THE PARACAST NEWSLETTER
June 4, 2011
Discover the Amazing World of Parapolitics on The Paracast
Special Announcement: The Paracast is heard Sundays from 6:00 PM until 9:00 PM (Central Time) on the GCN radio network.
The Paracast Humbly Requests Your Donations: Although ads help cover a small part of our expenses, the income they produce is never enough. Also, we do not receive any revenue from the ads placed on the show by our network. So we hope you'll be willing to help fill the gap if you can to help us cover increasing server costs and other expenses -- or perhaps provide a little extra cash for lunch. No contribution is too small (or too large
. We have a Donate link on our home page, below the logo and audio player. There's also a Donate link on our forums, right below our logo. Or just send your PayPal donation direct to sales (at) theparacast (dot) com.
Attention U.S. Listeners: Help Us Bring The Paracast to Your City! Last summer, The Paracast joined the GCN radio network. This represented a huge step in bringing our show to a larger, mainstream audience. Now we want your help to add more affiliates to our growing network. Please ask one of your local talk stations if they are interested in carrying The Paracast. Feel free to contact us directly with the names of programming people we might be able to contact on your behalf. We can't do this alone, and if you succeed in convincing your local station to carry the show, we'll reward you with one of our special T-shirts, and other goodies. With your help, The Paracast can grow into one of the most popular paranormal shows on the planet!
You Can Now Order The Official Paracast T-Shirt: You asked, and we answered. We are now taking orders for The Official Paracast T-Shirt and a collection of other specially customized merchandise. To get your T-Shirt, just pay a visit to our new online store at Welcome to The Official Paracast Store to select your size and place your order. We now also offer a lineup of other premium merchandise featuring The Paracast logo.
Sunday, June 5, 2011: The Paracast covers a world beyond science, where UFOs, poltergeists and strange phenomena of all kinds have been reported by millions across the planet.
Set Up: The Paracast hosts interview long-time researchers in the field, to shed light on the mysteries and complexities of our Universe and the secrets that surround us in our everyday lives.
Join us as we explore the realms of the known and unknown, and hear great stories of the history of the paranormal field in the 20th and 21st centuries.
This Week's Episode: Gene and Chris reintroduce noted parapolitics author Kenneth F. Thomas, publisher of Steamshovel Press, who will discuss the new revision of his famous book about the curious events surrounding the Maury Island UFO incident. He'€™ll also cover the classic conspiracies, such as the Kennedy assassination.
Christopher O'Brien's Site: Home - Our Strange Planet
Steamshovel Press Steamshovel Press. All Conspiracy. No Theory.
Coming June 12: Gene and Chris explore the early history of UFO research with author Colin Bennett, author of a new edition of “Flying Saucers over the White House: The Inside Story of Captain Edward J. Ruppelt and His Official U.S. Airforce Investigation of UFOs.”
Christopher O'Brien's Site: Home - Our Strange Planet
Reminder: Don't forget to visit our famous Paracast Community Forums for the latest news/views/debates on all things paranormal: The Paracast Community Forums.
So Where’s the Proof?
By Gene Steinberg
Whenever a guest makes a controversial claim in our forums, the common demand in The Paracast Community Forums is all about the evidence. If someone says they saw something, felt something, or heard something, where’s the proof? Otherwise, we might as well chalk them up as just another wack job trying to get their 15 minutes of fame.
Of course things aren’t so simple in the real world. If someone has a once-in-a-lifetime encounter, without some way to record the event at hand, just what sort of proof are you prepared to accept? Consider that the very same person might be able to testify in court, and, as the result of that testimony, someone will be convicted of a serious crime, including bank robbery and murder.
It’s also true that prosecutors will also look deeply into forensic evidence to establish a case, to buttress eyewitness testimony. This is the sort of stuff you see on the various “CSI” procedural TV shows, although in highly exaggerated form. In the end, though, blood samples, DNA, and other evidence may convict a criminal without any witnesses. At the same time, a witness may represent the major portion of their evidence, but they can still get a conviction if the story holds up under cross-examination.
But if that very same witness, regarded as credible enough to convict someone of a crime, talks about a UFO sighting, even a distant light in the sky, and forget about seeing a large craft at close range or, perish forbid, a ghost, that person will be considered utterly incompetent.
Do you see the contradiction here?
Unfortunately, witnesses to the strange and the unusual don’t always have the benefit of the appropriate hardware at hand to record their experiences. If they do, they may be so freaked out by the encounter that they don’t think about grabbing that smartphone or digital camera. The event occurs, and, by the time they get control of their senses, the opportunity to shoot pictures is gone.
This doesn’t mean there is no obligation on the part of people who claim that extraordinary events have occurred to provide extraordinary evidence of that claim. It’s also foolish to demand that science disprove their theories, rather than the other way around, which is for them to prove that the story should be taken seriously. Your fearless host and co-host of The Paracast recently discussed that very same requirement with one of our guests, who was making some wild claims about the alleged weird powers embedded in crystal skulls.
This doesn’t mean that external objects can’t or don’t have mysterious properties that you can harness under certain circumstances, such as a deep meditative state. But if that was true, surely one could stage a double-blind test, with a “fake” crystal skull, one of recent manufacture, along with one of the “real” skulls with the proper unearthly powers, and see if the paranormal effects can be duplicated.
Even if something strange occurs, and assuming that the percipient didn’t catch the “ringer,” maybe it’s all about the powers of one’s mind rather than inherent in some external object. Maybe something in the crystal skull inspires a hidden facet of your subconscious to harness amazing powers.
Or maybe it’s all wishful thinking.
At the same time, people are also entitled to believe what they want without being demonized. So if someone accepts a claim that you regard as crazy, and is otherwise a good person, does it really matter? If your family and friends all had to pass litmus tests involving sensible opinions and/or beliefs – or what you regard as sensible – how many friends would you have left? And would you have to disown most members of your family? What about your significant other, or your children?
My wife ( of 35 years and counting) has political views that are the polar opposite of mine. We get into some heated discussions about the particulars every so often, but we’re still together, and that’s a lifetime commitment. The point is that we need to be more tolerant of one another, while at the same time requiring solid evidence to prove a paranormal event.
At the end of the day, though, that evidence may be strictly limited to one’s description of what happened and nothing more. It’s up to you to decide if that’s sufficient.
The Paracast Copyright 1999-2011 Making The Impossible, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy: Your personal information is safe with us. We will positively never give out your name and/or e-mail address to anybody else, and that's a promise!
June 4, 2011
Discover the Amazing World of Parapolitics on The Paracast
Special Announcement: The Paracast is heard Sundays from 6:00 PM until 9:00 PM (Central Time) on the GCN radio network.
The Paracast Humbly Requests Your Donations: Although ads help cover a small part of our expenses, the income they produce is never enough. Also, we do not receive any revenue from the ads placed on the show by our network. So we hope you'll be willing to help fill the gap if you can to help us cover increasing server costs and other expenses -- or perhaps provide a little extra cash for lunch. No contribution is too small (or too large
. We have a Donate link on our home page, below the logo and audio player. There's also a Donate link on our forums, right below our logo. Or just send your PayPal donation direct to sales (at) theparacast (dot) com.Attention U.S. Listeners: Help Us Bring The Paracast to Your City! Last summer, The Paracast joined the GCN radio network. This represented a huge step in bringing our show to a larger, mainstream audience. Now we want your help to add more affiliates to our growing network. Please ask one of your local talk stations if they are interested in carrying The Paracast. Feel free to contact us directly with the names of programming people we might be able to contact on your behalf. We can't do this alone, and if you succeed in convincing your local station to carry the show, we'll reward you with one of our special T-shirts, and other goodies. With your help, The Paracast can grow into one of the most popular paranormal shows on the planet!
You Can Now Order The Official Paracast T-Shirt: You asked, and we answered. We are now taking orders for The Official Paracast T-Shirt and a collection of other specially customized merchandise. To get your T-Shirt, just pay a visit to our new online store at Welcome to The Official Paracast Store to select your size and place your order. We now also offer a lineup of other premium merchandise featuring The Paracast logo.
Sunday, June 5, 2011: The Paracast covers a world beyond science, where UFOs, poltergeists and strange phenomena of all kinds have been reported by millions across the planet.
Set Up: The Paracast hosts interview long-time researchers in the field, to shed light on the mysteries and complexities of our Universe and the secrets that surround us in our everyday lives.
Join us as we explore the realms of the known and unknown, and hear great stories of the history of the paranormal field in the 20th and 21st centuries.
This Week's Episode: Gene and Chris reintroduce noted parapolitics author Kenneth F. Thomas, publisher of Steamshovel Press, who will discuss the new revision of his famous book about the curious events surrounding the Maury Island UFO incident. He'€™ll also cover the classic conspiracies, such as the Kennedy assassination.
Christopher O'Brien's Site: Home - Our Strange Planet
Steamshovel Press Steamshovel Press. All Conspiracy. No Theory.
Coming June 12: Gene and Chris explore the early history of UFO research with author Colin Bennett, author of a new edition of “Flying Saucers over the White House: The Inside Story of Captain Edward J. Ruppelt and His Official U.S. Airforce Investigation of UFOs.”
Christopher O'Brien's Site: Home - Our Strange Planet
Reminder: Don't forget to visit our famous Paracast Community Forums for the latest news/views/debates on all things paranormal: The Paracast Community Forums.
So Where’s the Proof?
By Gene Steinberg
Whenever a guest makes a controversial claim in our forums, the common demand in The Paracast Community Forums is all about the evidence. If someone says they saw something, felt something, or heard something, where’s the proof? Otherwise, we might as well chalk them up as just another wack job trying to get their 15 minutes of fame.
Of course things aren’t so simple in the real world. If someone has a once-in-a-lifetime encounter, without some way to record the event at hand, just what sort of proof are you prepared to accept? Consider that the very same person might be able to testify in court, and, as the result of that testimony, someone will be convicted of a serious crime, including bank robbery and murder.
It’s also true that prosecutors will also look deeply into forensic evidence to establish a case, to buttress eyewitness testimony. This is the sort of stuff you see on the various “CSI” procedural TV shows, although in highly exaggerated form. In the end, though, blood samples, DNA, and other evidence may convict a criminal without any witnesses. At the same time, a witness may represent the major portion of their evidence, but they can still get a conviction if the story holds up under cross-examination.
But if that very same witness, regarded as credible enough to convict someone of a crime, talks about a UFO sighting, even a distant light in the sky, and forget about seeing a large craft at close range or, perish forbid, a ghost, that person will be considered utterly incompetent.
Do you see the contradiction here?
Unfortunately, witnesses to the strange and the unusual don’t always have the benefit of the appropriate hardware at hand to record their experiences. If they do, they may be so freaked out by the encounter that they don’t think about grabbing that smartphone or digital camera. The event occurs, and, by the time they get control of their senses, the opportunity to shoot pictures is gone.
This doesn’t mean there is no obligation on the part of people who claim that extraordinary events have occurred to provide extraordinary evidence of that claim. It’s also foolish to demand that science disprove their theories, rather than the other way around, which is for them to prove that the story should be taken seriously. Your fearless host and co-host of The Paracast recently discussed that very same requirement with one of our guests, who was making some wild claims about the alleged weird powers embedded in crystal skulls.
This doesn’t mean that external objects can’t or don’t have mysterious properties that you can harness under certain circumstances, such as a deep meditative state. But if that was true, surely one could stage a double-blind test, with a “fake” crystal skull, one of recent manufacture, along with one of the “real” skulls with the proper unearthly powers, and see if the paranormal effects can be duplicated.
Even if something strange occurs, and assuming that the percipient didn’t catch the “ringer,” maybe it’s all about the powers of one’s mind rather than inherent in some external object. Maybe something in the crystal skull inspires a hidden facet of your subconscious to harness amazing powers.
Or maybe it’s all wishful thinking.
At the same time, people are also entitled to believe what they want without being demonized. So if someone accepts a claim that you regard as crazy, and is otherwise a good person, does it really matter? If your family and friends all had to pass litmus tests involving sensible opinions and/or beliefs – or what you regard as sensible – how many friends would you have left? And would you have to disown most members of your family? What about your significant other, or your children?
My wife ( of 35 years and counting) has political views that are the polar opposite of mine. We get into some heated discussions about the particulars every so often, but we’re still together, and that’s a lifetime commitment. The point is that we need to be more tolerant of one another, while at the same time requiring solid evidence to prove a paranormal event.
At the end of the day, though, that evidence may be strictly limited to one’s description of what happened and nothing more. It’s up to you to decide if that’s sufficient.
The Paracast Copyright 1999-2011 Making The Impossible, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy: Your personal information is safe with us. We will positively never give out your name and/or e-mail address to anybody else, and that's a promise!
At least he seems to take it in stride. I think some folks have actually felt he has produced some things that were really amazing. But, he has also been caught cheating. Kind of like a politician who signs a good bill and yet lies like crazy to look better than he is. Or mayby he's totally bogus. I don't know. Anyway, I have no dog in the hunt with Geller one way or the other cause I'm honestly skeptical of stuff. But, I don't think with him it's all quite as black or white as some would like. He's had quite a good career himself. 
I bent a spoon the other day with a simple carton of ice cream. 