Hi, I have loved ones who are getting into all this rubbish (below). Has anyone else encountered this sort of stuff recently (supposedly we are about to enter the new age or the latest armageddon or whatever...)

They have jumbled together the Illuminati (no comment), the late and sadly lamented Comet Ison (not really destroyed by the sun, it is all a conspiracy by NASA to hid the truth), new energy from the sun, massive solar flares, solar magnetic field shifts, shifting tectonic plates, new "vibrations" and "frequencies", alien entities, other dimensional beings, the book of Revelation, the rapture, reincarnation, Mayan prophecies, Hopi Indian warning, etc etc (yup, it's all there unfortunately).

Should I just wait them out until the predicted events don't happen (supposedly by the end of the year, can hardly wait, better stock up on tinfoil and bottled water) or just give up and nod my head sagely, while secretly Googling the cause of various psychoses? Rational argument doesn't work...I've tried it for months, but they are getting worse.

http://www.newmessage.org/

http://cosmicgaia.com/

http://www.andromedacouncil.com/index.html

hermes wrote:Should I just wait them out until the predicted events don't happen (supposedly by the end of the year, can hardly wait, better stock up on tinfoil and bottled water) or just give up and nod my head sagely, while secretly Googling the cause of various psychoses? Rational argument doesn't work...I've tried it for months, but they are getting worse.

Try to pin them down on the predictions and their "occur by" dates (end of the year's only a few days!), type them out (perhaps record them actually saying them; video/audio evidence ) and post them somewhere prominent (keep copies in case of vandalism.) So that you can pull them up on it when they completely fail to eventuate as predicted.

Hehe, I have actually done that, but they have a way, as this type does, of weasling out of such logical debunking and changing their dates and/or the specific events that are supposed to happen/ or blaming the evil sceptics of messing with their energies etc. So far Armageddon has failed to eventuate in July (some sort of astrological nonsense), a non tsunami at the end of October, and on the 21st of December (ah, but one had heart palpitations and tinnitus and this was a sign...not of course to an actual pre-existing medical condition). I think they are all supposed to ascend heavenwards or become new beings by the end of the year...and yes at least one of them *is* smoking something. I await the joyous news of their ascension, probably due at the same time as my qualifying letter for the next Olympics. Watch out Bolt!

hermes wrote:Hi, I have loved ones who are getting into all this rubbish (below). Has anyone else encountered this sort of stuff recently (supposedly we are about to enter the new age or the latest armageddon or whatever...)

They have jumbled together the Illuminati (no comment), the late and sadly lamented Comet Ison (not really destroyed by the sun, it is all a conspiracy by NASA to hid the truth), new energy from the sun, massive solar flares, solar magnetic field shifts, shifting tectonic plates, new "vibrations" and "frequencies", alien entities, other dimensional beings, the book of Revelation, the rapture, reincarnation, Mayan prophecies, Hopi Indian warning, etc etc (yup, it's all there unfortunately).

Should I just wait them out until the predicted events don't happen (supposedly by the end of the year, can hardly wait, better stock up on tinfoil and bottled water) or just give up and nod my head sagely, while secretly Googling the cause of various psychoses? Rational argument doesn't work...I've tried it for months, but they are getting worse.

http://www.newmessage.org/

http://cosmicgaia.com/

http://www.andromedacouncil.com/index.html

Wow! That's some way out shit in the links!

I can see why it is appealing to some - it offers answers to the big questions without having to do any thinking!

Why not freak them out with some 'real' way out shit?

Krauss, a universe from nothing

quantum teleportation

The universe as a hologram

And BTW,

Welcome to the forum!

FFS, don't mention quantum anything; New Age can of worms

chairman bill wrote:FFS, don't mention quantum anything; New Age can of worms

Oh believe me, quantum is one of their favourite words...don't get me started.

I knew there was a lot of sh*t out there, but this an entirely new level of tripe. Amusingly, one of them thinks he is "the messenger" and is really put out that others are claiming the same mantle.

I feel particularly ill when I hear "quantum" used in bullshit contexts because quantum mechanics is part of my field of study. Not only do I know they're incorrectly using the terminology but it's the terminology of my field. I know it's proper usage and desperately want to explain it to them. I never bother though as my experience suggests they're not actually concerned and won't believe me anyways. Very frustrating though. I get it.

Usually I just ask them what they mean by "energy" and then sit back and laugh as they try to explain it in the most wooly of ways.

Have to be careful with that, though. I nearly got in a fight with a guy in a pub over it one day.

Why not freak them out with some 'real' way out shit?

Krauss, a universe from nothing

quantum teleportation

The universe as a hologram

And BTW,

Welcome to the forum!

Thanks for the welcome, Problem is they pick up on stuff like the hologram universe and fit it to their "theories" - in the words of the inimitable Tyson, "finally, a study that backs up everything I have always said about confirmation bias!"

Animavore wrote:Usually I just ask them what they mean by "energy" and then sit back and laugh as they try to explain it in the most wooly of ways.

They haven't a clue what energy actually is (seriously, a "new type of energy" lol. I assume they imagine it as some sort of electricity swirling around in the ether infusing the chosen ones...them, naturally)

Rachel Bronwyn wrote:I feel particularly ill when I hear "quantum" used in bullshit contexts because quantum mechanics is part of my field of study. Not only do I know they're incorrectly using the terminology but it's the terminology of my field. I know it's proper usage and desperately want to explain it to them. I never bother though as my experience suggests they're not actually concerned and won't believe me anyways. Very frustrating though. I get it.

Aye! it is!

When I was at uni, many years ago now, me and a couple of my physics chums joined the 'New Age Society' (they used to hold their meetings in the physics 'pent house' at the top of our building!).

I found it really fascinating meeting people with some way out ideas. I had my aura examined and my tarot read. The people that I met appeared to be genuine believers in this stuff. I did challenge some of these people when they talked of 'energy', 'vibrations' and 'quantum' etc.. but not too harshly - these people weren't trying to claim that they could heal your ailments (I would have been less polite had that been the case), but more 'spiritually enlight'!

Also, the society wangled it so that we could go to some (neo) pagan rituals and stuff happening out in the woods in the dead of night! Great stuff! (What happened in the woods, stays in the woods.. )

Inspired to debunk such nonsense, I learnt how to read runes and did readings. Unfortunately, some people that I read didn't believe me that I wasn't psychic and it was down to general 'barnum' type statements. Kind of backfired eh?!

The best way to deal with this sort of new agey fan; gently point them out on their mis-use of physics and join in the fun!

The other sort (who claim healing, promoting anti-vax/meds etc): Stand before them as a soldier for science, show no mercy and strike them down with the sword of knowledge!

The best way to deal with this sort of new agey fan; gently point them out on their mis-use of physics and join in the fun!

The other sort (who claim healing, promoting anti-vax/meds etc): Stand before them as a soldier for science, show no mercy and strike them down with the sword of knowledge!

The latter unfortunately...

Deepity Chakra and his ilk have a lot to answer for.

hermes wrote:

The best way to deal with this sort of new agey fan; gently point them out on their mis-use of physics and join in the fun!

The other sort (who claim healing, promoting anti-vax/meds etc): Stand before them as a soldier for science, show no mercy and strike them down with the sword of knowledge!

The latter unfortunately...

That's bad.

Send them here!

Yes, Deepak is there too, and need I say they are enamoured with dreadful Icke as well...

hermes wrote:Yes, Deepak is there too, and need I say they are enamoured with dreadful Icke as well...

Deepak, I can't stand. What makes it worse, for me, is that he is an educated guy.

I wonder if Icke is just playing a game - making up increasingly weird stuff to find the limit of what gullible people will believe.

No, he's a footballer.

Has Icke ever been tested for Cagpras delusion?

campermon wrote:

hermes wrote:Hi, I have loved ones who are getting into all this rubbish (below). Has anyone else encountered this sort of stuff recently (supposedly we are about to enter the new age or the latest armageddon or whatever...)

They have jumbled together the Illuminati (no comment), the late and sadly lamented Comet Ison (not really destroyed by the sun, it is all a conspiracy by NASA to hid the truth), new energy from the sun, massive solar flares, solar magnetic field shifts, shifting tectonic plates, new "vibrations" and "frequencies", alien entities, other dimensional beings, the book of Revelation, the rapture, reincarnation, Mayan prophecies, Hopi Indian warning, etc etc (yup, it's all there unfortunately).

Should I just wait them out until the predicted events don't happen (supposedly by the end of the year, can hardly wait, better stock up on tinfoil and bottled water) or just give up and nod my head sagely, while secretly Googling the cause of various psychoses? Rational argument doesn't work...I've tried it for months, but they are getting worse.

http://www.newmessage.org/

http://cosmicgaia.com/

http://www.andromedacouncil.com/index.html

Wow! That's some way out shit in the links!

I can see why it is appealing to some - it offers answers to the big questions without having to do any thinking!

Why not freak them out with some 'real' way out shit?

Krauss, a universe from nothing

quantum teleportation

The universe as a hologram

And BTW,

Welcome to the forum!

Wait! That's not fair! You're using SCIENCE!

kennyc wrote:
Wait! That's not fair! You're using SCIENCE!