Philosopher Chris Carter, the author of (in my opinion) the best book on near-death experience published so far, has been interviewed about his book entitled Science and the Near-Death Experience. Download the interviews here:-Interview 1
-Interview 2
-Interview 3
In my opinion, most people (including some psi researchers) have wrong views regarding pseudo-skeptics' motivation for debunking and intentions. Some think that pseudo-skeptics are motivated by science and reason; others, that their motivation is personal fame or prestige; others, that their primary motivation is to defend the capitalist system and by this reason (as a side effect) they uncritically defend the status quo. All of these speculations about the professional pseudo-skeptic's motivations could have something of truth, but they miss the ESSENTIAL motivation of pseudo-skepticism.
Chris Carter uncovers this essential motivation with these wise and insighful words:
"Essentially, this debate is not about evidence. The debunkers and the deniers are defending an outmoded world view in which psychic phenomena and the separation of mind from body are simply not allowed to exist. It’s essential to realize that most of these deniers and these phony skeptics are militant Atheists and secular Humanists. For various reasons these people have an ideological agenda, which is anti-religious. One of the pillars of their opposition to religion and superstition is the doctrine of Materialism. That is, the doctrine that all events have a physical cause and that the brain therefore produces the mind. If they conceded the existence of psychic ability such as telepathy, if they conceded the existence of the near-death experience as a genuine separation of mind from body, then Materialism, this pillar of their opposition to religion, would crumble. This explains their dogmatic denial of all the evidence that proves Materialism false" (emphasis in blue added)
Note that essential to the pseudo-skeptical position is the commitment to atheistic materialism (or metaphysical naturalism) and hostility to religion. It's amazing to discover that, at the bottom, the controversy about psi/afterlife is actually something that has to do with God! (in this sense, we could call it a spiritual or even a "divine" battle).
To be honest, I arrived by my own means to Carter's same conclusion a long time ago. I was astonished to discover that some spiritualists, psi researchers or fans of parapsychology, and open minded scientists didn't realize that. Some of them, in fact, even bought and uncritically accepted the atheisitic propaganda against "religion" based mostly in slogans, historical misrepresentations, and simplistic false dilemmas (science vs. religion, reason vs. faith, etc.), ignoring that the evidence for psi and afterlife precisely validates the core and essential doctrines of most religions (namely, that we're spiritual beings, that the universe has a purpose, that the afterlife exists, that our actions have spiritual consequences, that possibly there is a God or a creative cosmic super-intelligence, that materialism is false, that love is a very powerful force, etc.).
I'm glad that someone like Carter is exposing the fallacies of pseudo-skeptics, making explicit the essence or core of the problem. In order to solve a problem, you need to have a correct understanding of it. So, in order to solve the "pseudo-skeptical problem" (i.e. the existence of a very influential minority of ideological dogmatists interested in blocking human knowledge when such knowledge is contrary to materialism and naturalism, and working hard everyday with agressive propagandistic means to discredit and misrepresent such investigations) you need to correctly understand what's pseudo-skepticism, which are its motivations, what ideological agenda are pseudo-skeptics pushing forward. Failing to understand that implies falling to the pseudo-skeptical trap and being fooled by them again.
I'm sorry if I sound too harsh or rude but WAKE, DON'T BE STUPID. It's your spiritual future what's at stake here. Don't allow that a bunch of atheistic ideologues with anti-religious obsessions/fixed ideas block your spiritual enlightment and evolution.
Chris Carter uncovers this essential motivation with these wise and insighful words:
"Essentially, this debate is not about evidence. The debunkers and the deniers are defending an outmoded world view in which psychic phenomena and the separation of mind from body are simply not allowed to exist. It’s essential to realize that most of these deniers and these phony skeptics are militant Atheists and secular Humanists. For various reasons these people have an ideological agenda, which is anti-religious. One of the pillars of their opposition to religion and superstition is the doctrine of Materialism. That is, the doctrine that all events have a physical cause and that the brain therefore produces the mind. If they conceded the existence of psychic ability such as telepathy, if they conceded the existence of the near-death experience as a genuine separation of mind from body, then Materialism, this pillar of their opposition to religion, would crumble. This explains their dogmatic denial of all the evidence that proves Materialism false" (emphasis in blue added)
Note that essential to the pseudo-skeptical position is the commitment to atheistic materialism (or metaphysical naturalism) and hostility to religion. It's amazing to discover that, at the bottom, the controversy about psi/afterlife is actually something that has to do with God! (in this sense, we could call it a spiritual or even a "divine" battle).
To be honest, I arrived by my own means to Carter's same conclusion a long time ago. I was astonished to discover that some spiritualists, psi researchers or fans of parapsychology, and open minded scientists didn't realize that. Some of them, in fact, even bought and uncritically accepted the atheisitic propaganda against "religion" based mostly in slogans, historical misrepresentations, and simplistic false dilemmas (science vs. religion, reason vs. faith, etc.), ignoring that the evidence for psi and afterlife precisely validates the core and essential doctrines of most religions (namely, that we're spiritual beings, that the universe has a purpose, that the afterlife exists, that our actions have spiritual consequences, that possibly there is a God or a creative cosmic super-intelligence, that materialism is false, that love is a very powerful force, etc.).
I'm glad that someone like Carter is exposing the fallacies of pseudo-skeptics, making explicit the essence or core of the problem. In order to solve a problem, you need to have a correct understanding of it. So, in order to solve the "pseudo-skeptical problem" (i.e. the existence of a very influential minority of ideological dogmatists interested in blocking human knowledge when such knowledge is contrary to materialism and naturalism, and working hard everyday with agressive propagandistic means to discredit and misrepresent such investigations) you need to correctly understand what's pseudo-skepticism, which are its motivations, what ideological agenda are pseudo-skeptics pushing forward. Failing to understand that implies falling to the pseudo-skeptical trap and being fooled by them again.
I'm sorry if I sound too harsh or rude but WAKE, DON'T BE STUPID. It's your spiritual future what's at stake here. Don't allow that a bunch of atheistic ideologues with anti-religious obsessions/fixed ideas block your spiritual enlightment and evolution.
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