Kirsten, your faith in Uri is sorely misplaced. He was thoroughly, embarrassingly and famously debunked by Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show, which you can look up on Youtube. Johnny bent over backwards to make the test fair and put poor Uri at ease, but he failed spectacularly, spouting excuses that sounded a good bit like those of Sharon and Frank.

And for Kabol, i believe the NT has an even earlier version of “people who live in grass houses should not stow thrones.” Although it comes from a story believed to be a late addition, it does say something like “let he who is without sin cast the first stone.”

Best joke so far: My toaster can’t be trusted because it says the first thing that pops up. ROFL! Best point so far: no one has even proved the existence of spirits, so attempting to communicate with them may be a little premature.

Finally, there is something to be said for gathering useful information from random noise, though it doesn’t involve any woo woo as far i know. Sometimes it helps me write music by listening to the sound of loud machinery, but i never imagined it to be spirits communicating with me.

The best way to be sure these experiences are true is not, as you said, to simply experiment yourself. There is nothing wrong with that, but because it is very easy for even the most intelligent to fool themselves, misinterpret data, or be influenced by their own prejudice to BELIEVE, one must go beyond personal experiments, and involve peers, and non-believers, so that all subjectivity can be driven out of the testing, and in the end, the best theories can be confirmed, and the less so, dismissed.

While many EVP researchers are dipping their toe in the scientific method (they are collecting data, making observations, and theorizing), they never take the complete plunge, by following up with predictions and objective experiments, with peer review and publishing (beyond a circle of believers), and with theory modification or dismissal, when appropriate.

The most egregious not only ignore these elements, but charge the vulnerable money for services and ‘readings’, which are based on the prejudices and beliefs (or dishonesty) of the EVP practitioner. This is why you see such outrage over EVP claims: not because of the research, but because of its abuse, and its damage to others. This is more than a lack of knowledge in an unexplored area: this is an evil.

The English philosopher Edmund Burke said, ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph [of evil] is for good men to do nothing.’ In this case, and in this thread, good men are not willing to allow that evil to triumph.

“Over $3,000 given away in grants for upcoming paranormal inventors!”

Sounds like a bunkfest! I have a feather duster that can open portals to other dimensions! That $3000 prize money is as good as mine!

“That’s what medicine, and the drug cartels use to get what ever result they want!” – let’s not forget scientific method(s) are also responsible for the electricity powering your bunk device. The internet you exploit to sell your bunk. The TV you watch your favorite Ghost Hunting shows that promote your bunk. The radio stations that populate the airwaves that give your bunk its “voices”..etc etc. There’s a lot to scientific method(s) you’re ignoring,

“I’m nor looking for any thruth” – that much is obvious.

“Friggin’ skeptics, just a bunch of egotistical little dweebs that don’t have a life,” – Amusing! Coming from people who sit and talk to their broken radios and put themselves up on a pedestal of self righteousness.

“you’d rather have some dork tell you what’s safe to believe” – as opposed to believing you right? Hmmm?

“You can’t even consider any possiblities wihtout checking with some other authority!” – Wait, didn’t you just mention we’re too afraid to do research? Poor Frank. You’re spending too much time alone with your broken radio.

“I don’t believe in hauntings” – Yes Frank. We can see that belief in “ghosts” is something you definitely don’t have.

and if you’re from the southern US, a whole bunch of other critters are dinner and not pets. well, i was thinking reptiles – but they’re actually pretty evenly distributed between dinner and pets. no, no — more dinner.