What, exactly, is a supernatural?

[colpat]

Greetings to All:
This is an attempt to start a new thread in response to Irreligious question on an "Introduce yourself" thread.

What, exactly, is a supernatural?

In my worldview supernatural is whatever there is above (super) physical (natural ). Physical is things we can sense (measure) by sight, sound, taste, touch & smell.

What is your worldview of supernatural?

[Kate]

[Professor Chaos]

[ubs]

colpat wrote

Greetings to All:
This is an attempt to start a new thread in response to Irreligious question on an "Introduce yourself" thread.


In my worldview supernatural is whatever there is above (super) physical (natural ). Physical is things we can sense (measure) by sight, sound, taste, touch & smell.

What is your worldview of supernatural?

As a mammal, I must rely on my senses to know the world. If there is something beyond the natural, I wouldn't be aware of it, and certainly wouldn't be able to measure it, so their is no benefit in believing in it.

Do you believe in ghosts colpat? Do you beleive in vampires and witches and zombies and what not?

[colpat]

Am I to understand from the 3 responses that we agree on what is natural - things we can observe, measure and test using the 5 senses?

[ubs]

colpat wrote

Am I to understand from the 3 responses that we agree on what is natural - things we can observe, measure and test using the 5 senses?

Yes, but we're just agreeing on the natural. I'm half expecting you to post a youtube of a ghost. If you do, my response will be that you are showing us a reflected portion of the electromagnetic spectrum and no matter how strange the video or picture is, or no matter what it is, the very fact that you can photograph it puts it in the category of natural.

[Kate]

colpat wrote

...supernatural is whatever there is above (super) physical (natural ). Physical is things we can sense (measure) by sight, sound, taste, touch & smell.

What is your worldview of supernatural?

colpat wrote

Am I to understand from the 3 responses that we agree on what is natural - things we can observe, measure and test using the 5 senses?

[Eternal]

Colpat: my definition of supernatural would be very similar to yours. As Ubs says though, I would not be aware of it. I may be able to induce altered states of mind where I can perceive things that appear beyond my senses, but generally speaking, and from first hand experience, these things are due to the altered state of mind, and therefore very unlikely to be supernatural.

There are lots of things that in day to day life fall outside my normal senses, I have never seen Pluto with the naked eye for instance, but there is a piece of equipment that will allow me to see it, therefore I know it exists. Now I realise that this example is a physical planet, but I can give no example of being able to measure anything, or experience anything that is beyond my senses. This therefore makes our definitions of supernatural, purely the definition of a word, and not part of reality.

I may not have explained this brilliantly, but whatever way I look at it, it is full of contradictions and I can only ever conclude that the likelihood of this sort of supernatural is very very slim, and even if it were to be true, then why should it bother me, as being beyond my perception, it will never have an impact on the life of myself or my loved ones. It also opens the flood gates to any sort of crazy beliefs people wish to follow, and inevitably someone, somewhere will buy into it also. Anything that is beyond perception is always going to be unprovable and unknown, leaving the tyrannical out there to manipulate gullible people as they wish, because nobody who believes will ever be able to
question there beliefs.

[ghoulslime]

ubs wrote

Do you believe in ghosts colpat? Do you beleive in vampires and witches and zombies and what not?

I do! I do! Hoowla loola!

Where's the collection plate?

[ghoulslime]

Kate wrote

Pinko Commie!

[ghoulslime]

colpat wrote

Am I to understand from the 3 responses that we agree on what is natural - things we can observe, measure and test using the 5 senses?

Why the 5 senses? You place a lot of credence in human sensory ability. Human senses are flawed. Human cognition is even more flawed. Why not keep it simple? Supernatural is that which is unexplainable by natural law - and of course, cases in point will change as feasible explanations are forthcoming.

[Eternal]

ghoulslime wrote

Why the 5 senses? You place a lot of credence in human sensory ability. Human senses are flawed. Human cognition is even more flawed. Why not keep it simple? Supernatural is that which is unexplainable by natural law - and of course, cases in point will change as feasible explanations are forthcoming.

That was such a better answer.

I wish I was one of you lucky motherfuckers that has been blessed by the wisdom of the leprechauns.

[Kate]

[ghoulslime]

ubs wrote

Yes, but we're just agreeing on the natural. I'm half expecting you to post a youtube of a ghost. If you do, my response will be that you are showing us a reflected portion of the electromagnetic spectrum and no matter how strange the video or picture is, or no matter what it is, the very fact that you can photograph it puts it in the category of natural.

In fact, I am having a hard time coming up with any example of the supernatural. Ghosts, goblins, and unicorns are a product of human imaginative invention, as are gods and angels. Imagination is natural, right?

[ghoulslime]

Eternal wrote

That was such a better answer.

I wish I was one of you lucky motherfuckers that has been blessed by the wisdom of the leprechauns.

Damn straight!

What is your worldview of leprechauns?