  READER'S REPLIES: [Reply #1] [Reply #2] [Reply #3] [Reply #4] [Reply #5] [Reply #6] [Reply #7] [Reply #8] Tell me what YOU think! Back to Philosophy page |
 From ghosts to ESP to astrology to Uri Geller and so on, ad nauseum, there seems to be no end to the garbage that can find a legion of adherents. What's probably even more shocking is how many people are willing to believe in nonsense without any evidence to support it and despite all the evidence against it while, at the same time, refusing to believe (or even understand) the findings of "real" science that come backed by mountains of supporting evidence. It probably all boils
down to what excites the average person. It's certainly more intriguing to
believe in reincarnation, for example, than to accept the fact that death is
final. It can be more reassuring to think that one's future can be foretold by
the apparent motions of the planets against the background stars than it is to
have a solid understanding of celestial mechanics and astronomy. If one feels
that his life is a bit on the dreary side, a belief in something exciting can
boost his spirits (no pun intended).We've all believed in
some form of nonsense at some point in our lives. Normally, this is when we are
kids and get all wired up about the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus,
etc. This is perfectly harmless and normal and we all (most people, anyway)
tend to outgrow that stuff as we get older. However, as we abandon our
childhood fairy tales and become adults who are, more or less, supposed to be
able to understand the way the world works, we may need something to replace
those things that enriched our lives as children. We also need to have answers
to questions about the world around us and hate to say "I don't know" when asked
about something.Enter pseudoscience
and the paranormal. In reality, what are they but exciting explanations for
things that we don't otherwise have ready answers for? On the surface, this
wouldn't be any worse than believing in Santa Claus to explain how those
presents got under our tree. Unfortunately, too many people take the nonsense
far too seriously. Often, it gets to the point where they reject reality
off-hand while choosing to keep believing in their new fairy tales.That's the dangerous
part. Eventually, pseudoscientific and paranormal stories end up having their
own corps of proselytizers much as do religious groups. With the seemingly
growing disregard for science education in this country, the nonsense threatens
to become widely-held beliefs. Will the day ever come when more people would
believe in astrology than in Kepler's Laws? Hard to say -- especially if you've
ever watched late-night television. It's something to think about, however,
when you see how many people read Jeanne Dixon instead of Isaac Asimov.E-mail: mlbakke1@earthlink.net Earthlink Network Home Page |