What evolved power would you like? How realistic is your wish?

I pointed out in a post over on Wordpress ( Shameless plug ) that the human Brain was designed for nothing more taxing than Hunting and Gathering whilst staying alive and upright. D.N.A. has allowed us to upgrade and pass on these improvements but the Brain is still essentially primitive. Animal instincts and emotions rule it. It seems somewhere along the line we have somehow managed to start dealing with abstracts. Still it is nothing short of a miracle that we have reached the degree of understanding we have with such a limited processor.

Yet those instincts are something which offer hope of future evolution. I think of them as built in autonomous warning and information gathering programs accessed and read by the unconscious. One has always fascinated me. It is that burning feeling in between your shoulder blades that tells you that you are being watched. The advantage is obvious, it tells you that someone or something is showing interest in you. You are pre warned and your first reaction is to locate the watcher. Neat. But hang on, this sometimes happens when you are not facing anyone so visual clues are out. Often the watcher is in a crowded street so auditory clues are unlikely and smell would be difficult to pick up at such a distance and with so many other sources. Where does the information come from? Could this be nascent telepathy?

I don't know but I don't know how else it could happen either. Indulge me, then, if I extrapolate future human evolutionary changes from such a flimsy start. This is not a 'Which superpower would you like.' Post. I am only sticking to those powers that could possibly be ours in future. All this is my opinion and I am not citing any research or experiments to back it up.

Straightaway I am discounting teleportation, if it is possible, it would require more than just a normal brain, possibly a machine (As in Star Trek.). I cannot see the brain being able to move it's entire body vast distances unassisted.

Another one I would love to experience and some people claim is already ours is Astral Projection. The separation of consciousness from the body fascinates me and the idea of travelling in this way would enable you to experience the whole world while you sleep. Maybe you could even spy on your neighbours at their most vulnerable if that is your thing.

Despite my best efforts I have not experienced this but it does not seem like something you can develop. If you believe it, it is something you can already do or not, as with the 'Someone's watching me...' ability. This would be top of my wish list. I have tried to achieve this, result epic fail.

 

Next, and in my opinion most likely to develop within a few generations, is Telepathy. I have often felt that you can pick up on the emotions of another, especially if you are close in terms of emotional ties. No doubt there would be those who provide banal and commonplace explanations for this. You get used to someone's thought processes or you think in similar ways. However I have personally experienced this first hand and there is a distinct difference between knowing what someone would think and knowing what they are thinking. It is hit and miss but it has happened to me. In the future this may develop into a controllable ability.

 

 

Extra sensory perception is a hard one. Telepathy could be achieved, maybe by projection of bio electrical energy through the air with someone able to receive the signal, but this one requires a two way connection with inanimate objects. I can't see any logical way it would work. Once again there are those who claim this ability now but if it exists I have no idea how it would operate It would be very useful though.

 



 

Last of the more realistic abilities is Telekinesis. The movement of objects with the mind alone. Again a projected Bio electrical field may be able to achieve this. It would take a strong and constant field and a way of converting it into a semi solid physical force able to interact with other physical objects. I don't think it would ever work with large or extremely heavy objects, if it is possible at all. Again very useful if it ever happens

"What the hell is he on about?" I hear you scream. Well this is all just a thought experiments about which of these fringe ideas is ever likely to happen.

But what if we used technology? Professor Kevin Warwick of Coventry University already has implants which control computers responsible for Lighting, opening doors etc. The below is his Wikipedia entry with all the details and the second link is his personal webpage.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Warwick
http://www.kevinwarwick.com/

Ok, it isn't true Telekinesis but it may be possible with cyborg like implants and Wi-Fi connections to create a passable telepathic ability. You may even be able to control machines that can move objects using the implants.

Personally I'd settle for telepathy. I would still REALLY like to do the 'Out of body experience' thing. If anyone has a set of instructions...................

More Ghost stuff. Pictures, Common sense and the quirks of the Human Brain

I am a ghost sceptic and I have never seen a ghost picture I believe contains a genuine spirit. I would like to, but to date have never seen any convincing proof of the afterlife.

There are two concepts I would like you to bear in mind when reading this. They are:-

Pareidolia-is a psychological phenomenon involving a stimulus (an image or a sound) wherein the mind perceives a familiar pattern where none actually exists.

Common sense-exactly what it says. The thing that makes you say. 'Hang on that can't be right.'

Using these you should be able to debunk 90% of Ghost Photos. When dealing with pictures of supposed Ghosts I will usually give more credence to pictures taken on old fashioned film as opposed to digital. Film is much more difficult to falsify unlike digital images which any Tom, Dick and Harry can alter to a reasonable standard. I have photoshopped many a picture to create a completely false image, (For my own education in Photoshop.). Unless you are an expert there are always signs.

Recently on Facebook I have seen 2 pictures, supposedly of Ghost images. The first was a vague image of a face on a net curtain (Seriously, on a net curtain, what self respecting Ghost would haunt a curtain.). For me a clear case of Pareidolia from someone who desperately wants to believe. The second was in a fish tank. Yes you heard me right. Now given the way light and water react it is almost guaranteed to produce strange patterns at times. I came to the same conclusions as with 'Curtain Ghost'.

Another poster posted a picture of a grave with a strange discrepancy at the very bottom. Underneath was an enlargement of the area the discrepancy appears in. It was labelled 'Enlarged, Brightness, contrast and sharpness improved. Now if you have to go to that trouble to get people to see what you see, it isn't very clear to start with.

So lets examine some celebrated Ghost pictures with a view to the reality of the ghost in each. First, and to my mind the best image with a view to believability, is the one at the top of the page. It is of 'The Brown Lady of Raynham hall'. It is on film so that is in it's favour. It could be a double exposure but the Ghost seems to be consistent with it's surroundings. The image does show signs of Double exposure according to some experts. Others accuse the photographer of smearing grease on the lens. However it does not set out to  produce a sharp clear human image and most sightings are of this type. Only a vague shape is usually claimed by the observer. So maybe a 5/10 for convincing evidence.

 

How about this. The floating head appeared in a picture when the film camera was on self timer. The flash did not go off. Then another picture of the same scene was taken a moment later and the lady was gone. Those who were there do not know who the woman was and experts have said there is no evidence of double exposure. However it was taken on a camera on which the flash malfunctioned so I cannot discount a camera fault. Also given that Ghosts are disembodied and use energy to manifest, according to most accounts, this lady is way too clear and would fit in to any other images recorded in the restaurant that evening. Even the lighting of the face is the same. However, given the expert testimony against Camera error it gets 5/10.

 

 



This one is a good picture. The little girl unaware of what is happening behind her. The floating woman is consistent with her surroundings so there is no double exposure issue. She is a bit too clear for me (I.E. not Ghostly.) but she is clearly floating. the picture shows no photoshop tell tales, it may even have been on film. Should score high, Right? I give it ......0/10. That is because the lady, far from floating, is merely running and one leg is up behind her while the other is behind the post. Furthermore, somewhat tired of this picture being relentlessly duplicated across the Net, she has told the story on record. She was quite simply running and the camera snapped just as her legs were completely out of view.

In this one the head peeking around the Church disappears when you go around the corner. Well yes it would, this is a fake and my nephews pulled stunts like this all the time as kids. There is no evidence given as to time and only the submitters word that it was anything other than a couple of kids playing with a camera. 1/10

 

This one was from a Reverend K.F. Lord at Newby Church, Yorkshire. While no one has ever proved fakery this is almost a caricature of a ghost, note the sheet with eyeholes cut in it. It is someone with no imagination drawing on the popular idea of ghosts. 1/10.

Finally a cautionary tale, let us examine a Photo which almost had me convinced.

 

The picture was of a fire at Wem town hall in Shropshire. Note the girl at the bottom right. Pareidolia, possibly. The person was taking a picture of the fire not a girl so he had no reason to fake it. This picture taken by Tony O'Rahilly in 1995 A young girl had died in a fire in 1677 and there was no reason that similar circumstances shouldn't bring her shade out to play. It was compelling but it was only while I was researching this post that I found an article claiming that the picture was debunked. If you want to read about it, go to :-http://www.ghosttheory.com/2010/05/17/wem-ghost-girl-photograph-finally-solved

For those with less patience a gent from Wem found this little girl from a postcard of Wem High Street.

Look familiar?I am not saying it is debunked but it is a bit too much of a coincidence for me. 1/10.

I don't know why people fake pictures but in my experience most ARE faked, or coincidence or just plain lucky. Maybe people want their 15 minutes, or they genuinely believe patterns on the wall are grannies face. Even Vicars are not immune, though maybe it was to draw the tourists in to pay for the new roof.

So by all means go looking for ghost pictures on the internet and look at your own pictures for Ghosts. Just apply common sense. It is more likely that the light on the curtains is just  a pattern of light that your brain is misinterpreting than a visitation from a dead dude.