Debunking the Arguments of PseudoSkeptics and Paranormal Debunkers
Updated 2010
By Vinstonas Wu (scepcop@debunkingskeptics.com)
Praises and Reviews
“Winston
Wu has now written an essay that brilliantly and decisively rebuts the general
skeptical arguments against the paranormal. This
is among the best essays ever written on this subject, and deserves extensive
study. The essay carefully moves through the entire skeptical lexicon of
arguments, rebutting each in turn."
- Whitley
Strieber, Author and Radio Host of UnknownCountry.com
“Your
treatise "debunking the arguments of pseudoskeptics and paranormal
debunkers" is the best refutation of pseudoskeptics' arguments, tactics
and fallacies to reject the evidence for paranormal phenomena. I've recommended
your article to every person that I know.” – Deya, Spain
“I'm
Jürgen and I write you from
“Your
article "debunking the arguments of pseudoskeptics and paranormal debunkers"
is a must read to any person who seeks to understand the nature of
pseudoskepticism… Your
article was the first on-line resource to expose the fallacies,
motivation, agenda and dishonesty of pseudoskeptics.” – Jessica Parker,
USA
Table of Contents
- How this treatise
came to be written
- Defining the PseudoSkeptic
vs. the True Skeptic: Behaviors and Tactics
Section I: General arguments against the paranormal
Argument # 1: It is irrational to believe anything that hasn’t been proven.
Argument # 2: Extraordinary claims require extraordinary
evidence.
- Extraordinary evidence for 4 phenomena
Argument # 3: The Occam’s Razor rule.
Argument # 4: The Invisible Pink Unicorn / Santa Claus
gambit.
Argument # 5: The “anecdotal evidence is invalid” argument.
- Factors measuring
degree of reliability in anecdotal evidence
- The Ebay feedback challenge that a pseudoskeptic failed and was caught lying red-handed
Argument # 6: The memory malleability argument to dismiss
anecdotal evidence.
Argument # 7: Automatic dismissal of paranormal claims as
due to Mistake, Lying or Hallucination.
Argument # 8: There is no evidence for any paranormal or
psychic phenomena.
Argument # 9: Science is the only reliable method.
Argument # 10: Paranormal phenomena aren’t possible because
they contradict known laws of science.
Argument #
11: Unexplainable does not mean
inexplicable.
Argument #
14: Believers in the paranormal are
thinking in primitive, irrational and childish ways.
Argument #
15: Skeptics are defending science and
reason from a rising tide of irrationality.
Section II: Arguments against specific paranormal
phenomena
Argument # 16: Psychics and mediums use cold reading tricks
and lucky guesses, not psychic powers.
Argument #
18: No psychic phenomena has been
demonstrated under controlled conditions.
Argument #
20: Miracles are impossible and defy everything we know about science.
Argument #
21: The Skeptical explanation for
answered prayers - Selective coincidence.
- My own theory on how and why prayer works
Argument #
22: The Skeptical explanation for
precognitive dreams.
Argument #
23: The Dying Brain Hypothesis for Near
Death Experiences.
Argument #
24: There is no Afterlife. Consciousness is neurologically based and dependent on brain.
Argument #
25: Spiritual experiences only exist in
your mind, not in external reality.
Argument #
27: There is no evidence to support the
existence of UFO’s or Aliens.
Argument #
30: The James Randi Million Dollar Challenge
argument.
Links, Blogs and Books on PseudoSkepticism
and Paranormal Research
Appendix A: My Presentation Outline – Skepticism vs. Psi
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