Do you believe in any paranormal or supernatural abilities?

[Stupid]

Implanted memories, and focussing on any lucky coincidence. They basically (deliberately or not) schooled him into believing he was reincarnated.

Parents feed their children's interests. The child does not drive to air-shows and air museums on his own....the parents take them there.
Nor does the child somehow contact the media, proclaiming his supernatural abilities or claims of a re-incarnated life. Those are the parents at work.

Balloon Boy

[RolandD]

I, for one, don't believe in anything supernatural or extraterrestrial, but I am willing to believe if presented with definitive proof.

[Dan Wilson]

Near death experiences of children. . . Any thoughts?

I'd honestly love to believe that things like this were true. In most cases, however, I'm forced to go by the best explanation possible which is when your brain regains consciousness and tries to make sense of what just happened, it fills in memories where there were blanks based on your beliefs and perceptions. Not much different than a dream. Conclusions like this give me anxiety, which is why I'd like to see cases that are inexplicable. Some seem to be, particularly out-of-body experiences.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near-de...ife_viewpoints

Many view the NDE as the precursor to an afterlife experience, claiming that the NDE cannot be adequately explained by physiological or psychological causes, and that the phenomenon demonstrates that human consciousness can function independently of brain activity.^[81] Many NDE-accounts seem to include elements which, according to several theorists, can only be explained by an out-of-body consciousness. Michael Sabom reports a woman who underwent surgery for an aneurysm, and who reported an out-of-body experience that she claimed continued through a brief period of the absence of any EEG activity. ^[82][82] In another account, from a prospective Dutch NDE study,^[17] a nurse removed the dentures of an unconscious heart attack victim, and was identified by him as the one who removed them, although patient was in a coma and undergoing cardio-pulmonary resuscitation at the time.

But I haven't looked to deeply into these cases, I kind of just prefer to have faith that there is something to it rather than dig for a scientific answer in this case.

[Grieves]

See, your attachment of 'in the supernatural sense' makes it impossible for me to take that poll. I believe there could be a scientific basis for limited feats of extra-sensory perception / telepathy / precognition, but to assume that possibility requires the 'supernatural' and wouldn't just be an as of yet misunderstood aspect of nature is what attaches such a stigma to researching these phenomenon.
I don't believe in 'psychics' in the traditional sense by any stretch, but it's understood the earths electromagnetic field is passing through us all every moment of every day, and that the machinations of the brain are largely electric. Studies have been run which suggest when two people are isolated from the earths electromagnetic field and 'hooked up' to an artificial field, limited 'shared sensations' may be experienced, such as an idle test-subjects brain reacting to their partnering test-subject being abruptly flashed with an over-bright light. I can't say I 'believe' this is true, but I'm not opposed to the idea that the electromagnetic field of the earth could perhaps carry brain activity away from us like wind can carry scents/plant particles/ect., and that some folks might be more sensitive to such things. It's unlikely, and a massive majority of people who claim psychic ability are almost certainly BS'ing, but it still seems worth researching.

As for precognition, there's been a neat study conducted (though it's endured some criticism) which shows volunteers a random series of more or less plain images, with the occasional piece of hardcore pornography randomly spliced in. The test subjects look at the picture a few seconds, click it to go to the next, and then look at that picture a few seconds, ect. Ect. The study seemed to suggest that in many cases, the brain began responding to the pornographic images -before- they were displayed, many test subjects experiencing an anticipatory reaction to stimulus they'd not yet received.

As for life after death, a persons memories and personality do not survive the death of the brain. Say what you will about universal energy or the unencumbered soul, but I've seen/worked with enough people suffering from brain injuries to know that damage to the brain alone can often completely erase or rewrite a persons memories/personality. Death of the brain is the end of any personal existence. If something within you goes on elsewhere in spite of that, which I highly doubt to the point of dismissing, it's most definitely not your personal consciousness. That's far too demonstrably vulnerable for anyone to argue otherwise.

[Mick]

You'd think if there was such evidence, then the tests could easily be replicated, and the issue would be settled. Why do you think the experiments tend to be one-off?

[Grieves]

So far as I know, most are still being run, especially the studies in regards to electromagnetic fields.

http://www.godlikeproductions.com/fo...age1816310/pg1

I'm not sure about this website itself, I've just had trouble with straight up YouTube links on this particular machine. On the above linked site though there is a YouTube video worth taking a look at, which extrapolates on the theory. Again, I'm not saying what's suggested is truth, I'm just saying it's worth considering from a scientific perspective.

http://www.forteantimes.com/stranged..._and_porn.html
Here's some info on the other experiment.