Post #1 - Wiccan and Native American Beliefs

In my personal life, my mother believes, and has believed, in the Wiccan religion and Native American spiritual arts. She keeps a certain gemstone around her neck, amethyst, to help ward her depression. My mother loves to burn incense when times get stressful, and even has a wolf painting pinned to her wall. When I asked her about how her beliefs affect her everyday life, she said "I believe that each stone helps out in different ways, but to science, stones or crystals are just that. No powers... but one has to believe." Mom still takes man-made medicine for her medical problems, such as her epilepsy, as she understands that proven science is just as important as spiritual beliefs. To her, the balance between spirituality and reality is what keeps her afloat, even in times of great tension. 

A wolf's head exhaling smoke in a field of flowers, with a mountain in the background.

A painting hung on my Mom's, Carol Andrescavage's, wall.

Essential Oils: Not So Essential

Essential oils have become a very popular trend over the past decade. Companies such as doTERRA and Young Living Essential oils are growing rapidly as they are promoting alternatives methods to health and wellness. And in the world of pseudoscience, people’s health is a huge target as everyone is looking for alternative methods that bring quicker and more effective results.

           

             Essential oils can be used on the skin or in some cases taken orally. They are said to be able to heal burns, headaches, and basically all other illnesses. The only issues is that none of these companies provide controlled tests that prove their oils to be effective. They also make claims of these oils for doing things that cannot even be tested such as balancing a person’s chakras and restore harmony to their “energy” flow. I put quotes around energy as this word is frequently used in pseudoscience claims as it sounds scientific but has no scientific value. They also claim that essential oils have been used for centuries, which is also a big indicator of pseudoscience.

            I wanted to bring this to everyone’s attention in this blog because I had personal experience with this and wanted to share it. My mother was a huge advocate of these oils and I remember growing up with it. When I would get a headache or an injury she would apply her oils to the area. They never did anything but burn and produce an unusual smell.

Voodoo Science: the Road from Foolishness to Fraud

In his book Voodoo Science: the Road from Foolishness to Fraud, Robert Park brings his readers into the world of voodoo science. He starts out with an explanation of voodoo science and also an explanation of science so that the two are not confused and properly understood. Park brings up topics from touch therapy to UFOs, homeopathic drugs to Energy Machines, space travel and much more. As interesting as these topics may seem, Voodoo Science: the Road from Foolishness to Fraud also introduces the troubles that come along with these idea. With every topic touched upon, Park talks through the book with explanations, testings, and findings, as well as frauds that have come about with these topics. This book shows how difficult it is to believe testimonials and how possible it is to trick the public, including scientists, of these doings.
My favorite part of this book is the topic on the Placebo Effect and “natural” drugs. When I was younger I used to do competitive cheerleading. I did not start tumbling until I was in high school; therefore I had a very strong fear of doing flips since I was so much older. My coach’s mother always used organic remedies for anyone who was injured or sick, including “natural” drugs. I remember before going on the mat for competition, she had given my cousin three small white tablets for stage fright before she was to go on to compete. I never understood how a pill could lessen stage fright and thought it may be a cure for my fear of tumbling and considered taking these pills, although I never actually did. To this day I always wondered how those pills helped my cousin. As soon as I read this chapter on placebos, I found the answer that I had always looked for. There were no chemicals in these white pills that prevented stage fright; it was all in my cousin’s mind. My cousin, as well as others who have taken these drugs, thought that the drug had caused her to lose stage fright and was no longer nervous. This chapter interested me so much because of my curiosity. It also gave me a laugh to realize my cousin believed for something so silly and to see how people waste their money on something that actually does no more for them than they could do for themselves.
Voodoo Science: the Road from Foolishness to Fraud relates to class because it is all about pseudoscience and making the public aware of the things that they tend to believe are true, when in actuality are not. As with the Q-ray bracelet, subliminal self-help tapes, alien abductions, and bogus therapies, this book relates to class by exposing the reader to the truths behind these believed to work ideas. I really feel that this book is a great read for anyone. It releases the truths of voodoo science and how easily the public is tricked into believing fraudulent material that is “meant to improve lives.” It makes the reader realize what types of treatments and stories are believable and those which are not. It does not contain difficult words and is short and to the point. It is a book than anyone can enjoy and understand.
Once people start realizing what they can and cannot trust, the fraudulent “scientists” will be able to be stopped and less people will be scammed out of their money. Their will always be people who believe in voodoo science and its possibilities, but the more truths that leak out about them, the better off everyone else is.

Orbs: Photographic Evidence of the Paranormal or Dust Particles?

I like to believe that in death, our souls transform into pure energy and departs from our physical bodies. Imagine being able to explore the universe or check in on our loved ones in an eyeless blink! The possibility that we only get one life and we cease to exist after death, is difficult to cope with. It's only natural that we would hope there's more... and maybe there is. Believing in a spirit world - the idea that the departed are among us, is a belief in the existence of ghosts. Whether you believe in ghosts or don't believe in ghosts, is not the purpose of this article. What you accept as evidence or proof of the spirit world, is the actual subject at hand.

Orbs have been the subject of much debate among paranormal investigators. Unfortunately, lots of people believe that orbs are proof positive of ghosts or spirit energy despite that the notion has been repeatedly and thoroughly debunked. Orbs are typically small, white in color, circular, semi-transparent blobs in still photographs. There may be one, there may be several per photograph. They are not visible to the naked eye which is why you will not see one until you review the picture you snapped last night. People often believe they see faces, (sometimes recognizable faces) within the orbs. This photographic anomaly has increased in frequency as a result of the use of digital cameras.

So, what are orbs anyway? It appears there are several possibilities. Airborne dust is the most likely culprit, while insects and water vapor/moisture are also very possible. Several conditions must be met before an orb can magically appear in a photograph. Para.Science's investigation revealed that first, the camera's flash must be used. Second, "Airborne material must be located within a few centimeters of the camera lens and the material must also be within a narrow range of angles relative to the lens center axis for the material to be able to reflect the light from the flash into the lens." Para.Science, through an exhaustive series of tests, was able to debunk this anomaly as paranormal. Despite this proof and many other debunking successes made by other organizations and professionals, people continue to believe that orbs are evidence of the spirit world. Thank you The Discovery Channel, for being one of the few entertainment channels that admits to this silly misconception.

Perpetuating myths does a huge disservice to legitimate scientists who are trying to prove or disprove the existence of an after life. Self-deception doesn't help the psyche. If you are a believer who is seeking the truth, at least have some common sense and practice skepticism, it is your sharpest tool for the job.

Sources:
http://www.parascience.org.uk/articles/orbkill.htm
http://www.yourdiscovery.com/paranormal/ghost_hunting/orbs/index.shtml
http://www.ghostorbs.com/ (image borrowed from here)
http://www.ghostresearch.org/ghostpics/fake/orbs.html
http://ghoststudy.com/a_what_are_orbs.html
http://www.moonslipper.com/ghostlightsandorbs.html

The Heisenberg - Tesla Mechanical Society

A message from Douglas Beckert; President 

HTMS would like to announce the development of The Heisenberg - Tesla mental shield.............

Millions suffer from multiple personality disorders and hear voices. Many thousands more feel uneasy for no reason due to The incredible amount of invisible energy transmitted into your thought matrix.

HT shield is a small quantum device that is tuned to your personality. It will absorb and slowly dissolve extra personalities, voices or cognitive dissonance..

The heart of the HT mental shield is energized with a patented laser crystal and phased magnets provide particle direction. Each small devise is made to order for you, and will provide years of service...as long as you don't break it open! That collapses the waveforms and instantly stops the quantum matrix inside.

To order, to test, or for more information, Call: HTMS 399 6325