(Nov 12, 2016 12:33 AM)Carol Wrote: [ -> ] (Nov 11, 2016 11:43 PM)Magical Realist Wrote: [ -> ]I think I saw Syne in a white gown dancing around a maypole last August at the Global Panentheist Festival. Maybe not, but it sure looked like him. 
Please, you were one of my last hopes for an intelligent reply and here you are acting like one of the three stooges. Please, don't do this.
Perhaps I started this thread all wrong? Maybe I should have started with a question such as how did John know the inside of a family's house and that the father of a dead son went downstairs and began smelling something? This man repeatedly speaks of things that are unknown to validate his connection with the other side. I think this is pretty amazing and anyone can agree or disagree with that, but please do so respectfully without slandering someone.
Because of my experiences with people who have recently passed, it is hard for me to be sure they do not communicate with us, and if someone wants to argue that is not possible, it needs to be an argument I can believe. Calling someone and liar and cheat is not the argument that will change my mind.
In the Case of Syne, Magic Realist and Secular Sanity don't take their comments too far to heart, there good posters at heart, even if they do seem to sometimes barb each other (and sometimes some of us too). Each poster is familiar with each other from a myriad of other forums, so I guess they could be considered to be like online drinking buddies in that extent. (Well, as buddy as you get with the guy you find sitting in the bar you frequent, who you might occasional shoot some pool with.)
As for Psychics. The ones that ply they trade the "best" tend to be ones that have an army of researchers at their disposal. You'd be surprised how much "
Social Engineering (wikipedia.org)" is used to construct the fallacies they represent. Some will do it for the sham because they can make a lot of money from peoples beliefs, others actually think they help people come to terms with coping with loss (at least that's what they will likely tell themselves).
It's technically a fraud however since there is no credible Scientific proof for anything "Naturally" occurring and all the things that are suggested that can be done through other channels. (Private investigation, Social Engineering etc)
As for death and deceased... Death is an unfortunate necessity currently, without it our planet would become overpopulated with a couple of decades to a point where it wouldn't be able to sustain itself. While there are many other scientific avenues in regards to longevity, even if a pill was found to add 40 years to peoples lives it would effect us all due to the equilibrium in homoeostasis. This doesn't of course mean that we don't have options, in fact it's one of the main reason to get to the point of colonising other planets and moons, as when we do that, our homoeostasis will become far larger and therefore be more capable of supporting people for a longer period. (You could possibly consider the infinite nature of the universe is there to support our endeavours should mankind actually reach this lofty goal.)
Currently there is no scientific evidence to suppose ghosts, spirits etc. Just looking at the nature of biochemical decay would suggest that molecules breakdown and reform based upon bacteria's, which means any form of connections (circuitry if you will) that was existent is destroyed. In essence you can imply that in death we no longer have a platform to run on and therefore cease to exist.
However in Quantum theory it can be suggested both that our linear perception of time is wrong (past, present and future exist in the same place) and there is the likelihood of Parallel Universes. This literally suggests that everyone who is dead now is still alive at a previous time point and/or potentially still alive in a parallel universe. (Since their body hasn't undergone biological breakdown there, they will still be functioning).
It's not quite the same as religions perception of someone letting you into the playground they made the rules for, but it should be some comfort to know that all those people you once knew and loved are potentially still living their lives out there in an infinite multi-verse of probability.
What I posted is completely off topic for this thread, and I apologize. My screen keeps freezing and then it jumps. I am about ready to fix my computer with a slug hammer. 