• NEW! LOWEST RATES EVER -- SUPPORT THE SHOW AND ENJOY THE VERY BEST PREMIUM PARACAST EXPERIENCE! Welcome to The Paracast+, eight years young! For a low subscription fee, you can download the ad-free version of The Paracast and the exclusive, member-only, After The Paracast bonus podcast, featuring color commentary, exclusive interviews, the continuation of interviews that began on the main episode of The Paracast. We also offer lifetime memberships! Flash! Take advantage of our lowest rates ever! Act now! It's easier than ever to susbcribe! You can sign up right here!

    Subscribe to The Paracast Newsletter!

Crystal Skulls - May 3oth 2011


The whole bit about crystals and crystal skulls in particular being attributed properties of highly engineered and doped materials is really silly in my book. These things appear to ornamental and ceremonial in nature and they are apparently being used as bizarre objects of worship today by some people who indue them with all sorts of mystical and pseudo-scientific properties. Any real phenomena surrounding them, if there is such, would seem to be buried under a large cartload of bullshit.

I somewhat agree with you. To think of them as 'ancient computers' is fairly unsubstantiated, to put it lightly!

But I also agree with one of the earliest comments in the thread which paired the skulls with other kind of magical paraphernalia: it's not the object per se, but its usefulness to help focus the mind of the practitioner what's important. So *maybe* the skulls were used for scrying or divination or whatever —at least in the mind of the shaman, of course— That doesn't mean its imbued with a special kind of energy.

As for their authenticity —i.e. being made by an ancient culture— I keep the Mitchell-Hedges skull in a gray basket. There's no way of knowing if it really came from a Mayan city, but the (alleged) fact that it was carved against the grain of the quartz is pretty fascinating.
 
I haven't heard this show yet. I have always had mixed feelings about the skulls. I think some could be ancient but I think most are modern.

I haven't heard the show yet either. Other shows have spoken about the skulls have special powers. I just don't believe inanimate objects being magical. Now if you'll excuse me I have to wash my lucky rabbits foot before going to bed.
 
Consider whether the object is just a focal point for your own abilities. That assumes there are abilities to harness, which may be the real question.
 
Storing data in crystal is an emerging technology

Physicists have worked out a new method of storing information in the quantum states of atoms in diamond crystals .

http://www.actaphysica.com/physics-news/diamond-crystal-atoms-pass-test-storing-data/

Physicists in Australia have slowed a speeding laser pulse and captured it in a crystal, a feat that could be instrumental in creating quantum computers

http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2005/10/69033


Rewritable holographic storage can be achieved via the photorefractive effect in crystals

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holographic_data_storage
 
Well, that being true we still don't have any reason to believe that the apparent explanation, "that he is sensitive to energy from certain skulls" is what is actually going on do we? What does that mean? "What is this 'energy' are we talking about?" and "Can it be verified?" are very valid and very interesting questions to pose in response to hearing that claim from anyone. How is the energy perceived? A physical rush, a tingling, an emotion, or an impression? I think those questions are fair and should be expected.
Indeed they are fair questions. We can either believe him or not. I believe that some people ARE sensitive to these energies. When it comes to describing HOW the senses detect, the words used such as energy/energies, vibrations etc. are really somewhat inadequate or misleading as they connote a scientific meaning. Even the use of the term psychometry (the ability to gain impressions from objects by holding or touching them), may not sufficiently describe the action. It is really hard to describe the act of sensing something or gaining impressions from an object. Our language is largely undeveloped in that regard.
When you say.."A physical rush, a tingling, an emotion, or an impression?" it may be all of the above. It may also be that science is unable to measure these energies. The skulls being crystal will probably emit some sort of electrical field i imagine. Whether this is what is the beholder is sensing is another matter.
As to what these energies are, they may be emotional. Somehow imbued into the structure of the object, in this case the skulls. I don't know how that may have occurred, or how it occurs that any energy is imbued in objects, but i believe it some how happens. If science can in some way study or measure this, all the better.
 
I think this was the worst guest I have ever heard, here are some reasons, number 1 his voice changing skills one minute he sounded very frail the next a young man, that's all the reasons I can think of for now, kinda reminds me from the game oblivion
thats my attempt to embed, just copy and paste into url to see the video lol.
 
Sounds like a great show. Can't wait to give it a listen. Any show that gets the debunkers up off their armchairs must be good.:)

Important note: Exercising your critical faculties is not the same as debunking.
The crystal skulls are a neat idea but one that's sadly built on nothing much of anything.

Joshua seems to think his subjective experiences constitute evidence of some kind. He is mistaken.

Advice for everyone of a New Agey disposition: every time you feel the urge to start talking about "energy", slap yourself until it passes. You'll thank me later.
 
The frustrating thing for me is, people like Joshua are clearly attracted to 'mysteries' like crystal skulls. Don't they realize that by making up a bunch of nonsense as an explanation actually detracts from the sense of mystery? When someone claims that a mysterious object is actually a 'atlantean laser-beam computer' it's more likely to make me think there's nothing to the thing. If we leave it at the history and myths surrounding them it's still a vital and intriguing mystery.

Perhaps I'm being unfair when I say this guy is making stuff up. Maybe it's because I'm a Taurus that's not ascending to Uranus or something.
 
Important note: Exercising your critical faculties is not the same as debunking.
The crystal skulls are a neat idea but one that's sadly built on nothing much of anything.

Joshua seems to think his subjective experiences constitute evidence of some kind. He is mistaken.

Advice for everyone of a New Agey disposition: every time you feel the urge to start talking about "energy", slap yourself until it passes. You'll thank me later.
The more i see comments like this, the more i can't wait to hear the show! I hope to hear plenty use of the word energy, maybe a few "vibrations" even a mention of "dimension" or "portal" or two. Hopefully ,and importantly, "dimensional portal". And if i don't, i'm gonna dispatch one of my poltergeist mates to give you a slappin', that's if i have the energy! Ooops!!!:)
I love the new agey stuff!!!
 
The more i see comments like this, the more i can't wait to hear the show! I hope to hear plenty use of the word energy, maybe a few "vibrations" even a mention of "dimension" or "portal" or two. Hopefully ,and importantly, "dimensional portal". And if i don't, i'm gonna dispatch one of my poltergeist mates to give you a slappin', that's if i have the energy! Ooops!!!:)
I love the new agey stuff!!!

Phil, I'm assuming you're just saying that to be playful. Once you listen to it, you'll probably agree with us more than you think.
 
Phil, I'm assuming you're just saying that to be playful. Once you listen to it, you'll probably agree with us more than you think.
Yes there is that of course lol:) I have seen and heard many different talks and documentaries on the crystal skulls. Although some who i have heard talk about them were probably as out there as this gentleman if not more. Personally i find them fascinating, despite the so called "new agey" feel about them. So it will come as no surprise if the show is a s exactly as you say.
 
We can either believe him or not.

I don't think it comes down to belief. Giving Chris the benefit of the doubt that he experiences something extraordinary around these things is one thing, because I don't have any reason to think he is lying, but that is different than believing that how he describes and interprets it is the most reasonable explanation or interpretation of the experience. That is why the statement on its face requires a great deal of expansion. This sort of thing certainly should be able to tested, and Chris even proposes an experiment in response to some of the guest's claims.

I just don't believe anything by default anymore. Also, when I hear an account of something like this and I don't immediately think, "They are lying." or anything of the sort. I think about how many times I've been mistaken about something and been utterly convinced of its truth. That is why I say, "Tell me more." Chris experiences something around these things, but what is it? Can it be experienced in a controlled experiment?

Personally, I don't think it is interesting enough to pursue. If I were feeling it myself maybe I'd think differently, but it seems obvious that the crystal skulls are serving as a psychological tool more than anything else.

The use of objects like this is pretty old. People have been hammering out sacred objects out of things from the earth and believing that they have strange magical powers they can bend to their will since there have been people it seems. It's nothing more than plain old garden variety superstition in the modern world.

---------- Post added at 08:30 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:22 AM ----------

Storing data in crystal is an emerging technology

This does not translate into crystal skulls or quartz crystals in general having any such properties or being able to be used as a computing device. The engineering involved in translating something like what is described in that article into anything really useful in part of a device of some sort is absolutely tremendous. Raw or even crystals carved into some shape, much less that of human skull, would not have any such properties or capabilities. It would be like me taking a hand full of sand and expecting it to hold water as though I had formed it into a glass.
 
Now, talking about a 'focal' point to transfer energy into...the Object becomes a fetish. A pebble can do that job, and it does. A crystal skull sure is more fancy though. :)
 
I thought the show was pretty entertaining without it degenerating into too much weirdness by the guest, that's why I think Chris came up with the "feeling energy" comment IMHO.

It's been linked to these forums the validity of storing information on crystals, so I'm not going into that mish-mash, but whether ancient peoples stored info into crystal skulls or not is good fodder for debate it seems and maybe some kind of scientific testing would be in order...if someone with some kind of where-with-all performed said testing who had possession of one of these things.

Excellent interviewing by Chris and Gene!
 
Sorry I really tried... but I couldn't make it to the end of this show, the guest was coming out with what sounded like 3rd rate science fiction it was too painful to listen to.

I'm a big supporter of Gene and Chris, I have no doubt normal service will resume next week.
 
This does not translate into crystal skulls or quartz crystals in general having any such properties or being able to be used as a computing device. The engineering involved in translating something like what is described in that article into anything really useful in part of a device of some sort is absolutely tremendous. Raw or even crystals carved into some shape, much less that of human skull, would not have any such properties or capabilities. It would be like me taking a hand full of sand and expecting it to hold water as though I had formed it into a glass.

Oh absatively, If these skulls contain data it would have to be written using advanced technology.
We are talking changing the "spin" of individual atoms

In the first report, IBM scientists describe major progress in probing a property called magnetic anisotropy in individual atoms. This fundamental measurement has important technological consequences because it determines an atom’s ability to store information. Previously, nobody had been able to measure the magnetic anisotropy of a single atom.
With further work it may be possible to build structures consisting of small clusters of atoms, or even individual atoms, that could reliably store magnetic information.
Such a storage capability would enable nearly 30,000 feature length movies or the entire contents of YouTube – millions of videos estimated to be more than 1,000 trillion bits of data – to fit in a device the size of an iPod. Perhaps more importantly, the breakthrough could lead to new kinds of structures and devices that are so small they could be applied to entire new fields and disciplines beyond traditional computing.
In the second report, IBM researchers unveiled the first single-molecule switch that can operate flawlessly without disrupting the molecule's outer frame -- a significant step toward building computing elements at the molecular scale that are vastly smaller, faster and use less energy than today's computer chips and memory devices.
http://www.gizmag.com/go/7920/

Not saying these skulls do have data in them, but its technologically possible to store data at the molecular level in such materiels

More super technical stuff here
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/5143097...-Information-Storage-Devices---Patent-6500510


Unlike CDs and DVDs where data is written on the surface, data is written throughout the substrate of the disc, meaning scratches, dust or dirt have little effect on data retrieval,
http://www.computerworld.com/s/arti...ic_storage_to_ship?taxonomyId=19&pageNumber=1
 
I'll be the first one to apologize for usually only posting when I think a show is a stinker. So, the good news -- Gene and Chris -- is that generally I enjoy listening to the show. Still, I must ask -- Why, why -- the Crystal Guy? I struggled for about 15 minutes and then had to turn this one off. I'm open to new ideas, but when it's all new agey vibe talk, the show loses me. I've been listening off and on for a few years, so I'll be checking back next week hoping for a more interesting show.
 
I don't think it comes down to belief. Giving Chris the benefit of the doubt that he experiences something extraordinary around these things is one thing, because I don't have any reason to think he is lying, but that is different than believing that how he describes and interprets it is the most reasonable explanation or interpretation of the experience. That is why the statement on its face requires a great deal of expansion. This sort of thing certainly should be able to tested, and Chris even proposes an experiment in response to some of the guest's claims.

I just don't believe anything by default anymore. Also, when I hear an account of something like this and I don't immediately think, "They are lying." or anything of the sort. I think about how many times I've been mistaken about something and been utterly convinced of its truth. That is why I say, "Tell me more." Chris experiences something around these things, but what is it? Can it be experienced in a controlled experiment?

Personally, I don't think it is interesting enough to pursue. If I were feeling it myself maybe I'd think differently, but it seems obvious that the crystal skulls are serving as a psychological tool more than anything else.

The use of objects like this is pretty old. People have been hammering out sacred objects out of things from the earth and believing that they have strange magical powers they can bend to their will since there have been people it seems. It's nothing more than plain old garden variety superstition in the modern world.

I suppose if the experiment Chris proposes gives results that can be measured scientifically , then that is great, a coup for science i suppose. If, on the other hand, Chris senses the skull telling him that Gene is at home wearing his favorite party dress (without Chris' prior knowledge) and subsequent phone calls to Mrs Gene verify that fact, how does science or anyone explain that? If the results yield nothing measurable or quantifiable other than the fact that Chris claims to have sensed something, then where are we? You still will either believe him or not. Sometimes theses things aren't measured by scientific means. If the rules for proof, or verification, that you set for evidence of an event, or claim, have not been met you may have every right to say that the claims are false. It could also be said that the means by which you measure such claims be reviewed or questioned. Again it may boil down to your opinion of the person.
It is the right of every person to believe or disbelieve any claim made by another whether there is proof for them or not.:)
 
Back
Top