There is a scene from the Hammer Horror B-movie, Asylum (1972), which is one of my favorites ever.

A young psychiatrist, Dr. Martin, is visiting an asylum and investigating 4 "incurable cases" of insanity among the patients. He visits a certain, Dr. Byron, who has been making battery-powered puppets/dolls that he is trying to control via his mind.

Dr. Byron believes that he can breathe his consciousness and will into his creations in the same manner as the LORD God breathed life into Adam. He pointedly asks Dr. Martin if he believes in the account of Genesis 2 whereby Dr. Martin replies that he "believes in science". The scene begins at 14:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pBl8kYEpS8

Dr. Byron then succeeds in animating his dolls with the power of his mind in the following part of the movie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZb0AEn3 ... ure=relmfu

I particularly like this because materialistic science is consistently in denial about the power of mind (and faith) over matter even though there are plenty of scientific studies on the subject of psychosomatic illnesses and cures. What for the scientist is supernatural nonsense, is actually natural mental energy.

Atheistoclast wrote:What for the scientist is supernatural nonsense, is actually natural mental energy.

Is this type of energy, 'natural mental', the same sort of energy that we measure in Joules or eV?

My gran was in the director's cut of The Wicker Man, also starring Britt Ekland. Blink and you'll miss her - she's the woman on the spinning wheel during the montage of Howie searching the village for Rowan.

(Thought I might as well add some information to this thread, even if it is only about a barely active poster like me)

campermon wrote:

Atheistoclast wrote:What for the scientist is supernatural nonsense, is actually natural mental energy.

Is this type of energy, 'natural mental', the same sort of energy that we measure in Joules or eV?

It is psychic energy. It can cause things to move, however you wish to measure this.

When I see someone animating a doll with their mind I'll believe it.

Actually, no, I won't. I'll say it runs on batteries.

Atheistoclast wrote:There is a scene from the Hammer Horror B-movie, Asylum (1972), which is one of my favorites ever.

A young psychiatrist, Dr. Martin, is visiting an asylum and investigating 4 "incurable cases" of insanity among the patients. He visits a certain, Dr. Byron, who has been making battery-powered puppets/dolls that he is trying to control via his mind.

Dr. Byron believes that he can breathe his consciousness and will into his creations in the same manner as the LORD God breathed life into Adam. He pointedly asks Dr. Martin if he believes in the account of Genesis 2 whereby Dr. Martin replies that he "believes in science". The scene begins at 14:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pBl8kYEpS8

Dr. Byron then succeeds in animating his dolls with the power of his mind in the following part of the movie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZb0AEn3 ... ure=relmfu

I particularly like this because materialistic science is consistently in denial about the power of mind (and faith) over matter even though there are plenty of scientific studies on the subject of psychosomatic illnesses and cures. What for the scientist is supernatural nonsense, is actually natural mental energy.

Ah, yes, the "it happened on a movie, so it must be real," argument. This is the line of reasoning that convinced me that I wanted to deliver pizzas for a living. Alas, it turned out that all the single woman who were ordering were, in fact, only interested in the pizza itself

Atheistoclast wrote:

campermon wrote:

Atheistoclast wrote:What for the scientist is supernatural nonsense, is actually natural mental energy.

Is this type of energy, 'natural mental', the same sort of energy that we measure in Joules or eV?

It is psychic energy. It can cause things to move, however you wish to measure this.

I'd like to learn that

Sityl wrote:

Atheistoclast wrote:There is a scene from the Hammer Horror B-movie, Asylum (1972), which is one of my favorites ever.

A young psychiatrist, Dr. Martin, is visiting an asylum and investigating 4 "incurable cases" of insanity among the patients. He visits a certain, Dr. Byron, who has been making battery-powered puppets/dolls that he is trying to control via his mind.

Dr. Byron believes that he can breathe his consciousness and will into his creations in the same manner as the LORD God breathed life into Adam. He pointedly asks Dr. Martin if he believes in the account of Genesis 2 whereby Dr. Martin replies that he "believes in science". The scene begins at 14:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pBl8kYEpS8

Dr. Byron then succeeds in animating his dolls with the power of his mind in the following part of the movie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZb0AEn3 ... ure=relmfu

I particularly like this because materialistic science is consistently in denial about the power of mind (and faith) over matter even though there are plenty of scientific studies on the subject of psychosomatic illnesses and cures. What for the scientist is supernatural nonsense, is actually natural mental energy.

Ah, yes, the "it happened on a movie, so it must be real," argument. This is the line of reasoning that convinced me that I wanted to deliver pizzas for a living. Alas, it turned out that all the single woman who were ordering were, in fact, only interested in the pizza itself

Yeah. I worked on gamma radiation for similar reasons.


Now if you'll excuse me. I have chemo to attend.

Atheistoclast wrote:

campermon wrote:

Atheistoclast wrote:What for the scientist is supernatural nonsense, is actually natural mental energy.

Is this type of energy, 'natural mental', the same sort of energy that we measure in Joules or eV?

It is psychic energy. It can cause things to move, however you wish to measure this.

I don't get to choose what energy is measured in. If it's energy then it can be measured in J or eV for instance.

Is this what you're speaking of?

If not, then you need to use a different word.

Campermon, are you not familiar with the "natural mental mass", also known as a load on your mind?

Evolving wrote:Campermon, are you not familiar with the "natural mental mass", also known as a load on your mind?

Of course!

The end of that film iin the OP s lulzy in an un-PC, ignorant of mental illness kind of way.

Atheistoclast wrote:I particularly like this because materialistic science is consistently in denial about the power of mind (and faith) over matter even though there are plenty of scientific studies on the subject of psychosomatic illnesses and cures. What for the scientist is supernatural nonsense, is actually natural mental energy.

I think there's a 'slight' difference between something being psychosomatic, and someone being able to control and manipulate matter apart from their body through the will of their mind alone. I think the world would be a very different place if the latter were the case to a statistically significant degree. How feeble this mental energy must be, considering the lack of results. And yet, it's supposed to be a sort of 'offshoot' from the greatest Force, isn't it?

John P. M. wrote:

Atheistoclast wrote:I particularly like this because materialistic science is consistently in denial about the power of mind (and faith) over matter even though there are plenty of scientific studies on the subject of psychosomatic illnesses and cures. What for the scientist is supernatural nonsense, is actually natural mental energy.

I think there's a 'slight' difference between something being psychosomatic, and someone being able to control and manipulate matter apart from their body through the will of their mind alone. I think the world would be a very different place if the latter were the case to a statistically significant degree. How feeble this mental energy must be, considering the lack of results. And yet, it's supposed to be a sort of 'offshoot' from the greatest Force, isn't it?

Ah, but you misunderstand, John. Only truly great minds can generate significant amounts of mental energy. And these are thin on the ground. A few manage to get a 40 watt lightbulb going, but only one or two on the planet actually operate their washing machines with it. I myself am completely independent from the grid.

Well, that figures. As usual, there can't be too good evidence, or else our free will not to believe would be thwarted. Isn't that how it goes? God loves us so much he hides as best he can.

Atheistoclast wrote:
I particularly like this because materialistic science is consistently in denial about the power of mind (and faith) over matter even though there are plenty of scientific studies on the subject of psychosomatic illnesses and cures. What for the scientist is supernatural nonsense, is actually natural mental energy.

There appears to be little or no link between mental attitude and cure;

"The data obtained in this population-based
prospective cohort study in Japan do not support the hypothesis that personality is associated with cancer survival."

Personality and cancer survival: the Miyagi cohort study - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/article ... 02610a.pdf

It appears that whatever this 'mental energy' is you speak of, it has little effect over biological disease.

Ah yes, the old "science doesn't get it" movie trope, usually followed by an hour or more of the movie-maker showing they don't have the first clue what science is or how it works

SafeAsMilk wrote:Ah yes, the old "science doesn't get it" movie trope, usually followed by an hour or more of the movie-maker showing they don't have the first clue what science is or how it works

In fairness it's just followed by 10 minutes of murderous doll hilarity and a minor struggle with strangulation. Then finished with a truly hideous insane laugh which makes a mockery of the mentally ill.

In further fairness, you don't need to show a literal understanding of science to make an allegorical point, but it helps.

I thought mocking the mentally ill was the right of every film maker prior to 198X

John P. M. wrote:

Atheistoclast wrote:I particularly like this because materialistic science is consistently in denial about the power of mind (and faith) over matter even though there are plenty of scientific studies on the subject of psychosomatic illnesses and cures. What for the scientist is supernatural nonsense, is actually natural mental energy.

I think there's a 'slight' difference between something being psychosomatic, and someone being able to control and manipulate matter apart from their body through the will of their mind alone. I think the world would be a very different place if the latter were the case to a statistically significant degree. How feeble this mental energy must be, considering the lack of results. And yet, it's supposed to be a sort of 'offshoot' from the greatest Force, isn't it?

Oh, but I have successfully experimented with psychokinesis before. I haven't been able to move mountains, or walk on water, but I can get things suspended by a thread to move slightly just with the power of my own concentration.

Of course, Dr. Byron manages to do something more spectacular.