# How much supernatural do you believe in? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 19, 2009, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-supernatural-do-you-believe-in/514344 "2009-10-19T16:06:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-supernatural-do-you-believe-in/514344/61 "2009-10-21T13:09:48Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Bull F_cking Sh_t! > > The case you mention was cited in the film What The \*#@! Do We Know, one of the biggest piles of crap ever foisted on the American public. It has no proof whatsoever. This is because it never happened. I’ve also heard it mentioned by Carl Sagan. Actually, I’m having a hard time finding out any information whatsoever about it. Cecil hasn’t done a column on it. There was a thread here about it, but the only “proof” against it offered was pretty much what you just offered – “no f\*ckin’ way, man!” No offense, but that’s about the same level of reasoning that I’d expect from a Moon Hoaxer or a creationist. The most reasonable explanation that I’ve run across is that the natives probably noticed the ships, but were wholly unconcerned with them. I wish that there were more information about this, because now I’m really curious. And of course you’ve missed my larger point, which is that people only tend to notice that which they give value to. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-supernatural-do-you-believe-in/514344/62 "2009-10-21T13:15:30Z")
> [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](#): > > Also, I have a ghost in my condo. It seems as tho at least some of the “phenomena” you describe would lend themselves to some sort of testing/verification. I could well imagine setting up a video camera, a tape recorder, or something. Have you ever considered anything along those lines? I’m curious why or why not. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-supernatural-do-you-believe-in/514344/63 "2009-10-21T13:58:33Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > The most reasonable explanation that I’ve run across is that the natives probably noticed the ships > \ > And of course you’ve missed my larger point, which is that people only tend to notice that which they give value to. If you’re willing to admit that the most reasonable explanation isn’t “they didn’t see them” but rather “the ships didn’t concern them”, why try to spread a story you yourself don’t believe to support a larger point? (A point, I might add, that relies on the term “tend to notice”, which is pretty meaningless.) ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-supernatural-do-you-believe-in/514344/64 "2009-10-21T14:32:20Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > If you’re willing to admit that the most reasonable explanation isn’t “they didn’t see them” but rather “the ships didn’t concern them”, why try to spread a story you yourself don’t believe to support a larger point? (A point, I might add, that relies on the term “tend to notice”, which is pretty meaningless.) I’m not going to get into a debate about the ships or the natives or what I’m “willing to admit.” This is so far removed from my original point that discussing it is just silly. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f08c70/32.png) [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Brother_Walker)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-supernatural-do-you-believe-in/514344/65 "2009-10-23T09:37:06Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > It seems as tho at least some of the “phenomena” you describe would lend themselves to some sort of testing/verification. I could well imagine setting up a video camera, a tape recorder, or something. > > Have you ever considered anything along those lines? I’m curious why or why not. Many reasons, listed in no certain order of priority: -As I stated, she’s not a mean ghost; just a ghost. Even though I have quite a range of education in the “hard” sciences, this is a concept I have come to accept in my life. We just can’t prove it yet. -I do not have the video/audio equipment, and I can’t afford to buy all that crap right now. -I am not interested in the time investment required to gain proof. Not that important to me. -It makes life more interesting, to have weird crap like that happen every once in a while. -The blank audio/video tape cost would be too much. Since this doesn’t happen but for every several months or so. And having to watch the nightly recordings for evidence would be a vast waste of time. -I hate those supernatural phenomena shows on SyFy and whatnot. I think they’re badly filmed and difficult to watch. That’s just off the tip of my head. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-supernatural-do-you-believe-in/514344/66 "2009-10-24T01:32:07Z")
I do not belive in anything divine or supernatural. I would very very strongly prefer that such things did exist, but alas, I have found no grounds to believe in such things. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-supernatural-do-you-believe-in/514344/67 "2009-10-24T02:55:46Z")
I believe in God but that’s pretty much it with an exception of UFOs which is scientific not supernatural. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Buttons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@Mr\_Buttons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Buttons)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-supernatural-do-you-believe-in/514344/68 "2009-10-24T03:42:50Z")
I picked the “Do not believe in” option, and I am heartened by the fact 73% of the respondents so far have chose the same thing. With all the freaking ghost hunter programs on TV, and now apparently in the movie theaters, it seems like this crap is coming up 4-5 times per day at my work, and I just roll my eyes and walk away. The people that believe in ghosts and shit ALWAYS assume anything their tiny brain can’t wrap their heads around 1 weird thing that happened, it’s always a ghost. They never bother ruling out wind pressure differences between rooms (“A ghost opened the door, even after I closed it 5 times!”), reflections (I saw a ghost through that car window!), the fact that old houses DO creak, etc… I didn’t really read religion into the question, and I don’t really count that as supernatural. I put that under the miraculous/faith category. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-supernatural-do-you-believe-in/514344/69 "2009-10-24T14:45:02Z")
> [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](#): > > Many reasons, listed in no certain order of priority: Cool. Thanks for the response. As a firm nonbeliever in the supernatural, tho, I’m a tad disappointed that you don’t seek some verification. I have little doubt that you could get other eople/groups to install the equipment at no cost to you - tho I can understand why you might not want to. Absent any attempt at testing, I’ll consider dreams or other night-time confusion in a near sleep state to be a far more likely explanation. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-supernatural-do-you-believe-in/514344.md?page=3)