

• Religious Supernatural: Miracles, Divine Intervention, Angels, etc... by definition they are outside the scope of science and cannot be verified. Testing requires reproducibility and falsification, and neither is applicable in the case of religious supernatural events. The whole point of miracles is that God supposedly made the rules about who works in the universe, and he's the only one who can break them.
• Occult Supernatural: Vampires, werewolves, fairies, witches, etc... if anyone ever proves the existence of such creatures, then we'll just have to update the laws of science to account for their existence. You can already see this in the literature that deals with this type of fantasy - those who deal with these types of creatures are portrayed as scientists who simply specialize in unusual areas of research.

In any case, to prove beyond a doubt that something supernatural happened is very unlikely. If something really outlandish were to happen (say, a person levitating, or a truly incredible healing, such as an amputee who had his natural limb restored), then there are only two ways to convince normal rational people of their truth:

• Or you can somehow reproduce the event at will.
• The event took place in front of a significant number of independent witnesses, who all testify to its occurrence.

Philipp Klöcking ♦

As stated in the comments above, other explanations should also be ruled out. This is much more than just having a huge group of witnesses. We have them at every "magic" show in Las Vegas every day, but nothing supernatural happens, there's just no obvious explanation for them.

LightCC

I appreciate the answer. Thank you. I don't think angels/demons fit into the first category because my understanding is that myths/literature don't have unlimited power. Regarding your original claim that miracles/divine intervention are unverifiable - I'm not sure if your first answer at the end isn't potentially contradicting that claim?

Alexander S King

"I'm not sure if your first answer at the end doesn't potentially contradict that statement?" No - because testing and proof are two different things. We may rely on witnesses or archaeological evidence to prove that something happened, but you can never verify it.

LightCC

I agree that you will need some sort of repeatability and/or interaction for testing. I need to know that an event is coming up so I can collect data. For example, if a genie gave me 3 wishes and I've only used 1 so far...

Mozibur Ulla

IN logic Hegels in the introduction to the first book of Genesis reads:

So much is logical for a man, such is his nature. If, however, we contrast nature as such, as the domain of the physical, with the domain of the spiritual, then we must say that logic is supernatural an element that pervades all his natural behavior, his ways of perceiving, intuition, desire...

And logic has its own methods of proofs and demonstrations.

LightCC

I accept this definition of the supernatural because it explains it in terms of dualism. The natural being is physical, and the supernatural is spiritual. But it is not clear to me what the proof requirement is here. Is Hegel saying that the fact that we are logical is a supernatural element inherent in us? That would be proof (by definition?) that we are dualistic in nature, wouldn't it?

Conifold

If the test-taker is interpreted in the way that he is usually interpreted in science, at least two conditions must be met. First, the supernatural must be recurrent and/or reproducible, or we can observe some violation of natural laws at predictable times (for example, bleeding from a crucifix on certain dates), or, even better, perform experiments that cause such violations to occur. . Second, it had to be a manifest, sublime mystical experience private to the individual, no matter how experienced and trustworthy, it would not do. However, I suspect that if these conditions are met, whatever phenomena are posed, they would be moved from the supernatural to the natural pillar and studied scientifically.

Single events, supernatural or not, can be the subject of something like historical research, and there is a notion of confirmation based on the existence of credible and documented accounts. However, this credibility often includes the idea that, at a minimum, these accounts are physically plausible. So miracles in the singular say that it will take an extraordinary level of documentation to bridge the credibility gap.

The supernatural, as in violations of natural laws, is often associated with unlikely events such as "unlikely" escapes or healings. They are not supernatural, even if they are colloquially exaggerated as "nothing less than a miracle". We know that human probabilistic intuition is very wrong and sees miracles where there are none due to the base rate error. For example, the Vatican standard for miraculous healing is that the recovery must be "complete", "instantaneous", "lasting", and "scientifically inexplicable". However, from a scientific point of view, statistical accidents, although inexplicable, are not miraculous. Again, there must be a recurring pattern and a high level of supporting documentation to draw a statistical conclusion about something supernatural.

LightCC

I appreciate the answer and tend to agree with the analysis. I think there is room for possible testability if a way can be found to cause the event to repeat. For example, capture a vampire and conduct experiments (for a fun example!). A faith healer who can heal multiple times may be different. But in general I agree with the recommendations you suggest.

James Kingsbury

Much of this, of course, will depend on who you ask. My own religious tradition maintains that miracles are rare (that is, they do happen, but even the circumstances under which they occur are not a recurring routine). There are groups in the Catholic Church that ask a different but related question: for a given claim of something miraculous (such as being healed by a miracle or an apparition), was it actually a miracle?

It is known that there is a concept of "devil's advocate", whose job it was to punch miracles in claims, showing that they were fraudulent or due to natural causes.

Recently, people in the city of Međugorje claimed to have seen Mary (the mother of Jesus), and later the Catholic Church said there was not enough evidence for this.

Many have studied Lourdes as an example where there are many reports of miraculous healings. It was shown that individual healing are beyond the scientific knowledge of mankind, but since the healing process itself is not repeated, it is impossible to experiment with scientific meaning.

In these three examples, or in any others that might be given, it is important to note that they take the form of a test or historical study rather than a scientific experiment. Since (at least the Catholics claim) miracles are not repeatable historical events, it seems appropriate to use an approach more like a question like "Did Caesar subjugate Gaul?". not "How long does it take for this object to fall?"

LightCC

Similar to other answers - appreciate additional citations. Consensus is presented only by historical/witness/empirical evidence, meaning that you have to decide for yourself based on the evidence - no scientific method is possible. Unless you can constantly summon or cause a supernatural being to continuously trigger supernatural events.