What supernatural phenomena can't be explained by today's science?

What is a supernatural phenomenon? It can be understood as a phenomenon beyond the conventional knowability of natural science; In other words, it goes beyond the limits of contemporary natural science knowledge and is considered impossible to produce or explain.

As a biologist, I am strongly attracted by the vague edge of science and fascinated by the strange ghost under the popular superficial understanding.

I am trying to redefine this boundary, so that I can naturally live in harmony with what seems supernatural. At the same time, it helps to create an area similar to non-military control, so that scientists and enthusiasts can cross this area without asking to give up their original ideas or their sense of surprise.

If the general public shows interest in supernatural phenomena, it will inevitably develop into a grand cause and will be misinterpreted by the market. I realize that I have a responsibility to help create this situation.

When you look at everything carefully, nothing attracts you like supernatural phenomena. Everything we do seems to be empirical reports beyond natural explanations-but they are surprisingly rich. These reports are so frequently and widely disseminated that it is difficult for anyone with real scientific curiosity to ignore them.

I am deeply attracted by the fact that it is all people in the world, not just when we mourn it. Some realities beyond the scope of scientific knowledge have been recognized and accepted. They hold the belief that things exist, which includes the soul, extraordinary and incredible things, things that give the soul a new body and regeneration, and communicating with the dead through telepathy between the living-this belief is so numerous and lasting that it seems to tempt everyone to find the same reason.

I don't insist that supernatural phenomena must exist If someone simply defines supernatural experience as a physical examination of something unusual, something beyond the limit that is usually considered possible, then there is obviously a vast field of experience, a field of repeated experience, which is all over the world, waiting for people to explore. This kind of report is natural, and there are a lot of anecdotes, which are discarded as unacceptable science. This is a pity, because I doubt whether the answers to some mysteries beyond the scope of normal scientific knowledge can just exist in the content and mode of this report.

My own unusual experience in various cultures strongly tells me that some things are worth pursuing. These supernatural phenomena are strange, capricious and elusive, and have not changed my firmness at all. We are learning very important things, and we are studying areas that appear almost often in our lives but are still difficult to describe.

I believe that supernatural phenomena need a new and thorough view very much; A summary of cross-cultural anomalous phenomenon; Unusual ethnic history; A broad-based and well-funded professional work, rescuing, collecting, cataloguing and classifying all existing abnormal events. Nothing is more valuable than my personal attempt to understand what I have seen and heard in recent years. I sincerely believe that this attempt is necessary, because I have retained the belief that these things that keep happening around us cannot be easily condensed into the patterns we have adapted to. I think a new and more open psychoanalysis can make us better understand what is normal. Strange things keep happening.

We live in a world where reality is defined by science, which tells us how things work and develop. But some things don't seem to work the way science tells us at all. Our science tells us that these things are impossible. They don't exist, but they stubbornly refuse to leave us. Although they are relatively few and often elusive and uncontrollable, they do exist. Anyone can see it and prove its existence. It is their existence that gives us a problem, no matter how weak they look.

Some unusual students think that science should turn to these existing facts. Some scientists seem to agree with this view. When they were surprised to find the possibility of the whole fact, they made science fall in love with it and took a completely reversed choice. This gesture is ridiculous.

Consider an example. A rod divination prospector claimed that he could find groundwater and burning minerals with the help of a pendulum, and conducted a field test in Wales, England. He crossed the valley on foot and drew a stake line on the ground, indicating that there was a stream under the line, and estimated its depth and flow from the ground. The TV team filmed an abnormal phenomenon program for him. A reporter asked him how his statement was verified. The staff divination explorer put his clock on the reporter's head, silently evaluated the reporter's health, and then made an amazing assertion. He said that the reporter was healthy, but there was a piece of metal in his thigh. People around you were surprised and impressed. This unusual diagnosis proves that what happened in the past is correct. Once a reporter did use a metal bracket during the operation. With the help of the metal bracket, the strength of the femur was enhanced, resulting in a metal fragment left on the inner thigh of the reporter. He also pointed out that the reporter's limbs were normal. The embedding of the metal plate did not cause any defects. Scientists think it is hard to say that the fact that the prospector pointed out that there were metal fragments in the reporter's stock was due to his very effective detective network.

What the hell is going on? Is there any scientific validity in a series of discussions on the possibility of prospecting with a stick? Is it surprising about organometallic testing? No, no. Faced with these strange theories, a famous physicist said, "I think this is a coincidence." From and ended this topic. Of course, the responsibility of scientists requires that problems be considered from all angles. Scientists have the right to support explanations consistent with orthodox scientific views-they have equal rights to all other things. Although, everything is not exactly the same. Coincidence is still a possible explanation for things, but the probability is very low. It should be pointed out that orthodox explanations are often more unreliable and far-fetched than frankly admitting the facts.

That's the truth. Sometimes unusual things do happen. This has happened to me, sometimes often, as if it were inevitable. As a scientist, I think we should admit that the facts have raised questions for us. Science judges what is possible by defining reality. Those who fit this definition are recognized, those who don't fit this definition are considered impossible and must be rejected. The problem is that the fact of prospecting with a stick or the noisy phenomenon of elves is in direct contradiction with the current definition. So the scope of the debate is narrowed down to the question of choosing between competing facts. In the competition, if the conventional state is right about the abnormal phenomenon, naturally, the conventional state will often win.

Such distortions should prompt us to doubt the premise that they become inevitable. We don't know how things work. Everything we have is just a reasonable and effective assumption, and we are by no means making a choice among many competing facts. The key to everything is the validity of an effective hypothesis. To make the new facts consistent with the old theory, we need to admit that the theory may be imperfect and there is no need to tell anyone what to do. There is no threat to the laws of nature or scientific principles, and there is no need to protect beliefs and accuse pagans.

In the process of thinking, I was surprised at the conclusions drawn by others. I found that James, an intuitive psychologist, had already done research and reached a conclusion. He said: "Our normal waking consciousness is just a special form of consciousness. Everything about it is separated by the thinnest screen, and there are completely different potential forms of consciousness. ..... Regardless of the universe, other remaining ideologies will eventually be ignored. ..... they forbid us to test reality prematurely. "

My research is public. I have no answers and lack the necessary mental maturity to find them. I doubt the simple answer to enlightenment and rebirth. But as a biologist, I have repeatedly realized a kind of consciousness, which is eternal, has no beginning and no end, and is infinite in space or within our own ontology; In this range, our understanding of things is very clear, and we can get most of the information through a process of infiltration. In this state, I find that my knowledge comes directly from the existing part of something bigger, a spiritual global ecology. Secularity is beautiful, and it will only come when I am immersed in some natural cycle-when I am bathed in the spring tide, or when I treat it equally.

The experience is really wonderful, leaving me with a feeling of strict consistency with nature, rather than surpassing nature. It's like getting a warm welcome at home. Let's go back to the mystery that exists in the hidden side of things; Return to the complete pedigree of possibility; Everything is normal and abnormal, everything is normal and abnormal. Go back to the whole unusual experience I call superego.

Main areas involved

1. Belief: Believe in the existence of gods, ghosts, souls or other gods beyond human perception. This field has a long history, mainly involving ethnic customs and religions. Due to the different religious policies of different countries, there are also differences in research, revelation and criticism. Generally speaking, it is developing in the direction of openness, contention and seeking common ground while reserving differences. The subjects involved are philosophy, religion, politics, psychology, social science and related research methods.

2. Human body function: It is believed that some people have special abilities beyond ordinary people and have the ability to perceive the supernatural and metamaterial world, which causes others to worship. This aspect includes: special functions, that is, the function transfer of sensory and perceptual organs (ear literacy, skin literacy, ventriloquism, eyes opening, etc.). ); Remote sensing, such as remote sensing and regulation of people or things thousands of miles away (so-called predicting the success or failure of satellite launch, using qigong field to extinguish forest fires in Daxing' anling, etc.). ); Psychics, that is, some people have the ability to communicate with gods. They can report the needs of the world to the gods, get their blessings, or convey their wishes and ask people what to do to eliminate disasters and ward off evil spirits. Typical manifestations of this are witchcraft and witch doctors.

3. Mystery of nature: that is, some objective existence, statements or phenomena in nature that cannot be explained by science and evidence. This aspect includes mysterious buildings at 30 degrees north latitude, Nice Monster, Shennongjia Savage, Tianchi Monster, Bigfoot Monster, Crystal Skull, and some major species extinction and regional disasters. It is mainly believed that there is a creature beyond human intelligence in the universe, which can control and influence the activities of the earth, or has taken care of the earth and left some buildings or features, which is still difficult for human beings to crack at present.

4. "Interaction between man and nature": This kind of interaction is different from China's ancient concept of interaction between man and nature. China's ancient concept of the connection between man and nature is a simple philosophical concept. Although it is also superstitious, it is an advanced concept and progressive in the social background at that time. Even today, it still has reference significance in some aspects; The telepathy between man and nature here refers to linking human destiny with some phenomena in the universe and the sky, thinking that human destiny is controlled by these phenomena, or we can predict and grasp human destiny through these phenomena in the sky. Now western astrology, constellations, etc. Belong to this category. With the deepening of China's reform and opening-up, these superstitious things have also invaded, spread widely and had a far-reaching impact.

5. Feng Shui theory or witchcraft: This kind of technology is usually based on experience, which links the rise and fall of human society and personal honor and disgrace with some simple phenomena, and predicts and judges the quality of things through these simple phenomena; Such as fortune telling, geomantic omen, horoscope reading, fortune telling, character reading, gossip and so on. Because these technologies are based on experience rather than factual evidence, we can call them unscientific technologies. However, this unscientific technology is not completely unreasonable. It has its own "theoretical system", and sometimes it can get many things right. Besides, it has a long history, so many people believe it. Since ancient times, people have made a living from this, which has a far-reaching influence among the people.

Second, the popular trend and research survey

From the international point of view, it is superstition that both the East and the West deal with abnormal phenomena in combination with local customs and culture. Whether it is a country with rich historical and cultural accumulation or a country close to modern civilization, it is deeply rooted in grass-roots culture and manifested at all levels, but different levels have different dependence on this superstition.

Judging from the fashion trend and manifestations, this abnormal phenomenon and its accompanying culture obviously have the characteristics of "demand-oriented", that is, flowing to areas with strong demand. Moreover, this "demand-oriented" and "profit-seeking motivation" are compatible, so it is easy to realize the combination of supply and demand. Go to a place where people are concentrated, the market demand is large, there are many unknown factors, and the competition for survival is fierce. This form of expression is widely popular in foreign politics, media and film and television; In China, communicators and believers are mainly vulnerable groups, and geographically, they are "three hospitals and two districts", namely, universities, hospitals, courts, development zones and tourist areas (see the perspective of modern superstition). Recently, this trend has the characteristics of shifting from the urban-rural fringe or the areas where migrant workers are concentrated, and its personnel scale has a transformation law that is unified with the rural production season. This shows that in the traditional mode, the people who spread and believe are mainly rural people, but with the transfer of rural activists-main laborers, most of them go to cities to work, and the superstitious market also shifts. However, in modern modes of communication such as internet and media communication, the target and audience are mainly urban residents, and it is more noteworthy that the audience is younger and more knowledgeable. Younger age refers to the participation of primary and secondary school students and college students. They are highly educated, have mastered the use of modern communication means, and can spread and use them secretly. High-level knowledge means that this group is generally white-collar workers, state cadres and administrators. They are more convenient and curious to approach and use modern media. Therefore, they are not only easy to accept and believe the spread of abnormal phenomena, but also easy to become accomplices or direct communicators if they do not distinguish right from wrong.

From the research point of view, western scholars, represented by the United States, tend to reasonably doubt these abnormal phenomena with scientific methods, concepts and spirits, and conduct scientific investigations and studies on the basis of doubts. This kind of research is impartial and rational. At the same time, it is necessary to spread the true results of the investigation to the public, expose the illusions and scams of various purposes, educate the public with execution, and avoid losses. With the deepening of research, this kind of investigation and exposure work more and more involves the spiritual and emotional aspects of human beings, such as faith and religion. However, this kind of rational investigation and research involving the spiritual field is difficult to convince the public if it is still limited to some traditional scientific methods; In this way, the research on institutions is no longer limited to the speculative field of philosophy, nor to the traditional field of statistics and logical analysis, but is increasingly extended to some disciplines and methods that span natural science and social science, such as psychology, psychopsychology and parapsychology. And use the knowledge, principles and methods of these disciplines to reveal some vague understandings in the field of people's beliefs. Guide the public to treat some unknown and supernatural phenomena correctly, so as to avoid being deceived or falling into the quagmire of superstition.

In China, the * * * production party is an atheist. They don't believe in superstition, and most of them adopt a tolerant and open attitude towards some abnormal phenomena, allowing them to exist and explore, but less arguing. Moreover, because the state and the ruling party insist on atheism, most of them adopt a critical and resistant attitude and practice to these phenomena. In theory or research, most of them use a single dialectics to analyze and criticize. Therefore, there are problems of single theory and simple method in research and exposure, which have affected the popularization and dissemination of scientific spirit and rational thought to a certain extent, and have not fundamentally solved the doubts of the public due to lack of persuasion.

But historically, China has thousands of years of traditional culture and rich experience in dealing with superstitions and abnormal phenomena, while the West is the birthplace of modern science and technology, so it is advantageous to treat these abnormal phenomena with scientific rationality and scientific thinking. Therefore, it is of great theoretical and practical significance for the East and the West to learn from each other through academic exchanges, promote the spread of scientific ideas and scientific rationality, and reveal the mysterious and unknown phenomena existing in today's world.

Third, the situation in China.

In the middle of last century, with the establishment of People's Republic of China (PRC), other studies were carried out with the help of the government.

Theory and belief belong to heresy, ghosts and gods are driven away, Confucius and Mencius are under house arrest, and only Marxism can unify the whole country. Therefore, from 1950s to 1980s, China was a veritable atheist country. However, with the deepening of reform and opening up, driven by material interests, the once-silent "ghost" has revived, and it has been rampant for a time, with a tendency of deviance and evil spirits. In this case, the older generation of scientific and technological workers, popular science writers and popular science researchers urged to arm people's minds with scientific knowledge, thoughts and spirit, and severely criticized and exposed some fallacies. Especially at the end of last century, they made a scientific investigation and analysis of various statements, and exposed and cracked down on some superstitions and pseudoscience through various media. It should be said that they have made great contributions to carrying forward the scientific spirit and defending the dignity of science.

But with the passage of time, most of the older generation of anti-counterfeiting fighters have retired, and the new research and investigation work and the task of defending science have fallen on the shoulders of the younger generation. Because, under the new historical conditions, young researchers engaged in related fields are all alone, and they are scattered in various disciplines, units and fields. They need people from all walks of life in China to connect, strengthen exchanges, improve the level and quality of research, strengthen cooperation with related fields in the world, and strengthen the joint efforts of research. At the same time, they work closely with various media to vigorously expose superstition and pseudoscience and carry forward the scientific spirit. This is also conducive to avoiding the phenomenon of single discipline and unconvincing in the past. In a word, studying supernatural phenomena is not only the need of theoretical research itself, but also the need and concrete embodiment of developing advanced culture and safeguarding people's interests in the new period.